Greek Fire

by James Boschert

  Joannina smiled affectionately. “John, do you remember my youngest daughter, Theodora?”

  Spartenos looked at the young girl with the slightly beaked nose without much interest. “Of course I do, but it was some time ago. How you have grown. Why you are almost a woman now, and a very pretty one too!” he said with an attempt at a friendly smile that showed off the gap in his front teeth. He did not notice the flicker of annoyance that crossed the girl’s face and the slight pout of her mouth at the patronizing tone, as he had turned his attention back to Joannina.

  “Were you looking for something, my dear?” Joannina asked her daughter.

  “I was looking for Talon, er…to ask him about some medicine we talked about,” Theodora improvised.

  “Talon is our new guest,” Joannina explained to Spartenos. “Do you recall the Templar delegation from Acre, Senator? Well, we have one of them staying with us at present. He it is who brought…” She stopped herself abruptly, her hand going to her mouth. “I am so sorry, John. I simply forgot. Please forgive me.”

  He shook his head. “Like many others, I am sure, I have wondered what the Templars were doing here in our city. If I am not mistaken that is the young man who knocked Prince Isaac off his horse in the now famous—or perhaps infamous—game a month or so ago?” He forced a laugh.

  Joannina gave him a grateful look. “The same. A very well behaved young man, not at all like the Franks we are all so used to.” She looked at her daughter. “He knows a lot about medicine and my daughter is very interested in things of this nature. Well, Theodora, now you are here you can stay and help me entertain the senator. Ah, here is the wine. Thank you, Antonia,” she said, as the servant girl placed the cool wine jug with real glass goblets on the table in front of them. Small honeyed cakes and biscuits were placed nearby.

  “I believe Talon has left with Max and Nikoporus to visit a ship or something,” she added as an afterthought.

  Theodora looked disappointed but said nothing. She sat demurely on the couch opposite the senator, clearly trying to contain her impatience. If Joannina noticed she said nothing.

  “May I ask how my dear friend Damianus is these days? I saw him last at the chariot races.” Spartenos did not really care about his colleague. They had sparred often enough on opposite sides of the forum for him to dislike the crusty old general.

  Joannina gave a tiny shrug. “He is well, but like you, I dare say, on a cold night his old wounds bother him. But God is kind and he is happy with his vineyard. Do you wish to see him?” she asked. “He might be in the garden, but I can send someone for him.” She looked up from pouring some wine and then handing a glass half full of the deep amber liquid to their guest.

  “No, no, I do not wish to disturb. In fact I just came because...” his hesitation was not all a pretense. He wondered just how much he would be giving away by making his enquiry.

  “Is it because of Pantoleon?” Joannina asked.

  He took a sip of wine but left the cakes. “No, Joannina, thank you for your concern, but it is about another matter altogether.”

  Both the girl and Joannina looked polite and attentive. Theodora evidently could not resist taking a small cake. Her mother gave her a disapproving look.

  “Please go on, John.”

  “Last night there was a great disturbance in the grounds of my property. Some thieves we think, who perhaps thought they could sneak in and steal something. Who knows. Our guards intercepted them, but unfortunately they got away, although my men tell me that one of them was hurt.”

  Joannina gasped. “No one was hurt on your staff, I pray!” she exclaimed with genuine concern in her voice.

  He smiled and shook his head. “As a matter of fact someone on my staff was injured, but not seriously. However, we set the dogs out and they tracked one of them to your compound wall.”

  It was clear immediately that he had taken Joannina utterly by surprise, but his sharp eyes detected something very strange about the girl at this point. She suddenly looked very agitated, her hands shook and she seemed to be trying to control them by placing them in her lap, one on top of the other, and gripping them hard; he cake was almost crushed in her fingers. It was for a very brief moment and then she appeared to pull herself together, took a deep breath and then a small bite out of the cake. She noticed his sharp gaze and attempted a weak smile.

  “I wondered if your guards had reported any event of this kind last night?” he asked gently, looking hard at her.

  Joannina interjected. “I have had no such report, John, but I shall definitely ask the guards for information, you may be sure of that. I did not know that anything of the sort had happened until you just mentioned it. How peculiar!”

  The senator turned to look directly at the girl. “Did you see or hear anything, my dear?” he enquired in a soft tone.

  Theodora had regained her composure by now and looked him in the eye. “No, senator. I sleep like a stone so I would not have heard a thing. I am sorry.”

  He looked intently at her for a moment longer. “Very well then. I apologize for asking, but it is a serious matter which I need to get to the bottom of.” He smiled again as though dismissing the whole thing and sipped his wine. It was a good wine, he noticed, and said so in order to change the tone of the visit.

  Although he was now impatient to leave he tarried a while longer, making small talk and sharing with them some court gossip. A scandal had been unearthed that involved a visiting princess from one of the Latin nations and a eunuch. The eunuch would probably go to the scaffold or simply be strangled, and the princess sent home in disgrace. Both women pretended to be interested in the gossip although he could see that neither was very amused. Eventually he made his excuses and Joannina accompanied him to the steps of the loggia to see him off.

