Chapter XXI
Before the Storm
After finally making their way safely back behind the city walls, Arzealous, Callinicus and Petron had met with the Emperor and many of his advisors. He had not rested from the time when he had been first told of their mission, and it showed. As they entered his chambers he breathed a heavy sigh of relief, and immediately called for fresh wine; when he had heard of their venture he had not been thrown into a rage, in fact he had met the idea with sobriety and the Viglator had not, as he had anticipated, been stripped of his command. It appeared that Constantine agreed with what had been done, and was only disappointed that they had not made a deeper impression on the enemy camp, by killing the Emir or Vizier while they slept.
The news that the Saracens intended an assault in three days, from both land and sea, had solidified everyones resolve. They had built many of the siphon devices that were meant to propel a liquid flame twenty five cubits or more. But these had yet to be tested in combat and were thought to be too unstable to be of any real use. They were just as likely to cause damage at home, as to inflict it upon the enemy abroad. Having his councillors argue this matter, the Emperor pointed out that unfortunately, the hour was too desperate for any other measure to be taken.
With that decision made and the council ended, the Generals departed to ready the new weapon and prepare for the coming storm.
Arzealous had left for his private chambers where he was joined a little later by Callinicus, who had wished to inspect the weapon, which for the most part he had designed. The two sat quietly together over a platter of dried fruits and a goblet of sour wine, eventually one of them spoke, and the conversation turned to the meeting of Yazid.
“So the Djinn are here,” murmured Arzealous.
“Beyond any doubt, they're trying to get the Codex back. Charon, the Merovingian, the Rageon, the Wraith, and the Djinn, have all formed an alliance and not a very strong one I feel. I think perhaps each has their own agenda, and are using the others whilst they are needed. He didn’t have any fears of revealing his plans to me, once I’d told him I was a Watcher, and why should he, when the situation benefits him so strongly. All we need now is for Azazel to turn up, or any of his cohorts, and things will get very nasty indeed.”
“Will get nasty,” replied Arzealous, “This tale has more coils on it than you’d find on a snake ready to strike.”
“He’s determined for the Angelos not to get hold of the Codex. I get the impression he feels the War we have been fighting against the Dragon is a private matter between siblings that should know better.”
“They should be on our side: we’re the ones trying to maintain the Equilibrium.”
“I’m afraid the words, ‘they should be on our side,’ are likely to be the same ones that the Djinn keep hearing form Azazel.”
Arzealous quietened; there were too many other quandaries to worry about other than the Djinn. In two days the siege would cease to be a siege, and become a full scale assault. The Roman fire devices would be ready, but whether they would work was another story, and the Emperor had given him charge of the fleet. Rumour had spread fast almost instantaneously, of what the Saracens intended, and so the City now braced itself. Also word had circulated that their enemy was after a weapon of sorts, that the Empire did not even have in its possession, which had left more than a few people feeling indignant towards their adversary.
The news that the Franks would not aid the Eastern Roman Empire, though unsurprising, had still sorely tested the Emperor, also the fact that they may advertently or inadvertently be even helping the Saracens had thrown him into a veritable storm. He then locked himself in his chambers in a deeply melancholic temper, and had refused to be disturbed once the seriousness of that betrayal had been understood. And as for the Saracens, the fact that they were most likely using the dark arts to aid in their conquest had horrified the Patriarch. What part such things would play in the downfall of the city was anyones guess? He had taken to walking the corridors of the Church of the Holy Wisdom beseeching God to intervene.
These were worries that Arzealous had struggled with, and, being a keeper of the Equilibrium there was not much he could do to help, the only thing open to him for a successful resolution to the current dilemma, were to use materials of the time. And the problem with the Roman Fire devices were that for them to work, they needed an element that might not even exist on Terra Azure.
Petron consoled the Emperor with the notion, that if Constantinople burned, then it would do so with many Saracens in it. The Emperor had raised his goblet and said he felt that was a very cup half empty attitude, to which Petron had replied, that, every time his cup was half full, people had always wanted to drink from it anyway, so it didn’t matter. At that point the Emperor had told Petron, that if he truly thought that, then perhaps he too should join him and lock himself away until the coming battle was upon them.
Callinicus had left to retrieve the staff of light and then busied himself by keeping moral up, and discussing the best way to repel an attack of this magnitude. He had then gone from the battlements of the city to the harbour, to see how the fitting out of the ships with the Roman fire devices was going.