Shadow of God (28 page)

Though fed richly in the war camps, in times of continuing battle or forced march, the Janissaries reverted to a meager diet. They carried leather sacks of flour, salt, and spices. Twice a day, they would mix this with water and eat it uncooked. The mixture swelled up in the stomach, and relieved their hunger even if it provided little in the way of nutrition. They carried a small ration of butter and dried beef to supplement the meals of spiced flour before going into battle.

The Sultan’s Household Cavalry was a force of Sipahis heavily armed with lance, bow, and sword. In contrast to the armies of the knights, who depended upon the weight and mass of their broadswords to crush and overpower the enemy, this cavalry used the slim, razor-sharp steel of their curved scimitars to slash their way through the battle lines. Instead of the shock techniques of the massive attacks employed by western armies, the Sultan’s troops relied on precision and perfect coordination to cripple the enemy before the kill.

From the Crimea and Ukraine came the fierce horsemen of the Tartar Khans. Each led a string of stout, rugged ponies clad in richly woven saddle cloths. The men appeared too large for the small animals, but the appearance belied the strength and endurance of these short-legged beasts. Each man was armed with the short thick bow, with designs inherited from the days of Ghengis Khan. Any of these men could match the most deadly feats of battle of that legendary army from the steppe of Asia. This light cavalry was used as an advance raiding party to pin down the enemy and return with intelligence as to their numbers and deployment. Their reputation was so fierce, and their coming was so feared, that enemy armies would often disperse and flee before a single arrow was fired.

Arriving after the Tartars came the Sipahis, led by
Beylerbey,
Qasim Pasha, the Provincial Governor of Anatolia in Asia Minor.
Their strategy was to ride as one huge mass of man and horse into the center of a line of infantry. Then, just when it appeared that they were going to strike at the center of the enemy force, they would unleash a huge barrage of arrows while still at full gallop. The arrows would rain down from the sky like hail, and inflict serious damage on the defenders. Holes would appear in the enemy ranks where there had once been a solid phalanx of soldiers. The Sipahis would finish the battle by cutting down the remaining troops with their scimitars, in a furious charge of their horses.

Finally, Ali Bey, the Agha of the Azabs, arrived in the war camp. The Azabs were the marine irregulars, who, as in many armies of the time, would serve as cannon fodder for the Sultan. They would attack the enemy on foot, rushing into the breaches in the defensive walls created by the Sultan’s artillery bombardment. Their strength was in their numbers, and they were expendable. All too often their bodies served as stepping stones for their brothers-in-arms, the Janissaries.

With the arrival of the last of the soldiers, as the departure became imminent, some the merchants and craftsmen disappeared back across the Bosporus, to resume their normal trade in Istanbul. A large number, however, would follow this huge army all the way to Rhodes, setting up at the battle camps just as they had in Üsküdar. Commerce and trade would go on even in the midst of furious battle.

When the armies were finally assembled and ready, the Sultan would be notified and word sent to prepare for his procession to the war camp.

The Sultan left the Palace with a huge retinue of more than six thousand horsemen in his Imperial Guard. They were mounted on Arabian thoroughbreds, and armed with bows hanging from their shoulders and quivers bursting with arrows. They also carried a mace and a jeweled scimitar, and wore headdresses adorned with black-dyed feathers.

Behind the Imperial Guard came the Janissaries in their light-blue jackets and feathered headdress as well. Then came the rest of the court, the servants, spare horses, and more of the household guard.

All marched in with unnerving silence, the only sounds being that of the stamping of horses’ hooves and the padding of the soldiers’ boots. There was none of the banter and ribaldry of western armies in the field.

Suleiman followed behind this impressive army, dressed in full battle gear, adorned with the finest silks and brocades. He wore a high white turban with diamonds and rubies that held his treasured heron’s feathers.

When the Sultan rode into battle, the sacred green banner of the Prophet, Mohammed, was taken from its vault in the Palace and its forty layers of protective silk cloth unwound from around it. The Muslims carried their holy banner into battle as the Children of Israel carried the Ark of the Covenant. The precious banner was displayed at the vanguard of the Sultan’s armies throughout the war until victory was achieved. As it was paraded through the streets of Istanbul, the people bowed low, crying out blessings in the name of Allah.

Other relics, captured from Mecca by the previous Sultans, were also taken to war. Along with the Prophet’s banner was the twinpointed Sword of Omar. For a Muslim
Gazi
to die under this banner and sword in a
jihad—
a holy struggle—was a guarantee for entry into Paradise on the Day of Reckoning. These soldiers would fight the nonbelievers exactly as had the Prophet.

The armies were assembled. Everything was in place. The war camp was complete. It was time to go to war.