  *****

  The senator was deep in thought when he arrived back at his own compound. He called for Choumnos and when the man arrived he made him stand, even though he was limping from the wound he had garnered the night before. It would serve him right, the senator thought, he should have been more careful. He was paid gold for being one of the best and he had allowed this to happen.

  “Well, they could tell me nothing…of course, but I am almost sure that the girl knew something.”

  “How is that, Sir?” Choumnos asked.

  “Her reaction to my question. I think there is something going on there. We will wait for your friend to bring us further news before we do anything else. I am going to bed for a few hours. When they get back have me woken up and report what they have found. Keep looking. Where is the girl Eugenia? I need to talk to her.”

  *****

  When the senator had left Theodora turned to her mother and said, “That man frightens me, Mama. His joke about the princess was horrid.” She mimed being sick.

  Joannina frowned, then took her daughter gently by the arm and steered her back into the house. “My dearest, you will really have to control your feelings when there are guests about, even when they make tasteless remarks. The senator is a very powerful man and we should be polite to him whenever he makes one of his visits.”

  “I know Papa does not trust him one little bit, and I do not trust him either. I know that he has some strange men in his compound who Joseph says are evil and dangerous.”

  “That is as may be, darling, but he is our neighbor and Joseph should not be spreading rumors.”

  Theodora went to her room and lay on the bed curled up into a ball. Her mind was working furiously. Could it have been Talon who had been the intruder? He had come into his room like a ghost at night, she had not heard anything until he was on top of her holding a knife at her throat. And even worse, he had been wounded by someone. Joseph had looked fearful when he talked about the men at the villa Spartenos. It all fit with what the senator was saying, but she could not understand how. Talon was a Templar warrior, not someone who crept about at night like one of those terrifying assassins who infested the streets of the city. She h
ad heard some blood curdling stories about men who were assassins. Most were former soldiers or mercenaries who killed for pay. Life was cheap in the city what with all the wars and corruption. She shook her head. This could not be Talon! But then something her brother had said about Talon came back to her and she shivered.

  Theodora had woken that morning feeling anxious and depressed. She knew for a certainty that Talon would not tell her mother about the incident, but she was still mortified and wondered if he would shun her—and that would be more than she could bear. Tears came and stung her cheeks but with a flash of anger at her weakness she wiped them away and determined to find him and tell him of the visit by the senator.

  Calling for her maidservant she donned a pretty tunic that came down to her ankles and put on some fine sandals, flung a cloak over her shoulders and pulled the hood over her head before leaving the compound with her maid in attendance. She thought that the most likely place Talon would be was the harbor, so she walked up the street and over the top of Second Hill across the Mese, which was busy with people, and then walked down the street that led to the harbor. Just as she was half way down the street she spied Talon and sergeant Max walking up the hill toward her. With a glad cry and a wave she began to run towards the two men. Talon glanced up when he heard her call and stopped in his tracks. Max looked at him and then followed his gaze.

  Theodora came up to them breathless and threw her arms around Talon’s neck, her relief was so great to have found him this easily. The light hood she had put on to hide her face fell back. He held her gently with a bemused expression on his face. A couple of whistles came from the men in the crowded street but she ignored them.

  “Oh Talon, I am so glad that I found you! There is danger and I must speak to you.”

  Talon took her arms from around his neck and pushed her back gently, holding her with both hands. “What in God’s good name are you talking about, Theodora? Danger? What danger?”

  “Hello Max,” She gave him a tense smile but then said in a whisper, “Not here, Talon. I must speak to you and Max. There is real danger, please!” she pleaded.

  Talon glanced at Max, who shrugged. “Gods blessing, my Lady. We are near to the inn; we could go there and have something to eat while you tell us of the er…danger?”

  “Yes, that would be perfect. But we must hurry.”

  Max led the way with a strange look at Talon, while Theodora stayed close and the maidservant walked behind them. They entered the inn and were greeted by the innkeeper who gave a small leer as he noticed them with two females in attendance.

  Max gave him a look and said, “Find us a table that is private, and on your life do not say anything or you’ll regret it.” The man nodded, chastened. Hastily he took them out to the almost empty gardens, seating them under the wisteria well away from eavesdroppers.

  The two men helped Theodora and her maid to sit, and at a sign from Max the innkeeper vanished, having promised to bring olives and bread, cheese and wine within a few minutes.

  Talon gave the maidservant an enquiring look and Theodora caught herself. “Yes, she can stay. Ariadne, you will swear that whatever you hear today will go no further. Do you understand?”

  The maid blinked and then said, “Yes, my lady, I understand. I swear by the Holy Mother of God I will not tell anyone about this visit.”

  After making her maid swear by a dozen saints Theodora relaxed a little, and then Talon prompted her. “What is all this about, my Lady? You seem very agitated and we need an explanation.”

  Theodora drew herself up and took a deep breath. “Very well, Talon. You were not at the house this morning when we had a visitor.”

  Both men looked interested.

  “It was from one of our neighbors, one Senator Spartenos who lives not far from our house on the same hill.” She looked hard at Talon to make the point.

  His green eyes stared back at her, waiting.

