Venetians

by Lodovico Pizzati

  “Gutran was ambushed by a farm boy. Another fleeing farm boy killed Wido, and Faruald… well Castald here can tell you what happened to Faruald… That’s why I brought him. Castald? Tell the King what you told me.”

  “My mighty King, it is an honor to speak in your presence…” Castald began, but King Rothari immediately interrupted him:

  “Spare me this nonsense! Get to the point, soldier!”

  King Rothari was now visibly angry, and this made Adalulf fear the worst. ‘Here we go’ he was thinking, ‘no more King Rothari joking around… Hopefully he won’t execute us right on the spot…’

  Castald then proceeded concisely, speaking rapidly.

  “The farm boy fled with Wido’s horse. We chased him all night from the sea to the mountains. His horse died. He climbed the mountain. He was captured by strange mountain men, and, I guess, killed. Then the mountain men killed Faruald. We were outnumbered, and we fled.”

  “Mountain men?” King Rothari was now curious and forgot his anger. He turned toward Tiberio for answers.

  “Castald, what did these ‘mountain men’ look like? Did they speak?” Tiberio asked, perplexed.

  Castald was irritated. Castald was a feared Longobard warrior, second only to Adalulf in Patavium. Tiberio, this Latin elder, was clearly breaking ranks, but in the presence of King Rothari it was not Castald’s right to put Tiberio in his place.

  “They dressed in leather, and they definitely did not speak Latin, but something more similar to our tongue…” Castald recalled. “…and they kept screaming ‘Tzimbar, Tzimbar’…”

  “Ah! You ran into the Cimbrians!” Tiberio exclaimed.

  Tiberio could not hide being pleasantly surprised. His people had coexisted with the Cimbrians for centuries, despite having very different customs. The chaotic situation of late, that had decimated the population and severed commercial routes, had caused Patavium to lose contact with its hidden mountain neighbors. So, Tiberio could not contain a little smirk, knowing that they had the best of Castald.

  “They must have been hundreds, King Rothari!” Castald attempted to excuse his retreat.

  “Tiberio, who are these Cimbrians?” Asked the King, ignoring Castald.

  “Well, according to tradition they were a warring tribe from the far north, beyond the Alps. They came down centuries ago, when the Romans were just starting to expand north of the Apennines. Back then Patavium was the capital of an independent nation…”

  King Rothari interrupted, as he was uninterested in Tiberio’s nostalgia for a very distant past.

  “So these Cimbrians, they are warriors…”

  “No, no, no, my King. They used to be warriors,” Tiberio explained, “but they were defeated many, many years ago by the great Roman General Mario. Some fled to our mountains nearby, and those people that Castald encountered are just the surviving descendants.”

  “We must gather a large army and exterminate them as soon as possible!”

  Adalulf interrupted, feeling threatened by Nordic people so close to his domain. He also wanted to redeem himself in front of King Rothari.

  “My lord Adalulf, if I may…” Tiberio continued, “I have no doubt that the mighty Longobard army could destroy all Cimbrians even more swiftly than the recent conquest of Genua. However, I repeat, these are simple mountain herders. They would just flee into the woods, and it would be a waste of time and effort…”

  “They did not appear as simple herders to me!” Castald interrupted, increasingly annoyed with Tiberio.

  “I am confident that if given a chance they would have no objection to submitting to Adalulf’s lordship as subjects to Rothari’s Kingdom of Italy,” Tiberio rebutted.

  “Perhaps we could give them this one chance…” was King Rothari’s pragmatic reply.

  “They surely would accept!” Tiberio suggested hopefully to the King. “They are more useful as subjects by providing plenty of timber for Your Majesty. They will even bring lumber downstream free of charge!”

  “Good. Tiberio, find a way to deliver a quick surrender of these Cimbrians.” King Rothari concluded, and then addressed Adalulf. “This way, Adalulf, we can focus on more urgent matters.”

