Greek Fire

by James Boschert

  “He is coming now, look!” Max whispered.

  The man was just walking down the steps of the church toward the street. He was well dressed in the Latin style, which made him either Pizan or Genoese. He wore a finely stitched doublet with wide sleeves over a clean white linen shirt. He was talking to a heavyset man who was balding on top and had long strands of lank hair hanging over the greasy collar of a once white shirt.

  Talon thought he recognized the well dressed man, but he was fleshier than he had been the last time Talon had seen him; clearly life had not been unkind to this man. There was a paunch beginning to form over his wide leather belt. His hose and pantaloons were of fine felt and his knee length boots were of the best leather. He carried a good sword at his belt and a long knife in an expensive leather sheath near to the money pouch on his right side. His huge blue felt hat had a feather stuck through it, giving him a rakish look. His trimmed beard and hair tied back in a tidy queue indicated that this man had some money to spend upon himself.

  Talon sharpened his stare and concentrated. Max was right; there was a resemblance and it was not just a vague one. It was confirmed for Talon when the man gave a casual glance at the two Templars. Talon recognized the features instantly, but it was equally clear the recognition was not reciprocated. The man turned his head away without seeming to recognize either of them.

  “By the Saints, Max, I believe you are right,” Talon breathed.

  “He looked straight at us!”

  “While we might recognize him it is doubtful he could do the same for us, Max. Remember we were three vagabonds looking for passage. Not two Templars.”

  “What should we do, Talon?” Max asked. “I want him to pay for what he made happen to poor Montague.”

  “It was really that other man, whom I killed, who betrayed us. All the same, I am curious as to what he is doing here. We can follow him and see where he goes. Come on, Max.”

  As unobtrusively as they could, the two of them set out. Talon quietly voiced a concern.

  “I am uncomfortable doing this in our Templar uniforms, Max. We stand out in this Greek city as outsiders. It will be hard to miss us should he look behind him more than once.”

  As it happened they did not have far to go. The two men in front of them, still talking together, strode through the now unguarded gate of the old wall of Byzantium and walked into an area that was noticeably Latin in character. The streets were narrow and dirty, the tops of the houses almost touched at the top floors, and there were many wine houses and eating-houses along the street.

  The two men ducked into one of the taverns and disappeared. Talon took Max’s arm and said, “We cannot follow them into that tavern. He might recognize us if we did and I do not want that.”

  “So you agree with me it is he?” Max asked as a final confirmation.

  “Oh yes, it is him all right.”

  “I want to avenge Montague. God save me, but I want his skin,” Max ground out the words. “Had it not been for this man Montague would be alive today.”

  Talon looked at his friend with compassion. “Do you know, Max, I want to find out what he is doing here in Constantinople. The Venetians are all in prison and the Genoese are high on the hog’s back right now. It would be nice to know more. Come, we should leave before people get too curious. We are already attracting attention.”

  “I have an idea, Talon.” Max said. “You are the more conspicuous with your Templar white. Go and find some other clothes while I wait and watch. Look, I shall turn my cloak over so that the cross is on the inside. We do not want to lose this man now that we have found him.”

  Talon agreed. Max in his dark clothes of a Templar sergeant was much less conspicuous in the crowded streets, and they most certainly did not want to lose the Genoese captain at this time. He hurried off to the inn.

  A good hour later Talon arrived back at the tavern where he had left Max, but his companion was nowhere to be seen. The street was less crowded now as it was almost noon and most people had retired to enjoy a meal or take a rest. The habit of going home for a few hours in the middle of the day was popular in this city. He cast about for any sign of Max but there was none. All he could do was to investigate the tavern in the hope that the Genoese might still be there, but again he found no sign. He reasoned that Max must have followed the men when they left the tavern and wondered in which direction he might have gone.

  He need not have worried. Max strode up to him from the area of the harbor walls.

  “I hoped that you would be here, Talon.”

  “Where has he gone, Max?”

  “He is indeed a sailor and he is at this time on his ship!” Max sounded triumphant. “I knew the rogue was our man. I could swear that God’s hand is in this. Why, I just wanted to pray and give thanks and He led us to this rascal. There might be justice after all for Montague.”

  Talon grinned. “Show me where his ship is berthed.”

  It took only a few minutes for Max to retrace his steps and lead Talon to the banks of the natural inlet called Neorion Harbor.

  “There, that is his ship. He climbed aboard with that other fellow.” Max pointed to a long, slim, two masted galley anchored in the middle of the harbor. The ship was distinguishable by the fact that it was not one of the many rounder merchant ships clustered all about the waters.

  “If I needed confirmation, this is it, Max. Remember our captain had a galley, not a merchant ship.” Talon clapped Max on his shoulder.

  “Well, what do we do now? I am hungry but I do not want to lose sight of him.”

  “You go and get out of those clothes, eat some food and bring something back for me. It is my turn to watch. I want to make sure that the gates are not shut during the night, as that could become difficult.”

