Assassins of Kantara

by James Boschert

  “You need to keep warm, Simon,” Talon admonished him.

  “Don’t you be worrying about me, Sir,” Simon croaked. “That nice lady is taking good care of me. A Godsend, she is.” The old Templar retainer jerked his head towards the wall, which housed the garden. “She’s in there for sure.”

  Talon opened the wooden picket gate, which served to keep the goats and other small animals out of the precious herb garden, and went in. The entire garden was only about twelve good paces by twenty, but between them Rav’an, Jannat and Theodora had filled it with plants that Simon tended carefully under their supervision. Even though it was now almost winter, in this gentle climate a garden could florish year round, and there was a pleasant aroma of plants and turned soil. He caught the scent of rosemary and thyme, mingled with fennel, marjoram, oregano, and others he could not yet name. The sunlight piercing the low cloud cover illuminated the newly cut stones, softening their otherwise harsh lines, and the green, knee-high plants offered a stark contrast to the dark soil.

  He saw Theodora at the far end on her knees with her back towards him, pulling weeds and checking the growth of the herbs. There was a stone bench along the east wall, upon which he sat. He rested his head against the wall. He had arrived very late the night before and was still weary.

  It was curious fate, he thought to himself, that she should have come to this odd little island and to this castle. There must have been other places of refuge for the nobility of Constantinople but Giorgios, knowing of the link between Talon and the Kalothesos family, had brought her here. He shut his eyes and enjoyed the sun, in no hurry to tell her the news.

  The sun went behind a cloud and he became aware that she was nearby, standing quite still and studying him. Opening his eyes, he glanced up, then stood up.

  “Hello, Theo. How are you?”

  She smiled. The dark rings of grief and exhaustion under her eyes had gone. She looked much better.

  “I am well, Talon. I heard you had arrived, but you were busy, so I decided to come here and do some work. Simon is a great help, but he is aging and cannot bend to the task as well as he used to.”

  Talon grinned. “He is not above taking a little advantage of an eager worker like yourself, Theo.”

  “Oh how very unkind of you, Talon!” She laughed, and it transformed her normally solemn expression to one of unrestrained amusement. “He is a very nice old man, but... we have to communicate mostly by signals and gestures. I do not speak the Frankish at all well, and he has no Greek. Nevertheless, we get on somehow.”

  “How are you getting on, Theo?” Talon asked as he motioned her to be seated.

  “I am treated like a sister by Rav’an and Jannat who have, as have I, been starved of female company. They are very kind and I am able to help them both, especially Rav’an. Jannat’s turn will come soon enough, but right now it is Rav’an whom I am most concerned about.”

  “I thank you for that. You are looked upon as almost royalty by the servants and the men,” Talon remarked. “Since you have been here I am sure that almost everyone has beaten a path to your apothecary room for some remedy or other. Your reputation is growing by the day.” h

  Theodora made a depreciating gesture. “I do what I can within my skills; if I can help the people here then that is a God-given gift and I am glad of it.”

  “Well, Palladius for one worships you. How did you manage to take care of those horrible boils he kept getting?”

  “His diet was quite terrible, he almost never ate anything green. Then there are medicines that, taken with care, can reduce that affliction to almost nothing as long as the patient does as he is told.” sHer tone was almost tart, but there was amusement there. “It took Max to order the wretch to eat the right diet before he would listen, and then, my goodness! The boils went away! How extraordinary!”

  Talon chuckled. “Well, we are all grateful for the change in his appearance.” He paused, allowing a momentary silence to descend.

  Theodora looked at him. “You found out, didn’t you?”

  Talon nodded. “Yes,” he said slowly. “It is Pantoleon all right. Somehow he has come to roost on this island, of all places.”

  She paled under her new tan. The change emphasized the light drift of freckles on the top of her cheeks.

  “What... what can be done ?” she asked in a very low voice. Her head drooped and she supported herself with her hands on the edge of the seat.

