Crusdae, p.9
Crusdae, page 9
*Marginal note of the Templar of Tyre: For the reader curious to know the fate of the Odeous, I owe to truth to confess that they quickly died, except for Aira. Taken with a painful languishing they could not be cured despite prodigious care. Incapable of feeding themselves, they became like skeletons and died after being given last rites.
Before landing, the voyagers could admire the countless vessels parked around the castle of Chang-Chu.
The escort which had followed them since their arrival in the solar system left them then and the ship settled gently into its berth, in the interior of the hollow tower.
Peter of Sevry was waiting for the envoys of the Grand Master and escorted them as far as the Chapter Hall, where William of Beaujeu, surrounded by his principal officers, gave them warm welcome. “Welcome to you, valiant Marco Polo. Your absence has been long and we feared that the Baphomets might have captured you. Speak, I’m anxious to hear the news you bring us. But first of all, tell us what are these angelic creatures I see beside you?”
“Noble Grand Master, these are slaves of the Baphomets, of the Odeous race. Two other peoples have been enslaved by these demons—the Ethir, like great birds, and the Orpheds, who look like insects. Aira here with me has confessed herself possessed of vast knowledge in the sciences of our enemies and she has given us priceless information. But without the sage Houen-Lun, we would never have gotten our mission that far.”
‘Tell me your voyage without leaving out a single detail. I’m very eager to learn more about our fearsome foes.”
The Venetian furnished a detailed account of his adventures, and then got to the information of a technical sort "The upshot of this all is that the Baphomets don’t like to expose their precious persons. When one of them runs a risk, it’s because he’s been condemned for some grievous offense. We were able to confirm that when we tried out the houbit The visitor who came here to Earth recently surely must have transgressed imperial edicts. Usually the ship crews consist of Odeous, who have been reduced to slavery, and these poor folk scarcely have the heart to fight for their implacable masters. The only thing that can incite them to fight against us is the device which kills them if they disobey... although they hardly ding to their lives. Many of them, and Aira will confirm it, only hope to quit this hopeless life. But the women in their harems have organized into a secret resistance movement, and they now know of our existence, which will inspire them to survive and help us set them free. Thanks to them we have a plan of the Baphomet empire defenses. As for the Ethir, they’re hardly warlike; they’re set over domestic tasks and the organizing of their masters’ amusements. And the Orpheds . . . they do the most menial labor and their minds are vastly different from ours.”
"Let’s get down to purely military considerations,” the Grand Master broke in. "In the light of all this information, what do you advise me. Brother Joubert?”
“Surely our houbits are going to be valuable in disorganizing the Baphomet hierarchy when we decide to use them. Their emperor intends to lend them out to his high chiefs as a reward, so delighted he is with the joy he's gained from them. When the delivery we promised is made, well have a trump card in our hands.”
"No, I refuse to trust these little toys,” Otto of Granson’s voice rang out “These Baphomets aren’t stupid. If they get onto the trick, they’ll destroy these trinkets and we’ll be up a creek! Nein, we got to run headon at the enemy aboard our ships and land on their planet by the strength of our right arms.”
“Well said!” Peter of Sevry applauded proudly. “The Temple must fight for the holy cause of Christ as it has always done, striking point and edge!”
“We all agree on this point” William of Bepujeu cut them off. “But neither is it unfitting to use subterfuge against such implacable enemies. So Sir Marco Polo must diligently deliver those talismans to our enemies. We will take advantage of this brief delay to train our troops in tactics very new to them. For the first time, they will have to cross the defenses of fortresses set in space. These fortresses are guarded by Odeous, but also by metal automations which are going to obey their masters scrupulously. So we have to expect strong resistance. According to this young slave, we can’t expect to blow them up with the thunderballs, because the Baphomets have devices that can explode them prematurely. Is that not so, my dear child7”
Aira answered the question at once, amazing those present with her knowledge. “According to our technicians, the antimissiles aren’t infallible. They pursue attacking rockets by the heat they give off. You can trick them by either of two means: first by firing before and behind your projectile devices, giving off even more heat, which will invariably draw them off. Or your gunners might fire their rockets in pairs and make their trajectories intersect When the Baphomet projectiles get to the intersection point of the two missiles, they’ll hesitate and lose themselves in space. I don’t at all claim that these measures would be effective on every occasion, but they’ll let a good percentage of your rockets get to their targets.”
