Chapter 20

By morning, everything of value had been loaded back into the wagons, onto camels, or onto the extra horses we had been riding. The twenty-six men of the village were tied, and each put on a horse, with the horses tied together in a string. We let the women ride without being tied up. I didn’t think they would try to go far, even though I had made them “entertain” the troops last night; the men were in the most trouble. The fifteen women from the most recent caravan rode with my wives, amazed that I would allow my wives to ride alongside the men and to carry weapons. Unfortunately, this arrangement effectively cut the distance we could travel each day by more than half. It took us three days to travel what we would have covered the rest of the day of the attack and the following day.

Fifty of my men kept the captive men from the village far outside of the city while the rest of us set up our campsite well beyond the city walls of Abu Kamal. Only when the tents were up were the village men brought in and quickly stashed inside the largest tent.

A small cadre of troops from the city came out to investigate such a large group of armed men making camp outside of their city. When they learned who I was, they assured me that the Emir would want me to stay in the palace. I thanked them for the offer, explaining that I was exhausted from traveling for over a month, from Rouen to Constantinople, then to Jerusalem, back to Constantinople, back to Jerusalem, and finally here. I assured him I was extremely comfortable where I was.

Not long after the troops returned to the city, a large procession snaked its way out of the city’s main gate, headed our way. I grinned victoriously at Captains Malcombe and Subotai, having won the bet. Proudly leading the procession was the Emir, decked out in his finest robes. Even his horse was covered in silk adorned with enough jewels to buy the food to feed the entire city for the better part of a year. Behind him were a hundred gaudily dressed soldiers and then an army of servants carrying things. I hadn’t watched a procession like it since the colorful clerical army had marched against us outside of Rouen right after I first returned there.

While the women from the captured village prepared our dinner, two of the rescued slaves put on quite a show of washing and massaging my feet as the Emir’s column approached. Having seen firsthand what I was really like, the women were laughing like schoolgirls as I let them pamper me, especially when they discovered an especially ticklish spot between my toes.

Emir Fadil performed a much-practiced bow before approaching and a second one when he was right in front of me. “Greetings my Khan, I am honored by your visit to our city,” he gushed. “I understand your reluctance to move yet again after such an arduous journey, so I am having many of the luxuries available in the palace brought to you. Slaves are bringing food, baths, and cushions. They will set up more tents, and will tend to your horses and camels,” he continued.

Motioning to a stunned Braka, the slave drying my left foot, I had her direct the approaching army of slaves and servants as to where to set up the tent for the baths, the tables for food, and which tents to fill with cushions. Malcombe and Subotai could direct the slaves sent to tend the animals.

“You must have lots of mines in your territory to afford such luxury,” I commented offhandedly as I motioned towards the small army of slaves and servants hurrying to set everything up. I saw his brief look of concern, but he covered well.

“I am usually very careful with what I spend so we have enough in reserve to be able to properly entertain the Khan when he visits,” Fadil offered with a flourish. I nodded to the guards outside a nearby tent.

“That’s good to hear. I was under the impression that you were robbing caravans passing through your territory,” I said sarcastically. Fadil’s sputtered denial died on his lips when the bound leader of the village was led over to us.

“You are nothing more than a common thief,” I growled at Fadil angrily. He was quickly on his feet, reaching for his sword. My hand had already been resting on mine. However, he collapsed even faster than he arose, his face a blend of shock and pain. Evidently, my wives had learned even more tricks, including how to accurately throw the long, sharp, steel spikes they called shuriken. There were over a dozen spikes deeply embedded in his arms, legs, and torso.

“I think my wives have taken exception to you threatening me,” I said smugly as I looked down at him. His guards were shaken and not sure what to do.

“Take the former Emir and tie him to the closest tree. Both of you choose your three best archers and we’ll have an archery contest,” I told Malcombe and Subotai, who had rejoined us. They motioned more guards over who had to drag Fadil off since he couldn’t stand. “Perhaps I will need to check more carefully just what my wives have hidden beneath their clothing every night,” I teased them. The grins I got let me know it would take me half the night to do as thorough a check as they intended.

A nervous and pale captain of the Emir’s troops approached and bowed apprehensively. “I apologize my Khan, I am Captain Kassar, and it was I who delivered the orders to the village,” he barely managed to say.

“Was it your idea?” I asked.

“No, my Khan, I was merely following orders,” he replied.

“Did you or anyone else receive a cut of the spoils?” I asked.

“No, my Khan, only the villagers and the Emir split the spoils. Many of the women serving you now came from those attacks,” he said as he motioned to the women still setting up the giant tents.

