The Byzantine Wager

Chapter 50 - Screams in the Night

Chapter 50

Screams in the Night

Emperor Andronikos was having a terrible sleep, though it had started out well. The day had been cold and wet, but his favorite had returned as lovely as ever. She had a curl added to her hair and seemed ready for an evening of pleasure. Turning in early, from what had been an irritating day trying to right the ship of state, he ordered braziers to be lit and sandalwood to be burned. That took the chill off the evening. Now a nice private orgy. Two girls massaged him with warmed, scented oil - one working the muscles of his shoulders and back - the other buttocks, legs and feet. Mariapitkee played a haunting and restful air on her paired aulos pipes. So soothing. After that, she played his flute. Andronikos drifted off into slumber warmly nestled among his concubines.

He woke in the dark of the night, roused by a distant shrieking. Horrid screams. Sound carried far in the cold still air drifting from the Animas dungeon.

"Boy." Andonikos called for his strator.

The lad roused himself from his alcove in the antechamber.

"Find out who is making that racket and have them silenced. I do not care if they have to be throttled and we are left with nothing to watch between the races tomorrow."

What was the world coming to? He, himself, had been imprisoned in the Animas dungeon for years. Had he ever kept the palace awake with his wailing? Egad no. And God alone knew that Andronikos had every reason to wail to heaven at his unjust treatment. How many years in that red brick tower? Did Andronikos, even once, scream in the night disrupting the sleep of the Basileus, Manuel? No. And if Andronikos had yelled (certainly he - of all the men in the Empire - was loud enough to be heard clearly from the cell of the Anemas tower) and even one time, forgone his dignity and howled, would Manuel have executed him? Would he have had him blinded and exiled to an island monastery?

No. Not Manuel.

If Andronikos had simply asked - just once - for forgiveness and pleaded for clemency on a cold clear night, he would have received it.

Manuel's fucking 'forgiveness.'Always Manuel's forgiveness.

Andronikos had tried to be as quiet as possible when he was in the dungeon, especially late at night when he was scratching at the grate.

What was this prisoner screaming for? Andronikos tried to listen. "Please." The word was loud and clear, but 'please' do what? "Mercy." Yes. God on high grants mercy. "Aaaaaagh." Finally all was silent. Better. Much better. Slumber came again.