“I admire such knowledge in such a beautiful creature,” exclaimed John of Grailly. “No one would have thought such a lovely girl could teach such learned scholars! But I still have a fear at the bottom of my heart .... Will these measures be useful when our ships are in combat with the ships of the Baphomets?”
“Certainly,” the Odeous assured him. "But these perverse creatures are full of tricks and they won’t be slow at all in finding some countermeasure. We’ll be well advised to anticipate a second series of machines guided to their targets by the transmissions that let ships receive orders and communicate among themselves."
“Now those are wise and prudent words,” Joubert said. “But can we be skilled enough to work out such delicate machines?"
“Your race has all the necessary intelligence," Alra assured him. “And as for the knowledge, I’m here to give it to you. My people have not been slaves but for about a hundred years, and before we were exiled on Baphom, I was considered one of the foremost experts in physics and cybernetics. I still carry in my heart the image of my dear planet I was giving up hope of seeing it again, but since your arrival, I feel a wild hope reborn in me. That’s why I devoted all my strength to aid you in your noble cause.”
“Now be you thanked, gentle damoiselle,” said William of Beaujeu. “We Terrans have valor, but what can that do against magical arms? That’s why we will have great need of your help. We’re going to postpone our offensive so our crews can familiarize themselves with the use of these ships that are so new to them. Once we’ve destroyed our enemies’ armada, we’ll have to fight on the very soil of the Baphomet planet Assuredly the battle will be hard fought and our scholars are going to be of great help in putting these miscreants forever out of condition to harm anyone. The day that the Baussant banner flies over Baphom, your compatriots, I swear by Christ, will regain full and complete independence! Noble friends, it’s late. Let’s go rest a little. There’s a difficult task ahead of us, in the face of which the combats we fought lately against the Mongols were only children’s games.”
On those words, the assembly adjourned. But William stayed awake a good part of the night in the company of his officers and the wise Houen-Lun, to make all the necessary arrangements for the rapid manufacture of the houbits promised to the Baphomets.
When the cock crowed to herald the new day, the Grand Master finally rested from his labors, but only for a few hours.
Chapter VI
☆
William of Beaujeu had wisely decided to wait until his troops were trained before throwing them into an assault on the Baphomet empire; but he had omitted one important factor.
The troops assembled around Chang-Chu Castle were wallowing in idleness. Jousts, tourneys, shipboard training, mock combat around the Earth’s satellites no longer satisfied them. Lordlings, knights, squires fretted with impatience. The soldier-monks themselves recalled their glorious ride across Asia, and dreamed of meeting new worlds, this immense space where they were going to carry the Holy Faith.
The arrival of the gentle Odeous ladies put the finishing touch on the impatience of the Frankish knights, the English and the Germans, who had had no expectation of such things. They had heard about savage worlds, monstrous races, and the image of the Baphomets was not exactly one to tempt them, but lo and behold, it turned out that these famous extraterrestrials had women of incomparable beauty. A little disturbing to be sure, with those immense eyes, but did not the Arabs use kohl to elongate their lids? All these rough warriors were conquered by the voluptuous beauty and the exotic charm of the Odeous. In that case, why not dream of settling up there? Of carving out at sword’s point some duchy or barony? Assuredly, William would reward his faithful servants, and more than one family’s second son, fated for Holy Orders and without expectation of lands, looked to the future with a wild hope in his heart
Tartars and Mongols too, seized by an ancestral dream of conquest were only waiting on a sign to hurl themselves madly into space.
