The Alchemist's Revenge

by Martin Archer

  “I do not think anyone saw us,” Nicholas said. “And we pulled the extra length of the lines off to the side so they would not appear to be running from the bridge up to the top of the wall. It ought to work—unless one of the Greeks looks closely when he is crossing the bridge and stops to cut them.”

  A moment later the captain of the galley company on the wall above me shouted down that the gate had been secured by the sailors so that it could not be lowered except by cutting the lines. As soon as he did, the two archers who had cranked the windlass to raise it removed the crank handle and did whatever had to be done to remove the chain which was normally used to raise and lower the gate.

  Our plan to trap the Greeks was simple—after they had finished passing through the open gate in the outer wall, the archers on the wall above the gate would pull the draw bridge up and the gate in the outer wall would be dropped by cutting the lines that were holding it up.

  The Greeks would then be trapped inside the enclosed roadway. At that point, the archers on the walls around the states’ camp would begin pushing arrows into them. The archers on the wall overlooking the gate would also guard the stone stairs leading up to the top of the wall to prevent the Greeks from climbing the stairs next to the gate in an attempt to escape.

  It was a fine plan. The only question was whether it would work. I felt like a fisherman who could see a fish coming towards his lure and wondered if it would bite.

  ******

  My eight remaining personal guards were mounted and waiting for me on the roadway with my horse. I swung myself into the saddle, and then we waited and listened until we could hear the windlass chain being dragged up the stone stairs to the wall above the gate. The chain being removed meant that the windlass could not be used to lift the gate after we cut the lines to drop it back into place.

  Once the gate was so nobbled, the only alternatives for the Greeks to get back out through the gate would be to dig a hole under it or pry it up far enough that men could wiggle under it. Alternately, of course, the Greeks could install another chain or fight their way up the stairs and get enough men with ropes on the wall above them to pull the gate up by brute force.

  Neither possibility was likely. To the contrary, each would take time to organize, and neither would be possible so long as there were archers with arrows and dry bowstrings on the wall above and around the gate and a determined band of men armed with pikes holding the top of the stairs.

  In any event, our raising of the gate meant the Greek army could now pass through the outer wall whenever its commanders decided to do so—which looked to be soon, and probably no later than dawn’s early light since they already could be heard assembling in the darkness on the other side of the moat.

  One thing that was totally uncertain was how many of the Greek soldiers would actually come into the states’ encampment and move through it to the gate in the inner wall that they expected to find similarly opened. Another uncertainty was whether anyone who was still in the states’ encampment would try to fight back and, in so doing, delay or prevent the Greek soldiers from reaching the inner gate.

  Those were amongst the many thoughts and questions that were behind my eyes as my guards and I kicked our horses in their sides to get them going and we began riding up the road toward the inner gate. The Greeks were coming; anyone still in the states’ camp after all of the warnings we had given them was just shite out of luck.

  ****** George Courtenay

  There were not many people on the road as we rode towards the inner gate in the moonlight. Those who were going to run had already done so. But not everyone had gone; in the moonlight we could see tents and wagons scattered on either side of the roadway, but there were nowhere near as many as there had been previously. The remainers were either incredibly stupid, or they were supporters of the invading Greeks and had decided to wait to welcome them.

  Up ahead we could see a couple of candle lanterns marking the gate at the entrance to the inner wall. It was partially open and the lanterns backlit a horse-drawn wagon on its way toward the city. The wagon’s driver and a few walkers were the only people we had seen on the road, perhaps because the gate was not normally open during the hours of darkness.

  A few moments later, Captain Fiennes barked an order and one of my guards galloped forward to announce our imminent arrival. The captain and the rest of his men stayed with me. They did not know it yet, but they would soon be reunited with their mates who had been guarding and assisting Aron.

  We passed through the inner gate a few minutes later. Major Captain Michael Oremus and the captains of the three galley companies at the gate hurried forward to greet me and get any last minute orders. Also waiting at the gate for my arrival was Adam Gravesend and the two swordsmen who had accompanied us when we picked up the first half of the bribe-coins.

  The noise of our arrival awakened many of the archers of the three galley companies guarding the gate. There had been nothing for them to do so they had been sleeping as all good fighting men do when they have an opportunity. In the moonlight we could see them as they began sitting up and getting to their feet to piss and see what all the commotion was about

  “The Greeks will be coming soon and the interior walls are being manned,” I announced loudly as I dismounted in the faint light of the moon and the lanterns.

  “Standby to raise the drawbridge and close the gate on an instant’s notice. All archers are to immediately take up their defensive positions on the wall. The wagons with the ribaldis are to be immediately pulled into position over the gate.”

  “And the two wagons assigned to the wall over the outer gate, Commander?” Michael asked.

  “Aye, Major Captain. Them too. Thank you for reminding me. Please get them on their way.”

  And with the use of Michael’s rank I effectively announced that we were in a battle mode and all orders were to be repeated back to make sure they had been properly understood.