  Max agreed and left. Talon settled down to watch the harbor and to see what their quarry might do next.

  *****

  The message arrived while Caravello and his two companions were aboard his ship waiting for just this. They had attended a wedding that a distant acquaintance had invited them to earlier that day. The note was delivered by the same wiry man with angular pockmarked features. Having accomplished his mission the messenger returned swiftly to shore and disappeared into the still busy throng on the wharf. Caravello unrolled the letter and read the words.

  You will come to the usual place after sunset it said, nothing more.

  Caravello was exasperated by this, as just walking about the city after sunset was in and of itself dangerous for a Latin, even more so now in the wake of the riots. However, this was a pressing errand and it was long past due.

  Caravello told Davide to row him ashore. Once there, he told Christophas to wait for him and then, accompanied by Davide, he walked unobtrusively through the gates of the harbor. As the sun set and darkness flowed over the seaways and covered the hills, he turned north to climb the steep slopes of the hill.

  Sometime later he tapped gently on the door of the same villa he had visited earlier and waited. A dog barked in the street further down, but other than the incessant chirping of crickets and the croaking of frogs the street was quiet. He had no sense that he had been followed.

  *****

  Keeping to the shadows Talon had experienced little difficulty following them through the gates that isolated the harbor from the city. He noted that there was no moon that night and they were heading up the hill past the gates of the palace of Botaneiatis. The two men were walking in the general direction of the villa Kalothesos. Intrigued, Talon maintained a discrete distance and kept his quarry in sight.

  The Genoese seemed to know exactly where they were going, glancing back once or twice as they walked along the narrower streets. There was one occasion when a patrol tramped by but Talon disappeared into the shadows; then he waited for the Genoese to continue, as they too had hidden from the patrol. They stopped outside a small doorway set into a stone wall that enclosed one of the great houses, distinguished by a second story that marked its
owner as one possessing considerable wealth.

  A dog growled, then the door opened and the Genoese men disappeared, leaving Talon to wait outside. Talon decided that having come this far he might as well find out what else he could. The wall did not look like an obstacle he needed to worry about; although tall it was easy for him to scale. He lay along the top of the wall and listened. The presence of the dog worried him. He would have a hard time with one of those huge mastiffs if one were on the property and sniffed him out.

  Listening and watching as still as the stone wall itself he soon gained a good idea as to the layout of the extensive gardens of the property. At one point he realized that this was the villa he had visited for the party. It belonged to Pantoleon’s father, the senator Spartenos; he was sure of it. He remembered thinking that the buildings were more impressive than those of the family Kalothesos. The area he was able to observe from his perch was the back end of the compound and was full of shrubs and olive trees as well as some vines in a corner. He also noticed that there were guards patrolling the grounds, one of which had a dog on a lead. Lying absolutely still along the top of the wall Talon could see that the man with the dog was going to come right under his position. Deciding that detection was not going to help his cause, he slipped back down the outside of the wall and waited, leaning against the stonework and listening.

  There was a murmur of voices as the guards walked by on the other side. To Talon’s relief neither they nor the dog seemed aware that there was an intruder nearby. As the low voices moved off Talon once again scaled the wall. He wanted very much to get inside the villa and find out what it was that had brought the Genoese captain to this place.

  *****

  Caravello and Davide were led to the rear of the house by the same servant Markos, again accompanied by the torch-bearer and the hooded man.

  They stopped at the entrance to the room. After a nod to the sentries Markos lead the way in. Davide stayed behind under the watchful eyes of the guards.

  “The Captain Caravello, Sirs.”

  The murmur of conversation halted. There were the same two men in the spacious area in front of him as before. Senator Spartenos stood up to greet him. The other continued to recline on a couch near to some low tables laden with a light dinner. Markos bowed himself out of the room, but again the hooded man remained just inside the door.

  “Ah, Caravello, I trust you had a good voyage?”

  “Nothing but the usual hazards of wind and weather to contend with, senator,” Caravello replied as he accepted a silver goblet of wine. He sipped it appreciatively.

  The senator spent a good hour going over what he wanted Caravello to accomplish. It was very late when he finally dismissed the Genoese.

  *****

  Talon slipped over the wall and dropped into the shrubs at its base without a sound. He crouched in the dark, listening intently. Now he not only had people to deal with but also a large watchdog, perhaps even more than one, and he had no illusions as to what they could do to a man should they attack him.

  Silent as a ghost he made his way towards the dense black outline of the buildings. He was thankful that there was no moon. His night vision was allowing him to see into some of the deeper shadows and watch for any movement that would betray the presence of someone in hiding or simply on guard. Wondering where the dog might be he moved with great caution across the grounds, keeping to the darker shadows wherever he could. He had encountered no one by the time he finally made it to the base of the brick steps leading up to the loggia, which wrapped around this side of the main house. There did not seem to be any lights on, which made him wonder where his two Genoese might have gone. He decided to move around the building and find out if there was any way to gain entry.

