The Demons of Constantinople Read online

  And, as might be expected, his sons immediately started competing for the rulership.

  ✽ ✽ ✽

  Wilber watched the fire. He suspected what was going on. Pucorl seemed to expand in form as the fire burned the body of the bull centaur. “It’s not only the demon lord, is it?” he asked Merlin, sending the computer the image by way of Igor.

  “No. He’s getting the form of the bull centaur.”

  “You mean he’ll be able to take the bull centaur’s form?”

  “I think so. And perhaps more.”

  “Only because Pucorl defeated him?”

  “No. It was Savci’s last command. That and the fact that he was locked into the body. He was ordered to win or die. When he could no longer win, he had to die, and a demon only ‘dies’ by being eaten by another demon.”

  Epilogue

  Bertrand du Guesclin turned to Kara Halil and said, “One general to another, get your sultan under control before he does something irretrievable. You don’t want to continue this fight. We will all get hurt, and you will lose.”

  ✽ ✽ ✽

  Roger McLain walked over to the sultan and gave him a hand up.

  Savci looked at the tall man. The Sword of Themis was on his back and everyone knew about that sword. By now, the man who wielded it was becoming something of a legend. He was said to have killed two Christian princes.

  “You lost this one, Majesty. Not your fault. It could happen to anyone. Be a king and cut your losses. That’s my advice, anyway. For myself, I have no desire to fight you. All we want is free passage through your lands on our way to Egypt.”

  “What about my bull centaur?”

  “The fortunes of war,” Roger said. “Sometimes the van wins. Your bull centaur wasn’t the first to learn that, and probably won’t be the last.”

  ✽ ✽ ✽

  Lakshmi gazed regretfully to the northeast, wondering if she’d ever see Manuel again. It wasn’t likely—and even if she did, he’d probably be furious with her for betraying him, as he’d see it.

  “This sucks,” she said. Demonstrating once again how well she’d acculturated to the country where she’d spent most of life.

  ✽ ✽ ✽

  Sitting on her unique vessel/mount/something of a friend, Aurelia leaned over and asked, “What do you think, Jane? What should I do?”

  There was no answer. Jane was munching on… something. Probably edible, but that covered a lot of ground with a kraken.

  ✽ ✽ ✽

  The fire died away and Annabelle got out of the van, which changed into the form of the bull centaur, but with a different face. A distinctly puckish face, with short little horns and a green Robin Hood hat with a bright purple feather.

  Then it changed again, and a man six feet tall with broad shoulders and the same puckish face appeared, now wearing twenty-first century body armor and helmet, but with the same bright purple feather sticking out of the helmet band.

  Pucorl turned, took Annabelle in his arms, lifted her up and kissed her.

  That lasted quite a while. After they broke off, Annabelle stared at him. “Now what?” she asked.

  He had no idea, of course. Pucorl was still a puck at heart. Pucks are not known for their foresight.

  “What I figured,” said Annabelle. “Put me down. I need to find Tiphaine and have her do us a horoscope.”

  He set her down. “You always say astrology is superstition.”

  “It is.” Annabelle waved her hand in a gesture that encompassed their environs. “Where do you think we are? In the land of fables and fancies and superstition, that’s where.” And off she went.

  Cast of Characters

  14th Century

  Admiral Vettor Pisani, Venetian Admiral (1324 – 13 August 1380), historical

  Alaattin Ali of Karaman (aka Damat Ali Bey) was a bey of Karaman Beylik, a Turkish principality in Anatolia, historical

  Albert III, called The Pigtailed, king of Austria, historical

  André Hébert, aide to the Commissaire of the Grand Châtelet, fictional

  Andronikos IV Palaiologos, son of John V, revolts

  Aurelia Augusta Crassa, the seventeen-year-old daughter of Gaius Augustus Crassus, fictional

  Bertrand du Guesclin, Constable of France, historical

  Bishop Baudin, bishop in Paris, fictional

  Bishop de Sarcenas, bishop in Paris, fictional

  Cabrini, Giorgio, Genoese ship captain, fictional

  Candarli Kara Halil, Pasha, major advisor to Murad I, historical

  Cardinal Jean de Dormans, cardinal in Paris, historical

  Charles de Long, soldier, scout, owner of Carlos, then air elemental, fictional

  Charles V, King of France, historical

  Commissaire Pierre Dubois, of the Grand Châtelet, fictional

  Constantine Korolos, majordomo for Queen Helena, spymaster, fictional

  Contarini, Andrea, Doge of Venice, historical

  Count Moreau, Provost of the University of Paris, fictional

  de Monteruc, Pierre, Cardinal from Avignon, head of mission for Pope Gregory, historical

  Demetrios Palaiologos, Historical sort of, There was a high byzantine official/general, who had that name. but very little is known about him.

  Devlit ben Bakir, Ottoman wizard working for Sultan Savci, fictional

  di Campofregoso, Domenico, Doge of Genoa, historical

  Doge Andrea Contarini, Doge of Venice, historical

  Father Augustine, murdered in Paris, fictional

  Filberte Renard, doctor of medicine, Paris, fictional

  Gabriel Delaflote, Doctor of Natural Philosophy and collector of writings on the

  Gaius Augustus Crassus, senator, fictional

  Gregory XI, Pope in Avignon, historical

  Helena Kantakouzene, wife of John V, mother of Andronikos and Manuel, historical

  Ivan Shishman, brother of Kera Tamara, king of Bulgaria (part of), historical

  Ivan Sratsimir, older brother of Ivan Shishman, Bulgaria, historical

  Joanna of Bourbon, queen of France, historical

  John V Palaiologos, Emperor of Byzantine Empire, historical

  John, Duke of Berry, brother of Charles V, historical

  Kera Tamara, sister of Ivan Shishman, widow, known for beauty, about to escape marriage to Murad, historical

  Louis, Duke of Anjou, brother of Charles V, historical

  Manuel II Palaiologos, second son of John V, historical

  Maria, princess of Constantinople, 13, historical, but little is truly known

  Mathamition, high level bureaucrat, and member of the senatorial class, fictional

  Michael Palaiologos, third or fourth son of John V, historical

  Murad I, Ottoman Emperor, historical

  Nicholas Flamel, scribe, historical

  Nicolas du Bosc, lawyer for Charles V, historical

  occult, fictional

  Olivier de Clisson, general of France, historical

  Perenelle Flamel, wife of Nicholas, historical

  Philip the Bold, Duke of Burgundy, youngest brother of Charles V, historical

  Philotheos Kokkinos, Patriarch, Orthodox Church, historical

  Pietro Campofregoso, admiral of Genoa, brother of Domenico, historical

  Pisani, Vettor, admiral of Venetian fleet, historical

  Sidonia Julia Crassa, Wife of Gaius Augustus Crassus, Aurelia’s mother, fictional

  Sultan Savci, previously Savci Bey, third son of Murad I, historical

  Theodore I Palaiologos, third or fourth son of John V, historical

  Theodore Meliteniotes, astronomer and treasurer, historical, friend of Delaflote.

  Tiphaine de Raguenel, wife of Bertrand du Guesclin, noted astrologist, historical

  Demons, Fictional

  Ali, ifrit, haunts Princess Maria’s locally made phone

  Amar Utu Marduk, ifrit lord of Tessifonica, forced into bull centaur cart shape

  Amiee, puck, haunts de Clisson’s p
arrot

  Archimedes, muse, haunts Delaflote’s crow

  Asuma, succubus, owns her own phone

  Beslizoswian, demon lord, murderer

  Carlos, will-o’-the-wisp in the crow of Charles de Long

  Catvia, succubus, haunts Jeff’s computer

  Clausewitz, puck, haunts Roger’s phone

  Coach, faun, haunts Jeff’s watch

  DW, incubus, haunts Lakshmi’s computer

  Enzo, puck, haunts Annabelle’s phone

  Freddie, haunts Liane’s camera (for Freddie Young, cinematographer)

  Green Lantern, brownie haunts Paul’s phone.

  Igor, puck, haunts Wilber’s phone

  Ilektrismós, Zeus’ lightning bolt, works for Pucorl

  Inanka’sira, called Siry, ifrit, daughter of Amar Utu Marduk

  Iris, handmaiden to Themis, was in crystal radio and hated it. Messenger goddess.

  Ishmael, puck, haunts Bill’s iPod

  Laurence, muse, haunts Amelia’s phone

  Merlin, muse, haunts Wilber’s implant and computer

  Pierre, haunts Delaflote’s locally made phone

  Pookasaladriscase, two foot tall brownie in French village

  Pucorlshrigin/Chevalier Pucorl de Elesia, puck, haunts the van

  Raphico, angel of the Creator, haunts phone given to God

  Richelieu, Puck, haunts King Charles’ phone

  Rolls Royce, puck, haunts diagnostic tool for van

  Shakespeare, haunts Amelia’s computer

  Sherlock, haunts Bill’s phone.

  Silvore, puck, haunts Jennifer’s phone

  Sophocles, haunts Amelia’s book reader

  Sun Tzu, muse, haunts Roger’s laptop

  Thelma, haunts Liane’s computer (for Thelma Schoonmaker, film editor)

  Themis, titan, trapped in Philip the Bold’s sword

  V. I. