King's Man (Viking Book 3) by Severin Tim

Author:Severin, Tim [Severin, Tim]
Language: eng
Format: azw3
Tags: General Fiction
Publisher: Pan Macmillan
Published: 2011-08-18T16:00:00+00:00

NINE

LIKE A SHIP BUFFETED by a sudden great wave, the empire of the Romans heeled, almost capsized, then began to right itself when the ballast of centuries of obedience to the throne made itself felt. During the days which followed the blinding of Michael and his uncle, there was widespread disquiet in Constantinople. The citizens asked themselves whether it was possible that two elderly women could run an empire. Surely the machinery of the administration would stutter and come to a halt. Foreign foes would then take the chance to attack the imperial frontiers. There would be civil war. But as day followed day and nothing dire occurred, tensions eased. In the chancellery, in the tribunals, and in the myriad offices of state, the bureaucrats returned to their records and ledgers, and the government of the empire resumed its normal course. Yet not everything was quite as it had been before. During the insurrection the mob had broken into the Great Palace. Most of the crowd had hunted for valuables to loot, but a small and determined band had headed for the archives and burned the tax records, as those officials who came back to the treasury discovered.

‘Simeon the money changer suggested that we torch the files,’ Halldor told me in the guardroom where the Varangians had once again taken up their duties. ‘I doubt that Harald himself would have thought of it, but Simeon sought us out during the uproar. He too had been released from jail by the mob, and he gave us directions as to where to find the archives.’ And with a chuckle he added, ‘It means, of course, that now there is no evidence against those accused of collusion with the tax collectors.’

‘I’m surprised that you found time to destroy tax records when you were also carrying out the instructions to arrest Michael and the Nobelissimus.’

‘There was time enough,’ said Halldor. ‘The sister empresses argued for hours over what should be done with the former Basileus. Zoë wanted him imprisoned, awaiting trial. But Theodora was all for having his eyes put out, and as quick as possible.’

‘Surely it was the other way round? Theodora was a nun, or at least had been.’

‘No,’ said Halldor. ‘Theodora was the bloodthirsty one.’

I murmured something about the idea that the Christians, especially the nuns and monks, were meant to practise forgiveness and charity, but that evening, when I crossed over to Galata to spend the evening at Pelagia’s villa, my friend soon set me straight.

‘You still don’t understand, do you, Thorgils? When it comes to the pursuit of power, nothing matters to those who are really ambitious. Take the example of Araltes. You think so highly of him and you assist in every way you can. Yet he will stop at nothing to achieve his ambitions, and one day you may regret being so loyal to him.’

I was thinking to myself that Pelagia probably resented my allegiance to Harald, when abruptly she changed the subject: ‘Next time you are

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