[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
Latins. If I were emperor, I would recapture the castles to the south,
particularly Anamur, Camardesium, Til Hamdoun, andSaone . If one held those
castles, the rest must fall of themselves."
"I am unfamiliar withSaone ."
"It was formerly a Byzantine castle, taken and improved by the Franks. It
guards the southern approaches toAntioch ."
"It is strongly held?"
"Its defenses, we learn, have lately improved. The Comtesse de Malcrais
returned and recruited a strong band of mercenaries." He paused. "They are led
by a stranger to us, namedLucca ."
Lucca! But I had seen him fall on the battlefield! Still ... I had fallen,
too.
If Suzanne had recruitedLucca and survivors of the caravan, she would have a
force quite capable of holdingSaone against any ordinary attack.Lucca had been
a pirate, a brigand, yet he had become a successful merchant with skill at
negotiation. A better lieutenant would be hard to find. Some of the caravan's
men had escaped to the boats. At one time there must have been three dozen men
in the water, andLucca would be their natural leader.
"I know ofLucca ," I advised. "Do not underrate him. He is a skilled fighting
man, a veteran of a hundred battles."
A slave filled my glass. "Your health, Andronicus! May success be yours!"'
His eyes were amused. "And if I should attackSaone ?"
"My advice? Negotiate. It would be easier to make an arrangement than to
capture."
He permitted himself a smile. "Your advice is good, Kerbouchard, and when the
time comes am I permitted to tell the Comtesse de Malcrais it was your
advice?"
"The Comtesse," I said carefully, "as well as Signor Lucca appreciates the
benefits of negotiation without any word from me.
"Lucca," I added, "is one of the most dangerous and intelligent fighting men
whom I have met. The cost of taking a position he holds would far outweigh its
value. Especially as the Comtesse would find the Byzantine position her own,
in most cases."
"Tell me, Druid" Andronicus spoke lightly "is it true that you can see the
future? The ancient ones, it is said, could do so. Are you one of these?"
"We were trained in the method, and there is a method. It is one I have never
attempted."
He was silent for several minutes, watching the others. Bardas sat across the
room, looking his hatred. "Are you not curious?"
"Who is not? But I would rather try to mold my destiny, to shape it with
these" I lifted my hands "for we believe a man's destiny may be many things,
although a way is prescribed, a man may change. It is interesting that so few
do change."
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"Could you read my destiny, Druid?"
Phillip was conversing with two men, not far from Bardas. Bardas said
something aloud that I could not hear, but Phillip flushed. "Bardas," I said,
"is a fool. He is now trying to start trouble with my friend."
Andronicus shrugged. "Bardas is my friend."
"And Phillip is mine."
He looked at me, his eyes utterly cold. "Is it important to be the friend of
Kerbouchard? Or of Andronicus?"
"To Kerbouchard," I replied coolly, "it is more important to be the friend of
Kerbouchard."
His manner changed. "If there is trouble, you will not interfere. That is my
order."
Rising, I stood over him. "You must excuse me then; Phillip and I are
leaving."
He made no answer, and catching Phillip's eye, I indicated the door with an
inclination of my head. With an expression of genuine relief he started to
join me. As he did so, Bardas leaped to his feet, his face flushed with anger.
"Go, then, you bitch whelp, I " He sprang after us and was within reach. I
backhanded him across the mouth, splitting his lips and showering him with
blood. Knocked to a sitting position, he put his hand to his mouth and stared
at the blood.
Andronicus had risen. He gestured to several soldiers. "Take him!" he
ordered. "And throw him into the street!" He indicated Phillip. "And that one
also!"
With a manner of utter disdain he started to turn away.
Suddenly, sword in hand and facing the soldiers, prepared to die rather than
be thrown out, something happened to me that had never happened before.
Before me was a vision, so stark and horrible that I was shocked. In my
terrible rage, this had come. Was it truly prevision? Or a wish born of anger?
My expression stopped the soldiers, even Andronicus paused. "What is it? What
has happened?"
"You asked for your future. I have seen it."