“Is your second in command here?” I asked.

He got even paler as he answered and motioned over one of his men. “This is Captain Beckter, my second in command,” he nervously introduced the man.

“Captain Beckter, you are now the new Captain of the Emir Kassar’s troops,” I said. It took a moment for both men to digest what I’d just said. When it eventually registered with them, I finally understood how the jokes about me could continue to be so humorous every year. Kassar had the same look on his pale face.

“M ... me?” he managed to choke. From somewhere, the women had come up with a pair of comfortable buckskin shoes they slipped on my feet rather than my riding boots.

I motioned for Kassar to follow me and headed to where Fadil was being tied to a tree after they stripped off his expensive raiment. I noticed that they had also retrieved the women’s spikes. Walking a distance that I estimated to be five hundred yards, I met with the six archers. Making a small scratch about two inches from the tip of one of my arrows, I showed it to the archers. “To count, a shot must be no farther than this from the Emir and must not draw blood. Whoever gets the closest will win two Maggies.”

I made my way to Fadil’s side, backing off about five feet and motioning for them to begin. Each man marked his arrows and when they were done, it was a virtual draw. Two men, one Demon and one Mongol, each scratched the Emir but didn’t draw blood. I sent Kassar scurrying to my wives to get the promised prize money from my saddlebags while I tied Fadil tightly to the tree around his forehead and shoulders. We met again where the archers waited impatiently to find out which one of them won nearly five years’ wages.

“It was a tie!” I exclaimed, holding up the two winning arrows. I could tell from the different arrows that one was a Mongol arrow, and one wasn’t. The two men stepped forward, grinning eagerly and Kassar handed each of them two Maggies.

Addressing the losing contestants, I promised each of them one Maggie if they were able to hit the former Emir, two if the shot killed him or would have killed him. All four men collected two Maggies while the gathered crowd cheered each shot. Obviously, the former Emir was not popular among the people.

“I think I will take advantage of the baths that have been supplied for us. I hope you will take the time to talk with my men and find out what I am like when I am not pissed off. I’m sure that you will feel more confident after hearing what they have to say,” I told Kassar. He bowed and followed Malcombe and Subotai, surprised they would turn away from me so quickly instead of backing away several feet before eventually turning their back to me. He had a lot to learn about me, but I was confident the troops that came with me could tell him enough to help him relax and to realize that the task before him wasn’t as daunting as it looked at first.

I was a bit surprised when all fifteen of the rescued slaves joined us in the high-sided tent with no top, where the copper bathing tubs had been set up and filled. “I think they are hoping to convince you to take them with us,” Margaret commented suggestively just loud enough that everyone in the tent could hear.

“Ladies, each of you is welcome to accompany us as far as Rouen, or to stay here to help Emir Kassar, or even to help Emir Baha in Baghdad, whether you assist with my bath or not,” I explained. Obviously, Margaret had already explained the same thing to them as they all stayed.

My clothing disappeared quickly, and I was led to the largest of the tubs. As it was easily big enough for at least two people, the women looked at me eagerly hoping I would choose them to join me. While Braka was a vision of beauty, her blonde daughter Klara was even more beautiful. Proffering my hand to Klara, the rest of the women separated to help my wives bathe, leaving only Braka and Klara with me. My wives had relayed enough snippets of information about each of the women that I knew some of their history.

Omar, the man who had owned Braka and Klara had been a kind and generous master. Klara had been eagerly anticipating her coming birthday when Omar would have sex with her. Unfortunately, he died in the attack on the caravan just days before her birthday yesterday.

Klara was out of her clothing and joined me in the tub so fast that it made my head spin. Braka took a little longer to disrobe, grinning knowingly at her daughter’s eagerness. The wild look in Klara’s eyes left no doubt as to what she wanted. Her mother’s smile when I looked up at her was all the approval I needed.

Klara pouted and started to protest when I stilled her hand. “Don’t be in such a hurry,” I chastised softly, whispering gently as I pulled her body against mine and kissed her. “We’re here to bathe. We can enjoy ourselves while we bathe but I suggest waiting until we are somewhere more comfortable to make you a woman,” I continued whispering while letting my hands slide softly across her young, smooth skin. I purposely avoided the most sensitive places until my gentle ministrations had her on the brink of orgasm. My lips found the side of her neck and Klara’s eyes opened in surprise at my sudden change in tactic as she gasped and had her first orgasm with me.

Kassar was much more at ease when we met right before dinner. “I’m still nervous about taking on such a major responsibility. Giving orders is a lot different than following them,” he sighed.