Otto of Granson, John of Grailly, Peter of Sevry, Conrad von Thierberg, John of Villiers, and even Kubla, came then to intercede with William, complaining that they were no longer masters of their forces and that any moment some impetuous madman might be on the brink of convincing his vassals to go rushing off with him to some distant planet in space to carve himself out a kingdom there. So the effect of surprise, which was one of the main weapons the Terrans had, would be canceled.
Instantly the Grand Master flew into a towering rage, swearing that any rebel would be followed pitilessly and killed by the patrols which watched the borders of the solar system, but Kubla’s intervention made him stop and think.
“Noble lords, it seems to me that we haven’t at all taken into consideration a new element which does have importance,” declared the Mongol Khan. “This war will have but few things in common with the wars we have waged on this, our planet The weapons which will give our side victory are not those which we are accustomed to use. Strange, alchemical... we have learned that these purely mechanical engines of destruction have an overbearing importance. Now, the gentle Odeous damoiselles have told us that their compatriots were learned scholars expert in such subtle magics, letting them make destructive engines until lately unknown to us. Then why not modify our initial plan and change our first objective? Surely, it is tempting to strike the enemy to the heart and attack Baphom, but to take it all, is that not a mistake? Our troops aren’t used to space combat, and the first engagements with experimental crews could bring us some serious reverses. The planet Oddh should not have any garrison as important as the one at Baphom, and in choosing the objective for our first assault we can test our crews and get what we most critically lack: scholars perfectly familiar with the alien alchemy that lets them make these ships and equip them with these terrible engines of destruction. And besides, we will attract the attention of all the races the Baphomets have enslaved, which can then bring us new allies. Beyond that, it would certainly be very useful to have an Odeous technician aboard each ship, because if the situation arose, he could then make needed repairs.”
William was proud, hotheaded, but his extreme intelligence overcame his faults. He recognized at once that the arguments Kubla set forward had weight But they did not affect the sending of Marco Polo with the promised cargo. The Grand Master himself was beginning to weary of these endless maneuverings, of these jousts which only served to diminish his forces. He too had felt the seduction of boundless space, which stretched before him as lately he had seen the vast plains of Asia when he had just beaten Bibars. . . .
After a brief thought on the matter, he straightened, drew his sword and saluted the Baussant banner which hung above the seat of state: “Down with the infidels, good sirs! You’ve convinced me. Now we have to get to action. The army will leave tomorrow to board the ships and take off for the world of Oddh! Marco Polo will accomplish his mission as decided; two Templars and one of the Tibetans will go with him. Houen-Lun and Joubert the Wise will be part of my company aboard my flagship. So will the Odeous damoiselles, whose advice will be precious to us when we make assault on their world. Now and henceforth I pass my earthly power to my faithful servant Thibaud Gaudin, who will be my lieutenant on this world, awaiting my return. Come near, my brother! I must give you with my own hand my seal and my ring so that they may not fall into blaspheming hands. They give you supreme authority over all the Commanderies and Territories of our empire. You may dispose of our goods, lend gold and silver, and if I should not return, there will devolve upon you the honor of convoking the Council of thirteen member knights, priests and brothers of the various provinces who will discharge or continue you as my successor before God and men.”
William's secretary then carried in on a black, white-barred cushion the two priceless symbols which would make the Commander the most powerful lord on Earth. Henceforth he would have the right to an attendance of fourteen squires, two knights and a brother as servants, to a secretary, a Turkish scribe, two stewards, two valets, four Turcopoles, a courier, a chamberlain, a cook, a fourth of whom carried lance and shield. They were all already assembled behind William’s attendant when he touched knee to earth to receive the insignia of his new charge, while the Templars intoned gravely in unision:
"Non nobis Domine, non nobis, sed Nomini tuo da gloriam."
Having made that transition of authority, the Council adjourned. Everyone ran to his tent to pack his baggage. A feverish activity seized all those who were about to hurl themselves into this glorious adventure.
