“Yes, and before the emperor comes back. It puts Pantoleon right where he wants to be, but we need to keep our spies alive in the meantime,” Talon remarked thoughtfully, continuing their discussion.
“What set Malakis against her?” Reza asked.
“From what little the message told me she has been humping her slave or some such thing.”
Reza snorted with amusement. “So now you have to go down there and save her worthless hide.”
“You have to admit that having a spy in the emperor’s bed chamber is really quite a coup.”
“I agree, but it’s going to be harder to get into that place now that the ship has been compromised,” Reza pointed out.
Their students stepped aside as Talon set an arrow to his bow and casually loosed the shaft, which described a shallow arc and landed right in the middle of the dark patch on the second target.
Reza followed suit and his target was soon sporting an arrow dead center. “Focus!” he said loudly and stepped away to let the awed boys get going.
“I’ll go by horse and get over the walls,” Talon said.
“Aren’t you getting just a little old to be climbing walls,?” Reza teased.
“I’ll have Maymun climb them and throw down a rope. I hope he is as well trained as you brag he is, or we will still be there in the morning trying to get in, what with me being too old and suchlike.”
“You should take Junayd with you as well, just in case there is trouble. I’d feel better for it; he’s a good lad and doing well. When do you leave?”
“I should leave tonight but I, we, are hosting a feast with the village elders. It would be very rude to not be there, so Famagusta will have to wait one more day.”
Reza sighed. Events like this bored him. They tended to drag on and there was too much speech making for his liking.
“This is all about owning a castle, Brother,” Talon remonstrated with him, knowing what he was thinking. “At least that is what Max keeps telling me. He says that there are numerous responsibilities attached to being Lord, and by God I am finding that out every day.”
“I’d prefer to be out in the hills, hunting and checking the lay of the land. You seem to be spending half your life dealing with either the mine or their crops and... their woes,” Reza remarked.
Talon gave a rueful nod. He knew it, and he wasn’t getting much sleep either. His daughter Fariba seemed to be a restless child, crying and keeping everyone awake half the night, despite the help of Theodora, who gave her tiny drops of a calming fluid. Rav’an was tired and irritable, although she tried not to be. Jannat was due any day now, and the women were often in a tight little huddle which excluded their menfolk.
“On that note, you can’t go hunting tomorrow, for the elders will expect one of us to go to their villages and be shown their improvements, paid for with our coin, and their readiness for winter. The new olive grind-stone arrived from Paphos the other day and is to be installed and demonstrated. The mine needs to be inspected as well. That, my Brother, is the duty of the Lord of the castle. Of which you are one!”
“Arrgg!” Reza exclaimed. “Can I take Rostam with me?” He winked at the boy, who grinned, but nearly missed the target with his next arrow. He sent a chagrined glance at his father, who merely said, “If I was relying upon you for dinner I suspect I would go hungry. As your uncle says all the time, focus, my son.” Then he nodded. “Of course he needs to get out and meet those people. Take Palladius with you as a bodyguard.” Reza shot him an incredulous look.
“He would scare a dragon half to death if he smiled at it, so pretend he is your bodyguard.”
Reza snorted with laughter.
“Look, here comes Max.” Talon pointed off to their right, to where Max had exited the gates of the castle and was strolling unhurriedly towards them.
“Hello Max,” they both called. He waved, then joined them and stood for a moment watching the young men practicing. He breathed in the cool evening air with a sigh of contentment.
“Your cough seems to have gone away,” Talon remarked.
“Hello, Talon, Reza. Yes, our physician is a marvel!”
Talon and Reza exchanged an amused look.
“Those two are really very good, and Rostam seems to have the knack of it too,” Max said, indicating the eager young archers.
“Humph. They could all be better,” Reza grumbled.
Max ignored the comment. “What plots are you two hatching this evening? It’s going to rain soon,” he added as an afterthought.
