Siege

Chapter 19

Torch in hand, Tristo marched through one of the dark tunnels far beneath the Blachernae Palace, hurrying to finish his midnight inspection so that he could move on to more entertaining pursuits. Although he had destroyed most of the tunnels, he had left some standing, afraid that bringing them down might also bring down the palace and walls that stood above them. These remaining tunnels had been bricked up, and Longo had placed guards at the end of each of them. Tristo had already inspected three of the guard posts and was on his way to the final one. This tunnel, situated under the Gate of Charisius, was the furthest from the palace. He found the two guards – Benito and Roberto, men who had fought beside Longo for years – seated on the floor and leaning against a barrel of gunpowder. A lantern hung from the wall, illuminating a game of dice.

'Benito, Roberto, how goes it?' Tristo asked.

'Well enough,' Roberto replied. 'Considering that I can't seem to win.'

Tristo crouched down and watched as Roberto lost yet again. 'Never fear,' Tristo told him. 'Bad luck never lasts forever.' Roberto nodded glumly. 'Now, you both know your orders?'

'If we see any sign of the Turks, then blow the tunnel and run for help,' Benito replied.

'Good. Somebody will be here to relieve you at first light.'

Tristo turned and stomped off down the tunnel. As soon as he was out of sight, Roberto and Benito resumed their game. But Roberto's rotten luck did not change, and after only an hour Benito had relieved him of his last few coins. 'Now what?' Roberto grumbled.

'If we can't play, then at least we can get some sleep,' Benito replied. He patted his full purse. 'I'll dream of all the beautiful Greek women that your money will buy me.'

'Fine, but you take first watch as punishment for your cursed good luck. I'll dream of winning my money back.' And with that Roberto lay down on the floor and closed his eyes. Within a few minutes he was snoring loudly.

Benito watched Roberto sleep and wondered if his winnings were enough to afford the fetching, high-priced Greek girl that he had had his eye on. He was entertaining himself with thoughts of his time with her when he heard a faint noise, a scratching sound barely audible over Roberto's snoring. Benito cocked his head, trying to locate the sound, but the noise did not repeat itself. Perhaps it had merely been a rat, scrambling across the floor in the distant darkness. Then Benito heard the sound again; this time it was a clearer, chinking sound. He shook Roberto awake.

'It's not my turn already, is it?' Roberto asked.

'Listen,' Benito told him.

'To what?'

'Just listen.' They waited in silence, and after a few seconds the chinking noise returned, louder this time. 'There! Do you hear that?' Benito asked.

'It sounds like it's coming from over here,' Roberto said as he put his ear to the wall. 'I can hear it better now. It's close. It sounds like a pick, like somebody digging. Wait – I hear a voice. I think it's a Turk!'

The words had no sooner left Roberto's mouth than the blade of a pick smashed through the wall, striking him in the head and killing him instantly. He slumped to the floor, and torchlight poured through the hole where his head had been only a second before. Turkish voices filled the passage.

Benito wasted no time. He took the lantern and lit the fuse to the powder keg that would destroy the tunnel. Then he ran. The fuse was a short one, and he would not have much time to get beyond the range of the blast. After a minute, Benito stopped. The powder should have gone off by now, but he had heard nothing. That meant that the fuse had failed or, worse, the Turks had broken through the wall and extinguished it. And if the Turks were in the tunnel, then Benito had to raise the alarm. He turned to run, but had taken only a few steps when a crossbow bolt slammed into his back, dropping him. Despite the pain, he crawled forward, crying out for help as he went. His voice reverberated down the passage, but there was no answer. Then the Turks reached him, and Benito's cries were silenced with a single blow of a sword. His severed head rolled to the side, his now silent mouth still stretched open to scream. The passage fell silent save for the quiet shuffle of hundreds of Turkish feet. Longo and Sofia sat naked on her bed, a chessboard between them. She watched as he puzzled over his next move, his brow furrowed. Finally, he took her rook with his bishop. Sofia smiled. Longo did not know it yet, but four moves later he would lose his queen and three moves after that the game. 'That was a mistake,' she told him. 'I've got you now.'

Longo looked back at the board and groaned as comprehension dawned. He leaned over and kissed Sofia. 'You are too clever by half,' he told her. 'Perhaps you should be leading the defence of the city.'

'And what would you do then?'

