Read Online A Place Called Armageddon by C. C. Humphreys - Free Book Online
Authors: C. C. Humphreys
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perhaps I will be able to help you and yours when the city falls.’
‘ If it falls.’
‘If indeed. But if it does, there will be the customary three days of pillage. Have you seen a city taken?’ On the other’s head shake, he shuddered, continued. ‘It is horrible, to watch men turn to ravening beasts. To slaughter. Despoil. Enslave. Ravish.’ The glance to the bedroom door was slight but clear. ‘Should it come to that … should luck and guns and above all Allah, most exalted, be with us, it would be good to have a friend among the conquerors.’
Theon squinted at the man so near him. ‘And what must I do for this … friendship?’
‘That shall be as you decide, brother of the East.’
The word was barely inflected. Just enough. ‘Well, I will think on this.’ Theon moved away a pace, turned to the door. ‘Sofia,’ he called.
She came out, cat in her arms. ‘Good, he is there,’ Theon said, gesturing to the board. ‘I wagered your cat at tavli . I lost. Give him to our guest.’
She could not restrain a shudder. But Hamza marvelled at the speed with which she mastered herself, diving behind the veil of her long lashes. She crossed the room. ‘Here, sir,’ she said, holding him out, ‘he is yours.’
But Hamza did not reach to take him, just stretched out a hand and scratched the purring animal between his eyes. ‘Nay, lady. I won him – and now I offer him as a tribute to your beauty.’ He bowed. ‘He is yours. I just wanted to see Ulvikul once again.’ He picked up his satchel, went to the door, took off his slippers, put on his boots.
‘You have forgotten your board,’ Theon called.
‘I have forgotten nothing. It is a poor return for your hospitality,’ said Hamza, ‘though I …’ He crossed back, bent and picked up the ivory dice. ‘I will take these. They are my lucky ones. I am surprised that you won even once with them.’ He held them up. ‘Traitors,’ he murmured. Then he crossed the room, bowed and left.
Theon followed him down the stairs, but the Turk gave him nothing more save a smile as the door was unbolted, opened. Silently, he left.
Theon returned. ‘What did he seek?’ Sofia asked.
‘Hmm? Nothing. Nothing that need concern you. Leave me.’
‘Our city concerns me—’
‘Leave me,’ he roared, so loudly the cat was startled and jumped from Sofia’s arms to scurry under the table. For a moment, Sofia’s brow wrinkled in anger. Then she turned, and walked slowly into the bedroom.
Theon went to the chest, pulled out a flagon of wine. He wasn’t going to drink wine if his guest didn’t. Now he was alone he would probably drink it all. He sat, gulped, stared at the board before him. It was exquisite, as beautiful and expensive an object as he had ever possessed. Yet the Turk had given it to him as if it were a bauble. No, thought Theon, taking another deep swig of wine, this Hamza had known exactly its value. And he thought he knew Theon’s, the price of board and man, matched. The only thing he hadn’t left were his dice. But he’d left a word in their place.
‘Traitors,’ he whispered.
He felt a push against his leg. Ulvikul was there, nuzzling, purring. Picking him up, Theon turned to the open window and hurled the cat through it.
– FIVE –
Masks
Ragusa (Dubrovnik)
Early December 1452
It was not unusual to hear a woman scream on the streets of Ragusa.
Yet what she screamed was. For it was actually a curse, in Osmanlica, language of the Turk. Before it was cut off, her assailant was being encouraged to perform a deviant act on a camel.
It made Gregoras smile, even as he turned to find a different route home. Then it made him stop, and look at the flagstones. It was unusual for him to care. But he’d spent the night alone again in a tavern … and suddenly he decided he’d like to hear how the curse ended.
He did not have to go far. He heard a grunt of pain, hissed words: ‘Hold her legs, damn you.’ He leaned round the
‘ If it falls.’
‘If indeed. But if it does, there will be the customary three days of pillage. Have you seen a city taken?’ On the other’s head shake, he shuddered, continued. ‘It is horrible, to watch men turn to ravening beasts. To slaughter. Despoil. Enslave. Ravish.’ The glance to the bedroom door was slight but clear. ‘Should it come to that … should luck and guns and above all Allah, most exalted, be with us, it would be good to have a friend among the conquerors.’
Theon squinted at the man so near him. ‘And what must I do for this … friendship?’
‘That shall be as you decide, brother of the East.’
The word was barely inflected. Just enough. ‘Well, I will think on this.’ Theon moved away a pace, turned to the door. ‘Sofia,’ he called.
She came out, cat in her arms. ‘Good, he is there,’ Theon said, gesturing to the board. ‘I wagered your cat at tavli . I lost. Give him to our guest.’
She could not restrain a shudder. But Hamza marvelled at the speed with which she mastered herself, diving behind the veil of her long lashes. She crossed the room. ‘Here, sir,’ she said, holding him out, ‘he is yours.’
But Hamza did not reach to take him, just stretched out a hand and scratched the purring animal between his eyes. ‘Nay, lady. I won him – and now I offer him as a tribute to your beauty.’ He bowed. ‘He is yours. I just wanted to see Ulvikul once again.’ He picked up his satchel, went to the door, took off his slippers, put on his boots.
‘You have forgotten your board,’ Theon called.
‘I have forgotten nothing. It is a poor return for your hospitality,’ said Hamza, ‘though I …’ He crossed back, bent and picked up the ivory dice. ‘I will take these. They are my lucky ones. I am surprised that you won even once with them.’ He held them up. ‘Traitors,’ he murmured. Then he crossed the room, bowed and left.
Theon followed him down the stairs, but the Turk gave him nothing more save a smile as the door was unbolted, opened. Silently, he left.
Theon returned. ‘What did he seek?’ Sofia asked.
‘Hmm? Nothing. Nothing that need concern you. Leave me.’
‘Our city concerns me—’
‘Leave me,’ he roared, so loudly the cat was startled and jumped from Sofia’s arms to scurry under the table. For a moment, Sofia’s brow wrinkled in anger. Then she turned, and walked slowly into the bedroom.
Theon went to the chest, pulled out a flagon of wine. He wasn’t going to drink wine if his guest didn’t. Now he was alone he would probably drink it all. He sat, gulped, stared at the board before him. It was exquisite, as beautiful and expensive an object as he had ever possessed. Yet the Turk had given it to him as if it were a bauble. No, thought Theon, taking another deep swig of wine, this Hamza had known exactly its value. And he thought he knew Theon’s, the price of board and man, matched. The only thing he hadn’t left were his dice. But he’d left a word in their place.
‘Traitors,’ he whispered.
He felt a push against his leg. Ulvikul was there, nuzzling, purring. Picking him up, Theon turned to the open window and hurled the cat through it.
– FIVE –
Masks
Ragusa (Dubrovnik)
Early December 1452
It was not unusual to hear a woman scream on the streets of Ragusa.
Yet what she screamed was. For it was actually a curse, in Osmanlica, language of the Turk. Before it was cut off, her assailant was being encouraged to perform a deviant act on a camel.
It made Gregoras smile, even as he turned to find a different route home. Then it made him stop, and look at the flagstones. It was unusual for him to care. But he’d spent the night alone again in a tavern … and suddenly he decided he’d like to hear how the curse ended.
He did not have to go far. He heard a grunt of pain, hissed words: ‘Hold her legs, damn you.’ He leaned round the
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