He came to me, his eyes hot and eager. "What is it? What did you see?Tellme!"
"You wish to know? It is something I would offer no man of my own volition."
"Tell me."
"I saw a body with your face, a living body being torn by the mob. Some were
beating or stabbing you with sticks; some pushed dung into your nostrils and
mouth; some thrust spits between your ribs, and a woman dumped boiling water
in your face. Still living, you were hung head down from a beam between two
poles in the Hippodrome, and then a spectator ran a sword into your mouth and
Page 231
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
upward into your body!"
"Was I emperor at the time?"
"Yes," I replied, "you were emperor."
"Then it was worth it," he said, and walked away from me.
47
HOW STILL THE night! How pure the gold of the crescent moon above the dark
waters of theGolden Horn ! How bright were the distant stars! Around me were
lapping waters in the dark, shadowed hulls of the boats, the mutter of
sleeping men.
Nothing moved, nothing stirred, only the water, only the soft wind blowing in
from overAsia . Empty eyes where distant windows had been bright, staring,
lidless eyes open to the night, and I, alone, wrapped in the folds of a dark
cloak, waiting.
Constantinople slept; theByzantine Empire slept beside its beautiful waters,
secure, strong, playing one barbarian folk against another, moving them like
pieces on a chessboard, watching with bored amusement from heavy-lidded eyes.
Tonight was to be my last inConstantinople . As in so many other places, I
had been but a passerby. Arriving a beggar, I left a friend of the emperor,
the enemy of his cousin. Gold lined the belt about my waist. Gold was in the
pockets of my sash; gold was concealed elsewhere about me. My horses were
aboard my hired boat, my few possessions there also. Only an hour separated me
from my leavetaking.
Before me and across the Black Sea layTrebizond . Beyond lay the mountains
that fringe the Caspian Sea on the south and east, and high in those
remoteElburz Mountains were the Valley of the Assassins and the fortress of
Alamut.
The night was cool. Lances of light lay on the dark water; the boats tugged [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
zanotowane.pl doc.pisz.pl pdf.pisz.pl szamanka888.keep.pl
Latins. If I were emperor, I would recapture the castles to the south,
particularly Anamur, Camardesium, Til Hamdoun, andSaone . If one held those
castles, the rest must fall of themselves."
"I am unfamiliar withSaone ."
"It was formerly a Byzantine castle, taken and improved by the Franks. It
guards the southern approaches toAntioch ."
"It is strongly held?"
"Its defenses, we learn, have lately improved. The Comtesse de Malcrais
returned and recruited a strong band of mercenaries." He paused. "They are led
by a stranger to us, namedLucca ."
Lucca! But I had seen him fall on the battlefield! Still ... I had fallen,
too.
If Suzanne had recruitedLucca and survivors of the caravan, she would have a
force quite capable of holdingSaone against any ordinary attack.Lucca had been
a pirate, a brigand, yet he had become a successful merchant with skill at
negotiation. A better lieutenant would be hard to find. Some of the caravan's
men had escaped to the boats. At one time there must have been three dozen men
in the water, andLucca would be their natural leader.
"I know ofLucca ," I advised. "Do not underrate him. He is a skilled fighting
man, a veteran of a hundred battles."
A slave filled my glass. "Your health, Andronicus! May success be yours!"'
His eyes were amused. "And if I should attackSaone ?"
"My advice? Negotiate. It would be easier to make an arrangement than to
capture."
He permitted himself a smile. "Your advice is good, Kerbouchard, and when the
time comes am I permitted to tell the Comtesse de Malcrais it was your
advice?"
"The Comtesse," I said carefully, "as well as Signor Lucca appreciates the
benefits of negotiation without any word from me.
"Lucca," I added, "is one of the most dangerous and intelligent fighting men
whom I have met. The cost of taking a position he holds would far outweigh its
value. Especially as the Comtesse would find the Byzantine position her own,
in most cases."
"Tell me, Druid" Andronicus spoke lightly "is it true that you can see the
future? The ancient ones, it is said, could do so. Are you one of these?"