'I would be your second in command,' Longo replied. 'What do you command me to do, great leader?'

'I command you to come over here,' she said, laughing.

A loud knock on the door to Sofia's apartments interrupted them. Longo sprang from the bed and hurriedly pulled on his breeches. 'Who could that be at this hour?' Sofia wondered as she pulled on a robe. The knocking grew louder and more insistent. 'I will take care of it,' she told Longo. 'You stay here.' She left the bedroom but had not yet reached the door to her apartments when it crashed open and Notaras entered at the head of a dozen armed men.

'Where is he?' he demanded.

'Notaras! How dare you!' Sofia exclaimed indignantly.

'Where is he?' Notaras repeated, grabbing Sofia by the arm.

'I don't know who you are talking about,' Sofia said. 'No one is here but myself and my maidservants.

Notaras released her and turned to his men. 'Search the apartments and find him. I'll inspect her bedroom.'

'You cannot!' Sofia protested, stepping in front of Notaras. 'These are my private chambers. You have no right to be here!'

'I am your husband-to-be,' Notaras replied. 'I have every right.' He pushed her aside and strode into the bedroom. Sofia followed close behind. To her relief, there was no sign of Longo.

'Are you satisfied?' she asked. 'Now go!'

'Not yet, Princess.' Notaras went to the bed, where the chess pieces lay overturned and scattered amongst the sheets. He picked up a piece and held it out to her. 'What is this?'

'That is a queen,' Sofia replied. 'You are familiar with the game of chess?'

'Do not trifle with me, Sofia,' Notaras warned. 'I have no patience for it. What are these pieces doing here in your bed?'

'I was playing against myself. It is all the entertainment that I am allowed since Constantine has had me confined to my chambers.'

'I see,' Notaras said. He continued his tour of the room and then froze. In the corner, propped against the wall, was Longo's sword. Notaras picked it up and drew the sword from its scabbard. There was no mistaking the distinctive curved blade, nor the Asian symbols etched into it. 'And what is this?' he asked, his voice cold.

Sofia flushed scarlet. 'It is… I…'

Notaras stepped close to her, and their eyes met. 'Tell me true, Princess, and be careful how you answer,' he said. 'On your honour, was Longo here tonight?' Sofia did not speak, but her blush deepened, spreading to her neck. Finally, she lowered her eyes and gave an almost imperceptible nod. 'I see,' Notaras said, the words forced out past his clenched jaw. 'And where is he now?'

Sofia shook her head. 'No, I cannot.'

Notaras grabbed Sofia by the arms, squeezing so hard that she gasped. 'Tell me!' he growled. 'Where is he?'

'He left,' she said. 'I don't know where he is.'

Notaras held her a moment more, then released her. His hands left red imprints on her arms. 'No matter, I will find him.' He strode from the bedroom, and Sofia followed him. Notaras's men had ransacked her apartments, turning over furniture and tearing tapestries from the walls in an effort to find some trace of Longo's presence. 'Men!' Notaras called to them. 'Signor Giustiniani has left, but he can't have gone far. Search the palace and find him.' The men left, and Notaras began to follow them but then stopped and turned. His eyes were shining, whether with grief or anger Sofia could not tell. 'I will deal with Longo first,' he said. 'But do not worry. I will return to deal with you, Princess.'

'And what will you do to me?' Sofia asked defiantly. 'You do not own me, whatever you may think.' She paused and looked him in the eye. 'I love him, Notaras. Don't you understand?'

Notaras smiled a twisted, painful smile. 'Yes, I do,' he told her. Then he turned and left, slamming the door to her apartments behind him. Half-dressed, his boots unlaced and his shirt untied, Longo stumbled through one of the many hidden passages that snaked through the walls of the Blachernae Palace. He had not taken a light from Sofia's chambers, and he tripped often in the impenetrable darkness, keeping his hands on the walls to steady himself. He had not gone far when he heard something unexpected: the distant sound of footsteps. Someone was in the tunnel.

Longo quickened his pace, hurrying down a spiral staircase. The sound of steps was growing louder, and when he reached the foot of the stairs, he saw the faint glimmer of a distant torch, headed his way. Longo raced down the corridor away from the light and then into a side passage. A few seconds later, he emerged into an empty side street next to the palace and breathed a sigh of relief. He had made it.

