Chapter 4: Benedetto Vitturi

…

Night falls.

There is always a saying that all evils, alive or not, roams the streets after the last trace of sunlight vanishes in the horizon. The inky canopy darkness and the dim city streetlights produced an eerie effect, together with the random hoots and shrieks of nocturnal creatures.

All unseen activities are being carried out only after the sun sets as the curtain of pitch-dark draped over the sky. In an information rich city like Candia where the east and west communicates, the native Greeks and their Venetian masters who are known to have a special fondness of intrigues. The Franks call it the "Byzantium system" as a form of sarcasm for the Greeks' never ending internal scandals, plots, revolts and civil strife.

Down the narrow alleyway to Saint Andrews Bastion, two shadowy human figures donned in ashen hoods and cloaks moving swiftly alongside the walls, avoiding from stepping onto some random rats crawling on the moon bleached stone path.

Abdullah, still trembling in fear from the terror he just went through, asked in a almost crying tone. "Did you really add poison inside? Will I last till then? Will you give me the cure as promised ? I…I…"

"Shush! I will, you have the words of a genuine and righteous Genoese man, we never lie to our friends."

"…Just follow the plan?" Abdullah continued as he weeps.

"Yes just follow the plan." Antonius turned his head and took a peek at his poor guest, and jeered. "You know, my dear friend. In Genoa even the youngs know an idiom saying that 'A Sailor with valor never allows tears in his eyes' and you are a grown man, be brave stop crying."

"Al…alright." Abdullah hastily wiped his tears with his sleeve and ran to follow Antonius.

…

"We are here."

"You are late." The old man at the tavern today, leaning against the wall of the Bastion on a fleet of stairs, glared at Antonius with his signature cold look.

"Follow me, my liege is expecting you." He looked at Abdullah. "So he is your internal source?"

"Aye, he is my…business partner, directly from the court of Edirne. And so, grey head, who might you be"

"Fine…there is no need to hide now, I am the mystics for the Rex of Candia, you can call me Marco"

The words of his identity came as a complete shock. Antonius and Abdullah are completely taken back and stunned. Although Antonius did speculate that the old man might be someone high up in the council spying for intels in a sailor-filled tavern, but he definitely didn't guess that it is a man directly incharge to the duke.

Still not recovered from Marco's identity, they walked into the Bastion, inside the grimy, gaudy and forbidding Bastion there is a gigantic metal gate that squeaked as the guards open it.

"Good evening, gentleman, I believe that his highness is expecting me."

"Yes, domine, please enter."

There is another long hallway with some plantations, oil lanterns, statues and paintings of past governors. As Antonius walks, he kept his back straight, chin held up high and shoulders wide as-if he is a knight of honour, meanwhile Abdullah kept his head low and eyes on the ground, sweating like mad but luckily the hood hide his abnormal facial expression.

"We are here, remember that you ought to remain silent and ONLY answer when the Rex ask you a question."

With that, the three of them entered the room at the end of the hallway.

"Greetings, my liege, I believe that you are expecting me."

"Yes, Marco." He shifted his look to Antonius and Abdullah. "And I believe that you are Captain Antonius and his associate."

"Yes, sir." Antonius replied in an cultured formal tone that he hasent used for ages.

The governor gazed at the two men interrogatively. He casted a wide grin on his face and shaked the hands of the two men.

"So, I am the newly appointed duke of Candia, Benedetto Vitturi, and I think you already know my mystic

"I am a captain of a ship that runs the sea-faring trade from Edirne to Genoa, and this is my main business partner, Abdullah Miralai, he should have all the information that you need, sir."

"And he." Antonius pointed to Abdullah. "He is my main partner in the Sultan's court in Edirne, he is a close of the Grand Vizier himself, and the main source of my information."

Abdullah dared not talk, and slightly bowed towards Benedetto.

"Nice to meet you all." The duke, Benedetto nodded and smiled. "I heard from your friend Antonius, Abdullah. That you have some internal information to be presented to me for a reward."

"Yes, sir." Abdullah nervously stepped forward and pointed at the map on the table. "Our Sultan, Mehmed II, ever since he ascended the throne from his father as the Pasha of Amasya, has always been clashing with the Grand Vizier Candarli Halil Pasha, need to achieve something to prove that he is capable of being the Ottoman Sultan."

Marco and Benedetto listened to Abdullah's words with full attention, while Antonius peeked at Abdullah, surprised that he can talk so fluently despite his legs trembling like a reed in the wind.