  Theodora was losing patience.

  “Do not you want to know what he said?” she demanded.

  “I think you are going to tell us.” Talon gave a tiny smile.

  “Yes well…” she became flustered by this intent audience.

  Just then the innkeeper came bustling back with his hands full of food and drink that he placed on the table amid the silence that attended his arrival. After asking if there was anything else, he departed.

  “You were telling us of the visit by the senator.” Talon kept his tone bland.

  “He told my mother and me, I was right there when he told us, that last night there were intruders in his compound and that there was a fight. Someone on his staff was injured but the intruders escaped. However…”

  She let this drag out, wanting to see a reaction. “One of the intruders was wounded. He left blood around for the dogs to find and then led them to our walls! Imagine that?” she exclaimed, watching his face all the time.

  Talon stared back. His face gave nothing away other than polite interest.

  “Did they ever catch the intruders?” he asked.

  “Um, no, but the senator wanted to know if our guards had seen anyone. We do not know if they did or not, as Mama did not get a report this morning about that. She is finding out. Do you think they saw anything?”

  Talon held up his hand. “Let me tell Max what you have told me,” he said.

  He translated for his friend, who looked noncommittal and glanced at her from time to time without comment. Max spoke a few words of Greek now, but not enough for a lengthy conversation, so it was up to Talon to translate.

  Theodora watched the two men carefully. They were without doubt a hard looking pair of men and their faces gave little away, so she had no idea what they were thinking, which frustrated her.

  “What are you going to do, Talon?” she asked, interrupting their conversation in her impatience.

  He looked at her and then shot a glance at the maid. “Thank you, Theodora, for the information. It is very interesting, and I can understand how you would be upset that intruders struck so close to your own villa. But right now after we have eaten we will escort you home,” Talon said firmly.

  Despite her agitation she realized that they would not talk freely in front of the maid, so it had to rest there.

  “Will we be able to talk more about this later, Talon?” she asked.

  “Yes, of course, and there is no danger so please do not be so worried. It is really nothing and we should forget the whole thing,” he said.

  Theodora glared at him. He winked. She gaped. Then he said, “We should eat. The food here is not as good as at your house but it is passable, and I am hungry.”

  *****

  Psellos had himself rowed out to the Genoese galley. He was met at the side of the ship by Christophas, who grunted a greeting and without further ceremony took him below deck to see Caravello. The captain had just finished a late breakfast and was preparing to go ashore.

  “Oh, it is you,” he said when he recognized Psellos. “What are you doing here?”

  “Did you know that last night someone followed you to our compound?”

  Caravello blinked and then sat back in his chair. He motioned Psellos to be seated and then said, “What do you mean? You must be mistaken. No one came with me except Davide. We did not see anyone following us.”

  “These people, or this person, did not want to be seen and wasn’t, up until Choumnos discovered an intruder in the house. He winged the intruder, but the fellow was fast and wounded Choumnos before he left.”

  “Choumnos? That is something to hear. I thought he was one of the best.”

  “He was. Perhaps he is losing his edge,” Psellos said with a curl to his thin lips. “So you do not remember seeing anything yesterday that might have stuck in your mind?”

  Caravello stared at Psellos. The man’s lean, pockmarked face with his high cheekbones and deep-set eyes resembled a fleshed out skull. His mouth was a slash under his sharp nose. His lithe frame bore no discernible fat and his slim but
strong hands were calloused with the use of the sword and knife. Caravello did not want to get on the wrong side of this man. He shouted for Davide. There was a clatter of boots on the steps and he poked his head into the cabin. “Yes, captain?”

  “Did you notice anything out of the ordinary yesterday? Think, man, anything at all?”

  David grimaced and screwed up his doughy face, which almost hid his small eyes while he pondered.

  “We went to a weddin’ yesterday, remember? That was good, but you wouldn’t let us go to the feast afterwards, although those two Templar fellas probably did.”

  “What two Templars?” Psellos’ tone was sharp.

  “There are some Templars in the city. They came into the Genoese quarter, they were right behind us, do not you recall? I did not see them after we went to have a bite in the tavern.”

  Caravello looked thoughtful. “Yes, now I remember them, the Templars, but I do not see what they have to do with what we did later.”

  Psellos agreed. He got up. “Well, I am wasting my time here. I will see you before you go to Rhodes.”

  Psellos spent another hour walking about the harbor asking casual questions about strangers who might have been hanging about the wharves the day before. He was just about to leave in frustration when a beggar with only one eye clad in tattered rags sidled up and asked for a coin. He should have used his good eye to judge who he was asking. Psellos shoved him away, his pock-marked face distorted into a snarl.

  “They tell me that you have been asking questions about strangers,” the beggar whined as he staggered back.

  “What of it?” Psellos demanded.

  “I might be able to help you.” The man gave a gap-toothed grin. His breath stank.

  Psellos stared at him hard then tossed him a small coin. “This had better be good. You’ll go swimming if it isn’t.”

  “Two men were here yesterday. One dressed in dark clothes with a cross on his tunic, an older man. Another younger man was with him, but he left.”