  “Aye Commander. We are to take up our defensive positions and standby to raise the drawbridge and close the gate. The wagons carrying the ribaldis are to proceed immediately to their assigned positions both here and at the outer gate.”

  What I did not do, and should have done, was order the drawbridge raised and the gate closed. I did not give that order because there appeared to no immediate need and a few more of the states’ forces or their camp followers and sutlers might decide to leave. Also, and more importantly, I wanted the priest who was bribing us to be able to see that it was open so he would think his scheme was working and release the second half of the bribery coins to us without a fight.

  “Adam, it is time to collect the second half of the bribery coins and take, if we can, the bribery priest. Did you bring a tunic for me?”

  “Aye, Commander, and also a lantern so we can see the coins and a hand cart to carry the coin chests.”

  Chapter Forty-seven

  We are betrayed.

  Adam led the way as we walked in the darkness toward the alley where the second half of the bribe was to be paid. Captain Fiennes and five of my personal guards dismounted and were quickly armed with swords and shields so they could accompany us. The ten of us set out to collect the coins immediately thereafter. We pulled a small four-wheeled wagon we could use to carry the coins away.

  Our destination was deeper into the city than I remembered. Or perhaps it just seemed that way because we were all so anxious. As you might imagine, our swords were drawn as the little wagon we were pulling announced our passage by clattering over the cobblestones of the silent street. There was little wonder in our anxiety—it was dark, we were being noisy in one of the city’s Orthodox quarters, and we had long ago walked past the two archers manning the last of the Company’s sentry posts.

  The street was silent and surprisingly empty. Usually there were people sleeping in the street. It did not feel right. The hair on my arms began to prickle.

  “Over here,” a nervous voice said quietly in the dark.


  As we got closer, I could see that it was the same man from whom we had collected the first half of the coins. At least that is who I thought it was. It was hard to know for sure in the dim moonlight.

  “Do you have the rest of the coins for us?” Adam immediately demanded. He sounded anxious and that was no surprise. I certainly was.

  “Yes Lieutenant, the chests are stacked up in the alley. The coins are all there for you and your men to count.”

  “Good. Please have your men bring them out so we can see them. And tell them to hurry. We need to act whilst it is still dark so no one can see us when we nobble the inner drawbridge and gate. The outer drawbridge and the outer gate have already been done.”

  Adam told his lies very convincingly. He was very sincere.

  “My men are gone,” the priest said. He sounded very tense. “So you will have to go into the alley and get the chests yourself if you wish to open them and count them. Whilst you are doing that, I will go to the wall to make sure the bridge and gate are both open and will stay that way.”

  No men guarding the chests and he is going to leave us with them whilst he goes to see that the gate has been nobbled? Something is wrong.

  “Suit yourself,” Adam replied as the priest hurried off to see for himself that the gate was open. “But hurry. Dawn is approaching.”

  Something was wrong. I could sense it as the priest hurried away in what I suddenly realized was the wrong direction. There was absolute quiet and stillness all around us. Suddenly I heard a sound I had heard before—and it was coming towards us.

  “Run Lads. Back to the gate. It is a trap.”

  I turned and ran as if the devil himself was snapping at my arse. The others followed. It was every man for himself and God save the hindmost. I was the first man away and led for a while as we ran through the dark streets just as the first light of dawn began to appear.

  ******

  “Stand to arms. Close the gate; raise the bridge,” I gasped out my warning and orders twice a few minutes later as I pounded down the street towards the open gate and the candle lanterns that stood on each side of the wall opening to light it. My God; I should have closed them earlier. I was greatly worried.

  There were shouts in the distance behind me and four or five of my men, the fastest runners, had already passed me. Once I heard the distinctive sound of someone behind me slip and fall with a curse.

  Several things seemed to be clear. One was that the priest and his followers, whoever they might be, had no intention of paying Adam the rest of the coins. Another was that they intended to take control of the inner gate by force.

  What was totally unclear was why they were doing it and who was involved. Was it to close the gate in the face of the Greeks, or to keep it open for them, or to block it so the Greeks could not enter the city if the gate could not be closed? And what about the coins that were not paid? I had not a clue about any of it.

  As you might imagine, I was not thinking of such things at that moment. What I was doing was running for my life and so were the men with me. All we knew for sure was that a very large number of people from the city were chasing us. They were almost certainly coming to try to take the gate.

  “Run you fools,” I gasped out as loud as I could as I passed the two gape-mouthed archer lookouts. They were still standing there in the moonlight even though four or five archers of the coin party had already run past them.

  “Raise the bridge; close the gate,” I gasped out as I entered the open space next to the gate and approached the stairs next to it.

  Without breaking my stride, I scooted up the stone stairs to the top of the wall taking them three steps at a time. All around me, both on the ground and on the wall, sergeants were beginning to shout and men were fetching their weapons.

  The wall above and around the gate was crowded with men and wagons carrying ribaldis. Even so I easily found a place to stand right at the top of the stairs between two wagons. Dawn’s early light was just arriving.