  Adalulf was relieved that King Rothari seemed to have forgotten about his embarrassing expedition, and he was attentively awaiting his king’s command.

  “Yes, my lord!”

  “We need to wipe out the Byzantine army on the Adriatic coast,” the King continued. “It’s a powerful army that could strike at any time. They defeated the Goths, but it won’t happen with us Longobards. I don’t want them so near that lagoon which is a weak spot for us. We have contained them in their main stronghold of Ravenna, to the south, but we can completely eradicate them from Heraclia and Grado.”

  “But unlike Ravenna, my lord, Heraclia, Grado, Equilium, Torcellum, Metamauco… all those coastal villages, they are essentially islands surrounded by impenetrable marshes… We cannot ride our horses out there, nor even navigate ships… if we had any…”

  “I know, Adalulf. That’s why we first have to cut off their supply channels. It has to be a joint effort between you and Gisulf, the Duke of Friuli. We need to establish a permanent military presence in Opterg, the main town east of Altinum.”

  “Yes, my lord…” Adalulf replied obediently.

  Chapter 3

  OPTERG AND TIMBERLAND

  Months had gone by. Polo had healed and regained his strength, and had become accustomed to life in the Equilium community. It was a calm early morning and the Adriatic was as tranquil as a lake. There were no real waves as on an ocean or as in the open Mediterranean. Three small slender boats were out on the flat and placid sea, and the fishermen on board were pulling the nets out of the water. Bruno and Elio were working, but Polo was also contributing to the village’s main source of subsistence.

  Having gone out so early that it was still dark, the boats were now returning to shore. Bruno was onboard the first boat, and he was approaching the canal’s bank where his wife Eleonora was standing waiting. In the second boat, Polo was conversing with Elio.

  “I am telling you, Elio. What’s the point trying to both fish and farm?”

  “Because I get sick and tired of just eating fish!” Elio replied. “That’s why I need some land to grow crops and vegetables.”

  “Yes, but you will end up working twice as much!” Polo insisted.

  “Of course I work twice as much, but what other choice do I have? Feed my family only fish?”

  “What I say is stick to fishing. In fact, what I say is to overfish, and then exchange some fish for crops down at the market in Opterg. You work less, and you still have fish and bread!”

  “That’s because you are lazy,” Elio blurted.

  “No! That’s not the point!” Polo tried to explain himself. “If you want, go ahead and work just as much as now, but stick only to fishing. And when you trade the extra fish, you will still end up with a more abundant and diverse diet than what you have now.”

  “Sure, if I find a dumb farmer in Opterg to swindle…” Elio continued dismissing Polo’s arguments. “But it’s more likely that I will get swindled, so I would rather do my fishing and what little farming is possible on this salty island.”

  “Argh! The farmer in Opterg does not have to lose in order for you to win!” Polo was getting frustrated. “Don’t you see? If he sticks to only farming and trades his crops for your fish, you are both better off!”

  “No, I don’t see, but you are young and you need to learn from your own mistakes. I tell you what… Today was an abundant catch for all of us. Go ahead and accompany my daughter Paulina to the market with my extra fish, and let’s see what you can do.”

  “Deal!” Polo immediately replied, excited by the opportunity.

  In the meanwhile, Bruno was already on shore and talking to his wife Eleonora.
/>   “How was the morning, Bruno?”

  ‘Lots of fish this morning… all families have extra fish today.”

  “And how was Polo?”

  “Polo talks too much…” Bruno confessed. “We keep telling him he is scaring the fish. I think he exchanged more words with Elio this morning, than Elio and I in a lifetime of fishing together.”

  “Maybe he is not good at fishing, but perhaps he is good at selling fish…”

  “Don’t get me wrong, we enjoy his company. But… yes, definitely! He talks like a fishmonger!”

  It was still early in the morning, and back on shore Polo found Aurelia weaving cattail leaves into beautiful baskets.

  “Aurelia, hurry up! Or by the time we get to Opterg it will be afternoon, and no one will want to buy stinking fish!”

