Game of the destiny
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Tábor - 11th April 1419
The way ran the riders quite quickly, though they didn't hurry now as in the morning. When they arrived back to Tábor, the sun was already behind the horizon, but there were still enough of light. Few children were still playing on the hillside, adults had their work mostly already done too so they were coming together and talking. Kateřina stood on the door yard of his house below the oak a was sweeping yet.
"Are you already here? What kind celebration it was?" she asked when she saw Peter.
"Interesting," he answered and jumped off the horse.
"I've prepared a dinner for you. You have it on a table."
"Thanks. I was already starving. Can I help you then?" he asked her with a pleasant beam.
Kateřina tittered: "Sweeping? This isn't work for men."
"Peter, take a rest today. Tomorrow in the morning I'll accompany you back to Prague, where you'll be able to return," said Jan and hoped he would get a little more time to persuade him to stay.
Peter didn't take any exception to it and Jan had a feeling that he could keep his eyes on Kateřina. Should he liked her? Maybe Jan could exploit it. As soon as Peter disappeared in a house-place, Jan dismounted and sidled up to Kateřina, wonder she didn't flump him with a broom.
"It appears, that he's wathing you with liking." he said.
Kateřina stoped sweeping for a while: "Who, Peter?"
"What ever you didn't notice it? He cann't lower his eyes from you."
"Do you really think that he like me?" she asked with a little abashment. "He is here only one day."
"Why not? You are beautiful young maid. You both are approximately in same age."
Kateřina blushed slightly and Jan in the meantime stroke upon an idea how use her to persuade Peter.
"I would need a little help from you. Peter want to return and I don't know how persuade him to stay."
"Why you don't simply forbid it him?" said Kateřina ridiculously.
"I cann't. I need him to stay from his own choice. If I'll hold him here by force, he won't choose to help us. Stay here is something different than help us."
Kateřina asked: "And from me you want to prevail him?"
"Not exactly. I want so that you'll seduce him."
Kateřina stood dumbfounded sometime. What ever is Jan serious about it? Though he cann't want something like this from her. Soon she frowned and she fetched him a sizable slap. Jan breathed deep in and out to digest the disgrace.
"It's for a good thing," he said.
Kateřina answered him by a second slap. "And why you don't ask your wife? This isn't so perfect idea, is it?" she added pointedly.
"Because you are young, attractive, and Peter like you. It would be no problem for you to seduce him."
Third hit didn't take place. Jan caught Kateřina's hand and he griped it sturdily.
"Release! It hurts!" she uttered a groan.
"For the next time remember one thing: don't answer me back any more. Today you'll do what I've told you," he said sharply and let Kateřina go.
She began sweeping again as if Jan wasn't standing there. She purposely sweeped so heavily to whirl up most of the dust. When Jan began cough, she ran over his legs fewtimes by broom.
"Imshi! You're hampering!" she said venomously.
"But don't forget what you are to make," Jan answered, turned and went his way.
Kateřina was then still sweeping sometime to finish her work. But she was so resentful so she soon gave over it, leant the broom and sat down on a bench below a window. She even didn't notice a shadow which flashed behind the window. She felt oppression. What is she to do? Seduce somebody she even don't know properly? Tears scramble into her eyes. She hid her head into her palms and quietly wept. After a while Jakub went along. He was returning from a forest where he was with several other men on a hunt. Many people wondered already manytimes that such a buster is doing such works. Most of the people envisioned under the word "Fat Man" a man with a paunch as a barrel who spends most of his energy only to stand up and only a little power remains them for a proper work. But Jakub was different. Despite of people's images about fat men's laziness, Jakub was doing the more of useful work the more he hefted. In Tábor he was famous for his strength and for his friendly temper. He was on good terms with everybody. But one people from Tábor he favoured most. It was Kateřina. Jakub admired her for her power and courage with which she was facing her hard fate. He had a soft spot for her.
"That'll be a feast tomorrow," he called out to her when he saw her sitting in front of the house.
Kateřina raised her head and wiped her tears. A look on Jakub behunged leastwise by fifteen hares and several partridges set her laughing. But the laugh failed to overlay her tear-strained face.
