Fall of Empires

Chapter 33

Another long scream echoed along the subterranean corridor, rising in intensity and giving voice to indescribable agony before being abruptly cut off. Nicetas shuddered. This whole damn place made his skin crawl. Deep beneath the Blachernae Palace, the tunnels and chambers of Theodora's Parlour, as the infamous dungeon created exclusively for the use of that most vindictive of empresses almost a century before was known, were not the only such place in the city. They were however the most discreet. Here those unfortunates who had displeased the empress had been brought in by boat unobserved by the city populace. The place smelt of damp and blood and stale urine. Nicetas wished to be away from there as quickly as possible.  

The stout wooden door at the far end of the corridor flanked by unoccupied cells was flung open and the torturer, a burly Lombard with long lank hair, emerged and pushed his way unapologetically past the Master of Soldiers without a word. His grubby tunic was soaked with sweat and spattered with blood. Nicetas waited for the inquisitor, a pale, lugubrious eunuch by the name of Chrysaphius, who had served under four emperors and had somehow survived all of the upheavals in the state to retain a place of high honour even under Heraclius. Chrysaphius emerged from the doorway a few moments later, unruffled and serene. Nicetas noticed a few small flecks of blood on the eunuch's smooth skin. Chrysaphius wiped at his cheek with the sleeve of his tunic and smiled a thin, reptilian smile.  

'Sometimes it is necessary to bring one's face closer than one would like in order to hear the last words of dying men,' he remarked matter-of-factly. 

'They are all dead?' Nicetas asked.  

'Two only. Our efficient friend has already removed their heads. The third is at present unconscious but can be revived if needed.' 

'And has he talked?' 

'He has sung most sweetly in the last few moments having witnessed the demise of his fellows.'  

That smile once more chilled Nicetas as he forced pity for the captured Persian emissaries from his mind. 

'He confirmed that the attack will be at dawn tomorrow?' 

'Indeed he did and more besides.' Chrysaphius looked pleased with himself. 'It seems that there was a second group of messengers sent by Shahrbaraz to the Khan confirming that his troops will be ready to be ferried across the straits at dawn. These I assume have slipped through our patrols and reached the Avars. Our enemies therefore will almost certainly continue with their plans in spite of our capture of these men.' 

'You believe the words of this Persian?' Nicetas demanded, his mind racing. 

'I promised him a swift death in exchange for the information. I saw both his fear of the alternative and the truth of his words as I looked into his eyes.' Chrysaphius' own eyes held a cold certainty. 'You have your intelligence, Strategos. The Avars will attempt to bring a contingent of Shahrbaraz's army across the straits at dawn and they will attack the sea walls along the Golden Horn and the land walls at Blachernae at the same time.' 

'I see now why you are so indispensable, Chrysaphius,' Nicetas called over his shoulder at the eunuch for he was already hurrying back along the corridor, his mind filling with all that must be done in less than a day.  

Gratefully he emerged into the pale light of morning and took a deep breath of clean air as he pressed on across the courtyard to where a gaggle of officers and palace bureaucrats awaited him. 

He barked orders as he swept through their midst. The heaviest artillery and the best troops were to be redeployed along the sea walls and the defences at Blachernae, ideally without alerting the enemy. Every man able to bear arms must be ready to come to the defence of the city once more. Every seaworthy vessel anchored in the Golden Horn or moored in the Port of Theodosius was to be commandeered and manned with archers and a message was to be dispatched at once to the fleet commander at Selymbria to make ready for action. Nicetas himself would be joining the fleet in the imperial flagship. 

'Strategos, a ship has just put in from Trebizond.' His secretary interrupted Nicetas' torrent of instructions at last as he scurried alongside his master. 

'Excellent. Commandeer that one too. We need every ship.' 

'It carries envoys from the emperor. They say that they must speak with you at once.' 

'Very well.' Nicetas did not break his stride. 'Then let us see what they have to say for themselves.' 

                                                                   * 

'It looks like he's found someone suitably important. That must be Nicetas himself.' 

'The family resemblance is certainly there,' Theo agreed as they watched the mail clad and crimson cloaked Master of Soldiers, with a sword at his side and a helmet under his arm, striding purposefully along the dockside towards them.' 

'These are the young men whom the emperor has sent, Strategos.' The official was quite out of breath as he gestured in Theo and Isaacs' direction. He stood mopping his brow as Nicetas looked the pair of them up and down before giving a small nod and demanding. 

'Well, what news from the emperor?' 

'The emperor and the army are well, Strategos,' Theo replied. 'But he insisted that we speak with you in absolute secrecy and at once.' 

Nicetas frowned for a moment, his fingers stroking at his beard, as he pondered the possible need to delay his preparations. With his mind made up he turned once more to the port official. 

'You may commandeer this vessel. Make sure that the word given out around the port is that I have set out to review the fleet at Selymbria, purely routine, you understand?' He turned back to address Theo and Isaac. 'You had best accompany me aboard my flagship, we can speak in private there. I wish to waste no more time on land.'