The Towers of Samarcand (16 page)

Anna was shocked. ‘Where are all the people?’ she asked, shielding her eyes.

Yakub shrugged. He hadn’t been inside the city before. ‘They say that Constantinople is a shadow of what it was,’ he said. ‘Those who remain live in the centre. But at least they can feed themselves.’

They rode on through field upon furrowed field, the occasional church tower a reminder of this city’s stubborn religion. Anna saw it all and thought of Mistra where the streets jostled with the traffic of human interchange. She thought of the noise that assaulted the Laskaris house from dawn to dusk: the sound of argument and laughter and trade and cats that got in the way. Here there was silence broken only by the call of birds.

They arrived at the inner wall where Yakub’s gazis were obliged to wait until Anna had finished her business with the Patriarch. Yakub’s loyalties were known to Manuel, Plethon and a few others in the Byzantine court. But while in Constantinople, his men would be treated as the enemy.

From there, Anna and Yakub were taken straight to the Blachernae Palace, a city in miniature of halls and towers that rose in tiered landcape to look out over the calm waters of the Golden Horn. There were gardens between, some of which held orchards, others turned over to the plough. They walked down marbled corridors until they arrived at the throne room.

Inside were the Emperor Manuel, Empress Helena Dragaš and Plethon, seated around a table with a map pinned down by goblets of wine. Two gigantic jewels rested on its surface.

‘Anna!’ Plethon rose and came forward to take her in his arms, a kiss for each cheek. Manuel did the same while the Empress rose to greet Yakub, then returned to the map. She was a woman of compact middle age whose beauty had settled with ease upon the changes wrought by time. She had known Anna from birth.

Now she turned from the map to Anna and said: ‘The jewels are placed on Samarcand and Constantinople. Which do you think is false?’

Anna smiled. ‘The one on Samarcand, highness.’

The Empress nodded. ‘Of course. The city is new and of no substance, like the jewel. The real one is in pawn at Venice.’

‘Where we should place a turd,’ said Plethon.

‘Plethon!’ The Emperor was half smiling as he turned back to Anna. ‘We were discussing Tamerlane’s next move, which seems certain to be China. Oh, and Plethon’s plan for Mistra: a kingdom built on Spartan lines with elders at the top of Mount Taygetos. Ridiculous.’

‘He would have us all wearing togas,’ said Helena to Anna. ‘Did you know that he doesn’t believe in God?’

Anna tried to look shocked. The Emperor spoke again. ‘Which I suppose makes his plan for unifying the two Churches easier to attempt. He has no conscience.’ He turned to the philosopher. ‘But the people of Constantinople do.’ He moved to a chair and sat. ‘Anyway, we’re not here to discuss that. Yakub, what is the plan?’

Yakub explained that Anna had four days’ grace to get her annulment. It had been put about that the Patriarch was busy
in retreat and she’d need the time. Then he told Plethon of Luke’s demand.

‘Anna ride to Kutahya?’ Plethon spread his hands, his voice enormous. ‘But she’ll need wings to be back in four days.’

Anna, still dizzy at the news, said: ‘How do I get there?’

‘You leave disguised as one of my gazis. You get through the Turkish lines. Then you ride to Kutahya with the Varangians. They’ve been told where to meet you.’ Yakub turned to the Emperor. ‘Did you know the Turks are tunnelling, highness?’

Manuel nodded. ‘We need a good engineer.’

‘Which Luke says he can provide,’ said Yakub. ‘One who’ll bring you Greek fire too. He’s called Benedo Barbi and he lives on Chios.’

Plethon was humming softly, pretending to look at the map. Then he turned to Anna, taking something from the folds of his toga.

‘I want you to give this to him,’ he said.

*

Anna was far ahead of the Varangians, but then she was riding Eskalon. It was over twenty hours since she’d left Constantinople, dressed and bearded as a gazi, to meet the three of them at the agreed place. Since then, they’d stopped twice to change horses. Or the Varangians had.

At first, they’d sped towards Bursa through forests thick with pine and chestnut whose smell flavoured the air. At night, tree-eyes stared out from either side and wolves’ howling lifted the horses’ ears. They travelled a wide stone road that had seen the armies of Xerxes, Alexander, Pompey and a hundred others tramp its surface. It was worn and smooth with age and had milestones at its edge.

