The Spring of the Ram - Dorothy Dunnett [190]
“And the Sultan?” said Nicholas.
“He is a very young man,” said Sara Khatun. “And a clever one, trained in youth by the best brains his father could gather. He has learned central rule, a new trick, very quickly, and, like my son, he has courage, and some genius for strategy. In the end, my son will overcome him. But meanwhile, you, my young Frankish merchant, are afraid. You will take no goods to Trebizond. You will gather your promissory notes and your army and flee?”
Absorbed in listening and looking, he almost forgot to reply. He felt love for her, and pride, and even a sort of anxiety. As always, his face and manner were displaying something quite different. He said, “I don’t think so. I did come here to buy. Only, on reflection, I’d prefer to take my goods to Kerasous, not to Trebizond.”
She remained perfectly composed. “Kerasous is still in the Empire; equally on the sea; equally vulnerable to the Ottoman fleet. Why should it be safer than Trebizond?”
“Because the enemy who attacks the Empire will begin with Trebizond,” Nicholas said. “And Kerasous is a hundred miles away, and very strong.”
“So I have heard,” said the lady. “Indeed, you may be right. The Venetians, the Genoese, might well come to wish they had thought of it. And those merchants who carry such precious goods may well prefer that journey to the other to Trebizond. The road to Kerasous belongs to the White Sheep, and is well guarded.”
“There are, I believe, Venetian merchants here in the city,” said Nicholas. “If they wished it, they could choose their goods here and consign them to Kerasous. I would take them with mine. My people would care for them there; or they might have their own agents.”
The lady turned to the monk. “Would this be helpful?” she said.
“A happy suggestion,” said Diadochos. “There are Venetians at Kerasous. I know them, and the Imperial minister, and can supply what introductions are needed. It would be necessary to explain to the Bailie and the Genoese consul at Trebizond.”
“Would it?” said Nicholas. “I should greatly prefer to say nothing of Kerasous.”
“I see,” said the monk. “Then it might be put about that the Venetian merchandise has gone straight through to Bursa, as the merchants were unwilling to travel to Trebizond. It has happened before. There are both Venetians and Genoese merchants at Bursa.”
“Genoese?” Nicholas said. “So a Genoese agent here might be encouraged to bypass Trebizond also?”
“You wish the Genoese merchandise safe in Kerasous also?” Diadochos said. The princess was smiling.
Nicholas answered her smile. “Not really,” he said. “It would lie on my conscience, two falsehoods. If we proclaim that the whole Genoese consignment has gone through to Bursa, then we ought to make sure it goes through to Bursa. The agents will send it from there to Pera for shipping, and everyone will be pleased. Or almost everyone.”
“And your own goods?” said the princess. “You cannot claim to have sent these to Bursa, where you have no connections. And you wish to conceal, you say, that your destination is Kerasous.”
“I shall think of something,” said Nicholas. “Khatun, these are great changes in the customary route for these traders. You say it is safer, but will they agree?”
She smiled faintly. “Silver helps.”
“Sara Khatun, I carry no silver,” said Nicholas.
“Few people do,” said the lady. “It is something of a miracle, then, that the pass from Vavuk proved to be paved with it. Those who brought it back have had their reward. I can spare enough from the remainder to encourage all who wish to make the trip to Kerasous, and give them good guides and protection. The rest I am willing to lend, on the assumption that there are couriers in Trebizond by whom the loan might be repaid in kind. It seems only just that trade, on which