Preys and Predators 3 Love Binds, Family Destroy Chapter 13

 

13. 

 

A Janissary warrior rode to the front to challenge any of the other side to a duel.

“Come forth, barom.” It was an insult to Hungarians to be called that.

A Hungarian noble took the challenge. They fought on horseback with swords. It was a prolonged fight, and the Hungarian had the upper hand. The janissary fell off his horse and was booed by the Hungarians. The latter turned his horse to face the Janissary, but his saddle cinch came loose, and his seat slid backwards. The rider jumped off the horse.

“Barom, you are on foot. Shall we complete the duel by hand?” It was a fair gesture, but the Hungarian armies had attacked the flank of the Turks. Hunyadi attacked the Ottoman flanks with mixed cavalry (light and heavy). The Turkish flanks, consisting of soldiers from Rumelia and Anatolia, were losing until the Turkish light cavalry arrived to reinforce them.

The Christian flanks were subsequently routed, and the survivors retreated to Hunyadi's main force. Murad II used his sipahi cavalry from Thessaly to envelop the cavalry on the Crusader left flank, along with a general assault all along the line to distract Hunyadi from the primary effort. The manoeuvre worked, and the Wallachian, Moldavian, and Hungarian cavalry were cut down by the sipahis, who took no prisoners.

When Hunyadi saw the defeat of his flanks, he attacked with his main force, composed of knights and light infantry.

Shylock was there at the front line, pushed by the others from the flanks; he was to charge at the Turks. He had never been in the lead till then. He gripped the spear and roared his voice. The first sight of death was the Moldavian at his right being killed by the musket fire. He turned and saw the other fall to the rear, but the others stepped over the man to charge forth. He could not help but continue with his charge.

A Janissary appeared in front of Shylock with the musket levelled at the Genoese citizen. Shylock lowered his spear as a sign of surrender, and the Janissary fired the weapon, but the mechanism had jammed. The Janissary lowered the musket to check the barrel. It was then that another from the infantry had overtaken Shylock to thrust the blade of the sword at the chest.

“Oaf! Pick up the sword there. I will take the musket. We have a battle to win.” The other who killed the Janissary was a Wallachian. Shylock, stunned, looked away. He was not a soldier but another man who swapped the trading of coins for that of his life.

The janissary corps was not successful at stopping the attack; the cavalry made progress through the Turkish centre but was eventually stopped at the Turkish camp. The Turkish infantry regrouped and successfully drove the Hungarian knights back.

Later, the Wallachians deserted to the Ottoman side after being offered terms from Murad, leaving Hunyadi mostly defenceless.

“We are doomed.” The wounded infantry from Wallachia moaned their fate when they retreated. Shylock was tired, having not killed any Turks, though. He had rushed at the enemies, but the call came through for them to retreat. He did just that, leaving the valuables he had pillaged from the dead. He found himself at the main camp and was told to retreat further to the flanks.

“The supplies are gone.” One of the officers reported to the commander. “We are short of food and weapons.”

The commander ignored the officer and rode to the rear. He was disillusioned with the battle. It was the same for Lord Gencio Capulet. He had taken the supplies to a friend of his near Kosovo.

“Albert, I am entrusting my wares to you.” Lord Gencio Capulet, having removed his uniform, then appeared at the traders’ home. “You will deliver this for me to Genoa. Your cut is twenty percent of the dues.”

“Twenty-five, and I will have it delivered through the seaports. The land routes are dangerous with the war ongoing.” Albert the Shrewd, as he was called, knew the supplies were from the army. He risked execution for the trade.

“Twenty-two and all will be paid at Genoa.” Lord Gencio Capulet bargained. “And one percent more if the wares arrive before I do.”

It was agreed, and Lord Gencio Capulet made his way home by land. He was to do so, for he intended to join the retreating army for the strength of the company and to collect his coins, if any were to be paid. He knew that the trek back was going to be long, but with his conscription to the army, he hoped that the lady he was trying to impress would be proud of him.

Dante Montague was still trying to get the hang of Juliette Dubier, with the other’s mother holding the reins on the daughter. The war was good for him while he traded in the raw supply of corn to sell to the army. He made some margins and multiplied them with more wares.

“The army expects me to barter with weapons?” Dante Montague argued with the officer. “I was expecting ducats for the corn I delivered.”