  “I am ready…” Aurelia replied.

  She stacked her baskets and prepared to embark. Polo was guiding the slender boat standing up with a single long oar in his hand.

  “Paulina! Hurry up with your father’s fish ’cause Polo is going to leave without you!” Aurelia yelled.

  “I am coming, I am coming!”

  Paulina left her hut holding a basket of fish and ran to hop aboard Polo’s already moving boat.

  Polo, Aurelia and Paulina were navigating north toward Opterg, and the more inland they went, the narrower the canals became. They found themselves behind another boat of similar dimensions, with a twelve-year-old boy at the helm and a young woman Aurelia’s age, who was sitting in the bow.

  “Looks like we have competition today… every village overfished…” Polo observed.

  “It’s Marcia from Torcellum, and her younger brother Claudio…” Aurelia explained, somewhat bothered by Marcia’s presence.

  “I was naïve in thinking that good fortune only happened in our village.” Polo mused. “I must remember: if it was a good harvest for you, it probably was just as good for your rivals…”

  “Good thing that Elio and Bruno sent you to the market, Polo…” Aurelia explained. “Torcellum and Equilium people cannot stand each other. They would have definitely brawled with Marcia’s father.”

  “So I guess it’s a good thing that Marcia’s little brother is old enough,” Paulina jumped in, “so that their father did not need to come either!”

  Opterg had a fairly large market. It was bustling with people selling vegetables, poultry, fish, and some ceramics and clothing as well. It was a very ancient town that even predated the Roman period.

  Polo had secured his boat next to Marcia’s and they all had set up a broad cloth on the ground. The fresh fish lay inside Aurelia’s woven baskets. There was also a bucket of saltwater full of shrimp and another one containing mussels of various kinds.

  Some farmers approached to exchange crops for fish. Marcia and Polo had similar fish, but Polo was determined to out-haggle Marcia by discounting his fish as much as possible. Marcia appeared to be more interested in Polo than in selling fish. She kept staring at him with a smile as he cajoled the farmers with his charming words. Marcia dared to be the first to speak:

  “So, Aurelia, this is the farm boy you fished from the lagoon a few months ago? That was quite a good catch!”

  Aurelia was visibly jealous and felt threatened by Marcia:

  “He must have floated by Torcellum first… If you were not sleeping in, you could have caught him all for yourself!”

  “I admit you are right, Aurelia…” Marcia conceded, smiling. Then she stared directly at Polo:

  “And what is your name again, farm boy?”

  “Polo.”

  Marcia was eating him with her eyes. She was staring at Polo’s thick lower lip and she unconsciously bit her own lower lip exposing her two front teeth.

  “Polo what?” Marcia continued trying to provoke him. “Polo the fishmonger?”

  “Polo of Licio…” Paulina jumped in, and after interrupting Marcia, she now addressed Polo:

  “Polo, you know you keep pestering my father about how he would be better off trading than growing his own crops? You did not take into account that you are not the only man in the world selling fish…”

  “You are right, Paulina…” Polo admitted. “This rivalry is not good for either of us. But it definitely benefits farmers who can now buy cheap fresh fish!”

  “Hey, whose side are you on, Messer farm boy?” Aurelia confronted Polo, as Marcia’s presence was irritating her. She started calling him with the name her rival used. “Uh, Polo of Licio? Are you on the farmers’ side or the fishermen’s side?”

  Their conversation was interrupted by an Opterg woman approaching. She was fairly well dressed compared to the multitude of peasants, and she came to see the fish baskets. She was staring at a large fish belonging to Marcia. Polo intervened by bringing over a similar fish:

  “If I may, ma’am, this morning I personally fished this large mackerel, and as I was disentangling it from the net, I thought to myself: ‘today I will pay homage to the most beautiful lady in Opterg with this finest and freshest catch.’ You name the price, ma’am, and it’s yours!”