"You wept? Somebody harmed you?" he asked apprehensively.
"No, nobody," she answered with a smile, although it was her still to the crying.
"So you are weeping here for nothing?" Jakub asked, shed his load, sat next to her and dried her faces.
"It's derisory."
"It is because of some shaver, am I right?"
"So a little."
"Show me who is it and I'll give him a lesson, no matter what he already performed you."
Kateřina tittered: "Thanks. It will not need already."
"Otherwise do what I am doing, properly take some food. At a good food, man forget on all worriment."
Kateřina smiled and kissed him on a face. She knew that Jakub is then always on edge and this always entertained her.
"But keep quiet. Otherwise I'll think that you were creating here the new saline of Vltava because of me. Then I would had to thump alone," said Jakub rosily and stood up. He gathered up hares and partridges and yet before he left he added: "So I'll go. But I'll leave here one of the partridges for you."
Jakub left her the finest one he has. Kateřina was then still sitting outside for a while. Jakub always managed improve people's mood and he managed it now again. She wasn't thinking on her task now. She listened rustle of the forest and watching on flocks of birds ridging the sky. It was getting dark already. Wind was blowing stronger, rustle of the forest was growing and birds were flying lowly like they had fear that the sky will fall on them. A storm was comming. But from where? On the sky were only few cloudlet. Maybe it will come from the east. Kateřina didn't see there. Near forest and her house prevented her in it. She took the partridge and went keep out of the strengthening wind.
When she entered the house-place, she was all tremulous. She was again thinking about task Jan gave her. She sat down to Peter and was quietly waiting. She was sitting uneasilly and all the time she was thinking about something. Peter didn't say anything and slowly ate up his dinner. Outside it was getting dark quicklier than in another time and only a candle in the middle of the table was lighting the dark house-place by its frolicsome pilot light. Shadows in quier corners were dancing as if they had some festival. Only a tomcat on an oven was lazily weltering. Kateřina was looking at Peter. When she was thinking about it now, maybe she quite liked him. Nevertheless she was still more and more unquiet with each his mouthful.
In the end Peter didn't endure it: "You don't need to do it."
"What?" she asked with surprise.
"I've heared you. You and Jan. I know what he told you. Not that I should don't like you, in this Jan was right, but I don't want so that you'll do something you would deplore it sometimes in a future."
Kateřina didn't know what to say, only one thing: "Thank you. .......... And ... will you stay here?"
Peter shaked his head in sence of dissent.
"And can I prevail you somehow?" she asked.
He was silent. He wanted to get home at any costs but he has also qualms.
At the end he asked: "Would you be able to realize Jan's command?"
"I? ...... Yes."
"Whould you sacrifice yourself?"
"Yes."
Peter was fascinated by Kateřina's resolve. Would he was able on her place to do something like this?
"I'll see," he said.
Kateřina noded and stood up: "It's late already."
She was waiting what would Peter do. She was prepared even if he would change his decision and would want to spend a night with her.
"So good night. We'll see us in the morning," he said composedly.
Kateřina endowed him with a pleasant beam: "Good night and thanks."
When she was in doors she turned once again: "Stay, please."
Tábor - 12th April 1419
It was still a deep night when was Peter waked up by a big crack. It sounded as if somewhere near somebody fire out from a cannon. Outside it was raining cats and dogs. A window was buffeted by torrents of water and sometimes it was alighted by brightly white gleam.
"Common storm," Peter thought and closed his eyes.
But he immediately opened them again. Something he didn't like. Something was different than in previous night. But what? Near the door stood a wooden wardrobe, below the window was a table with his things, on an orange alighted wall hung a small picture, ... This is it! The orange light! It was comming from outside. It was of such special, as it was twinkling, changing. It was same as a light from the candle in the evening in the house-place. This could mean only one thing. A fire! Peter jumped off his bed as when they fire into him. He quickly took some clothes on and ran out. In the door he almost knocked against Kateřina. She was also going out to see what's happening. On the door-yard they petrified in mute astonishment. One of the wooden houses was in flames. For now only its part was burning but it was visible how the fire is moving quickly. Nobody was outside. Nobody was extinguishing. Everybody was sleeping. What ever nobody heard the crack? Peter recuperated first.