"We were trained in the method, and there is a method. It is one I have never
attempted."
He was silent for several minutes, watching the others. Bardas sat across the
room, looking his hatred. "Are you not curious?"
"Who is not? But I would rather try to mold my destiny, to shape it with
these" I lifted my hands "for we believe a man's destiny may be many things,
although a way is prescribed, a man may change. It is interesting that so few
do change."
Page 230
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
"Could you read my destiny, Druid?"
Phillip was conversing with two men, not far from Bardas. Bardas said
something aloud that I could not hear, but Phillip flushed. "Bardas," I said,
"is a fool. He is now trying to start trouble with my friend."
Andronicus shrugged. "Bardas is my friend."
"And Phillip is mine."
He looked at me, his eyes utterly cold. "Is it important to be the friend of
Kerbouchard? Or of Andronicus?"
"To Kerbouchard," I replied coolly, "it is more important to be the friend of
Kerbouchard."
His manner changed. "If there is trouble, you will not interfere. That is my
order."
Rising, I stood over him. "You must excuse me then; Phillip and I are
leaving."
He made no answer, and catching Phillip's eye, I indicated the door with an
inclination of my head. With an expression of genuine relief he started to
join me. As he did so, Bardas leaped to his feet, his face flushed with anger.
"Go, then, you bitch whelp, I " He sprang after us and was within reach. I
backhanded him across the mouth, splitting his lips and showering him with
blood. Knocked to a sitting position, he put his hand to his mouth and stared
at the blood.
Andronicus had risen. He gestured to several soldiers. "Take him!" he
ordered. "And throw him into the street!" He indicated Phillip. "And that one
also!"
With a manner of utter disdain he started to turn away.
Suddenly, sword in hand and facing the soldiers, prepared to die rather than
be thrown out, something happened to me that had never happened before.
Before me was a vision, so stark and horrible that I was shocked. In my
terrible rage, this had come. Was it truly prevision? Or a wish born of anger?
My expression stopped the soldiers, even Andronicus paused. "What is it? What
has happened?"
"You asked for your future. I have seen it."
He came to me, his eyes hot and eager. "What is it? What did you see?Tellme!"
"You wish to know? It is something I would offer no man of my own volition."
"Tell me."
"I saw a body with your face, a living body being torn by the mob. Some were
beating or stabbing you with sticks; some pushed dung into your nostrils and
mouth; some thrust spits between your ribs, and a woman dumped boiling water
in your face. Still living, you were hung head down from a beam between two
poles in the Hippodrome, and then a spectator ran a sword into your mouth and
Page 231
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
upward into your body!"
"Was I emperor at the time?"
"Yes," I replied, "you were emperor."
"Then it was worth it," he said, and walked away from me.
47
HOW STILL THE night! How pure the gold of the crescent moon above the dark
waters of theGolden Horn ! How bright were the distant stars! Around me were
lapping waters in the dark, shadowed hulls of the boats, the mutter of
sleeping men.
Nothing moved, nothing stirred, only the water, only the soft wind blowing in
from overAsia . Empty eyes where distant windows had been bright, staring,
lidless eyes open to the night, and I, alone, wrapped in the folds of a dark
cloak, waiting.
Constantinople slept; theByzantine Empire slept beside its beautiful waters,
secure, strong, playing one barbarian folk against another, moving them like
pieces on a chessboard, watching with bored amusement from heavy-lidded eyes.
Tonight was to be my last inConstantinople . As in so many other places, I
had been but a passerby. Arriving a beggar, I left a friend of the emperor,
the enemy of his cousin. Gold lined the belt about my waist. Gold was in the
pockets of my sash; gold was concealed elsewhere about me. My horses were
aboard my hired boat, my few possessions there also. Only an hour separated me
from my leavetaking.
Before me and across the Black Sea layTrebizond . Beyond lay the mountains
that fringe the Caspian Sea on the south and east, and high in those
remoteElburz Mountains were the Valley of the Assassins and the fortress of
Alamut.
The night was cool. Lances of light lay on the dark water; the boats tugged [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]