  The Opterg woman thought Polo’s exaggerated sales techniques were quite amusing, but she protested, half in jest:

  “The other fish looks just as fresh…”

  Marcia grinned and took the opportunity to intervene:

  “My lady, you have bought fish from me before. You know I serve you only the freshest. Besides, this fishing boy is from Equilium, and his fish probably stinks like horse…”

  “My lady,” Polo insisted, “I guarantee I personally caught this mackerel a few hours ago. The Torcellum girl over here, she cannot say the same… Who knows where and when her father caught that smelly thing over there…”

  “All right, Equilium boy…” The Opterg lady was charmed. “I will taste your fish for lunch. I just feel like I need to pay for the entertainment you have just provided.”

  She exchanged something with Aurelia and took the fish from Polo.

  “Thank you, ma’am,” Polo continued unable to contain his excitement. “And before you go, let me offer you free of charge the freshest shrimp… and oh, have some mussels too!”

  Polo handed out a small basket of free shrimp and mussels as Paulina, Marcia and Aurelia stared at him silently. After the lady left, Aurelia softly spoke to Polo:

  “Polo… we already gave the fish for dirt cheap… did you have to give her free shrimp and mussels too?”

  “I am building a relationship,” Polo replied. “I might lose out today but I think ahead, and I am confident that we will make it up with fruitful exchanges in the years to come…”

  Polo then whispered to Aurelia and Paulina, making sure that Marcia did not hear:

  “…and besides, I am sending a message to our rival over there, that we are here to stay. I want to discourage her, and have her know that as long as we are here, there are no gains for her…”

  Marcia now approached. She was not upset from losing a client to her new rival, because she was infatuated by Polo:

  “Polo of Licio, huh? Polo of Licio, dear… Policio…”

  She smiled, amused by the new nickname she just created, and then continued:

  “What Paulina said earlier is wise. What are we doing? The few times we have extra fish to sell, we end up almost giving it up for free!”

  “I tell you what, Marcia” Polo replied. “You don’t have to tell this to your parents. And we won’t tell it either to Aurelia’s and Paulina’s parents…”

  Now all three girls came closer, lured in with curiosity. Only Marcia’s younger brother Claudio stayed farther out, uninterested, throwing pebbles into the nearby canal.

  “What if next time you give me all your fish, and we sell it all as a unit. Whatever we make, we then split in half…”

  “Hmmm…” Marcia was pondering on th
e deal. “You are offering me to split Policio the fishmonger with Aurelia? What if Aurelia brings less fish than me? Do we still split in half?”

  “Whatever shares of quantity we bring, we split accordingly,” Polo explained. “But we end up selling at a higher price and we are both better off!”

  “I am fine with sharing,” Marcia concluded, “as long as our parents don’t find out we are partners!”

  Marcia ended up laughing at the idea of an Equilium and Torcellum alliance, but a frowning Aurelia interrupted her:

  “Wait a moment! I have no intention to share you with her… ‘Policio’!”

  Aurelia emphasized ‘Policio’, the nickname Marcia gave to Polo, and she was visibly irritated. Polo answered a bit puzzled:

  “Wait, we are still talking about fish, right?”

  Later in the early afternoon, the market dwindled down. Polo, Aurelia and Paulina were packing up, while Marcia still had some unsold fish. However, the customers that were left were poor peasants that had too little to offer in return. They tried to bargain with Marcia, but she said it was too little. Polo was observing, and decided to intervene:

  “Marcia, we are a team now, right? Give them the fish and take what they have to offer. I will make up the rest. What do you say, partner?”

  “It’s awfully generous of you, Policio… And of course, I accept!”

  Marcia gave the fish to the poor peasants, in exchange for the little they had to give, and Polo handed some of his gains to Marcia. They smiled at each other and set off in their boats.

  Later in the afternoon Polo, Aurelia and Paulina were almost back in Equilium. Polo was steering the boat, and Paulina looked inside the baskets.

  “Well, Polo… judging by what you are bringing back from Opterg’s market, looks like my father was right!”