  He loosened the hand nearest to him and held it. “Theodora, you must understand that I shall never let anything happen to you; neither will my companions, nor my men, nor will Rav’an and Jannat, who are formidable women in their own right. You are safe here within the walls of this castle.”

  She gripped his hand fiercely and turned towards him with tears in her eyes. “Oh, Talon, he is such a monster! He would destroy us all if he could.”

  He attempted to reassure her. “I have dealt with evil men before, as has Reza, my Brother. We will do so again, Theo.”

  She lifted her head. “You have changed so, Talon!” she exclaimed.

  “How so?” he asked, puzzled.

  “When I knew you we were much younger, but even then you were remote, somehow... dangerous. Mama said so, as did Alex, God rest his soul. Even Papa said there was something unreachable about you. But now you command and men obey. Not just because they have to, but because they want to. The stories I hear about you from Max and Reza! You have been to China, you are a navigator, and if half of these followers of yours are to be believed you are a magician too!” An amused twitch of her lips replaced the solemn expression. “Did you really steal this castle?”

  Talon frowned, then grinned. “Well, er, yes, after a fashion. The emperor didn’t like that one bit, so he came along and demanded it back.”

  Theodora was openly amused by now. “What did you have to say about that?”

  Talon explained briefly what had happened, including the agreement with the emperor.

  She leaned forward. “An agreement? With this terrible man?”

  Talon nodded. “We have come to terms, but I fear that will mean nothing to Pantoleon. So we must find a way whereby we can neutralize him without jeopardizing this arrangement.”

  Theodora looked sober. “God protect us from that man!” she murmured.

  He smiled, changing the subject. “You have changed too! Look at you, a beautiful and well-educated woman. A skilled physician no less! You have come a long way yourself, Theo.”

  “Well, I am not really a physician in the full sense of the title, as my teachers were often at pains to tell me, but I was almost at that point before I left,” she said.

  “I understand that life has not been exactly kind to you, but I don’t hear you complaining,” Talon tsaid, then he grinned mischievously. “I do remember a certain incident that has remained in my mind ever since Constantinople.”

  “Oh Talon, no! I am so ashamed of that. You won’t tell Rav’an, will you? She would never forgive me!” she begged with a look of genuine alarm. But then she noticed he was laughing.

  “Strictly between the two of us, have no fear. But then, how was I to explain the scar on my middle and who bound me up and probably saved my life?”

  “Stop it! I was just a girl with no sense at all,” she scolded him, blushing.

  “You married, and you have a child. How does that feel?” he asked, changing the subject again.

  “He was a friend of Nikoporus and Antonia, do you remember them?” she asked, her large eyes regarding him now with some of the pain he had seen before.

  “Yes I do remember them. I’m sorry, Theo, I didn’t mean to bring up difficult things.” His tone was contrite.

  “It’s all right, you should know. Gregaros was a kind and honest man, an officer in the Army who did not deserve the punishment that Pantoleon doled out to so many. They murdered him, jalong with my father and now my brother; may God judge them, for I cannot forgive them, Talon.” Her hand had remained in his and now sh
e clenched it, and her voice became hard and cold.

  “I am sorry, Theo,” he said. “But know this, your family will be avenged. That I promise.” He glanced up at the lowering clouds. “If we do not move very quickly we will get wet!”

  Even as he spoke the first drops fell with loud splashes on the leaves nearby, and then it began to rain in earnest. “Come on!” Talon called out and, still holding her hand, he ran towards the doorway of the garden. They ran through, pausing while she insisted on closing it, and then he pulled her along the path up to the bailey. They arrived breathless at the main entrance and dived out of the rain, which was pouring down in a dense shower, splashing water onto the steps where they were standing.

  A flash of lightning was closely followed by a crack of thunder which ripped through the sky like a tearing sheet right overhead. With a squeak of fright Theodora buried her head in his shoulder. Talon was so surprised that his arm went around her and he held her briefly, but almost immediately she pulled away with a startled look in her eyes. “I’m sorry, Talon. I didn’t mean... ” she murmured.

  “That was very close,” he told her with a grin. “And the rain is good for the garden.”

