A Burning Sea by Theodore Brun (i am reading a book txt) 📕

door. When Gerutha answered it, there stood one of the green-cloaked sentinels with a summons for Erlan to the imperial chamber.

Erlan found Leo much recovered, sitting up in the largest bed Erlan had ever seen, surrounded by courtiers. But he halted his business as soon as Erlan entered. His neck and head were bandaged. The sight of them brought back the bitter reality: king of kings Leo may be, but he was just like any other man.

‘Northman, I owe you my life.’

‘It was fate, not I, that saved you.’

‘Fate? Huh! We call it the hand of providence. Well, then – let us ask more of this hand while it is in a giving mood.’

‘Majesty?’

‘I’ve decided to take up your suggestion. Whatever it costs us, whatever comes after – we are going to destroy Maslama’s army. The Bulgars will be the hammer, our walls will be the anvil, and the Arab horde will be crushed between them.’ The sudden thrill of action flickered in Erlan’s veins. ‘The mission I’m sending will be small but effective. I have hand-picked the escort myself. The eparch will be our spokesman. He alone was in the same office when the last treaty was sealed. Prince Kormesy, I hope, will look more favourably on a familiar face.’

‘I wish the mission good fortune then, Majesty.’

The dark rings of Leo’s weary eyes lit up with amusement. ‘Don’t be a fool. You’re going with them man. It was your idea.’

Erlan nodded, feeling a strange relief at the prospect of getting out of the oppressive confines of the city. He needed to stretch his wings. ‘You do me honour, sire.’

‘We’ll soon see whether my confidence in you is misplaced. But I suspect not. You leave tomorrow.’

‘Tomorrow!’

‘Of course! As you said yourself, why wait?’

‘Very good, Majesty. If so, I have one request.’

‘Go on.’

‘My countryman, Einar Fat-Belly – may I have him with us? He’s a good man.’

‘The axe-wielder!’ Leo laughed hard and then regretted it, touching gingerly at the back of his skull. ‘Great God, I wish I had another hundred like him! Yes, yes. Take him. Whatever you think best. Alexios will tell you the rest.’

‘The man said it had come from a place called Taugas, very far to the east.’ Lilla smiled at Nikolaos, handing him the carefully folded stole. ‘It’s come a long way for me to give to you.’

‘This is pure silk.’ Nikolaos’s gentle eyes widened in surprise. ‘It’s. . . exquisite.’ He let it fall out to its full length, a gorgeous tight weave that shifted with the play of light from dark blue to a rich evergreen. ‘Your generosity leaves me. . . well, speechless, my lady.’

‘Then say nothing at all.’ She patted his hand. It had cost her two gold pieces. Probably she had been cheated, but it was surely a worthy investment. Despite what Leo had said about paying the son of Kallinikos handsomely, his home was modest. Clean and bright and well-heated, but simple in its furnishing and floorings, with none of the flourishes of other grander houses she had seen.

‘I don’t know what I shall do with it,’ he said shyly.

‘Save it then. For the celebrations of the great victory you will have won the city when the siege is broken.’ She chuckled softly. ‘Or else give it to your wife.’

‘Oh, it’s too good for her,’ he said automatically, then seemed to regret it. ‘I mean—’

‘It’s fine,’ she interrupted with a reassuring touch of his hand. ‘Take it as a mark of our friendship. Yes?’

‘You are too kind, my lady. I have nothing to give you.’

‘Yes,’ she said, pinning down his elusive gaze. ‘You do.’

‘My lady?’

‘You’ve heard all about my homeland. You know the good things I have to tell about a good land.’ Her voice dropped a little. ‘But I have spared you its sorrows. As I have spared you my own.’

‘I—I am sorry to hear there are any,’ he stammered.

‘No matter.’ She shook her head. ‘But if our friendship means anything to you, brief as it has been, then you have something of great value to share with me.’

The light of understanding dawned slowly in his bovine eyes.

‘Your knowledge,’ she said. ‘They call it your genius, don’t they?’ She smiled. ‘Indeed, it is a spark that was born in your family. But the fire your father lit must spread.’

He said nothing.

‘I need it,’ she said simply. ‘If I am to help my people, I beg of you. Share with me what you know.’

He stood frozen. Slowly his mouth opened, then a frown began to form between his heavy black eyebrows. ‘No,’ he said at last, a meek outrage in his voice. ‘No. My father swore us all to secrecy on his deathbed. We brothers swore again between ourselves. No!’ His gentle voice rose now. ‘This is intolerable. Is this what you came to me for? All along? Our friendship is a sham. You wanted to use me.’

‘Not at all, Nikolaos – you misunderstand me—’

‘Oh, I think I understand well enough! Besides, what you want is abhorrent. Why – WHY – would you want to propagate such a weapon? You look like a fair and gentle woman but in there beats the heart of a ravening monster.’ He pointed accusingly at her chest.

‘You cannot know the reasons why I need it. Why my people need it.’

‘Your people!’ he spat. ‘Mother of God, the one curse you should want to keep from your people is this.’

‘Then even you don’t believe in it.’

‘I believe it’s a necessity. I believe now we have it, God has granted it as a shield. But only as a shield, not as a sword. We do not use it to oppress other tribes and nations. We do not wield it to steal lands and riches, or to take more than is our due. We protect. That is all.’

‘And what if one has already taken everything from me?’ she said, her gaze fixing his like a rivet. ‘You know nothing of me. You don’t know what