As Bursa approached, the country opened and a watery sun
shone down on fields shorn like sheep, stubble steaming. It was a rich land, well tended by the sipahi and
akritoi
farmers who lived side by side: Turkish and Greek frontiersmen who preferred to forget old allegiances to gather in the harvest.

Matthew said aloud what they’d all been thinking. He was riding by Anna’s side. ‘Will Tamerlane be any better?’

The two of them had been talking, snatching conversation above the pounding of the hooves. Matthew had told her of what they’d seen at Edirne, of the power struggle that gripped the palace: Suleyman wanting to go west, his brother Mehmed wanting to turn east before it was too late. He’d told her of Bayezid and the toothache that had once governed the Sultan’s mood but had disappeared with Dimitri’s mastic. He told her how they’d missed Luke. Arcadius had fallen ill, first with a cold and then with fever. Both Matthew and Nikolas had been worried for their friend until the news of joining Luke had seemed to cure him. Finally they’d talked of Tamerlane.

Now Anna was riding out of the hills north of Kutahya towards Luke. She’d be there within the hour. It was very dark and the world was full of sound and smell: the panting of exhausted horses, the smell of night dew and horse sweat. She was far ahead of the Varangians, which was as well: she was too nervous to speak. She thought of a recent kiss from a man she was obliged to marry soon. She thought of another in a cave in Monemvasia that had led to other, wonderful things.

What would he say to her? Had he summoned her to tell her that he’d changed his mind, that he’d come back with her? But according to Yakub, he was just changing the plan and seeing her was part of it. She reached down to check that the box was still safe in the pouch around her waist.

As she approached the city gates, she slowed to let the
Varangians ride beside her. There were men on horses with torches, little pools of light lighting their faces. Eskalon neighed and tossed his head. He was there.

Luke
.

He was seated on a horse that looked too small for him so that his legs hung well below its belly. His hair was longer than she’d remembered it and his face more gaunt. He was dressed in gazi skins and had his dragon sword tucked into a wide belt. He held his torch high.

The Varangians slowed their horses as they saw him too, leaving Anna to go on alone. Luke passed his torch to another and trotted forward. When their horses were side by side, Luke looked up at Anna, putting out his hand to touch her face. His fingers met her cheek.

He said: ‘They told me you’d be bearded.’

‘I shaved for you.’

There was a snort and Anna’s horse raised its head with a suddenness that made the other start. Luke leant forward to pat the big head that was turned to him.

‘Eskalon!’ Luke stared into eyes that were oracles.

‘I saw you in them,’ Anna murmured, rubbing her nose. She’d taken the hand that wasn’t stroking Eskalon’s neck. ‘You were there when they told me you were dead. Is it only me that sees things in them?’

Luke smiled. ‘I see different people. Sometimes Plethon.’

‘Whom you seem to be defying. Leave the horse and kiss me.’

And he did. The kiss went on for a long time until interrupted by a cough. Matthew had come forward on foot, leading his horse by the rein. He said: ‘We only have two hours.’

Luke leapt down from the saddle. ‘Matthew!’ He threw his arms around his friend and hugged him hard. He whispered
into his hair: ‘I can’t do it without you. You’ll come with me?’

Matthew nodded. ‘We all will. It’s why we’re here.’

Then there were others in the embrace. Arcadius and Nikolas had dismounted and come to join them and they were all boys again, four heads together, arms intertwined, the world within warmer than the world without. Anna watched them and heard the laughter and felt the deep, deep friendship that might just make a difference on the journey east. She leant forward to pat Eskalon. She whispered: ‘Look after him.’

When the friends had separated and Luke had taken Eskalon’s rein in one hand and her hand in the other, the five of them went into the city, passing the tents of those who’d come too late to be let in and the hovels of those who would never be let in. They walked up through sleeping streets, their tread loud on the cobbles. A few sleepy eyes watched them pass, curious to see such tall, fair men in their city. Some of the oldest remembered when they’d seen them before, when the double-headed eagle of Byzantium had flown from Kutahya’s walls, when the mosques had been churches and hadn’t had towers from whose tops men sang.

It was the hour before dawn and the smell of baking bread was in the air. The night was still and the stench of the river far away. The Varangians quickened their pace as the palace came into view.

Matthew said: ‘We’ll see you later.’