  ******

  It was very noisy and there was a lot of confusion around me as I stood at the top of the stairs with both hands on my knees trying to catch my breath. In the moonlight I could see that Captain Fiennes was still with me. All I knew was that I had made it back to the wall safely and was standing at the top of the stairs between two of Aron’s ribaldi wagons. Nicholas and some of the others showed up next to me moments later.

  My arrival, my frantically shouted orders, and my mad dash up the stairs to the get to the top of the wall, all combined to cause consternation amongst the rank and file archers who had been standing and sleeping on the ground near the gate. Some of them began moving toward the stairs that led up to the top of the wall. They all did a few moments later when the spear and club carrying thrusters from the mob suddenly began flooding into the open area in front of the gate.

  The area around the base of stairs suddenly became full of panic-stricken archers shouting and pushing as they tried to follow me up the stairs to safety. Why so many of them were down there instead of up on the parapet in their defensive positions I did not know.

  What I did know was that there was a great and disorganized crowd of pushing and shoving archers gathered around the bottom of the stone stair steps and trying to climb them to escape the mob that now surrounded them. Several times men fell off the steps and landed on the desperate men below them.

  “Raise the bridge and drop the gate. Everyone get up on the wall. Stand by to repel boarders. Bring the windlass handle,” I shouted as some of the men at the foot of the stairs turned to face the mob and arrows began to fly.

  My voice was lost in the noise and I knew it.

  ******

  The shouting and angry mob of men which had pursued us toward the gate was huge and totally disorganized. It was not an army of soldiers.

  In the early light of dawn I could see there were thousands of them, all men, and more coming. They quickly and completely filled the open area in front of the gate while there were still archers trying to climb the stairs to get to safety. I could not be sure because it was still somewhat dark, but it looked to me as if a few of them were carrying swords and spears, but many of them were carrying clubs or were unarmed.

  What I saw in the dim early light had the makings of a disaster. The huge mob surged into the open area around the gate before the bridge could be cranked up and the gate could be cranked down. The mob instantly overwhelmed and pulled down the archers who had rushed to work the windlasses along with those who were the last to reach the bottom of the steps in an effort to escape.

  A few of our men had enough sense to run out the gate and over the bridge to get away; others ran for the stairs and did not make it. They were pulled off lower steps of the stairs and disappeared into the angry and shouting crowd.

  The mob had totally surprised us by their sudden arrival in our rear. That much was certain. But they, in turn, had been surprised to find more than two hundred heavily armed archers guarding the gate instead of the usual handful of Varangians from the city’s night watch.

  It was still somewhat dark and the visibility provided by the moon and the sun’s early light was not the best, but it was hard for an experienced archer to miss when his targets were packed together in front of him and only a few feet away. Arrows began to fly almost immediately and the tide rapidly turned against the poorly armed arrivals.

  In less than a minute, those of the mob who still could were trying to flee in every direction including out the gate. A few minutes later the light of day arrived to find the bridge up, the gate down, and several hundred dead and wounded men in the open area around the gate including some of ours.

  “Stop killing the prisoners. We need to question them first.”

  I shouted the order when I realized the enraged archers were killing the wounded men. Pulling arrows out of a wounded enemy was one thing; killing him before he could be questioned was neither acceptable nor wise.

  ******

  We ha
d barely seen off the mob and managed to get to the windlasses for the drawbridge and the gate before the first of the Greeks began arriving. We had reached the windlasses and finished cranking them just as dawn’s early light appeared. The Greek thrusters on horseback began to reach the gate about thirty minutes later. They arrived too late; we had already raised the bridge and closed the gate.

  “My God, that was close. If that mob had shown up thirty minutes later we would have been in deep shite. How many men did we lose?”

  The questions poured out of me as I stood above the gate and watched as the number of sword waving Greek cavalrymen in front of the closed gate grew and grew. They had obviously ducked their heads to get under the partially raised gate in the outer wall and galloped up the road thinking the bridge over the inner moat would be down and the inner gate open.

  We just watched and waited atop the wall as the Greek riders milled about in confusion. Apparently no one had told them what to do if the gate was not open. Or, perhaps, they were waiting for it to open as they had been promised. Everyone was under the strictest of orders to stay out of sight and not push at them.

  After a few minutes, the Greek foot began arriving and the mass of men in front of the moat grew and grew until, almost an hour later, they stretched back down the roadway almost as far as the eye could see. There were many thousands of them. It may not have been the entire Greek army, but it certainly looked like it from where I was standing.

  Our men, in contrast, were sitting side by side on their arses out of sight behind the parapet’s outer wall and archer slits with their backs up against the wall and, in many cases, their legs under one of the ribald-carrying wagons. They were waiting for the word to be given for them to jump up and begin pushing out their arrows. Three men were assigned to each archer slit and archers would be shoulder to shoulder in the open areas between the archer slits.

  Keeping the men out of sight was a wise precaution as the Greeks were known to have crossbowmen amongst them. Besides, it gave the impression that the gate was unguarded as they had been promised.