The Alchemist's Revenge

by Martin Archer

  “Hoy to any man with four spears, go over to that man and get a silver coin.”

  But then the problem was that some men had five or six or only two or three. What should a man do if he had more or fewer than four captured spears?

  It was an unknown man in the line who suggested a fix for the problem—the men began to join with their mates to turn in four and share the silver coin. They would exchange the silver coin for forty coppers and split them later. The idea was a good one and the Varangian translators began walking up and down the coin lines touting it.

  “There are more than enough silver coins. If you do not want to wait for the coppers that are coming, you can join your captured spears with those of your mates’ and share the silver coins that are being paid.”

  There was a sudden burst of activity all along the coin lines. Some of the men were too thirsty to wait and began negotiating with the men around them. But at least there was no anger. Those who did not have mates they could trust knew they would be paid and were used to waiting.

  Chapter Twenty-seven

  Sallies and ribaldis.

  More and more galley companies double-timed into the gate area as sundown approached. Some of their archers were placed along the wall above the sally gate and others on the tiny sliver of land between the moat and wall. Henry himself marched two more companies out over the drawbridge and stood with them in the Company’s traditional seven-deep formation with the road running between them. I allowed him to do so because I knew he would watch like a hawk to make sure they did not get cut off.

  The number of returnees coming past Henry’s two companies, and the company of Captain Harper which was already out there, initially rose as the first signs of dusk appeared, and then tailed off as darkness began to fall. The noise of battle soon became quieter and closer, and ended entirely when it became dark. Even so, States’ riders and foot continued to straggle in with captured weapons for several hours, guided perhaps by the candle lanterns placed on the wall above the gate. By then Henry and the three companies had crossed back over the moat bridge and were once again safely behind the city wall.

  Enemy horse and foot could be seen in the distance as night fell, but they never approached. Henry led the three galley companies back over the moat bridge without their ever pushing out an arrow.

  One of the two galley companies which had stayed on the wall side of the moat, however, continued to stay there in the dark. Its men remained in place all night to welcome any returnees from the states’ forces who might have somehow made their way out of the sacked camp. There were only a handful of them.

  ****** Major Captain Michael Oremus

  “Only one of the wagons returned with a load of weapons,” Henry commented the next morning when we were breaking our fast at the Commandery. “But I have no idea what happened to the others, or how many of the states’ riders and foot made it back. Quite a few if the amount of coins we paid out is any indication.”

  “How does Prince Ivan think his men did? And how many men does he claim to have lost?” someone asked.

  “I am not sure he knows or cares,” was Henry’s sarcastic reply. He delivered it with a mouthful of bread and a waving of his bowl of morning ale.

  “Well, his men are very good at making sallies that inflict damage,” Commander Courtenay replied. “How soon do you think we should let them make another and earn more coins?”

  And then, before anyone had a chance to answer his first question, the Commander asked a question that surprised us all.

  “And how long do you think it would take our archers to quickly move the states’ forces out of their encampment and into the city if they left everything behind?”

  My God! Does he think we cannot hold the outer wall when the rest of the Greek army gets here?

  ****** Commander George Courtenay

  Things went quite well immediately after the second sally. Elizabeth resumed visiting me that very night and I was glad to see her and get to know her again. Actually, that was not exactly true; it was dark so I did not actually see her. But I certainly heard and felt her as we joined together to celebrate the great victory of the states’ forces.

  But was it a meaningful victory? I thought so, but I certainly was not sure. It certainly was not decisive since the main body of the Orthodox army had not yet even arrived. No matter, Elizabeth and I celebrated it privately by drinking too much wine and getting to know each other again, and so did the entire city, celebrate this is, via the Empress proclaiming a non-working day of thanksgiving.

  The best news, however, was that my father continued to recover from the chest and arm pox. He was already walking around like a horse chomping at the bit in his efforts to get back to active duty in the Company. The Empress was clearly delighted with his progress.

  But now what? The Empress’s spies were saying that the great mass of the Greek army would arrive in a few days. These were the men whose commander had marched them up the mountain, and then back down again. Now they were marching to Constantinople.

  One thing was certain, even though I did not announce it. I had already decided to let the states’ forces sally once again for coins in exchange for captured weapons and prisoners. They did not know it, of course, but they would probably be let loose on the very day the main body of the Greek army arrived. Hopefully, that would be before the Greek commander had a chance to get his men organized to fight them off.

  It was a decision I did not announce. To the contrary, I told no one and pretended to be unsure and indecisive whenever the possibility was mentioned. The Empress was not the only one who had spies in both the Citadel and in the city.

  ****** Commander Courtenay

  “He is overbalanced and working with an absolute frenzy, Commander. It has been that way ever since Thea and her mother were killed. It is as if he is possessed by demons and devils behind his eyes.”

  That was how James Howard, the sergeant assigned to assist Aron, described the Company’s alchemist. There was a great deal of sympathy and concern in his voice.