When they’d left, Luke turned to Anna. ‘We’ll go to the harem. There’s someone I want you to meet.’

Anna knew who it would be, warned by Yakub that she’d be there. They entered the Gate of Felicity and walked across gardens taking shape in the first light of dawn, scattered with
animals sleeping. The air smelt of grass and rotting leaves. A peacock shrieked and Anna wondered.

Who is she?

Then they were there. They walked through a low arch and into an audience chamber with thick oak beams and a fire in the grate. There were candles on the walls and their light was unmoving. Apart from the woman waiting for them, they were alone.

‘Anna, this is Shulen.’

Anna had her hood over her head, but seeing Shulen standing there with her long black hair free, she lowered it. The girl before her was younger and thinner than her and had a beauty that was more animal than human. Her eyes never left Anna’s as she approached.

‘Shulen. You have helped Luke. Thank you.’

Anna took her hand, then kissed her. Despite the heat of the room, Shulen’s cheek was cold. She didn’t reply.

Anna said: ‘You must have had a difficult journey.’ She paused, suddenly awkward. ‘Will you return to the camp?’

Shulen’s eyes stayed on hers and were the only things that spoke. Anna was shocked to see what they said.

He may not always be yours
.

‘Shulen is coming east with us,’ Luke said.

Anna was about to ask why. She bit her lip. ‘That will be good.’ She turned to Luke. ‘I have messages for you. Are we to have time alone?’

Behind her, Shulen moved and when Anna turned back, she’d gone.

‘Who is she?’ she asked.

‘I don’t know. Yakub says she’s important.’ He paused. ‘You
have not come to talk about her.’

Anna hesitated. Then she said: ‘I’ve come because you summoned me.’ She came towards him and was in his arms again. They kissed and she made him kneel before her. She put her forehead down to his, her eyes on his and her arms around his neck. ‘I’ve come to persuade you to come back with me.’

‘You know I can’t.’

She moved her arms so that her hands were interlinked behind his neck. She pressed in with her palms. ‘Yes you can. We both know that your journey east can have three outcomes: you’ll be sent back; you’ll bring Tamerlane to fight Bayezid; you’ll be killed. None of them are good.’

‘Which is worst?’

She didn’t bother to answer. Instead she said: ‘Plethon thinks that bringing Tamerlane will save the Empire. But what if Tamerlane takes Constantinople instead of Suleyman? As his wife, I can perhaps control Suleyman. But Tamerlane? He’d slaughter every living thing within its walls. He always does.’

Luke felt the shock. She’d said three words that had the power to upset his world, and she’d said them so calmly.

As his wife
.

He took a deep breath. He’d not wanted to talk about anything except how much he loved her. Now there was this marriage.

‘You don’t have to marry him.’

Anna kissed him then, for much longer. Her lips brushed his nose. She whispered into his ear: ‘Come back with me and I won’t.’

Luke drew back. He rose and walked to a curtain, parting it to sit in the alcove behind. The stone was cold against the back of his leg and there was a faint draught from the window. He
looked down into his lap where his hands were joined. ‘We both go to places neither of us want to go to. Yet not going would be with us for the rest of our lives.’ He looked up. His voice was soft. ‘Anna, for whatever reason, we both feel compelled to serve this empire and have to hope that there is some reward for it all.’ He smiled then. ‘It is our destiny, Anna, isn’t it?’.

It was a question in need of an answer. She nodded slowly. They could spend the short time left arguing or making love. She rose. ‘I’ve brought you something.’ She reached into her pocket and brought out the box. She walked over to the alcove and put it in his lap. He opened it. In it was a gold ring without jewel or ornament. It shone dully in the candlelight as Luke took it out of the box.

‘What is it?’

There was a stillness in the room that perhaps they hadn’t noticed before. All sound seemed sucked into the words they were speaking.

‘It’s from the treasure,’ she said. ‘Plethon wants you to keep it.’

Luke studied the ring for a long time, turning it slowly in the light. It was very old and had some inscription on its surface – nothing he could read.

‘I will take it with me,’ he said. He put it on his third finger and held it up. ‘It even fits.’

Anna took his hand and brought it to her lips. ‘Never take it off,’ she said. Then she remembered something. ‘No, only take it off if you ever stop loving me. Will you promise?’