  “Rav’an is due any day now, I must go to her,” she answered. Her eyes wouldn’t meet his. Then she was gone.

  He followed her receding figure in a thoughtful mood.

  Later Talon walked into the Solarium to find almost the entire family present. Rav’an and Theodora were near the fireplace, which radiated welcome warmth on this cool day. The shutters were closed tightly against the rain. Off to the side Rostam was teaching Damian and Irene the game of Go, without much success. The click of tiles came from a low table where Jannat and Reza were playing their favorite game of Chinese tiles. This was a room where the furniture was at a minimum and large cushions were strewn around on the many carpets. Even Max was lounging on a cushion, trying to make sense of the Greek words that Theodora had given him to study. He lifted his hand in greeting as Talon emerged from the corridor, but kept studying. Everyone had been charged by Talon to learn Greek as quickly as possible.

  Talon glanced around for Dar’an and Yosef, then remembered that these two were off on missions, Dar’an to patrol the border and Yosef at the harbor with Henry, whose ship had just come in from Paphos. There would be letters from Boethius, and doubtless one for Irene who, while she liked being at the castle and worshiped Rostam, clearly missed her father and the town of Paphos itself.

  He waved and smiled at Rav’an and Theodora, who smiled back. They were discussing various herbs: Rav’an had enjoyed sharing her knowledge of Chinese herbalism with Theodora, who was an avid learner and very knowledgeable of the local Mediterranean plants. He walked over to where Reza and Jannat were seated and sank into a cross-legged position, just in time to hear Jannat exclaim.

  “Reza, if you are cheating I shall punish you!” She held up her forefinger in a threatening manner. Reza had the grace to look guilty and dropped a tile out of his sleeve onto the table. Talon grinned. These two were always like this. Reza picked up the tile and held it up for her to see, then flicked his wrist and it vanished. “All I was doing was practicing my sleight-of-hand, my Jannat!” he said, pretending to sound aggrieved.

  “Hah! But I caught you at it, so you need some more practice, my dear Reza,” she responded with heavy sarcasm. Talon looked over at her with affection. Jannat was only a few weeks behind Rav’an, who was due any day now, and pregnancy seemed to have given her an extra bloom. Talon was reluctant to ask Reza to go on any visits now because of this, but he had Famagusta on his mind and wanted to talk to his brother.

  Just at that moment he heard a low cry and became aware of a disturbance from the direction of Theodor and Rav’an. Jannat, with a woman’s sixth sense, glanced up and immediately started to climb to her feet.

  “Help me up, Reza,” she commanded. “It is Rav’an’s time.” He leapt to obey, as did Talon, who in two long strides was kneeling at Rav’an’s side.

  She looked up at him from her half-lying position with wide eyes and gave a hesitant smile. “I am all right, my Love.”

  “Her water has broken, Talon. We must get her to the bedroom as quickly as we can,” Theodora urged.

  Without a word Talon picked up his wife and lifted her into his arms. Rav’an tightened her arms around his neck and whispered, “I love you.” He kissed her on the forehead and strode out of the room, with Jannat leading the way to their bedroom. Placing Rav’an gently on the bed he stood back.

  “Thank you, my Love,” she whispered, and then winced, gritting her teeth as the first contractions began.

  “Is there anything I can do?” he asked, feeling suddenly helpless.

  Theodora took command and called out to Reza, who was hovering at the door. “Reza, I need boiled water, very hot, as soon as you can, and towels. Be quick!” she ordered. “Talon, please bring my satchel up here from my room, immediately.”

  Reza vanished to get the hot water while Talon rushed off to tell the wide-eyed maid in the corridor to find clean towels. She nodded her understanding and ran off to bring them, while he hurried off to collect Theodora’s satchel. He knew it contained many useful herbal concoctions which she would need. He rushed back up the stairs to the bedroom and was about to re-enter when Jannat barred him at the doorway. “Thank you, Talon, but now this is women’s work. Leave us and go take care of the children. They will be confused and frightened.” He was about to protest when she said, “Fear not, Talon, Rav’an is in very good hands. Theo is very knowledgeable. Send in the maid.”

