Finished, the Ard-Righ gave a short jerk to the bell pull of braided velvet at his side and, to the brace of guardsmen who popped through the doors, said, “Have a table brought, and an armchair for our guest. Tell the steward I’ll be having a ewer of that pale French wine and two goblets. The bouchal here and Brian have things to talk on, and talking is dry work.”
When once more they were alone in the room, the doors shut, the gilded goblets filled with the straw-colored French wine. Brian tapped a fingernail on the refolded letter before him.
“Have you read this. Sir Ugo? No, never mind, those seals were original and entire, by my axe, I’d swear it. And you are a man of honor, I believe. But this Cardinal D’Este, did he not perhaps discuss these matters with you?”
Again, Sir Ugo nodded once. “Yes, Your Majesty, His Eminence did discuss with me certain aspects of the letter he then intended to write for me to deliver.”
“His Eminence really means this, then?” demanded Brian. “He is willing to help me to unite all of Ireland under my rule? But Sir Ugo, this is not like Rome, or Constantinople either, for that matter. Rome’s traditional way has been to prevent or at least try to prevent the formation or expansion of any large, powerful kingdoms, preferring that all kingdoms remain small, weak, always in or on the verge of a state of war with neighbors and thus always in need of priest’s powder, thus further enriching the Church. And also, it has come into my mind on more than one occasion, small, weak states are always far more vulnerable to pressures exerted by Rome than are or would be larger and more powerful states. So why this abrupt and radical change?”
Ugo spoke more slowly than was his usual wont, choosing his words and phrases carefully, wishing that he and the high king might converse in his native and more precise and descriptive tongue, rather than in a four-century-old dialect of French.
“Majesty, prior to the demise of His Holiness Pope Abdul, Rome and her environs were become a patchwork of armed camps. With him now deceased, the city is become a very battlefield, while warbands and hired condottas march over and fight each other on her rich fiefs, when not storming or laying siege to the walled towns or castles of the lay nobility.
“It is mostly a matter of the Moorish and Spanish factions against the two factions that represent the hopes and aspirations of Western and Northern Europe, although, of course, a number of private scores are being settled as well. Early on in this bloodbath, the Moors conducted themselves like an invading army, so now they have no friends or allies in all of Italy and have instead brought in condottas from Ifriqah, Spain, and even from Macedonia and Croatia, barbarians no whit less savage than any horde of Kalmyks or Tatars. Such warfare as now rages the length and the breadth of Italy has not been seen since the end of the Roman Empire, twelve centuries ago.
“But still is there hope. Majesty. The Kingdom of Napoli, the Republic of Venezia, the city-states of Genoa, Ravenna, Lucca, and some others, these all have fought the Moors and Spaniards and their foreign hirelings to a standstill, hurt the invaders so badly that they and their allies or client states are being strictly avoided. By mutual agreement by all factions, actual battle has moved out of the city of Rome, although assassinations still are rife there. Why, the holy Giosue” di Rezzi, formerly Archbishop of Munster, was so slain by the Moors just before he was about to be elevated to the College of Cardinals.
“But as I say. Majesty, there still is hope. Can a compromise of some nature be reached, or can the foreigners be driven out of Italy or extirpated, then will emerge, God willing, a new and far better Rome, like a phoenix arising from out its ashes. Having seen, nay, rather experienced, just what atrocious enormities these Moors and their Spanish abettors be capable of, there can be little doubt but that the other European factions and the subfactions will decide that only in unity is there either strength or safety and join with the Italian Faction to pull the teeth of both the Moors and the Spanish.
“In the event of a compromise, the most likely replacement for Abdul will be Cardinal Siqil, a Sicilian Moor, but for all of that, a man who shares many of the beliefs of the Italian Faction and deeply distrusts all Spaniards and not a few of the Ifriqans. In the event, however, of a clear military victory or an alliance of Europeans, the three most likely candidates will be Cardinals Sicola and D’Este, both of the Italian Faction, or Cardinal Ermannus, Archbishop of Bavaria. As for this last. Cardinal D’Este has corresponded with him at some length and states that His Eminence of Bavaria holds beliefs that very closely parallel those of the Italian Faction.
“Majesty, no matter which of those four attain to the mantle of St. Peter, then will all of the world see a great and clean and cleansing wind sweep through Rome, sweeping away the greed and malice, the pride and the sloth, that have characterized the leaders of our faith for far too long.
“His Eminence D’Este says that the natural growth of states has been unnaturally stifled for far too long a time, that the time is upon Rome to remove the sacking covering the beds, lest civilization and faith both be smothered and die.”
For a very long moment after he had fallen silent. King Brian just sat and regarded the young Roman knight. Then he nodded and said, “This D’Este sounds to be what Rome, what the Church, and what the faithful have needed for many and many’s the long year. He also has demonstrated a rare ability to choose men. Sir Ugo D’Orsini, you will go very far, I trow, very far indeed. You are both eloquent and winning, even when speaking a language not your own.”
For a moment, Ugo did not realize that the Ard-Righ was speaking to him in an almost pure, almost unaccented Roman Italian.
The High King went on, saying, “I will dictate a letter to His Eminence D’Este. It will indicate my willingness to indeed choose and see installed a good, holy, capable churchman to replace the most unfortunate Archbishop di Rezzi. I also will note that I most eagerly accept his offer of the loan of your services in this matter, but I then will add that immediately this other mission for him he cites be completed, I will be wanting back you and your services for as long as you care to remain in Eireann. Your breed are exceeding rare. Sir Ugo, and it’s a fool I’d be to pass up a chance to add one to my household and court. And never you fear about rewards and stipends, I am known far and wide for being generous near to a fault with those who serve me and Mide well and faithfully.
“It’s down to Munster I’ll be sending you soon, to arrange a very private meeting with di Bolgia for me. But before you go, I’ll be wanting you to meet the great captain that Cousin Arthur is sending over to aid me. him and his condotta.
“Between your abilities and his, it’s I’m hoping that this time next year will see a single great Kingdom of Eireann. and what a lovely, heavenly sight that will be.”
CHAPTER
THE SEVENTH
Bass Foster sat across a table from the High King, Brian VIII. On the tabletop was spread a large, very colorful map of Ireland, meticulously rendered on thich parchment by skilled hands. Using a slim, highly polished dagger as a pointer, the monarch was filling in his latest great captain on recent developments among the ever warring clans and kingdoms of the island.
“Two years ago. Sir Bass, there were eleven kingdoms in Eireann; now there are eight, as in the ancient beginning. Of these eight, three are definitely committed to me and have delivered up their Jewels, the symbols of their sovereignty, to me.” He grinned and added, “One of the three is me, of course, in my persona of Righ of Mide and Ri of the southern branch of the Ui Neills. The other two are Airgialla and Laigin. which means that the only eastern kingdom still uncooperative is Ulaid.” His dagger point moved up to tap the northeastern corner of the island.
Bass thought to himself, “Damn, even this altered world has trouble with Ulster. I guess some things never change.”
“The present King of Ulaid is a usurper, a bastard and outlaw in the land of his birth, who took Ulaid by force of arms and is holding it in that same way. He is a ruthless man, and both his army and his fleet are strong and alert.” King Brian went on, “I have tried to avoid a session at arms with him, since he is after all an Ui Neill after an illegitimate fashion, but now that I am allied with Airgialla— against which he has mounted raid after provocative raid—I may be compelled to march against him, send vessels to bombard and burn his ports and ships, and suchlike. Perhaps you and your condotta and fleet are capable of doing the job alone, or along with some of my seige train and some bonaghts, since your condotta includes no foot.”