“The ducats are not forthcoming. The nobles are in retreat, and we are short at the treasury. The war is over, and we have excess weapons to offer in barter.”

“Napoleon had abdicated years ago. The …….” Dante Montague tried to explain the lack of demand for weapons then. “Even the Americans and Mexicans are calling off their war.”

“True, but the Revolution in France had spread to Sicily, Germany, and the Austrian Empire.”

The "Revolutions of 1848" were a wave of republican revolts against European monarchies, starting in Sicily and spreading to France, the German and Italian states, and the Austrian Empire, ultimately ending in failure and repression.  “Mercenaries are employed there. Your …… the weapons will be needed by them.” Dante Montague was told. He was reluctant, for the trade of weapons was not his line, but it was that or suffer losses. He relented and soon traded the weapons to those who needed them.

Dante Montague then heard of the shipment of supplies, including weapons, to Genoa. He knew the trader for it.

“Albert, what is your asking price?” Dante Montague looked at the other.

“My prices are quoted. It was a risk to get them.” Albert smiled. “I bought them fair from the army there.”

“Did you see Lord Gencio Capulet?” Gencio shifted the subject.

“Lord Gencio Capulet who? I do not think……. Wait, you mean Lord Capulet? Nope, I did. Was he not in Genoa?” Albert looked at Gencio.

“I doubt he will be at the front of the army.”

“No, I am not sure. I heard he joined the army, and it had been a year since I had seen him.”

“I would not know. I was not in Kosovo. Maybe he died?” Albert smiled. “May God hold his soul in the right places. Lord Gencio Capulet will bargain his way out.”

“Hell? I doubt the devil will take him. He is not worth the pound of flesh there.”

Unknown to Dante, Lord Gencio Capulet had returned to Genoa, but he remained hidden from the public eye. He was also doing his trade behind closed doors for the supplies he took. The war in France was a good invitation for him to trade. He was, however, concerned about the warrant for his arrest by the military for the missing supplies.

“I will take whatever you have.” Lord Dante Montague took the offer from Albert. “Have it sent to my ship before tomorrow morning. It will sail on that day.”

The supplies, including the weapons, were loaded during the night, as the port was less supervised then. By morning, the ship had set sail. It was noon when Lord Dante Montague was detained for questioning.

“I have my bill of lading,” Gencio argued when he produced the document. “There was no indication by the seller of the source, as it was not stipulated by law.”

During that period of dates, a bill of lading was "a writing signed on behalf of the owner of the ship in which goods are embarked, acknowledging the receipt of the goods and undertaking to deliver them at the end of the voyage, subject to such conditions as may be mentioned in the bill of lading." Thus, the claim of source was directed to the seller.

“I bought the wares in Albania. It was a hurried sale, and exchanges were made. I was not to ask for it; it was a bargain.” Albert defended his source. During the mid-1800s, Albania was under Ottoman rule. “How was I to know that it was from the army or… which army then?”

Albert was released for lack of evidence. Dante Montague was also released, and the matter was closed. It was assumed closed, for Lord Gencio Capulet heard of that. He knew that that was his means to get cleared of any charges. He had Albert reported.

“Albert, you have committed treason against the Albanian people.” Albert was imprisoned. He was not to know that Lord Gencio Capulet had offered evidence to the authorities and claimed that he was held at ransom and had to deliver the supplies to Albert or lose his life. He was imprisoned soon after by Albert and had escaped to report to the authorities. Lord Gencio Capulet had bribed the officers to place the blame on Albert.

“There is the fool that lent out money gratis; there are those fools who took it as gratis.” Lord Gencio Capulet said to the officers. “Albert was such a fool. He should have checked on the source of the wares. I am a trader too, and I will take nothing gratis. It is too good to give it gratis.”

Gratis was his feeling to offer to the lady who had stolen his heart. He hardly knew Angeline, but he knew that love was there. Angeline is mine, and I have fought a war to prove my bravery for her," he had said.

“I am afraid Lady Angeline does not know who you are.” The servant confronted Lord Gencio Capulet at the doorway. He had the appearance of a haggard man from his hidden days in the cellar of the house he had taken refuge in.

“I am sure, maybe Lady Juliette will see me.” Lord Gencio Capulet looked at the servant. He handed over the coins from his purse.

“Lady Juliete is… resting. We have strict instructions not to have the two ladies disturbed.” The servant told Lord Gencio Capulet after the coins were taken. “Have a better day, sir.”

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