“Not really,” I countered. “I hope that you learned from my men what I expect and how I expect things to be done. You are simply taking orders from me, now, and relaying them to your troops, which consist of everyone living in your territory. When Fadil gave you something to accomplish, I’m sure he left most of the details of how to accomplish it to you. Feel free to use as many advisors as you feel you need.”

I also passed along King Edward’s caution about advisors: “Just remember, they are only advisors. Make sure you are the one making the final decisions, or you will quickly find yourself seen as a weak leader and will find your advisors usurping your power and authority. They will also do things you don’t approve of, but you will be held responsible for it anyway.

“Besides, I’m sure you’ve already seen and overheard everyone of any importance here in an unguarded moment when they weren’t posturing for the former Emir. That gives you an advantage by knowing what they are really like, and what they really think. You know which ones to trust and which ones to be wary of. You don’t even need to use the old advisors if you don’t want. Whom would you have turned to for advice about something yesterday?

“Don’t be afraid to ask the opinion of normal people in the marketplace, even if they disagree with you. If they disagree, it should make you think about your decision again and justify it for yourself. Not every decision you make will be popular. Just remember, the long-term goal is the betterment of the lives of the everyday worker and his family. The wealthy will resent it at first, until they realize that more and wealthier peasants will have more to spend, which will make the wealthy even wealthier.”

That night, with her mother and my wives in attendance, Klara became a woman. After watching how gentle I was with Klara, Braka insisted on a turn for herself.

I had to chuckle. It’s so easy to tell when Baha is excited by something. The way he came bounding out of the Palace in Baghdad to meet us with a huge grin on his face was a definite clue. Almost as an afterthought, he skidded to a halt and performed the perfunctory bow. An older couple exiting the palace at a much more leisurely pace was aghast at his behavior, having just witnessed his “bow.”

As excited as he was, he was glad to find us safe. We had spread the story that Emir Fadil’s bandits had attacked us and that was the reason I had him executed. It was a flimsy story, but the fact that Baha heard it and bought it made me feel better. I didn’t want to give any advance warning of my intentions to those Emirs who encouraged piracy.

Baha introduced the older couple, his parents from Samarra, which was a two-day ride from Baghdad. After seeing that I wasn’t upset with their son’s lack of proper decorum they exclaimed about how proud they were of their son and thanked me repeatedly.

Baha had been busy in the brief time he’d been here. As he predicted, the citizens of Baghdad and the surrounding area were jubilant that I had made Baghdad my capital. Most of the urgent repairs to the city had already been completed during the last decade, well before Baha got here. Word that I intended to establish a temporary library until a new one was built had been met with celebration, and several empty buildings were offered to choose from. Baha chose the temporary site within a week. Books turned in by those who had safeguarded them for nearly forty years already half-filled the temporary library. Even in the brief time since Baha arrived, the population of the city had quickly grown with the news that we intended to restore Baghdad. Baghdad had once been the biggest and most prestigious city outside of China. It was currently only a shell of its former self after the Mongols sacked, looted, and destroyed the city, killing upwards of a hundred thousand of its citizens.

Finding out that Baha was the new Emir added further to their excitement. Aside from knowing that he was “one of them,” he was widely known and respected from his time spent here as my trading agent and was considered an honest trader and the representative of an equally honest ruler.

I was surprised to learn that Baha and Braka knew each other. He had known Omar, her owner, and had purchased copper from him on many occasions. He was saddened to hear of Omar’s death in the attack by the bandits. I saw the spark between them and suggested that Braka might want to stay and work with Baha, overseeing work at Omar’s former mines, as well as generally supervising mining in the region. With her knowledge of mining and connections to the Saxon miners of Eastern Europe, I hoped she could convince some of them to work in our mines.

From what I’d learned from her, miners had abandoned many mines after the Mongols invaded, and the Saxon miners had returned to the relative safety of Europe. At least in Europe they were mostly unaffected by local wars. Even when there was a war, the victors were always eager to retain the miners and the profit they produced.

Braka knew that local villagers worked some of the mines periodically during the winter months to supplement their income, but they only spent a few days each month mining, fearful that bandits might learn about what they were doing. Omar had located several locations he thought were suitable for new mines if he could find enough help.

Like the villagers, miners were constantly concerned about bandit raids. I hoped the miners would return when they learned we would protect the mines. Once we removed Emirs who allowed the bandits and pirates to operate in their territory and then captured or killed the bandits and pirates, it would help stabilize things even more. Braka had Omar’s extensive list of villages that produced small quantities of gold, silver, copper, tin, lead, iron, arsenic, and mercury. I was seriously considering using any captured bandits and pirates as slave labor in the mines.