  Talon knew that Jannat was trying to reassure herself as much as he, so he nodded and left. He made his way down to the solarium where he found his son and Irene looking bewildered. Irene’s large eyes reflected some fear. Max had stoked the fire and thrown open one of the shutters. The storm had passed, but occasional flickers of lightning over the sea could still be seen.

  “Come here, you two,” Talon commanded the children.

  They both walked over to stand in front of him. He glanced over at Max, who stood by the fireplace. He nodded encouragement and smiled.

  “I’ve never been in this situation before,” Talon told them. “Rostam, your mother is about to have a baby and Theodora is there to make sure everything goes well.”

  Just at that moment Rav’an gave a yell that reverberated through the upper building. Irene flinched and Rostam looked apprehensive. Even Talon was shaken, but he understood what was happening and put on a determined face. Unfortunately his scowl must have frightened Irene, because she began to cry.

  Max strode over and picked up the bawling child and held her against his chest. She accepted the old warrior’s embrace and wrapped her arms around his neck, stopped crying, and leaned her head against his shoulder with a sniffle, then was quiet.

  Talon, who was still kneeling in front of Rostam, gaped up at Max with surprise. Just at that moment Reza pushed aside the curtain to the room and strode in. He stopped dead at the sight of Max cradling Irene, who now clung to him.

  “Max!” he said. “What a surprise! I never knew you even liked children!”

  “I don’t,” Max growled. “Loathsome little creatures! But these two and Damian are our own loathsome little creatures, and one has to make exceptions.” He glanced down at Rostam and they exchanged grins. The eager boy and the grizzled Templar had developed a rapport.

  “Come on, Rostam,” Max went on, “Let’s take Irene down to the kitchens and see if Cook will give us some baklava to eat before bedtime.” He limped out of the room, Irene still draped in his arms and Rostam skipping after him. “That’s a good idea, Uncle Max,” he chirped as they disappeared down the stairs.

  Talon and Reza stared open-mouthed at one another. “Well I never,” Reza laughed. “Uncle Max, eh? That’s new.”

  “He might be a rough old soldier, that Max of ours,” Talon said, “but we are all the family he has, and the children appear to adore him.”

 
Another yell came filtered into the room and both men tensed.

  “Dear God but I pray she will be all right,” Talon groaned.

  “Here, have a glass of wine. It will steady your nerves,” Reza said as he handed Talon a full glass. There was another cry, and he flinched.

  “This is going to be a long night,” Reza muttered.

  Up in the bedroom the four women were hurriedly preparing for the birth. Theodora had settled Rav’an comfortably on the bed with cushions behind her back so that she was half sitting.

  “Try not to push too hard just yet,” Theodora told her. “I need to see where the child’s head is.” Her hands swiftly moved over Rav’an and carefully probed, then she settled back with less of a frown on her face. She turned to Jannat and said, “Please bring my satchel to me. I want the raspberry leaf tea which Rav’an has been taking. Please brew some strong tea.” Jannat hastened to obey, using the boiled water, which was still steaming. She brought a cup to Rav’an and said, “Come, Rav’an, drink this all down. It is going to help today.”

  The contractions began in earnest after that, and try as she might not to scream Rav’an could not help it. Jannat gave her a leather strap to bite down on, for which she thanked her. Theodora wore a concerned expression at one time, and gently probed the opening, then straightened up and smiled reassuringly at the two worried women. “I wanted to make sure the child’s head was in the right place,” she stated, and bent to her work.

  “I can see the head! Now push, Rav’an, push!”

  Two hours later Jannat came down to the solarium to find the men wide awake and Talon nervously pacing the floor.

  “Come with me,” she said with a wide smile.

  The two men almost bowled her over in their rush to get to the bedroom, they stampeded into the room to find Theodora seated on the edge of the bed, the maid clearing away the towels, and an exhausted but beaming Rav’an lying in state holding a small bundle swathed in clean linen.