“Talon has to go to Famagusta tomorrow, trouble at the palace,” Reza said. “Women in trouble.” he grinned at his brother.
“There seems to be a lot going on down there,” Max remarked. “Why so soon after the last event? Isn’t it risky?”
“The emperor’s fellow, Malakis, is threatening one of our spies and it’s become serious enough for Dimitri to call for help,” Talon told him.
“Well, just be careful, Talon. That is a pit of trouble.”
“How is Guy faring?” Talon asked to change the subject.
“I’ve just come from visiting him. That Theo is remarkable,” Max stated, his stern expression softening. “Guy has his voice back and is letting everyone know about it. Wants to climb out of bed and go sailing again. Theodora told him that she’s coming to see you about chaining him to the wall. But old Simon is sick. He’s picked up a chill from somewhere and Theo has put him to bed in her infirmary.”
“It’s not serious, is it?” Everyone liked the old Templar Sergeant, but it was clear to all that old age was taking its toll.
“His last days in Acre didn’t do him much good. Theo wants to keep him under her eye.”
“We need to keep him in this winter; it’s getting too cold for him to be out in the garden,” Talon said. “That goes for you too, Max.”
Max nodded agreement. “I wanted to talk to you about another matter, Talon.”
“I’ll go,” said Reza, shifting.
“No, stay please, Reza; it affects us all, one way or another.”
Reza dismissed the boys, and the two men turned their attention to Max.
“What is it, Max?” Talon asked, concern in his voice.
“We have a castle, villages and people who seem to be more happy and contented than formerly, Talon. But... ”
“But what, Max?” Reza asked him.
“Some of the soldiers and the villagers are pious people, Reza. Their lives revolve around their faith. They have been asking me about a priest. We don’t have one, and they have been afraid to ask why.... ”
Reza and Talon exchanged glances. They and their families still practiced prayers, but very discreetly. This had become habit over many years. Neither had given much thought to the subject of a Christian priest in their midst, even though there was a very small but beautifully constructed Greek chapel within the castle walls. Talon now found himself on the horns of a dilemma.
He hedged. “Why don’t they just go to the chapel and pray there?”
“The chapel is a good place, but they were wondering if it would be possible for a priest to come from time to time and hold a service?”
“What did they do before, under that Doukas man?” Talon asked.
“According to Palladius, he flogged the man who had the temerity to ask.”
Talon just shook his head. “They should not be afraid to ask.”
“You are a Templar, Max, or were until they jailed you. Why would you not be able to give them a service?” Reza asked.
Max raised his bushy eyebrows in acknowledgement but said, “I am not of the Greek church, Reza. I am from the Roman church, and there are schisms that cannot be crossed for this kind of thing. I cannot hold a service for them.”
Again Talon and Reza looked at one another; they knew only too well about schisms within religions: the Sunni, Shia and Ismaili to name but a few.
“What about the villagers themselves? Is there no one who could fill the role down there? T
hey would be welcomed here at the chapel,” Talon asked Max.
“I asked that very question, Talon. They said no, but that they knew of a priest in Kyrenia who might be persuaded to come if we sent an escort.”
“And you think that would be a good idea?”
“It would also be a good idea if you two attended,” Max murmured. “God is a part of these people’s lives, he is all around them. Both of you are considered to be magicians, which is dangerous, but the villagers appreciate that you protect them from worse dangers. But to be thought of as Godless too would not be a good thing.”
They nodded reluctantly. Although Max was not particularly pious, he held to the standards that the Templar society had instilled in him, and he was giving out good advice. It behooved them to pay attention.
“I am going to the cathedral on this visit. I shall enlist help from Dimitri,” Talon told his friends. They talked for a while longer, then Talon left to find Rav’an and tell her of his impending departure.
The entry to the city was, if anything, easier than getting into Acre. Talon wondered to himself as he climbed the wall and slipped over the parapet how it was that no one had decided to take the city for themselves. The sentry nearest to him was fast asleep about ten paces away, sitting on the floor of the walkway and leaning back against the parapet.