William had gone back to his private apartments and prepared three letters. The first was addressed to Pope John XXI. This learned doctor, known under the surname of Petrus Hispanus, and a very enthusiastic supporter of this Crusade, looked on the expedition with a favorable eye. This was the gist of it:
“Most Holy Father, Pontiff of all the Earth, bearer of the papal crown by the dispensation of God, your humble and faithful servant William, Grand Master of the Templars, makes you to know that, on this day, twelfth of the month of May in the year of our Lord 1277, the army of Christ’s faithful servants has left our sweet Earth to root out this vile brood which opposes the heavenly Kingdom of our Lord Jesus, to make known the only True Faith, that of the worshipers of the Lord, to the very edges of the universe. May the Savior of the world have mercy on His soldiers! While we cany on this Holy combat to enter into possession of the heritage which He has given to mankind, God will see to the defense of the earthly goods that each of us leaves behind. All of us, servants of the Holy Cross, depart under the Baussant banner. Alas! we shall not all return from the unfathomable space where we are going for the glory of God. Be the defender of my brothers. Never suffer that they be despoiled or unjustly treated. My wise and faithful Thibaud Gaudin has received from me all authority to administer the worldly goods of the Order in my absence. Deign to be for him a Father and a Counsellor. Your faithful servant in Christ: William of Beaujeu.”*
*Marginal note of the Templar of Tyre: This letter could not have reached the Holy Father, for God saw fit to recall him on May 20, at Viterbus. He met a frightful death, crushed by the fall of a platform. His successor, Nicholas III, elected November 25, was not at all as well disposed toward our order.
The Templar sanded his ink with a sly smile. He did not at all begrudge papal sovereignty over the planets and territories he envisioned conquering, knowing that John XXI was going to give him the lion’s share.
The second letter was addressed to the King of England.
‘To my very dear lord Edward I, illustrious King of the English, Duke of Guyenne, salutations in Him on Whom depends the life of all creation! On this twelfth day of May in the year of our Lord 1277, the army gathered about the castle of Chang-Chu launches forth to distant stars to dislodge from them the vile and faithless villains who oppress the peaceful creatures engendered by Our Lord, God of the Universe. Otto of Gran son, your faithful vassal, is accompanying us along with the English Crusaders. I have no doubt that they will show their valor as they have done already on preceding campaigns, in the course of which we have brought to the True Faith Tartars, Mongols and Cipanghi. In my absence, Commander Thibaud Gaudin will enjoy all rights and prerogatives in the management of my earthly goods. I am assured that he will find in Your Majesty a counsellor and a true friend. May the Lord bless his humble servant, William of Beaujeu.”
Finally, the third letter was addressed to the King of France, Philip II the Strong, its tenor, like the preceding, indicating that John of Grailly and the Frankish knights who had taken the Cross were going with the army, having left in a war against distant infidels.
In conclusion, the Grand Master drafted a proclamation to his troops. It would be read that very evening in every camp.
“Brother knights, squires and men-at-arms, the time has come to serve the Eternal God. To you, the valiant, the brave, the glory of your battles will open wide the portals of heaven! You are going to war against the minions of Satan, who have enslaved divine creatures, issue as you are of an Adam and an Eve, whatever the aspect God saw fit to give their bodies; they the weak, the oppressed, are your brothers. We are going to bring them the Light of the True Faith for the salvation of their eternal souls. You know the dangers, the evils, the perils that await you. The vile Baphomets are, alas! expert in the malefic sciences which birth flames, death and destruction. But God will have you in His Holy keeping. Be ye not dismayed, for He has taught us the art of war through His archangel Gabriel, conqueror of the Evil One. You are going to voyage in unknown space, battle against powerful nations. If we win, you will hew out a new empire, and some of you may perhaps even settle beyond the Earth. If we are defeated, there will be no retreat, for the miscreant
Baphomets will come to invade our dear homeland. Never forget that you fight for the glory of Our Lord Jesus and His gentle Mother who will bear your sorrows. You have left friends and families; many of you sold lands and houses. Religion and honor are now your only possessions. But the power of the Baphomets reaches its end, for it is no other than that of the beast of the Apocalypse whom the Most High has determined to put down! May the Lord Jesus bless you! Always follow the Baussant banner. It will show you the way to heavenly bliss. Angels and archangels will help us in our just war.”*
Before landing, the voyagers could admire the countless vessels parked around the castle of Chang-Chu.
