Crusdae, p.29
Crusdae, page 29
“I have not laughed like that in a very long time. What? Your William has the generosity to offer me what is already mine? Is he mad? His lightning doesn’t frighten me: I, too, have devices that can throw flames, but does he have war elephants? Hundreds of thousands of horse* men? Let him push on into my vast empire if such is his wish. Soon, not one of his filthy pigs will remain alive. I was too kind in trying to avoid the extermination of such vermin. Your William has vanquished only poor luckless wights up to now; he does not know how powerful the Khan of Khans is. Go back to him and report my words: if, within a month, he has not ceased polluting my land with his presence, my army will wipe out die last vestige of the Templars. Now there is no question of letting him have the Khanate of Kaidu, nor even the Holy Land. I swear by our mother, Etugen! I shall not rest until the last Christian has left Mesopotamia and Syria. . . .”
The Templar of Tyre made no reply: he simply nodded and, followed by his small escort, left the palace. The Tholon brothers tried to put on a bold front but knew that they were in a tight corner and kept close watch on every side.
Marco Polo made a point of accompanying his coreligionists to their horses and wished them a safe return journey, with these words, “I am sorry that no common ground could be reached. Why were you so unbending? You could at least have proposed to demonstrate the powerful weapon you possess. That might have given the great Khan food for thought...
“No, my Brother,” replied the Templar from Tyre. “Our Grand Master did not wish it so, for the element of surprise provoked by this horrible explosion is, in itself, an important asset. Try to convince Kubla to be baptized; that is the only chance for peace. He knows our heavensent lightning only by hearsay but I can tell you that he will be terror-stricken by its power.”
“I am willing to try but any chance of success seems to me laughably small. My influence here amounts to little. All my good wishes go with you. Above all, do not stray from the road followed to come here, for the Khan has given orders for you to be killed if you attempt to spy on him.”
“May heaven protect you,” replied the Templar. “Take care not to be with the Khan’s army if he dares to send it against us.”
The four Crusaders again took up their wild ride. At the first stop, the Grand Master was informed of the outcome of their meeting with the great Khan. He made no comment other than to advise his ambassadors to make haste.
At that moment, William was going through a period of depression. Without waiting for the results of his mission— he had no illusions as to what they would be—he had put his forces in motion, occupying Siichow, or at least what was left of it, for the Mongols had burned it to the ground. This scorched-earth policy was their custom: they never accepted face to face combat unless their chances of success were beyond question. Buddhists, Saracens and Nestorian Christians had been evacuated but the latter were now treated as enemies and led in long convoys toward the rear.
The morale of his army and its officers was at a low ebb and William once more convened his Council, for he sensed the rumblings of revolt among the Crusaders. He did not falter or dissimulate:
“Noble Sires, my Brothers,” he began in a scarcely audible voice, “I will not hide from you my realization that our situation is perilous... . What good can come of a continued advance if, at every move, we find nothing but ruins?
We have no lack of water but our food supply Is dwindling dangerously. There is no possibility of living off the land with food taken from the peasants, for this devil Kubla creates a desert in front of us! Hunting provides only a limited supply of meat, for the game flees at the approach of hunters and leads us always forward.” “Nevertheless, our situation is unchanged in one way,” Otto of Granson exclaimed. “No one can withstand us in actual battle with the lightning we possess. So, I cannot see what prevents us from marching right to Peking: Kubla is going to have to face us one day or another. Why should we be demoralized by some poor wretches who are afraid of tightening their belts? Anyway, I am certain that I can bring them back to reason if you give me leave.”
“That is all very well, my brave Otto,” replied the Grand Master. “With the exception of one point: I have come to wonder if we will indeed be able to defeat Kubla when he launches his troops against us. . . .”
“And why shouldn’t we? We certainly defeated the Mongols at Baghdad!”
“We certainly did, my sagacious friend... but I have just received most disturbing news. The great Khan has called up three hundred sixty thousand horsemen and one hundred thousand foot soldiers: that is more than ten to one against us. Further, he also claims to be able to hurl the lightning....”
“Oh, come now,” interrupted John of Grailly. “That is sheer nonsense. How could he possess a weapon entrusted to us by God Himself?”
“There is no proof it is the same.”
“He is trying to frighten you,” Otto of Granson muttered. “Nobody ever heard of such a thing until the Archangel gave it to you.”
“It is possible nevertheless. I must warn you that my supply is now limited. What would happen if the Mongols charged, wave after wave, without thought of their losses?” “Bahl” growled the Swiss. “So much the better if there are some left; my sword is thirsty for blood. Any one of your armored knights is worth ten of these dogs!”
“If we do not starve to death before then. . . .”
“Leave that to me,” said the Swiss. “Give me one hundred horsemen and I’ll make it my business to bring you back supplies. We have only to head south, where they’re not expecting us.”
“That seems a worthwhile proposal,” approved the Grand Master. “What is your opinion, Brothers?”
Everyone approved the argument of the valiant Swiss, and the discussion was resumed.
“One final point remains to be considered," William continued. “My emissaries report that Kubla has in his army those monstrous elephants which Hannibal once used against Rome. I fear that a charge by those huge creatures could not be stopped as easily as that of horses, even with the blinding power of our weapon.”
“I have thought at length on the problem of meeting these beasts,” John of Grailly interrupted smilingly. “I am told that these monsters have tender bellies and a simple fire fed by a few barrels of naphtha, of which we have a sufficient supply, should send them stampeding back toward their own masters.”
“That is an ingenious suggestion,” the Grand Master approved. “It seems then that we should continue to advance, come what may. Besides, no one is anxious to recross the great desert, where our losses were so great. I shall bow to the will of the majority. . . . Let those who wish to continue the march toward Peking raise their hands.”
A majority of two-thirds having approved the resolution, the Crusaders left the ruins of Siichow and headed toward the large city of Kanchow.
At that time, Brother Joubert reported a startling discovery to his leader. Baphomet, still locked in the depths of his pond, had modified the text of his distress signal. It was considerably longer and a detailed breakdown of its contents enabled the Turcopole linguists to translate it. Baphomet was now relating the particulars of what had happened to him on Earth since his accident, pointing out that the Templars were making dangerous scientific progress and that it was of the utmost importance to stop them before they became dangerous.
The news sent William of Beaujeu’s spirits soaring; it seemed to verify the fact that the learned Joubert was on the right track! Everything would be different if he could finally adjust this mineral-sperm generator, this super-philosopher’s-stone which was capable of duplicating endlessly any kind of object.
Further, Otto of Granson’s expedition proved extremely profitable and his raid on regions which appeared to be unmenaced by the Crusaders yielded a considerable stock of rice; enough to ensure a month’s food for the entire army. The future suddenly looked much brighter and everyone took heart again.
Unfortunately, as they approached Kanchow, the usual cloud of smoke informed die Crusaders that the Mongols had not changed their tactics. Again gloom settled over the army. The exhausted foot soldiers refused to go any further, preferring to die on the spot rather than take another step.
William took stringent measures against the ringleaders. For the first time since they had set out, knights were ignominiously stripped of their rank and paraded through the camp in carts. Squires were decapitated, sergeants whipped. All this was lost effort.
Deep despair had seized the Crusaders who—lost in an unknown country, several months’ march from Baghdad— no longer believed in the final victory. Besides, winter was approaching and the prospect of facing its rigors without the least shelter from the cold frightened even the bravest Again it was the giant Swiss who saved the situation. Always ready for a scouting expedition, he took long rides through the surrounding countryside, often meeting and doing battle with enemy horsemen. He was always victorious, for even the sharpest arrows could do little against his coat of mail. This enabled him to study the large wild oxen of the country—called “yaks” by the natives— covered with long hair and difficult to capture. They roved the plains in enormous herds. The Swiss privately decided to carry out a great roundup and succeeded in driving an entire herd back to the camp. The arrows and spears of the squires killed several hundred, again ensuring the Crusaders of food.
This time it could not be regarded as mere chance: God, most assuredly, wanted to encourage His faithful servants and William ordered thirty masses of thanksgiving to be said.
In the midst of all this, the Templar of Tyre and the Tholon brothers rejoined the army. The Grand Master immediately heard their report, which gave him much food for thought. On their way back, the ambassadors had received a package, carefully wrapped in yak hides and, when they opened it, they found the heads of the hashshashins previously sent out by William. There was no use then in counting on doing away with the great Khan and, from then on, there would-be no more information as to the movement of his troops. . . .
This new setback was a heavy blow to the leader of the Crusade.
Even a visit from Brother Joubert, who came to tell him that he had finally succeeded in generating the fluid needed to operate the transmuter, gave him no joy. The Templar had strung long silver wires between the several terminals, at last successfully producing duplicates of the atomic grenades. Unfortunately, they stubbornly refused to explode. . . . There was still some detail he had not grasped.
Cloistered in his tent, the Grand Master spent his days in prayer, going out only to attend mass, refusing to speak with anyone....
No one paid any heed, for food was abundant again. In addition to the yak meat, hunters were also bringing back musk deer, which tasted delicious roasted on a spit, providing the musk gland near the navel was first removed. They also killed enormous pheasants, which reminded them of other days in the pleasant realms of France or England.
While the army regained its strength, the commander in chief moped in his tent. Finally William actually fell ill, attacked by a high fever. Immediately, doctors were called but they understood little of the nature of the complaint from which he suffered. They prescribed bleeding and the application of plasters which resulted only in unbearable itching.
Everyone grieved. Masses and prayers were said for his recovery but to no avail. Our Lady seemed to have forsaken Her servant...
The Grand Master was greatly affected by all this: possessing a robust constitution, he had never been ill before and thought that he was going to die at any moment. The Commanders of the troops were therefore called to his bedside to hear his last wishes.
Absolute silence reigned in the camp, everyone speaking in low tones and the servants careful to make no sound in the performance of their duties.
The Commanders of the Temple, Otto of Granson and John of Grailly, knelt by the bed of this illustrious patient. They recited prayers under the direction of a Brother-Chaplain, then William spoke in a weak voice, while his clerk carefully recorded his words:
“Kind Lords, my Brothers, today I was heard in confession and I speak to you with a pure heart, cleansed of all sin. My greatest desire has always been to propagate the word of our Lord, Jesus Christ, and to convert pagans. That is the reason why our forces are now so far removed from our respective countries. Heaven granted me weapons of a power previously unknown and with their help I gained spectacular victories; therefore you must by no means stop on such a promising path. I plead with you to continue our Crusade when the God of all Christians has called me to Him. The first task incumbent upon you is to choose my successor. The Chapter of Commanders will therefore meet and each of you must obey he who will be appointed as you have obeyed me.”
He caught his breath and continued, “I know that this election will not comply with the rules laid down by my predecessors, for many Commanders will be unable to attend. The man elected, therefore, will be only an interim Grand Master and his office will be definitely confirmed only when the dignitaries from all Christian kingdoms are able to gather in assembly. I know that he will be capable of doing what is required but his task will be most difficult, for this time the infidels are numberless. They have, besides, their monstrous elephants and we ... we have only an insufficient quantity of the celestial weapons. . . .” He took several deep breaths and resumed, “For a time I hoped it would be possible to acquire more by resorting to the subtle mysteries of alchemy, and our devoted Brother Joubert has spent many days and nights working to that end. That hope, up to now, has been disappointed. Therefore you must count only on your courage to win the victory. Have faith in our Lord and the Blessed Virgin Mary who will not forsake you...
This speech seemed to have exhausted him: his head fell back and he closed his eyes. Those present thought for a moment that he was about to die, but the strong chest rose and fell regularly.
With tear-filled eyes, they left the tent in total silence.
While the Crusader Commanders held long talks trying to decide if it would not be better to start retreating at once, without waiting for the Grand Master’s death, the common soldiers gave themselves up to debauchery. They believed that all was completely lost, for they knew what fearful numbers of troops Kubla had massed against them and held no illusions as to their fate.
The rice wine discovered in peasant huts flowed in abundance and Christian heads reeled under its high alcoholic content. But even worse, the absence of prostitutes led to a wave of sodomy in the camp. Discipline was nonexistent, and if the Mongols had attacked at that moment there would have been no doubt as to the outcome of the battle.
However, the Crusader officers shortly recovered some degree of confidence and authority. Sergeants went through the camp and threw all the drunks they found into a pit, leaving them there for several days without food or drink. The less guilty ones were simply flogged with their stirrup straps. Some Templars caught in the act of debauchery were dropped from die Order and reduced in rank to mere squires. Two unregenerates, who persisted in their erring ways, were beheaded before the whole army. This served as a lesson for the others and the situation soon became normal again.
In the meantime, William—contrary to all expectations— was slowly recovering. Brother Joubert, as a last resort, made him drink a horribly bitter concoction prepared from aromatic barks and red earth from the Indian kingdom of Multifili, to the north of Coromandel. Some caravan merchants had left these with him in gratitude for the hospitality they had received during their stay in the camp, and they had declared that this remedy was sovereign against tertian or quartan agues.
Soon the Grand Master started to eat again and the yak meat quickly restored all his vigor. The army, of course, saw this as a miracle and everyone recovered, as if by sorcery, all his previous energy. These brave souls had come to know their leader well and had complete confidence in him. Once more William of Beaujeu would lead them to victory.
It was a strange coincidence that on the Mongol side Kubla was also experiencing alternating periods of pessimism and optimism. He went on assembling his regulars and his reserves but remained undecided and could not give the order to leave Chang-Chu. His adversary’s lightning worried him much more than he had let William’s ambassador know.
Because of this, the great Khan summoned before him everyone who might be able to give him information on the subject. The merchants who came from Mesopotamia by both land and sea were the most explicit Their reports all agreed: no army, however large its numbers, would have the least chance of victory over the Templars.
The lightning acted in several ways. First, the explosion threw horsemen and foot soldiers to the. ground. Those near to it were simply vaporized. The others, seriously burned, died quickly. It also produced a wind of incredible force which could be felt at a considerable distance and which flattened everything in its path. Finally, those survivors who stayed for any time near the craters made by file explosion, even if not significantly wounded, ended by dying of consumption after varying periods of time.
However, one detail of all these reports caught his attention: it seemed to him that several times during the battle of Baghdad the Grand Master had been in perilous situations from which he could have extricated himself by a massive use of his lightning; however, he had not done so.
The unanimous opinion of his counselors was that this proved his adversary must use the weapon carefully because of limited supply.
The problem, then, was to discover how many times the Grand Master could unleash his lightning in the course of a regular battle. No one knew how to find out . . .
As a precautionary measure, on the advice of one of his Tumens, an officer commanding ten thousand men, Kubla had ten thousand cassocks made up from salamander— asbestos—for the protection of his personal guard.
He then questioned other travelers as to the size of his opponent’s army. All agreed that the Crusaders numbered no more than fifty thousand. This greatly encouraged the great Khan, for his available forces were superior by ten times that figure.