Within a week of our arrival, the population of the city had almost doubled from what it was when Baha had first arrived. People from all over the area wanted to buy property for farming or business. Knowing the reputation Rouen enjoyed, they hoped to witness Baghdad regain its former glory and become the Rouen of the East. I added to their excitement by publicly announcing my intention to build a new House of Wisdom to replace the destroyed one. It would be bigger than the original and would include a secular university like the one in Rouen, as well as a library and a scriptorium where books would be translated into many languages. After some discussion, we decided to build the new university on the site of the former House of Wisdom to honor and commemorate the original.

The bandit village’s stash of valuables was sent downriver where our trading agent would send ships to the various slave trading posts along the east coast of Africa to buy as many slaves as he could. Our ships would bring them to Baghdad to dig up the complex system of irrigation canals the Mongols had buried, then to replant the irrigated areas once water was flowing again. Other slaves would repair the roads leading in every direction from the city, which had once been a major trading hub, and was slowly becoming one again.

We would build and staff way stations for travelers every two days’ walk, radiating out from Baghdad until good roads and way stations finally linked the entire territory. Each Emir would be responsible for repairing and maintaining roads in his territory and for building, staffing, and maintaining way stations, just like in my other territories.

One of the local troops rushed into the palace the afternoon of our eighth day there. An emissary from Chaghati Khan had arrived in the city and sought an audience with the new Khan. I instructed the guards to show him in immediately and to extend every courtesy to him.

Klara translated for me as the Emissary began. “Greetings Khan Michael, the Demon Khan, Grand Duke of Normandy, Lancaster, and York, Duke of Granada, Sultan of Maghreb and Ifriqiya, and Emir of Tumilat Province. I am Sartaq, Emissary of Chaghati Khan. My original mission was to contact Nogai Khan and Ghazan Khan to deliver these messages insisting that they not follow through with their planned attacks, as well as to inform them that they would receive no aid from the other Khans if they went through with their plan. Obviously, the warnings arrived too late, but I offer them to show that Chaghati Khan had no part in the attacks. Chaghati Khan wishes instead to direct his efforts towards building up the territory we have already gained.”

Baha confirmed that there was no way the emissary could possibly have arrived here from the Mongol capital, Yining, in the time since we first landed near Constantinople. It would take four months for word to reach Yining and for an emissary to travel back here. He also confirmed that the seal on the two documents was the Royal Seal. Klara translated and confirmed the contents of the two messages.

“Please tell Chaghati Khan that I have no ambitions to expand my borders further, but I will arm every man available in every one of my territories and use them to defend every square foot of the territory I now rule, and to protect every person living in those territories if need be. Remind him that I have never attacked anyone who didn’t attack me or one of my allies. Let him know that I hope to be able to trade with your people, and that we will be repairing all major trade routes through our territory to facilitate peaceful trade with everyone. But then I suspect he already knew that,” I added.

Sartaq grinned, realizing that I knew how much he already knew. Just the fact that he could recite each of my titles (except Byzantium) told me a lot about him. “You are free to travel anywhere in my territory that you wish. You will see no troops being prepared for a major invasion. At most, there may be a few skirmishes inside our borders if I have nobles unwilling to serve me in the manner I require.

“My goal here is the same as in each of my other territories. I wish to improve the lives of those I rule so they may grow and prosper in peace. In so doing, I reap the benefit of their increased prosperity as well as their loyalty. I have already sent orders to bring slaves here to rebuild this city and rebuild the House of Wisdom into a University, library, and scriptorium to rival Rouen. The people here are already excitedly calling Baghdad the Rouen of the East. Your Khan is invited to send people to attend the University if he wishes, here or in Rouen.”

“As you surmise, I did know that already. I simply wanted to hear the words from your mouth. I already suspected as much even before coming here. The Mongols all the way to the far borders of China know of your reputation. Having you in control of the former territories of the Kipchak Khanate and the Ilkhanate may actually be a good thing for all.

“You have eliminated two rogue Khans, and you will serve as a neutral buffer between Europe and the rest of the Mongol Empire. That should encourage trade on a much larger scale than before and increase the wealth of all involved. I am sure Chaghati Khan will be excited by the possibility and will likewise commit to repairing the trade routes and building way stations like yours to protect merchants and to facilitate communication between us. I am honored to have met you and I will pass your message of peace and prosperity to my Khan.”