  He had managed to slip around the north corner when he noticed a dim light coming from a large window above him; he could hear the low murmur of voices coming from the opening. He moved very cautiously into the shrubs at the base of the terrace, trying to get closer to either see or hear what was happening in the room above, but the space ahead of him was bare with nowhere to hide. He was sure now that he was close to finding out what the Genoese was doing here. He noticed that just above him was the window to another room. If he could get into that room he might be able to hear more and perhaps even see who was present in the other room.

  Talon climbed the rough stone terrace, which was only about three paces high; then he could just haul himself into the darkness of the room. As he slid over the windowsill he thought he heard the word Rhodes, and several men walked past. Realizing that the Genoese were leaving, he almost followed them. At the last minute he decided to investigate the house instead and proceeded to climb into the room, but as he did so he caught the hem his tunic on a splinter of wood. Despite his care there was a tiny sound of ripping cloth.

  *****

  After Caravello had gone, the senator and his visitor continued to discuss their plans.

  “Our patron is impatient to move as soon as it is possible, senator. Have that Genoese back from Rhodes as soon as possible. I hope that the fleet is right behind him and closes off the Hellespont. If we can achieve our objective, winter will curtail shipping enterprises until the spring.”

  “All in good time, my friend. You must persuade him to be patient. The pieces on the chessboard all have to be in their rightful places before we can call checkmate. The Emperor still has powerful friends in the Army and the Navy—although after this last debacle I cannot understand why any of the generals would want to stay with him. Andronikos Kontostephanos and Andronikos Angelos are now firmly on our side, and Issac is disgusted with the huge loss we incurred at Myriokephalon. He blames Manuel for the entire fiasco.”

  “And what of the Arabs?”

  “The Genoese will act as the signal and then they will come. Their mission is to draw the navy away from the city down into the Hellespont, nothing more. They will be well rewarded. Some liquid fire apparatus will keep them happy. This will keep the navy out of it and then when they come back they will find another emperor in the palace.”

  *****

  Talon had no sooner entered the room than he became aware that something was very wrong. A cool draft indicated that a door had been opened. He could see very little in the darkness but realized with cold certainty that someone was in the room with him and quite possibly about to attack him. A chill made its way down his neck and back. He had not expected to be caught in this manner. His adrenaline was already high but it seemed to jump a notch. He slipped his knife into his left hand and drew his sword very slowly. In the dense silence of the room he could hear the slip of its passage from its sheath as he drew it out. He held it ready as he stepped very slowly and with great care towards a darker corner where he planned to stop and take stock of his situation.

  He had no time. There was a tiny noise to his right and he felt a presence very close by. He whirled, his weapons up on the defensive. His blade was struck hard by another one; so hard and unexpected was the blow that it hurt his wrist, the shock running right up his arm to his shoulder. The blades made a harsh rasping sound and a tiny stream of small sparks flew out from the rasping blades. In that moment it was enough to briefly illuminate a hooded figure holding his sword in both hands. The force of the strike drove Talon back a pace, his wrist rigid with tension as he held off the other’s blade. He struck almost blindly at where he had last sensed his opponent but his blade merely cut the air. He ducked instinctively and was glad that he had. He could feel the wind of a blade pass overhead. He again stabbed out in a wild hope that he would make contact with something other than the air of this ghost’s passage. He was rewarded by a short gasp and knew that he had indeed struck something, but he did not want to tarry. Whoever it was in the room with him was very good and extremely dangerous. Detection was not what Talon had wanted so now he needed to escape.

  He made for the window but found it blocked by a darker patch of shadow that suddenly appeared right in his path. The nex
t thing he felt was a stinging cut along his side. He wondered fleetingly if it was going to be fatal but it was only a shallow slice and he charged straight at the other. Ducking once more as he approached, Talon struck low at the legs of his opponent and was again rewarded by contact and a hiss of pain. He knew that he had not made a killing blow, but it was enough to allow him to slip inside the guard of his opponent and strike him hard in the face with the pommel of his sword. There was a grunt and the figure stumbled backwards to fall onto the floor. A blade clattered onto the tile floor.

  It was time to leave. Talon jumped through the open window and landed silently on the verandah, then ran back the way he had come wondering if he should not have killed the man, but it was more important to get out of the place than to leave bodies lying about in his wake.

  Talon fled across the silent and dark loggia, making his way through the shadows, expecting at any time for the alarm to sound and the whole place to wake up. Soon he gained the base of the wall, which he shimmied up and slipped over to land in a crouch on the other side. He heard a shout back at the far end of the garden, men calling and the barking of several dogs; the alarm was well and truly sounded.

  *****

  Back in the villa there was pandemonium. Having heard the commotion in the other room the senator shouted for more lights and for the guards to open the doors.

  “Where is Choumnos?” he shouted.

  Servants appeared, frightened and bleary-eyed. “Find me Choumnos at once!” he bellowed.