The escort which had followed them since their arrival in the solar system left them then and the ship settled gently into its berth, in the interior of the hollow tower.
Peter of Sevry was waiting for the envoys of the Grand Master and escorted them as far as the Chapter Hall, where William of Beaujeu, surrounded by his principal officers, gave them warm welcome. “Welcome to you, valiant Marco Polo. Your absence has been long and we feared that the Baphomets might have captured you. Speak, I’m anxious to hear the news you bring us. But first of all, tell us what are these angelic creatures I see beside you?”
“Noble Grand Master, these are slaves of the Baphomets, of the Odeous race. Two other peoples have been enslaved by these demons—the Ethir, like great birds, and the Orpheds, who look like insects. Aira here with me has confessed herself possessed of vast knowledge in the sciences of our enemies and she has given us priceless information. But without the sage Houen-Lun, we would never have gotten our mission that far.”
‘Tell me your voyage without leaving out a single detail. I’m very eager to learn more about our fearsome foes.”
The Venetian furnished a detailed account of his adventures, and then got to the information of a technical sort "The upshot of this all is that the Baphomets don’t like to expose their precious persons. When one of them runs a risk, it’s because he’s been condemned for some grievous offense. We were able to confirm that when we tried out the houbit The visitor who came here to Earth recently surely must have transgressed imperial edicts. Usually the ship crews consist of Odeous, who have been reduced to slavery, and these poor folk scarcely have the heart to fight for their implacable masters. The only thing that can incite them to fight against us is the device which kills them if they disobey... although they hardly ding to their lives. Many of them, and Aira will confirm it, only hope to quit this hopeless life. But the women in their harems have organized into a secret resistance movement, and they now know of our existence, which will inspire them to survive and help us set them free. Thanks to them we have a plan of the Baphomet empire defenses. As for the Ethir, they’re hardly warlike; they’re set over domestic tasks and the organizing of their masters’ amusements. And the Orpheds . . . they do the most menial labor and their minds are vastly different from ours.”
"Let’s get down to purely military considerations,” the Grand Master broke in. "In the light of all this information, what do you advise me. Brother Joubert?”
“Surely our houbits are going to be valuable in disorganizing the Baphomet hierarchy when we decide to use them. Their emperor intends to lend them out to his high chiefs as a reward, so delighted he is with the joy he's gained from them. When the delivery we promised is made, well have a trump card in our hands.”
"No, I refuse to trust these little toys,” Otto of Granson’s voice rang out “These Baphomets aren’t stupid. If they get onto the trick, they’ll destroy these trinkets and we’ll be up a creek! Nein, we got to run headon at the enemy aboard our ships and land on their planet by the strength of our right arms.”
“Well said!” Peter of Sevry applauded proudly. “The Temple must fight for the holy cause of Christ as it has always done, striking point and edge!”
“We all agree on this point” William of Bepujeu cut them off. “But neither is it unfitting to use subterfuge against such implacable enemies. So Sir Marco Polo must diligently deliver those talismans to our enemies. We will take advantage of this brief delay to train our troops in tactics very new to them. For the first time, they will have to cross the defenses of fortresses set in space. These fortresses are guarded by Odeous, but also by metal automations which are going to obey their masters scrupulously. So we have to expect strong resistance. According to this young slave, we can’t expect to blow them up with the thunderballs, because the Baphomets have devices that can explode them prematurely. Is that not so, my dear child7”
Aira answered the question at once, amazing those present with her knowledge. “According to our technicians, the antimissiles aren’t infallible. They pursue attacking rockets by the heat they give off. You can trick them by either of two means: first by firing before and behind your projectile devices, giving off even more heat, which will invariably draw them off. Or your gunners might fire their rockets in pairs and make their trajectories intersect When the Baphomet projectiles get to the intersection point of the two missiles, they’ll hesitate and lose themselves in space. I don’t at all claim that these measures would be effective on every occasion, but they’ll let a good percentage of your rockets get to their targets.”
