The Spring of the Ram - Dorothy Dunnett [257]
Since the siege began, they had seen more of the ship-master Crackbene than they had of Doria; and the visits of Paraskeuas had stopped. Since that acrimonious exchange in the garden, the Turks had burned Alighieri’s fondaco to the ground: they had heard the catcalls, and had witnessed the fiames. The threats made there by Catherine’s husband seemed equally to have vanished. Godscalc said, “How do you know?”
“Catherine. Before she left,” Nicholas said. “But don’t read too much into that, either. I don’t think she’s abandoned her husband entirely. I think she’s set him a test without realising, perhaps, all the consequences. Certainly, he has tried to get rid of me often enough since she went.”
Godscalc sat up. “Not by his own hand,” Nicholas said. “And Loppe, as you noticed, goes with me everywhere. Or almost everywhere. Violante of Naxos also knew Doria had a cargo of arms but did not, I think, tell anyone. In any case, she has gone.”
“Where?” said Godscalc.
Nicholas shrugged faintly. “To Georgia…Tana…I don’t know. She has friends. A fishing boat would take a single person of such eminence anywhere. And so the problem is mine.”
“A consignment of arms so great that they would affect the course of the war; and in your gift? That is the problem?” said Godscalc.
A rocking stool was his answer. Nicholas stood with his back to the window and said, “Of course not! What do you think we’re talking about? That load of iron might affect the war for ten minutes; an hour; a day; but that’s all. Of course, any one of the parties would be glad to have it. Of course, whoever gets it is going to be grateful. That isn’t the point. The point is the fact that it wasn’t delivered.”
“By Doria? But you said yourself that he might be saving it for favours,” Godscalc said. Briefly, he prayed God to forgive him the exultation he was feeling.
“Don’t you think the time for soliciting favours has come? And there is the lady Violante, who vowed she told no one about it but myself. I believe her. In fact, I know that she didn’t. So, why?”
Godscalc rose and walked to where the other man stood, and fitted his shoulders into the post of the window. “Tell me,” he said.
Nicholas spoke, his eyes on the courtyard. “Because they don’t know who is going to rule Trebizond,” he said. “There were three contenders. The Emperor, who possesses it. The Ottoman Sultan. And the lord Uzum Hasan, currently an ally of Trebizond, but only out of fear of the Sultan.”
“Uzum Hasan would never rule Trebizond,” Godscalc said. “If it fell into his power he might impose tolls; ask for Muslim concessions. But the White Sheep don’t live in towns. He would leave it to his Greek kinsmen. After all, the lady Violante…”He stopped.
“The lady Violante knew I knew that,” Nicholas said. “I was allowed to meet Hasan Bey’s mother and reassure myself. The case was made tactfully clear. The White Sheep required, without stint, all the help that could be arranged from Sinope or from Georgia, but no harm would come to Christians, or trade. Especially trade. Florence would find some niche under any lord, but under Uzum Hasan Venice would thrive through his niece’s Venetian husband. On the other hand—” He paused. “On the other hand, without that extra help, the White Sheep tribe could not be expected to sacrifice itself. Not this time. Not yet.”
Godscalc said, “You said yourself, all that was needed of them was a little resistance until the season had ended. That is still the case.”
“No,” Nicholas said. “They are not resisting at all. The Palace doesn’t know of it yet; but the White Sheep have not simply intimated that they will refrain from aggression. They’ve surrendered the north to the Sultan on any terms he cares to make, and given him Hasan Bey’s mother as hostage. I have just had word. The Sultan is forcemarching straight through to Trebizond.” He made a space. He said, “So now there are only two contenders.”
In the courtyard, a woman was berating a servant. The noise came to them faintly. “Even so,” Godscalc said, “the city is impregnable.” He watched