"Meanwhile in Izmit and Edirne, my Sultan has assembled a massive army and started preparing for war. It is said that the Sultan himself is going to lead this massive army into action."

Abdullah suddenly looked up, looked at the three people with alert in his eyes. "Be warned that the Sultan is no regular foe to be reckoned with, he has proven his military capabilities by crushing Ibrahim of Karamen."

Benedetto nodded. "I know, I know."

Antonius, despite knowing nothing with the Ottoman court, also nodded and added on. "Yes, Mehmed, very brave and capable warrior indeed."

"Oh yeah, one more thing." I have a letter from the Beylerbey of Antalya to be delivered to the Grand Vizier Candarli Halil Pasha, to inform him about the troop's movement in Anatolia. It says that troops from all Pashas and Beys in the entire Sultanate are being gathered, they will be ready in less than a year."

Abdullah opened the crippled already-brown letter and translated its content, but before he could continue, Marco examined his eyes and facial expression and asked. "May I know why you are telling us about this, my friend, are you only after the pay?"

Abdullah, surprisingly without fear, stared back into the eyes of Marco. "No, I belong to the family of the Grand Vizier, it is against our interest to break the peace with Constantinople. If my Sultan conquers the pearl of the Romans, the Grand Vizier and my family may be exiled. If he fails, it will severely weaken my country's power, strength and influence. So, I wish to have other powers to intervene to stop my Sultan's selfish idea of another war."

"And…"

"And?"

"I know my Sultan; I recognise him since he is still a governor after he got deposed." Abdullah, remembered something deep in his memory, sent a shiver down his spine."

He recalled. "Mehmed is a dangerous man, even more dangerous after he got deposed by his father, like a lion taken into a cage, only broke free after his father died. I have observed him, closely. He is a Sultan that can share his prosperity and prestige with one when its times of hardship, but he won't tolerate his vassals to have the power to threaten him by a single bit."

"I see…ah forgive our dear Marco, as one of my advisors he is always that vigilant to everyone, even the Serene Doge of Venice himself, hahahha."

"Anyways…" Benedetto pulled open the closet and took out a weighty pouch of coins. "Thanks for your intel, Domine Abdullah and Antonius, here is your reward, an entire five-hundred Ducats, take it with pride."

"Thank you, sir." Abdullah and Antonius bowed and kissed the hands of the duke.

"I shall entrust you, captain Antonius, with another mission."

"Yes, your excellency."

"You know that Venice has a trade agreement with the Sultan, so I cannot directly intervene in the name of the Serene Republic of Venice. But I shall still send an legate fleet in the form of politeness with some support for Constantinople, and I hope that you can be part of it, then report back to me about the defence of the city, I will have another reward for you."

"With pleasure, your excellency."

***

Outside the Bastion, back on the ship, Antonius threw his hood and cloak onto the clothes hook in the captain's quarters, collapsed on the chair and asked Abdullah restlessly.

"You cunning fox, you know this is a hoax from the start right."

"No, my friend." Abdullah replied with an unpretentious smile.

"I thought it was real for a moment, because your ship's food is really dreadful as compared to my ship."

"You… little twit…."

Both of them rested for a while to recover their strength on the chair, then suddenly Antonius continued questioning in a straightforward tone.

"Don't forget that I mentioned that I am a member of the upper society in the Ottoman court, so of course I have received a solid education my friend."

"Oii, you used me, right, you crafty little…"

"Oh yes, I did use you." Abdullah continued grinning with his unpretentious face. "But I think we can call it a win-win situation, right? You got your gold; I conveyed my diplomatic message."

Antonius looked at Abdullah's gullible face, he knows he has been tricked by the man Infront of him, but he cannot sense any anger coming up in his mind.

"Ya… you are right…"

You are right…

…

"So, what now, Antonius my friend?" Abdullah, knowing that he is now out of danger on this pirate ship, asked back.

"We shall replenish our food and mineral water supplies and wait for the Duke's legate."

Antonius paused and looked outside at the vast mediteranian the spread over the horizon covered by the mist of mystery and the carpet of moon and stars, making it an appealing but unknown sea. Just like Antonius, his ship and his crew's future.

"Then, we set off for Constantinople, I have a feeling that things won't be simple there."

Before he finishes, he heard snoring coming from Abdullah, who has already fallen asleep, worn out by today's events.

"This bastard…"

Antonius laughed, also exhausted, he soon fell asleep on the same table with Abdullah.

Good night.