Suleiman reclined on the
divan
in the Imperial Tent. The usual guard had been posted both inside and outside the great silk wall. There was silence throughout the tent as the Aghas waited for the Sultan to begin.

“Now then. All is ready,” he said finally, as if in the middle of a thought. “This morning after prayers, I called upon Abu-Seoud, the
Sheik ul-Islam,
our Ancient of Islam. As prescribed in the
Qur’an,
I have asked the Sheik to issue
a fetvà,
a ruling, as to whether our war was a holy one, and whether it is incumbent upon good Muslims to follow us into this war. As it is also written in the holy
Qur’an,
I have offered the enemy the opportunity to surrender, and have received
no reply from them. The
Sheik ul-Islam
tells me that our
jihad,
our struggle, against the Infidel
is
just, and that Allah will watch over us in the holy battle. Those who die in this cause will find a direct path to the side of the Prophet, may Allah smile upon them.

“It has been our custom to officially declare war by arresting the ambassador and throwing him into our jail. Unfortunately, the knights have recalled their ambassador.” The Viziers smiled at the Sultan’s small joke.

“Piri Pasha, tradition dictates that you will receive a new and gallant stallion selected from my own stables. He is caparisoned as befits the war horse of my Grand Vizier. You will find a new saddle of the finest leather. And in your quarters this moment is a scimitar with a handle covered in rubies and emeralds…soon, I hope, to be set off with the blood of Christian knights.”

Piri bowed his head and remained silent. He would miss his soft saddle and his older, gentler horse, so comfortable to ride in
its
old age.

“Ferhad Pasha, I have a special task for you to complete before your troops join us against the knights. The
Shiite
dog, Shah-Suwar Oghli Ali Bey, is inciting rebellion in Siwas. Go to Persia at once, and destroy this affront to Allah, this menace to our authority. Bring me his head, and the heads of his children, and leave no one alive to trouble my thoughts or my kingdom while I am at Rhodes.”

Ferhad Pasha bowed low and backed out of the tent.

“The rest of you will all disembark at Rhodes out of range of the knights’ batteries. For I am sure that the Grand Master has sighted us in his guns by now. He will not miss many shots once we are in range. We will encircle the fort in the crescent of Islam from north to south; from sea to sea. We will not make the same error that my great-grandfather made, that is, to wage this war from the water. And, more importantly, I will lead the attack in person. Make no mistake. We will remain on that island until our mission for God is completed!” Still, the Aghas remained silent.

Suleiman waited for comments, but there were none. “The battle plan is simple and effective. We shall cut them off from resupply. We will destroy the walls with cannons and mines. Our troops will enter the city through the gaps in the walls that our miners will
create, and our superior forces will cut to pieces whomever remains alive when we enter the fortress. There will be no prisoners. There will be so survivors.”

Suleiman looked about the room, and fixed his gaze upon each of his generals in turn. All met his eyes, but again none spoke.

“Now, return to your men, and make ready to move towards Rhodes. May Allah be with you.”

Two days later, the camp was struck. The armies of the Sultan began their march south and west across Asia Minor towards Marmarice. The fearsome procession left in separate groups to cross the Anatolian landscape and regroup at Marmarice for the short overwater crossing to Rhodes.

Suleiman and Ibrahim rode side by side along the rolling hills of Anatolia. Behind them rode the Sultan’s three pages. One carried Suleiman’s water bottle; the second, his cloak; and the third, the Sultan’s bow and arrows. Following close at hand, both fore and aft, were the usual guard of Janissaries.

“You have been very quiet this day, Ibrahim. What’s on your mind?”

“There is nothing, my Lord. I was just thinking what a pity that we are traveling on such a mission. What a wonderful journey this would be if we were here to hunt and fish and rest by these beautiful lakes and streams.”

Suleiman nodded. “There will be time for that when we retrace these steps some weeks from now. After we have driven the Infidels from their lair. Their very existence offends me, Ibrahim. These faithless devils have haunted my dreams. Their Crusades to capture our Holy Lands have gone on now for five centuries, and I cannot think how many Muslim lives have been taken by the Sons of
Sheitan.
They slaughter our men and our children. They rape and torture our women. Life has no meaning to them. They are animals, and we must slaughter them with as little thought to it as stepping on a scorpion. There will be no end to this until they are all gone from our lands.” Suleiman looked ahead into the far distance and said, “I think we should find a place to stop for the
day. Our armies are only a short day’s ride ahead, and I do not wish to overtake them.”

“I will send a Janissary to scout over there, and find us a suitable place to spend the night.”

Ibrahim spurred his horse and rode off to find the officer in charge of the household guard. Suleiman kept his horse at a slow walk. He was relieved to be freed from the worries about Ibrahim’s nighttime excursions. He would never mention a word of it to Ibrahim. Now, his mind was still on the enormous task of coordinating the world’s largest fighting force.