  “How so, James? What is he doing?” I asked my question as we walked towards the Citadel’s stable where Aron and James lived and worked

  “He has been mixing powders and hollowing out logs constantly ever since he was told about the girl and her mother. I am not sure he has even eaten or slept ever since he heard the news.

  We walked into the stall where Aron usually worked and then the one next to it where he slept. He was in neither of them.

  “He must be in the horse-training yard behind the stable,” James suggested.

  And that is where we found him when we walked out into the bright sunlight. We watched quietly as he and two of the Citadel’s servants attempted to lift a huge stone off a wagon on to a partially built platform of stones. They obviously were attempting to make it taller for some reason.

  Nothing was said. We just stood there and watched silently until the stone was finally wrestled into place.

  “Hoy, Aron. What are you doing?” the Commander asked when they finished. My God, he looks terrible. James was right; he does look overbalanced. He probably has not eaten or slept since Thea was killed.

  “Hoy, Commander. I did not expect to see you today, did I?”

  “I was greatly sorrowed to hear of your great loss, Aron. I will say a prayer for her the next time I am in a church.”

  “It was God’s will so it could not be helped, could it, Commander? So now I must take the revenge God wants me to take.”

  “And what might that be, Lieutenant?” Uh oh; that sounds like trouble.

  “Why to destroy the Orthodox churches, of course,” was his answer. “That is what God demands. And rightly so—their priests sent men out to kill Thea and now God wants them punished.”

  Aron was red-eyed and trembling as he announced God’s decree. I had a most sympathetic look on my face and in my voice as I tried to re-direct him into a more useful revenge.

  “You are absolutely rig
ht that God wants you to punish whoever sent men out to kill Thea. Of that there can be no doubt. And you have made your mark on the Company’s roll which means every archer is honour-bound help you get your revenge. But God knows that it was the Patriarch and the Orthodox princes and their men who are most responsible for Thea’s death, not the priests.

  “The priests merely passed the word they were ordered to pass. They are innocents. It is the men who gave the order, the Patriarch and the Orthodox king, which God wants punished along with the men who have taken up arms and joined with them.

  “So you are absolutely right that God wants you to have your revenge, but he wants you to take it where it belongs most of all—on the Patriarch and the Orthodox king, and on their great army which is about to arrive and attack us.

  “I know that is what God wants you to do because, as you know, I can talk to God because I can gobble and chant in church-talk and have been ordained as a priest as a result.”

  Aron thought about what I said for a moment, and then nodded his head in agreement.

  Did I really talk to God and know those things? Of course not. But it was a good story and I told it to try to re-focus the poor sod on revenging his lass by hurting our most dangerous enemies, the ones at the city’s gates. Besides, the Orthodox priests were not going anywhere unless, of course, they bought very expensive passages from us and fled. After the war we would deal with those who were not smart enough to flee when they had the chance.

  Chapter Twenty-eight

  Ribaldis and prisoners.

  After Aron agreed to redirect his efforts, the Commander asked James Howard to walk back to the Citadel with him and me, Nicholas Greenway, the Commander’s apprentice. They talked as they walked. I, of course, merely listened.

  “Watch him like a hawk, James, and stay with him at all times. Do not let him take a ribaldi or anything else anywhere near an Orthodox church. Tie him up if necessary and come to me immediately if you think he is going to try something. On the other hand, we need as many ribaldis as he can make in the next week or two and we want him to recover from the sad thoughts behind his eyes and continue in the Company.

  Then the Commander got deadly serious.

  “How many ribaldis do you think Aron can provide to us in the next couple of weeks?”

  “We already have six with lightning powder in them and there is no shortage of logs to be hollowed out and strong galley lines to prevent them coming apart, Commander. I am not sure, Commander, how many more we can make in the next two weeks. Two or three, at least, perhaps more. It will depend on the amount of lightning powder available.” “Does he need more men to help him with the work?”

  “A couple of sailors to help carve out more logs would be useful.”

  The Commander did say anything or a while. He just kept walking. Then he stopped and began giving me orders.

  “Nicholas, go to the strand where our galleys are pulled ashore and give Lieutenant Commander Lewes my best regards and ask him if he can spare five galley carpenters and the tools they will need to help hollow out logs under the direction of Aron and James. Wait there until all the men are collected, and then bring them to James and Aron at the stables.”

  Then he his coin took his coin pouch off his belt and handed it to James.

  “Take these coins, James. I want you to use them to buy more of whatever

  Aron needs to make more of his lightning-making powders. We need a many ribaldis as he can make in the next ten days.

  “Come to me immediately whenever there is a problem and for any additional coins or men you need. And come to the Citadel tomorrow afternoon and tell me how many ribaldis you think Aron can complete in ten days and also how many you think he can make if he has twenty days.”

  The Commander had obviously seen or heard something that had given him an idea. I wondered what it could be. Now, of course, I know.