“I admire such knowledge in such a beautiful creature,” exclaimed John of Grailly. “No one would have thought such a lovely girl could teach such learned scholars! But I still have a fear at the bottom of my heart .... Will these measures be useful when our ships are in combat with the ships of the Baphomets?”
“Certainly,” the Odeous assured him. "But these perverse creatures are full of tricks and they won’t be slow at all in finding some countermeasure. We’ll be well advised to anticipate a second series of machines guided to their targets by the transmissions that let ships receive orders and communicate among themselves."
“Now those are wise and prudent words,” Joubert said. “But can we be skilled enough to work out such delicate machines?"
“Your race has all the necessary intelligence," Alra assured him. “And as for the knowledge, I’m here to give it to you. My people have not been slaves but for about a hundred years, and before we were exiled on Baphom, I was considered one of the foremost experts in physics and cybernetics. I still carry in my heart the image of my dear planet I was giving up hope of seeing it again, but since your arrival, I feel a wild hope reborn in me. That’s why I devoted all my strength to aid you in your noble cause.”
“Now be you thanked, gentle damoiselle,” said William of Beaujeu. “We Terrans have valor, but what can that do against magical arms? That’s why we will have great need of your help. We’re going to postpone our offensive so our crews can familiarize themselves with the use of these ships that are so new to them. Once we’ve destroyed our enemies’ armada, we’ll have to fight on the very soil of the Baphomet planet Assuredly the battle will be hard fought and our scholars are going to be of great help in putting these miscreants forever out of condition to harm anyone. The day that the Baussant banner flies over Baphom, your compatriots, I swear by Christ, will regain full and complete independence! Noble friends, it’s late. Let’s go rest a little. There’s a difficult task ahead of us, in the face of which the combats we fought lately against the Mongols were only children’s games.”
On those words, the assembly adjourned. But William stayed awake a good part of the night in the company of his officers and the wise Houen-Lun, to make all the necessary arrangements for the rapid manufacture of the houbits promised to the Baphomets.
When the cock crowed to herald the new day, the Grand Master finally rested from his labors, but only for a few hours.
Chapter VI
☆
William of Beaujeu had wisely decided to wait until his troops were trained before throwing them into an assault on the Baphomet empire; but he had omitted one important factor.
The troops assembled around Chang-Chu Castle were wallowing in idleness. Jousts, tourneys, shipboard training, mock combat around the Earth’s satellites no longer satisfied them. Lordlings, knights, squires fretted with impatience. The soldier-monks themselves recalled their glorious ride across Asia, and dreamed of meeting new worlds, this immense space where they were going to carry the Holy Faith.
The arrival of the gentle Odeous ladies put the finishing touch on the impatience of the Frankish knights, the English and the Germans, who had had no expectation of such things. They had heard about savage worlds, monstrous races, and the image of the Baphomets was not exactly one to tempt them, but lo and behold, it turned out that these famous extraterrestrials had women of incomparable beauty. A little disturbing to be sure, with those immense eyes, but did not the Arabs use kohl to elongate their lids? All these rough warriors were conquered by the voluptuous beauty and the exotic charm of the Odeous. In that case, why not dream of settling up there? Of carving out at sword’s point some duchy or barony? Assuredly, William would reward his faithful servants, and more than one family’s second son, fated for Holy Orders and without expectation of lands, looked to the future with a wild hope in his heart
Tartars and Mongols too, seized by an ancestral dream of conquest were only waiting on a sign to hurl themselves madly into space.
Otto of Granson, John of Grailly, Peter of Sevry, Conrad von Thierberg, John of Villiers, and even Kubla, came then to intercede with William, complaining that they were no longer masters of their forces and that any moment some impetuous madman might be on the brink of convincing his vassals to go rushing off with him to some distant planet in space to carve himself out a kingdom there. So the effect of surprise, which was one of the main weapons the Terrans had, would be canceled.
Instantly the Grand Master flew into a towering rage, swearing that any rebel would be followed pitilessly and killed by the patrols which watched the borders of the solar system, but Kubla’s intervention made him stop and think.
“Noble lords, it seems to me that we haven’t at all taken into consideration a new element which does have importance,” declared the Mongol Khan. “This war will have but few things in common with the wars we have waged on this, our planet The weapons which will give our side victory are not those which we are accustomed to use. Strange, alchemical... we have learned that these purely mechanical engines of destruction have an overbearing importance. Now, the gentle Odeous damoiselles have told us that their compatriots were learned scholars expert in such subtle magics, letting them make destructive engines until lately unknown to us. Then why not modify our initial plan and change our first objective? Surely, it is tempting to strike the enemy to the heart and attack Baphom, but to take it all, is that not a mistake? Our troops aren’t used to space combat, and the first engagements with experimental crews could bring us some serious reverses. The planet Oddh should not have any garrison as important as the one at Baphom, and in choosing the objective for our first assault we can test our crews and get what we most critically lack: scholars perfectly familiar with the alien alchemy that lets them make these ships and equip them with these terrible engines of destruction. And besides, we will attract the attention of all the races the Baphomets have enslaved, which can then bring us new allies. Beyond that, it would certainly be very useful to have an Odeous technician aboard each ship, because if the situation arose, he could then make needed repairs.”
William was proud, hotheaded, but his extreme intelligence overcame his faults. He recognized at once that the arguments Kubla set forward had weight But they did not affect the sending of Marco Polo with the promised cargo. The Grand Master himself was beginning to weary of these endless maneuverings, of these jousts which only served to diminish his forces. He too had felt the seduction of boundless space, which stretched before him as lately he had seen the vast plains of Asia when he had just beaten Bibars. . . .
After a brief thought on the matter, he straightened, drew his sword and saluted the Baussant banner which hung above the seat of state: “Down with the infidels, good sirs! You’ve convinced me. Now we have to get to action. The army will leave tomorrow to board the ships and take off for the world of Oddh! Marco Polo will accomplish his mission as decided; two Templars and one of the Tibetans will go with him. Houen-Lun and Joubert the Wise will be part of my company aboard my flagship. So will the Odeous damoiselles, whose advice will be precious to us when we make assault on their world. Now and henceforth I pass my earthly power to my faithful servant Thibaud Gaudin, who will be my lieutenant on this world, awaiting my return. Come near, my brother! I must give you with my own hand my seal and my ring so that they may not fall into blaspheming hands. They give you supreme authority over all the Commanderies and Territories of our empire. You may dispose of our goods, lend gold and silver, and if I should not return, there will devolve upon you the honor of convoking the Council of thirteen member knights, priests and brothers of the various provinces who will discharge or continue you as my successor before God and men.”
William's secretary then carried in on a black, white-barred cushion the two priceless symbols which would make the Commander the most powerful lord on Earth. Henceforth he would have the right to an attendance of fourteen squires, two knights and a brother as servants, to a secretary, a Turkish scribe, two stewards, two valets, four Turcopoles, a courier, a chamberlain, a cook, a fourth of whom carried lance and shield. They were all already assembled behind William’s attendant when he touched knee to earth to receive the insignia of his new charge, while the Templars intoned gravely in unision:
"Non nobis Domine, non nobis, sed Nomini tuo da gloriam."
Having made that transition of authority, the Council adjourned. Everyone ran to his tent to pack his baggage. A feverish activity seized all those who were about to hurl themselves into this glorious adventure.