Longo headed away from the palace, towards the nearby house where he was staying. He was just turning into his street when he came face to face with Notaras, whose lips curled back in a wicked smile. Longo hurried by, hoping to avoid a confrontation, but Notaras reached out a hand to stop him. 'And what are you doing out at such a late hour, Signor Giustiniani?' Notaras asked. He pointed to Longo's half-tied shirt. 'And so clumsily dressed?'

'I heard that there was a disturbance at the palace,' Longo lied. 'I came as quickly as I could. I hardly had time to dress.'

'Indeed,' Notaras replied. 'You even seem to have forgotten your sword.' Longo reached for his sword, but it was not there. Notaras patted his belt, and Longo saw that two swords hung there, one of which was his. Notaras unsheathed the sword and held it between them. 'A fine blade. You should be more careful where you leave it.'

'I can explain.'

'And what do you wish to explain to me, Signor Giustiniani?' Notaras spat. 'You stole my post as defender of the city, and now you have stolen Sofia. I understand perfectly.'

'She does not love you, Notaras.'

'So I have heard, but it is not Sofia that you should be worried about.' Notaras slashed Longo's sword from side to side, testing its weight.

'You are an honourable man, Notaras,' Longo said. 'It is beneath you to strike down an unarmed man.'

'Who are you to speak to me of honour?' Notaras roared. 'She was my betrothed!' He swung out, and Longo stumbled backwards, dodging the blow but falling as he did so. Notaras looked down on Longo coldly but did not attack. 'But you are right,' he said at last. 'It would give me no satisfaction to kill you unarmed.' He tossed Longo's sword to the ground and drew his own. 'Come, Signor. Either I shall have my revenge, or you shall have my life as well as my love.'

Longo left his sword lying between them as he rose. 'We should be fighting the Turks, not each other. After the siege, then you may have your duel.' Longo picked up his sword and turned to leave.

'Coward,' Notaras spat. 'Fight me now or all of Constantinople shall know of your cowardice and of Sofia's shame.'

Longo paused, then turned and held his sword at the ready. 'Very well then,' he said. 'But let us fight only to first blood.'

'To the death!' Notaras snarled and attacked, slicing at Longo's head and then pressing him with a series of quick thrusts. Longo parried and gave ground. He had expected Notaras to be a skilled swordsman, but he was surprised by the extent of the megadux's control. Despite his anger, Notaras fought with precision and balance.

Longo spun away from Notaras's last thrust and slashed at the megadux's side, but Notaras turned and blocked the blow, then delivered a vicious kick aimed at Longo's knee. Longo sidestepped the kick, but in doing so he lost his balance. Notaras seized the advantage and pressed his attack. He cut at Longo's legs and then shifted the direction of his sword at the last second, thrusting at Longo's chest. Longo narrowly sidestepped the blow, leaving Notaras overextended. Longo stepped in close to finish the matter, but to his surprise, Notaras managed to recover at the last second. Their swords met and locked together at the hilt, each man pushing at the other with all his strength.

Suddenly, a giant explosion shook them apart, and they each stumbled back as the ground trembled beneath their feet. As the tremors faded, they heard shouts coming from the palace. Longo and Notaras's eyes met, and they each lowered their swords.

'What was that?' Notaras asked. 'Cannon fire?'

'No,' Longo replied. 'It was an explosion in one of the tunnels.'

'Tunnels? Then that means…'

'The Turks are in the city,' Longo finished for him. 'Come, we must protect the emperor.' The thick oak door to the emperor's quarters shook in its casings as a heavy blow struck it. The blow was followed by another and then another. The door had been blockaded with tables and chairs, and Constantine, Dalmata and a dozen palace guards stood ready to defend the emperor and his family. Sofia stood towards the back of the room, her sword in hand. She had hardly had time to recover from Notaras's visit when Dalmata had arrived and hurried her here, telling her that there were Turks in the palace.

The wood of the door began to splinter as it bent under the weight of repeated blows. One of its iron hinges was ripped from the wall, and the door sagged inwards. Constantine turned to Sofia. 'You should wait in the next room, with Sphrantzes,' he told her. Sofia began to leave but stopped in the doorway. She watched as Constantine drew his sword. 'Ready yourselves, men,' he said. 'If we are to die tonight, then let us sell our lives dearly.'