  ******

  After visiting Aron and talking with Jame, I briefly visited the prisoners taken by the states’ forces during their second sally. They were being held in a foul and damp dungeon room under the Commandery. They were not all that many, but a couple of them had real prospects. One was a real catch, a bishop who had fetched his delighted captor a gold bezant. There were also two wounded knights from Epirus.

  Most of the rest of the prisoners were Orthodox priests. The states’ men had taken theme because they thought the priests might be bishops because their black clerical gowns were different from those with which they were familiar. They also brought in thee Greek soldiers who had swords and pikes in their possession such that the soldiers who captured them thought they might be knights.

  The mistakes that had caused some of the prisoners to be brought in were understandable—the inexperienced and untraveled men of the states’ levies had never seen a bishop up close and, at least so far as they knew, ordinary soldiers only carried spears.

  Overall, the captured men were not much of a haul for so much fighting and weapons capture, but they would have to do for what I had in mind for them—exchanging them for any of the archers and states’ men who had been captured in the recent fighting—and using them to send a misleading message to the Greeks.

  My plan for the imprisoned bishops and the captured men involved the use of one of the city’s Orthodox priests who could gobble crusader French, and Adam Gravesend. Adam was one of the archers assigned to our shipping post at Athens port of Piraeus. He had been there ever since the post was established.

  Some years ago Adam had gotten a local Greek girl in a family way and ended up marrying her. Now he had six children and was available because he was one of the men archers who had been temporarily summoned to Constantinople. He was also one of the few archers who could gobble Greek.

  Adam was one of the Company’s reliable old sweats, a grey-haired and somewhat overweight two-stripe archer who had been married to his very religious Greek wife for many years. As a result, according to his post’s captain, he had learned to gobble Greek fluently and regularly accompanied his wife and their children to an Orthodox church.

  I interviewed Adam and three other Greek-gobbling archers at the Commandery, and decided he was the best of the lot for what I had in mind. I spend the entire next day with Adam helping him understand what I wanted him to do and what he should say to the prisoners—and then I changed all of the prisoners’ guards and appointed him as the archer “lieutenant” in command of the new guards.

  Adam was quickly given the symbols of his temporarily higher rank so he would look the part.

  “You there, Lieutenant,” I called out to one of Michael Oremus’s men. “Strip off your tunic and give it to this man.” … “Yes, right now. You too, Adam. Give him yours.” …

  “Now you take his tunic, Lieutenant,” I told the somewhat confused and totally naked man standing in front of me, “with my thanks, and either draw a new tunic from your galley’s slop chest or sew your rank on Adam’s.” … “And here is a direct order for you—do not say a word about exchanging tunics to anyone except your galley captain and Commander Oremus, and only if they ask.”

  Adam did not know it, of course, but he would be getting an additional stripe and promoted to sergeant if he carried out his assignment. I am sure from the keenness of his responses that he hoped to gain from his unexpected opportunity to distinguish himself.

  ****** Archer Adam Gravesend

  A long line of newly appointed guards followed me into the foul cell the captured bishop and two knights were sharing. They were carrying three candle lanterns, a table, beds, shite pot, and food. I myself carried a wine skin and bowls, and smiled at the prisoners as I entered.

  The men, to say the least, seemed pleased at the obvious improvement of their fortunes and their ability to see each other for the first time. I stood aloof and waited until everything was in place. Then I ordered the archers out of the cell.

  As soon as they were gone, I rushed to the bishop and knelt in front of him.

 
“Forgive me and bless me, Bishop. I came as soon as I could,” I said in Greek. The bishop, as you might imagine, was astonished.

  “My name is Adam Gravesend. I am the lieutenant of the company assigned to guard the city’s moat bridges and wall gates. My wife in Athens is a believer and so am I. We attend church every day when I am there. That is why I am only a lieutenant with no hope of advancement or ever getting the prize money I need to become a merchant. Because I can gobble Greek, I have been ordered to take command of your guards in addition to my regular duties commanding the gates.”

  The three men, as you might well imagine, were elated to see me and the many good things I brought them. I was quickly forgiven for all my sins in the name of God and blessed quite copiously.

  We talked as they ate and drank, with me doing most of the talking because they were too busy tucking into their food and drink to do much more than ask brief questions and listen.

  They munched, swigged, pissed, an listened as I complained that my drunken captain had added guarding them to my regular duties which mostly involved supervising the archers and sailors who watched over the moat bridges and wall gate, of which there were now only one set in each wall that was not permanently closed.

  “Unlike the other companies, we have sailors in our company because the cranks and lines that are used to raise and lower the moat bridges and wall gates constantly need repairs to get them to open and close properly.

  “It is terrible for me to be here in the bridge and gate company because it means there is no chance for advancement and I have six children to feed and a wife who always spends more than I earn. I have even thought of leaving the Company and becoming a merchant, but that, of course, is impossible because I have no hope of saving enough coins to buy a proper place in the market.