He dropped the rope to his two escorts and they appeared on top of the wall soon after. They both noticed the sleeping sentry but Talon put a finger to his lips and they said not a word. Talon then indicated to Maymun to lead the way back down the inside of the walls towards Dimitri’s villa. The only sentries they wanted to test that night were those of Dimitri, whom they found awake but unable to detect the three shadows that suddenly appeared at their elbows. Once they had overcome their fright, one of the men went off to wake Dimitri.
He arrived in the kitchen looking rumpled and tired. It had been a busy week with little sleep for him, but he greeted Talon with an embrace and a friendly nod to the others.
They got down to business quickly. The visit would have to take place the following night in the early hours when most sentries and guards were at their slowest. The cook, according to Dimitri, was very happy that he was finally able to provide some assistance and would leave the door unlocked that led from the outer garden to the inner gardens, hence into the palace itself. Once inside, they would follow his directions to the chambers belonging to Malakis.
“There is something else, Talon,” Dimitri said. He sounded hesitant.
“What is it?”
“All day yesterday the palace was in an uproar. I think one of the ladies at the palace has been murdered.”
“Murdered, you say?” Talon asked, surprised, “Do you know who it was and why?”
Dimitri could only say, “I suspect it was the one that denounced Tamura. She died under very suspicious circumstances: the rumors are saying poison.”
“This complicates things,” Talon mused. “Everyone will be jittery and wide awake. Not a good moment for a night visit. This Tamura must be a dangerous person to cross.”
Dimitri shrugged. “You’re right of course, Talon, but I heard that the emperor is likely to arrive the day after tomorrow. There is no time left.”
Talon cursed himself for not having come a day earlier. “Then we have no choice. We must go in and take care of the problem.”
“You mean to, er, deal with him?” Dimitri had known this was the objective, but still he was somewhat awed by the cool deliberate attitude Talon presented.
His leader nodded. “And I want a small group to be ready to create a diversion if needed at a certain time, so that we can leave without attracting any attention.” He explained what he wanted.
In the early hours of the morning, a slim figure in loose dark clothing climbed the wall of one of the neighboring buildings with relative ease, then from his crouched position observed the walls of the palace only a few long paces away. Famagusta, by virtue of its defensive walls, was a cramped city, and although the palace was separated from the grubby citizenry by its own walls, the space between was not great. It was certainly not an obstacle to the man crouched on the edge of the tiled roof beneath the parapet of the palace wall. He was waiting to see when the sentries would pass by, then he would gain entrance.
The night was quiet except for the barking of a dog, which although distant seemed never to stop. It was finally quelled by a yell, followed by a yelp as a missile found its mark, and then silence. The humanity of the city was slumbering under a cold clear night that was ablaze with stars. The intruder glanced up at the offending sky with a shake of his head. Cloud covering and no light were his best friends at times like this, but there was a time constraint and he had no options; he had to get into the palace.
A sentry did eventually slouch by, yawning and grumbling he dragged his spear behind him while he munched on some bread. He left a smell of garlic behind as he disappeared into a doorway that led down to the inner courtyard. As he rose from his prone position the figure’s nose twitched at the sharp smell drifting his way. He tossed a grapple carefully over the palace wall just above him. It landed with a clink of metal on stone; he tugged it hard to make sure it was secure. With no further hesitation he took the rope and allowed it to swing him down a short distance to land with both feet on the wall; agile as a monkey, he hauled himself up the rope and tipped himself over the wall to slide down onto his belly and listen.
No sounds from anywhere. He disengaged the grapple and wedged it in a much less obvious place for a quick retrieval, coiled the rope and placed it in deep shadow, then began to trot silently along the same walkway that the sentry had just followed.
