KONSTANTINOS MAKES A DISCOVERY
The bags of coins the ruffians had were all of Turkish design. They were freshly minted and clearly based on the design of the old Imperial solidus. Konstantinos suspected that the precious metal content made them more valuable melted down and sold as gold dust. That was the way to hide their origin. Gold objects in the Imperial Household were reduced on a regular basis. Storage areas were closely investigated just in case some golden object had been overlooked. Only the gold imperial religious items were safe from disappearing due more, Konstantinos thought, to the fear of terrible mob riots their disappearance would cause. Konstantinos took the bags to his workshop and poured the coins into his heating pots. He set the fire and watched as the coins melted. His thoughts settled on the shiny object he had seen Demetrios holding. It had been one of the same coins. He bolted out of his workshop, nearly knocking over one the palace guards and only just remembered to lock the door. The lock had been one of last year’s gifts on his birthday.
Konstantinos ran through the Palace, barely paused to knock on Demetrios’ door: that was odd, it was midday January 2nd and Demetrios had in years past left his door wide open at this time, such was his eagerness for the chariot racing in the hippodrome that was always held on this day each year. Konstantinos entered and was shocked to see him still in bed, obviously with company. Konstantinos couldn’t blame Meggalena he had rather … when a head emerged and it was not Meggalena. The head belonged to an older boy with whom he spoke Turkish and occasionally had as a wrestling sparring partner. Konstantinos knew he must be quite a sight standing there with his jaw gaping wide-open. Before anyone could speak, he turned on his heels and bolted out of the room quite forgetting to close the door behind him. What was the lad’s name? Konstantinos tried to think, but coherent thought was proving elusive as he sped down the corridors. He had only a vague idea where he was, when a name came to him. Kerim. He was the son of one of the Turkish merchants’ resident in the City.
“Konstantinos,” a voice called. Still he moved on. “KONSTANTINOS STOP,” roared a voice. He did and looked around to see who had yelled at him. For the second time that afternoon his jaw dropped.
“I am not yet three score and seventy and I can still command,” said Manuel, the second Emperor of that name and Konstantinos’ father. “Do come in and shut the door,” he commanded, thought rather softly as though his earlier effort had taken his breath away.
The servants called this room the War Room. Although the Empire was only a couple of city states, the parchments till took up the same amount of space. Those still to be looked at were in three neatly packed stacks. Those that had been dealt with were either in pieces on the floor or with scribes who were writing replies or requests for further information. The room had been built to Constantine the Great’s personal specifications and the Byzantine Civil Service still employed 15,000 people: well it did after yesterday’s firing of all the assistants.
Ioannes remarked, “The Postal Logothete reports that Naples, the Papal States and Aragon are likely to conclude a military alliance today. Novogorod appears to be about to go to war with the Teutonic Knights and Livonia Order. Nicephoros says he expects Muscow, Ryazan, Pskov and Tver to launch their own invasion in a few days time (it would have been today but all the envoys are too drunk to declare war). The English and French are still fighting.”
“What took you by surprise? You did reject Meggalena,” his father began.
“It was not Meggalena found him in bed with. Some Turkish boy named Kerim,” Konstantinos began to explain.
“Everybody out now!” exclaimed the Emperor.
The staff left the room, many showing signs of shock and some muttering that Demetrios had always been an odd boy. When Konstantinos, Ioannes and Manuel were the only ones left in the room, it still felt as though there was plenty going on.
“Who’s Kerim?” Konstantinos enquired, innocently.
“The man who accused you last night had another son,” Ioannes informed Konstantinos.
“Oh,” said Konstantinos.
“Is that the best you can say, after nearly being the cause of our declaring war on the Turks?”
“Sorry, father, I don’t believe that you would have gone to war over my death even ...”
Manuel chuckled. ”You know me, but in this you are mistaken. The people would have insisted. There would have been war and we would have had no allies.”
“Had you been here when the Timurids destroyed the Turks at Ankara, you would have marched on Adrianople and killed Suleiyman, seized the Turkish treasury and freed Europe from their tyranny. Our ships would have held the straits from the Timurids. Then, when the Mongol flood receded, our armies would have followed behind reclaiming our lands. We must free ourselves, look to our own strength”
“Such grand strategy for one so young,” Ioannes spoke lightly. “We need a better army than the one which caused the Sultan of Teke to laugh so much last year that he is now our good friend. I have negotiated with a leader of men – a bandit – to be our new general. He should arrive within the week. You see, I find much merit in your plan.”
“The plan,” Konstantinos said, returning to the reason he was in the room.” seems to be the work of a child. It must have had Demetrios’ hand in it at some point. I wouldn’t have gone after any other girl. It’s easy to picture Ibrahim Pasha as a spy, but Kerim … he seems a little young to be a master spy. Looks like I haven’t escaped Meggalena after all.”
“Join us in doing the business of running an Empire.” invited Ioannes. The three of them spent hours in that room, without assistance, reading correspondence and issuing orders, including one to Andronicus telling him to mobilise 1,000 cavalry and 3,000 infantry in Thessaloniki and another to Manuel Palaeologus Admiral of the fleet to build 3 new galleys and really build them this time.
It was nearly midnight when Konstantinos returned to his rooms. He undressed, without lighting a candle and got into bed. His jaw dropped a third time that day. He had a partner; the question was who …
“I have something to tell you about Demetrios.”