From the hallway, Sofia heard loud shouting in Turkish and the clash of swords. Then the shouting stopped and the door ceased to shake. In the silence, Sofia could hear her heart hammering in her chest.

Then, the pounding on the door started again, only this time it was less violent. 'Open the door!' a voice shouted from the other side.

'It's Longo!' Sofia cried.

'Let him in,' Constantine ordered, and a few seconds later the door swung open. Longo stepped into the room, followed closely by Notaras. A troop of palace guards stood in the hallway behind them. Notaras caught Sofia's eye, and she lowered her head.

'Thank God you have come,' Constantine said to Notaras and Longo.

'There is no time to rejoice,' Longo replied. 'We have routed the Turks, but we must stop them before they escape. If we capture one of their miners, then he can tell us where the rest of their tunnels are. Otherwise, we are still in danger.' Deep beneath the palace, Notaras followed Longo through a rocky tunnel only dimly lit by their flickering torches. All around him, Notaras could hear the sound of distant footsteps echoing off the tunnel walls. Occasionally, he heard loud Turkish voices. The sounds grew and fell in volume, sometimes sounding louder in one direction and then in the other. Several times Notaras was sure that they would find the Turks around the very next corner, but there was nothing.

Behind Notaras, several hundred palace guards followed, keeping well back so that Notaras and Longo would better be able to listen for the Turks. Notaras looked back, and in the subterranean darkness, the guards appeared as little more than shadows. He could kill Longo now, Notaras realized, and in the darkness, nobody would know what he had done. Notaras would again command the city's defences. Sofia would be his once more. He half raised his sword, but then stopped.

Ahead of him, Longo had paused before a split in the tunnel. 'Do you hear that?' he whispered. There were voices coming from the tunnel to the right, and then footsteps, loud and approaching fast.

Notaras turned and shouted to the guards. 'Men, come forward now!' He swung back to see torches appear in the tunnel ahead. In the darkness he could see the light glinting off approaching swords. Notaras raised his blade and stood ready beside Longo. Then, to Notaras's amazement, Longo sheathed his sword and strode forward to meet the onrushing men.

'Tristo?' Longo called. 'Is that you?'

'Of course it's me,' Tristo replied as he strode forward into the light of Notaras's torch. 'Where are the Turks?'

Longo shook his head. 'We can't find them. It's like chasing shadows.'

'We should split up,' Notaras suggested. 'We'll have a better chance that way.'

'But if we find them, will we have enough men to stop them?' Tristo asked.

'Notaras is right. We have no other choice,' Longo replied. 'We'll divide into three groups. Tristo, you take your men back down the tunnel you came from. Notaras, you take half of the guards to the left. I'll take the other half back to the last side tunnel. Leave a torch at every branch of the tunnel to mark where you have gone. If you find the Turks, call for help. We'll come as fast as we can.'

Notaras took his men and headed down the tunnel at a jog. Now that they had split up, the sound of footsteps was even more confusing. It seemed to be coming from everywhere at once. Still, Notaras tried to follow the sound. After several twists and turns he stopped before a side tunnel. There was something strange here. The air smelled sweet, like earth and grass.

'You three,' he pointed to three of the men, 'go back and find help. The rest of you, follow me. We've got them.' Notaras set off down the tunnel at a run, his men following close behind. The breath of fresh air turned into a breeze as they ran down the tunnel, and their torches flared and guttered in the draught. Notaras could now hear Turkish voices mixed amongst the sound of tramping feet. Ahead, the tunnel turned sharply to the left. Notaras rounded the corner and ran headlong into the back of a Turkish soldier, knocking the Turk sprawling. The passage ahead was crowded with Turks. Some twenty yards ahead, they were squeezing through a small hole that had been broken through a brick wall.

'Don't let them escape!' Notaras yelled as he led his men into the crowd of Turks. If he could reach and hold the gap in the wall, then the Turks remaining in the tunnel could be trapped and taken prisoner. Notaras was only a dozen yards away from the hole when he noticed a barrel of gunpowder next to it. As he watched, one of the Turks touched a torch to the fuse leading to the barrel. Several of his men saw it too. 'Run! Quick!' someone yelled, and the men around him turned and fled.

'No! Stay and fight!' Notaras yelled as he sprinted in the other direction, towards the barrel. If the tunnel was destroyed, then the Turks would escape. He had to stop the fuse.