The emperor’s abode was old, consisting of a rambling set of tall and low buildings cobbled together whenever someone decided to add a new structure. Hence it was not clear to the intruder exactly where he should go to gain entrance. However, sounds and candle lights in guard houses were sufficient to bring him to some likely entrance points. He suddenly froze. A low, guttural sound below and to his right about twenty paces away alerted him to the presence of others that were wide awake in the night.
His eyes swiftly searched the gardens below him. He was perched on the ridge of a tiled roof, and however carefully he went, the tiles make small cracking sounds when weight was placed upon them. Some sound must have alerted whatever lived in the large compound below. His eyes widened as he made out the forms of not one but two large shadows that were prowling, tails lashing. Both animals were looking up directly at him.
Despite the fact that they were imprisoned within the compound and the iron gate was secure, he still felt their menace and a cold chill went down his spine. In the starlight he could clearly see their yellow eyes fixed upon him and their distinctive spots: these were the emperor’s hunting leopards! But the animals did nothing beyond gaze at him balefully with that unnerving stare and pace about restlessly, so taking a deep breath he continued along the ridge of the roof until he came to a balcony overlooking the wider gardens and climbed down onto this more secure perch.
He checked his weapons: a light cross bow was strapped to his back, his long dagger was secured to his belt—all he needed for what he had in mind. Several shuttered windows opened onto the balcony, and in less time than the span of several breaths he was inside the palace. His search took him past the living quarters of the women and their eunuchs, who were fast asleep, down to the ground floor, where he stopped to listen.
There were noises coming from below, where kitchens, cellars and perhaps the dungeons would be located. The sounds coming from below were those of singing. He shook his head in the dark and began to look for a way down. It was not long before he was in the kitchens, replete with the smells of spices, roasted meats, and olive oil. All was quiet except for the snores of several people at the far end who lived and worked in the kitchen. None of them knew of his arrival nor departure.
The loud talk and the bellowed singing at the top of a narrow stairway that l
ed downstairs from the kitchens; the cooler storerooms would be there. Like a phantom he glided down the stairs with his cross bow held ready in his left hand for quick use.
Just ahead of him was a dim light, and now he could make out the clear sound of loud voices and the dull clink of metal drinking cups.
He peered around the doorway to see two large men seated on stools at a rough wooden table, on which were the remains of a lavish meal. Chicken bones, the remains of a ravaged leg of lamb, and breadcrumbs were visible on copper plates. One man had his back to the intruder, while the other was staring into his cup.
“Last time we do this for a while,” the far one slurred. “The Emp... Emperor is back tomorrow and we’ve got to be’ave.”
“Damn him and his whore! When I’ve finished with her and that arse from Constant... Constantinople I’ll have him eating out of my hand again. Then we can deal with that other fella!” This came from the man with his back to the intruder.
There was no doubt in the intruder’s mind: this was his target, Malakis. The other would have to go too. No witnesses. He began to raise his bow to shoot the man facing him, another quarrel held in his left hand that supported the cross bow. Just as he was taking aim the man facing him stood up and abruptly left. He walked off into the darkness and the intruder could hear him urinating. A cry of protest came from that direction as he did so.
“Shut your mouth or I’ll come in there and piss in your mouth, you scum!” the man shouted in the darkness. The protests died down. Before the other man came back Malakis lurched to his feet. “Need to go to bed, Emperor’s back tomorrow. Got to look fine, keep my wits about me. Hey, Skleros! I’m going to bed. Send Asanes to me in the morning, not before noon!”
Staggering, he turned towards the doorway where the assassin was standing. Malakis, despite his foggy head and almost crossed eyes, became aware of the figure in front of him just in time to croak a warning and to raise his arm. His eyes widened with realization just as his killer shot him at close range with a bolt. It took Malakis in mid chest, knocking him backwards to fall across the table with a loud crash that echoed around the chamber. His large frame threw food and drinking vessels in all directions to land with clanks and clatters, and one stool broke as he fell across it. Malakis was dead when his body finally slid to the floor with a thump, a surprised expression still fixed on his face.
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