Shadow of God

by Anthony Goodman

  “Very good, Mustapha. Prepare your troops. When I send word, you will sail with our fleet directly to Gallipoli. There, you will join forces with the Kapudan, Admiral Pilaq Mustapha Pasha, and his ships. I will try to get Cortoglu and his smaller fleet to join you there.”

  “Cortoglu? The pirate? Forgive me, Majesty, but Cortoglu has failed us in the past, and I fear he might again. He fights for himself and his own profits, and I think we might not be able to depend upon him. His men do not respect him. He rules only by the terror he instills in his crews. He made fools of us when he let the new Grand Master slip by his fleet near Malta.” Cortoglu had attacked Philippe’s fleet many years before, when Philippe was a commander of ships. But, under Philippe’s command, the knights’ small force escaped under the cover of darkness, leaving Cortoglu raging and swearing at the empty horizon.

  “What you say is true enough, Mustapha. But, I think we can make good use of his ships and his men. They will add strength and numbers to our fleet, and his duties will be merely to harass any of the knights’ ships that try to come or go from the island. He will intercept messengers and blockade reinforcements from reaching the island. This would free up your men and ships for more important duties on the island. I plan to use you and your troops against the ramparts of Provence once we are established there. Should Cortoglu fail us, he will meet a pirate’s end. His head will end up upon a pike as would any man’s who fails in his duty to us.”

  The Divan was quiet. It was clear that Suleiman wanted each of his Aghas to make a stand and declare himself. There would be no avoiding this conversation.

  “Bali Agha, my ‘Raging Lion.’ You are quiet today. Do the wounds you received in Belgrade still trouble you?”

  “No, my Sultan. I am healed. These knights will know they have fought, indeed, when they feel the steel of my Janissaries. They shall drown in a sea of their own blood, and we shall bring you their heads upon the tips of our swords for your pleasure. If need be, the bodies of my Janissaries will be but the stepping stones for their brothers march into the breach! We are the Sons of the Sultan!”

  Suleiman nodded and let out another of his rare laughs. “I can always look to you for enthusiastic killing, Bali Agha. We will all aspire to the level of commitment and ferocity that you display. And we all know that this is no charade spoken from the safety of the Divan. With you at their head, your Janissaries will perform. Inch’ Allah, it will be just as you say.”

  Suleiman turned to his right and looked at Achmed Pasha, his Third Vizier. Achmed was an Albanian, and had risen in the ranks by pure fierce ambition. He was a devious man, and his colleagues knew him to be overly proud and often envious of the Sultan’s affection for the other Aghas. Achmed had risen rapidly after the war at Belgrade, for his troops performed well. Suleiman had made him Beylerbey, regional Governor, of Rumelia. But, he now recalled him to Istanbul for this new war that was pending. The other Aghas all knew that Achmed eyed the post of Grand Vizier. Whether he would live long enough to see that dream was another matter.

  “My Sultan, the men and I are ready to serve you. Anywhere. Any war. We will see that these knights know that the strength of Allah is with us; that under the Banner of His Prophet, our swords wield His might.”

  Suleiman turned and smiled as he looked at Ayas Pasha. He knew Ayas to be prudent and generally fair. Most of all, the man would set his sights upon a task and plow straight on until it was completed. But, Ayas Pasha was an undistinguished leader of men, and Suleiman weighed this thought in the total equation. “And you, Ayas Pasha? What do you say?”

  “Majesty, if we are to rid ourselves of these Hellhounds, there is only one way. They must be attacked in force and for however long it takes us. Your Empire will not be safe as long as this nest of vipers is secure in our midst. They have had two hundred years to fortify Rhodes, and they have succeeded well. Your great-grandfather, may the blessings of Allah be upon him, laid siege to that island with fewer men than necessary to do the job. Also, he fought the war from his ships rather than from land. We should also remember that your people will support this venture. There is a strong contingent of merchants in Istanbul who threaten insurrection unless the pirates of Rhodes are destroyed. These merchants have lost so much to the knights’ predations, they would gladly give whatever funds are necessary to support our armies. I believe if we commit our entire military to the task—army, navy, cavalry—we cannot fail.”

  The Sultan’s eyes fell next upon Qasim Pasha, the son of one of Bayazid’s slaves. He commanded a huge feudal force of Sipahis. His men were given fiefs of land in exchange for their services. They provided their own horses and their own weapons in return. He was respected by all the fighting men for his valor and his ferocity. He was a quiet man and dependable. “Qasim Pasha? Are you ready to go to war against the Infidel?”

  Having seen the mind of the Sultan, Qasim Pasha had no chance to dissent, for everyone had shown unequivocal enthusiasm for this attack. ‘Yes, my lord. I, and my men, are ready to leave forthwith.”

  “Very well. You have all spoken your truths. Now leave the Divan, and make ready your men and supplies.” The men bowed low and backed out of the room. Only Piri Pasha remained. Suleiman waited until they were alone, and then motioned Piri to his side. Piri remained standing before the Sultan and did not speak.

  “Piri Pasha, there is something on your mind. Share it with me.”

  “My lord, I have heard these men. They serve you well, and they all have fought for our Empire with no small success. Even Cortoglu as naval Seraskier is wisely placed, no matter what the others think. He is bent upon revenge against the Grand Master, de L’Isle Adam, for humiliating him in the Malta Straits. Cortoglu has a strong will, and a long memory for such things. He will be of value, though probably a source of great irritation as well.

  “But, duty demands that I offer a word of caution: we have only just returned from Belgrade, and our treasuries are strained with the debts of war. We brought back many slaves and a good deal of treasure. Another war will cost us dearly, I’m afraid, in both men and gold. These knights have been a thorn in our sides for two hundred years. Though I would be rid of them, too, would it not be wise to take our time and rebuild our strength in all regards before we set out on this undertaking?”

  “My old friend, I know you speak from your heart. But, I also think that your heart is older than mine, and perhaps tired of these campaigns. I know you loved my father well, and served him loyally. He kept you far from home for eight long years. You would be well and truly content to stay in your garden by the sea, and tend your tulips and roses in peace.” Piri nodded wearily as the Sultan spoke.

  Suleiman continued. “But, I need you now even more than did the Sultan Selim. I have nobody I can trust as he trusted you. Ibrahim, even though he has been with me since my wild youth, is still untried and not ready for the post of Grand Vizier.” Piri raised his eyebrows at the realization that the Sultan had even considered Ibrahim for such a post. To elevate a childhood playmate to such a position was beyond possibility from Piri’s point of view.

  “Majesty, you have many fine leaders and fighters among the Aghas. I will admit that there are one or two less well suited for the post of Grand Vizier than the others. Ayas Pasha would not last long, I fear, in such a position of power.”

  Suleiman cut him off. “There are none other in this Divan who can bear this responsibility. The Grand Vizier is not only a soldier, but he must be loyal to a fault. As you have been. And as I know you are. The Grand Vizier must be wise, not only in the making of war. Any of my Aghas can do that. No, Piri, I need the wisdom that age alone can bring. I honor your experience and the store of knowledge that you bring to this post. I am fortunate to be the heir not only to the Empire, but to the Grand Vizier who served my father so well and wisely. I need you for my teacher as much as for my Grand Vizier.”

  The Pasha sagged in resignation, then quickly pulled himself together. “There are more things that you mus
t know, my Lord. Permit me.”

  Suleiman nodded for Piri to continue.

  “Our spies tell us that the knights already know of your father’s preparations for war. They have seen the large fleet that your father built before he died, and they must have seen our continued preparations. They cannot ignore the threat to their island and they are making preparations to reinforce their defenses. Possibly, they may have already sent for more men and arms from Europe, though I think they will have little success in that regard.”

  “Have we captured any of the Christian spies?”

  “No, my Lord. We have not. With so many merchants passing through our ports and cities daily, it is doubtful that we would learn much anyway. I think that there are Greek sailors and others who report to the knights as part of doing business. It is not necessary for them to have a full-time spy here. Any passing ship plying its trade could learn much about our preparations just from observing us as he sails by.”

  “And what can we learn about the knights?”

  “My Lord, this is what I have come to tell you. It is of greatest importance that you know what your father has already done.”

  “My father? Tell me, Piri. All of it.”

  “We have good intelligence that the knights are fully aware of our plans, and that they are at this moment preparing their defenses. Fortifications are being strengthened and supplies are being stockpiled. The Greek Rhodians are preparing to retreat into the city and aid the knights. They are ready for a long siege.”

  “And how do we know such things?”

  “We have a spy, too, my Lord.”

  Suleiman clasped his hands and leaned forward, elbows on his knees. “Who is this spy? Is he reliable? How often do we hear from him?”

  “Your great-grandfather was handicapped by lack of information. Selim knew this. So when he became Sultan, one of the first things he did was to find an agent he could plant among the knights. Though he knew it would be many years in the future, he still believed that some day he would go to war. He planned well, my Lord. And carefully. For the eight years of his reign, we received communications almost every month. The information was written or verbal, and was sent by trading ships that plied the seas and stopped both at Rhodes and Istanbul. And it has always been reliable.”

  “Who is this man?”

  “I am not sure, my Lord. I know only that Selim always trusted the man’s information.”

  Suleiman stood and began to pace the room. It seemed odd that he, the Sultan, would know nothing of this from Selim; but that Piri Pasha had to tell him of it. Then, again, he had almost no contact with his father, and this spy was not needed while Selim was still alive.

  “Can we contact this man?”

  “No, my Lord. Selim felt it would endanger the man to have messages coming from us. This spy makes all the contacts, and it is always through different channels.”

  “When was the last time we received information?”

  “Just this month. He sent a parchment with the captain of a trading ship that was bound from the East to Istanbul. But, I am not sure that all he tells us is accurate. The information from our other sources say that the new Grand Master from France is old and frail. That his health and mind is failing. Other reports tell us of a strong and able leader who fights alongside his men. They also tell us that the defenses are in poor repair, and easily overwhelmed; that the knights have not taken in sufficient arms or provisions. This, too, is at odds with what we hear from Selim’s spy. And there is yet another spy who seems to be very well placed. But, we have no idea who he is.”