William had gone back to his private apartments and prepared three letters. The first was addressed to Pope John XXI. This learned doctor, known under the surname of Petrus Hispanus, and a very enthusiastic supporter of this Crusade, looked on the expedition with a favorable eye. This was the gist of it:
“Most Holy Father, Pontiff of all the Earth, bearer of the papal crown by the dispensation of God, your humble and faithful servant William, Grand Master of the Templars, makes you to know that, on this day, twelfth of the month of May in the year of our Lord 1277, the army of Christ’s faithful servants has left our sweet Earth to root out this vile brood which opposes the heavenly Kingdom of our Lord Jesus, to make known the only True Faith, that of the worshipers of the Lord, to the very edges of the universe. May the Savior of the world have mercy on His soldiers! While we cany on this Holy combat to enter into possession of the heritage which He has given to mankind, God will see to the defense of the earthly goods that each of us leaves behind. All of us, servants of the Holy Cross, depart under the Baussant banner. Alas! we shall not all return from the unfathomable space where we are going for the glory of God. Be the defender of my brothers. Never suffer that they be despoiled or unjustly treated. My wise and faithful Thibaud Gaudin has received from me all authority to administer the worldly goods of the Order in my absence. Deign to be for him a Father and a Counsellor. Your faithful servant in Christ: William of Beaujeu.”*
*Marginal note of the Templar of Tyre: This letter could not have reached the Holy Father, for God saw fit to recall him on May 20, at Viterbus. He met a frightful death, crushed by the fall of a platform. His successor, Nicholas III, elected November 25, was not at all as well disposed toward our order.
The Templar sanded his ink with a sly smile. He did not at all begrudge papal sovereignty over the planets and territories he envisioned conquering, knowing that John XXI was going to give him the lion’s share.
The second letter was addressed to the King of England.
‘To my very dear lord Edward I, illustrious King of the English, Duke of Guyenne, salutations in Him on Whom depends the life of all creation! On this twelfth day of May in the year of our Lord 1277, the army gathered about the castle of Chang-Chu launches forth to distant stars to dislodge from them the vile and faithless villains who oppress the peaceful creatures engendered by Our Lord, God of the Universe. Otto of Gran son, your faithful vassal, is accompanying us along with the English Crusaders. I have no doubt that they will show their valor as they have done already on preceding campaigns, in the course of which we have brought to the True Faith Tartars, Mongols and Cipanghi. In my absence, Commander Thibaud Gaudin will enjoy all rights and prerogatives in the management of my earthly goods. I am assured that he will find in Your Majesty a counsellor and a true friend. May the Lord bless his humble servant, William of Beaujeu.”
Finally, the third letter was addressed to the King of France, Philip II the Strong, its tenor, like the preceding, indicating that John of Grailly and the Frankish knights who had taken the Cross were going with the army, having left in a war against distant infidels.
In conclusion, the Grand Master drafted a proclamation to his troops. It would be read that very evening in every camp.
“Brother knights, squires and men-at-arms, the time has come to serve the Eternal God. To you, the valiant, the brave, the glory of your battles will open wide the portals of heaven! You are going to war against the minions of Satan, who have enslaved divine creatures, issue as you are of an Adam and an Eve, whatever the aspect God saw fit to give their bodies; they the weak, the oppressed, are your brothers. We are going to bring them the Light of the True Faith for the salvation of their eternal souls. You know the dangers, the evils, the perils that await you. The vile Baphomets are, alas! expert in the malefic sciences which birth flames, death and destruction. But God will have you in His Holy keeping. Be ye not dismayed, for He has taught us the art of war through His archangel Gabriel, conqueror of the Evil One. You are going to voyage in unknown space, battle against powerful nations. If we win, you will hew out a new empire, and some of you may perhaps even settle beyond the Earth. If we are defeated, there will be no retreat, for the miscreant
Baphomets will come to invade our dear homeland. Never forget that you fight for the glory of Our Lord Jesus and His gentle Mother who will bear your sorrows. You have left friends and families; many of you sold lands and houses. Religion and honor are now your only possessions. But the power of the Baphomets reaches its end, for it is no other than that of the beast of the Apocalypse whom the Most High has determined to put down! May the Lord Jesus bless you! Always follow the Baussant banner. It will show you the way to heavenly bliss. Angels and archangels will help us in our just war.”*