"Fire! Fire!" he began to shout at whole village. "Kateřina, where do you have buckets? Quickly."
Kateřina didn't linger and quckly brought what she has. After few whiles the village was rife with people. Men, women, even bigger childern were running with buckets. The nearest water was only in Vltava. The way from the burning house to the bank and back wasn't just the shortest. In addition the soil was draggled and it had to go uphill on one's way to the fire. Most of the bucklets spill when its carrier sliped and fell on the mud. Whirl in the village was utter chaos. Jan was trying to command it a bit. Not until few long minutes he managed to form a chain from people. Bucklets were then handed without any need to make a step from the place. It was victory over the mud, but by far not over the fire. The roof was one large furnace and the bucklets with water had no way how to get there. On the top of it the rain, which kept the fire short till now, subsided. Jan formed another chain. The rest of people had to running. They were not enough to form third chain. Several men loaded one of the village waggon with barrels, put two horses to it and drove to the river. They filled the barrels there and drove to the fire that people would have it closer. In the meantime it stopped raining at all.
Peter, joined in the chain and standing close to Jan said: "We should steep also the surrounding buildings. The heat is drying them out and they could catch fire too."
Jan followed his advice. The village was very valuable than that he would risk.
When was waggon with barrels by the fire at second time, an unimportant question occured to Peter: "Whose house it is exactly?"
Jan stumbled over it, like he was thinking whose house they are extinguishing.
"Žito's," he answered after a short while.
"Žito's? And did he has there some potions?" Peter asked with a consternation.
"Yes. A lot of them."
Peter left the chain and ran to Žito's house. Kateřina stood on the waggon with barrels and was taking on the water to the buckets. She noticed how Peter is running to them, is waving his hands and is shouting something. Over the cracking of the beams and howl of the fire she didn't understand any word. What is he calling? His face alighted by the fire seemed to be horrified.
Now he is closer and Kateřina dimly distingushes his words: "Run Away! Quickly run away!"
Kateřina misunderstood why, but she forboded that it has something with the fire. In the same time a big crack sounded from the house and from the doors and windows powerful flames erupted. An explosion exactly rent the house to a pieces. Beams flew to all sides. Several men around disappeared in flaming spires, several other were hitted by flying pieces of beams and planks. A blast wave swept Kateřina down and overturned the waggon even with horses.
Several people came to make the horses free, several ran to wounded. As first was by Kateřina village healer and Jakub, who were from all people closest to her. The healer measured her beat. His face was worried. Nothing! Without life! He looked at Jakub kneeling next Kateřina's passive body. He didn't have to say anything. Jakub read everything from his sight.
"No! Not her!" he began lament. "God, why you didn't take rather me?"
Jakub held her in fold and from his eyes were tears running down over his chubby faces. His bonniest people died. A group of people was standing there with slouch head. Who had a hat, he put it down. Peter scraped through the group and kneel facing Jakub.
"She is dead," Jakub sobbed. "She is dead," he repeated and continued in heartbreaking cry.
"Lay her down," Peter asked him.
Jakub was clasping her with his bulky arms. He didn't want to release her, he didn't want to take leave of her.
"Jakub, lay her down," Peter insisted.
"Why?"
In the meantime also Jan scraped through to them. Peter saw in his sight a surprise. He still didn't recuperate from the unforseen explosion. Now he has here many wounded and several dead.
Even Jan didn't sense why want Peter after Jakub to lay Kateřina down, but he trusted him: "Do what he has said. Lay her down."
Jakub did bidding. Peter checked a pulse. He didn't feel any. He put his hands on her chest and pressed three times. Then he flung her head back, pluged her nose up and breathed into her. And again. One, two, three, breath. One, two, three, breath. People around didn't understand what he is doing. A priest was already reciting a prayer above Kateřina and Peter was still doing something what villagers misunderstood. But a result wasn't still comming.
"Please, come back," Peter said.
He slowly subsided to believe.
"This has no effect," he thought.
Last time he pressed her chest and last time he brethed into her. Then he was only kneeling next to her with slouch head. She was really dead.
Gossip began to spread through the group of people: "What it should mean? So a disrespect to a dead."
Uncomprehending and reproachful sights were looking on him from all sides. Even Jan disparagingly shaked his head.
"Quickly bring water! She is alive!" somebody suddenly exclaimed.
As when a thunder hit to everybody. Kateřina was alive. Through ajared eyes she was looking around. Jakub's face irradiate with a grin. He jumped up, caught Peter and embraced him with his strong arms as the best friend.
"Let me go. You'll mash me," Peter beseeched.
Jakub let Peter go and was laughing. So big pleasure he didn't has for a long time. People were looking on that wonder agape. Something like this they never seen it before. Jan in front of Peter kneel down with respect and lowly slouch his head. Others followed him. At this moment whole village was bowing down in front of Peter.
Jakub on Peter's command took still enervate Kateřina on his arms and took her home. Others rushed back on the rest of fire. From Žito's house didn't survive a lot. Beams cluttered around the surroundings were extinguished easily and the rest what survived from the house was extinguished by the morning. That night lost 13 people their lifes. 9 men, 3 women and one child. Next 35 were wounded. Žito's house was razed to the ground and only little would sufficed to catch fire also neighbouring houses.
After a daybreak everything was done. Jan told carefully to Peter that his potion to travel back was inside. Peter expected it, but nevertheless he was very heavy-hearted. He was walking around the scene of fire and waded in the ashes, like he would hope, that the potion will be still somewhere there, even if he knew that it is impossible. He was also looking around the village a watching its everyday run. People were tired after troublesome night though, but if they wanted something to eat, they had to work. Fishermen went to the river fishing fish, several women went with them that they'll wash dirty clothes. Several men went in the forest for wood and several went to sell something in neighbouring villages. On the background of idylic village life Peter was however finding why is the village called Tábor. Tábor means "camp" in czech. On the first view ordinary village wagoons were equipped by unwonted number of hooklets, among the village tools he found flails with nailed sharp spikes but also all-metal maces, in halls were hidden spears or other long weapons. Here and there he also found crossbows.
Before the noon Jakub seeked him: "Kateřina wants to see you."
"Does she already feels better?" he asked.
"Yes. Thanks of you. I'll never forget it to you. Everytime you'll need anything, I'll be to your hand." Jakub said with smile.
"Thanks, I'll keep it in mind," Peter answered and went to look at poor Kateřina.
She was still enervate though, but she already looked much better. Peter then took care of her for the rest of the day and Kateřina began love him more and more.
Prague Castle - 12th April 1419
The King was sitting on a throne and with supported chin he was thinking about something.The hall was already empty. Audience finished before half an hour and he didn't has many things on todays program. His head was full of thoughts about the meeting of nobility and about the Hussites. He came to realize that the nobility is using him only as a puppet and as a King he is more likely only ridiculus. He wasn't just the youngest and he knew that his end could come soon. He was commemorating what he ever made alone. Alone without the nobility. It wasn't too much. And what he ever did for his people? Increased taxes? Gave nobility more power? Every order he remembered he ever set up has its origin in mouth of one of the nobles. Václav lived in a shadow of glory of his father, Karel IV. If people should remember him, its time to undertake finally something. Something own, something good, and something great. An exclamation about the Hussites were ideal opportunity. However he had fear from Vilém's threats. Nobility dethroned him already in Germany. What if they'll try it again in Bohemia?
The King's mind suddenly appeared a thought, which he was somehow leaving out. How could Vilém exactly find out about the exclamation so soon? And how he got to Prague so quickly? Somebody had to tell it to him. Somebody from the castle. He must find the offender and punish him. At any cost! He called his secretary.
"What Your Majesty needs?" the secretary asked.
"I need to find out who and when from the servants left yesterday the castle, when he returned, when Vilém z Chebu arrived and who talked with him yesterday inside and also outside the castle walls."
"May I ask, why Your Majesty needs these informations?"
"I need to find out one rat," the King answered.