  “How can this be?”

  “We only know that other messages come from time to time telling us in detail of the preparations the knights are making. It is always written in the same hand. It arrives on different ships, and is delivered to the Janissaries in the First Court. But, we have no idea who sends them. We believe the second spy as well, because the information he sends tends to agree with the messages we receive from Selim’s spy. Whenever one of our merchant ships lands there, we get good agreement with the information in these mysterious letters. Perhaps it all comes from the same man, and is written in a different hand to obscure his identity. Or it could be that these men do not know each other’s existence. We just have no idea.”

  “And what have these mysterious letters told us of late?”

  “That the walls are in good repair in most places, but that there are some gaps, and that we might make use of these selected weaknesses in the defenses. But, more important, they say that some of the stores of gunpowder have been stolen and hidden by night where they will not be found.”

  “Why?”

  “Well, the powder has been accounted for, and listed by the quartermaster. It is thought by the knights that there is powder enough to last a year. The Grand Master thinks that we will not last the winter. He calls us a ‘summer army,’ and thinks that we will retreat as soon as the weather turns bad. My lord, that is exactly what happened when Mehmet laid siege forty-two years ago.”

  Piri stopped speaking and waited. Then he went on, “Forgive me, Majesty. I must say this because it is part of the Grand Master’s plan. He thinks he can just wait us out, and we will be driven off the island by the coming of the cold winter rains. But, you see, when we lay siege, there will not be enough powder to last more than a few months. This the knights will not know for quite a while. When they discover the loss, it will be too late, and they’ll have to surrender. At the same time, the battlements on Rhodes are stronger than ever. The knights have expected us to attack and they have made ready for it. Their new Grand Master is neither old nor frail; rather, he is strong and determined. But, it is also true that there is little hope for support from the ferenghi, their brothers in Europe. This is just as we have suspected.”

  Suleiman remained silent, and so Piri went on. “But, from purely a military point of view, this attack seems imprudent. For us to move this huge field army to a small island with virtually no source of supplies is dangerous. The knights are very skillful at sea, and it is possible that they could cut us off from our supply lines in Anatolia.”

  “Go on.”

  “And, Majesty, our greatest strength is in the power of our mounted troops, the Sipahi. Our cavalry is virtually indestructible. They have terrorized some of the finest armies in the world and defeated them easily. But, in a siege against a fortress surrounded by deep ditches and high walls, they will be useless. They will merely sit in the camps and consume supplies. We will be fighting without the help of our strongest asset. Why not return to Europe and continue up the Danube to Vienna? There we could secure our position and eventually take over the whole of the continent. After that, Rhodes could be strangled with the silken cord of isolation.”

  Suleiman considered Piri’s words carefully and long. He settled himself down on the divan and took some fruit from a bowl. Piri waited while the Sultan ate a handful of the grapes.

  The Sultan turned to Piri and said, “Piri Pasha, you have spoken well, and I believe what you say is true. About this spy, I care not. Whether his information is good or not matters little. If this Philippe Villiers de L’Isle Adam is wise or not; if he is old or not; if he is frail of mind or not; none of this matters to me. I am the Sultan of Sultans, and I fear nothing. My armies fear nothing!”

  Suleiman took several long breaths and resettled himself in the divan. Slowly the Sultan composed his thoughts and said, “We are well prepared for this siege. We have over one hundred thousand troops ready to fight this pitiful band of knights. How many can they muster to defend this stronghold of Hellhounds? Five hundred knights? Perhaps a thousand mercenaries? And the Greeks? Maybe a thousand?”

  Piri nodded as the Sultan spoke. They both tallied the numbers in silence. Then Suleiman said, “So we will face two or three thousand armed men? Let us say five thousand at the outside. We will still outnumber them by twenty to one. And we will have the capability of resupplying our forces by sea, while they are penned
up on their small island like so many rats.”

  Suleiman went on. “Our victory at Belgrade assured the gateway to Europe. But the knights on Rhodes still strike at the trade routes that supply my Empire. My great-grandfather was humiliated by his defeat at the hands of these knights. My father’s next campaign was to be their destruction. Do not forget that my father left me an armada of over three hundred ships, which are this very moment preparing to leave Gallipoli for Rhodes. There are ten thousand engineers, miners, and sappers ready to destroy the fortress walls. Between our miners and our new siege guns, the fortress of Rhodes will crumble. Our men will pour into the city like a pestilence. Then what will their knights do?”

  Piri bowed his head and remained in this position. There was no way out now. There would be no tulips for him to tend. There would be no sultry nights overlooking the Bosporus from his gardens. Now there would be war on the Island of the Roses. And a terrible war at that. Only Allah, Himself, could know the outcome.

  Abdullah, the young Sipahi, waited every night for a week. He stood guard in the shadows of the many trees that lined the gardens of the New Palace. His eyes never left the exit from the Inner House. For seven nights, all he ate was flour with water and spices, as he waited in the shadows of the trees. He barely slept, catching a few minutes here and there as he leaned against the Palace walls in the cover of the gardens. Since nobody knew of his orders from the Sultan, he was also required to perform his daytime duties of training and mounted drills along with his company.