There were still five Turks between Notaras and the barrel. Either they did not know what was happening, or they were willing to sacrifice their lives so that their comrades could escape. Notaras crashed into them at a sprint, planting his shoulder into the chest of the first Turk and bowling him over. He spun off the impact, slashing with his sword as he did so and cutting the arm of another Turk, who dropped his weapon. There were still three Turks in the way and more were coming back down the tunnel to help them. The lit fuse was now racing up the side of the barrel. Notaras scooped up the sword that the injured Turk had dropped and charged towards the barrel. As he reached the remaining Turks, he parried a blow, spun to his right, lashed out with both swords, and then charged between two of the Turks, knocking them aside. The fuse was over the side of the barrel and racing towards the powder. Notaras lunged forward and sliced through it, cutting it in half only an inch from where it entered the barrel. The bit of fuse that was still burning landed harmlessly on the tunnel floor.

A second later, a sword slammed into Notaras's side. The blow was deflected by Notaras's chain mail, but it knocked the wind from him and sent him stumbling into the wall. He spun to find himself facing four Turks. Notaras lashed out, driving them back a step, but the numbers against him were too great. A sword snuck through his defences to slice his leg. He dropped to one knee. Another blow struck his arm, and he dropped one of his swords. The world around him seemed to slow. He looked up to see the Turk immediately in front of him raise his sword high to finish him off, but the blow never came. Instead, the Turk dropped his sword and slumped to the side. Standing where the Turk had been was Longo. Behind him, Greek troops were hurrying through the hole in the wall in pursuit of the Turks.

'You,' Notaras mumbled. Longo stuck out his hand and pulled Notaras to his feet. 'But why?'

'Because you would have done the same,' Longo replied. 'Now come.' They stepped through the hole in the wall, but had only gone some thirty yards before they met Tristo coming from the opposite direction, dragging a Turk behind him.

'Look what I found: a Turkish rat!' Tristo rejoiced. 'He's a miner. I found him giving orders to blow up the tunnel further down.'

'Do you know the location of the other tunnels?' Longo asked the man in Turkish.

'Allah curse you, infidel!' the Turk spat back.

'He knows something,' Longo told Tristo. 'Round up as many prisoners as you can. You know what to do, Tristo.'

Tristo grinned. 'Don't worry, they'll talk.' He dragged the prisoner off down the tunnel, leaving Longo and Notaras alone.

Longo turned to Notaras. 'If you still wish to duel, I suggest that we wait until tomorrow,' Longo said. 'Now is not the time.'

'There will be no duel,' Notaras responded. 'You saved my life. I will not tarnish my honour by taking yours.'

'And Sofia? What will become of her?'

'I will say nothing. You can have her,' Notaras said and walked away. Dawn was breaking when Sofia finally returned to her chambers. Constantine had insisted that she stay in his quarters until the palace had been searched, and he was certain that all of the Turks were gone. When Sofia reached her chambers, she found Notaras waiting for her, his face hard and unreadable.

'Notaras, what are you doing here?' Sofia asked.

Notaras did not reply. Instead he strode across the room and slapped her so hard that Sofia tasted blood. She sank to the floor, holding her cheek. Notaras spat at her feet. 'There is nothing between us anymore,' he said. 'You are not worthy of me.' He strode past her to the door.

'Notaras,' Sofia called after him, and he stopped at the doorway. 'I am sorry. I did not mean to hurt you.'

Notaras turned, and Sofia could see that his eyes were shining. 'Then we are both sorry, Princess,' he said and left. Gennadius was awakened before dawn by the sound of a single pair of footsteps approaching down the long stone corridor that led to his prison cell. The footsteps stopped outside his cell, and he heard keys jangling. As the key clanked in the lock, Gennadius sat up, trying to look as composed as possible after ten days without a bath or a change of clothes. The door swung open. Squinting against the sudden brightness from the torchlight that flooded the cell, Gennadius could make out the features of Notaras. The megadux looked far from pleased.

'Good-morning, Notaras,' Gennadius said. 'What brings you to my humble quarters at this early hour?'

'You are free to go, monk.'

'Then what I told you about Sofia was true?'

Notaras nodded. 'Now, Gennadius, tell me of your plan to kill the sultan. I am ready to listen.'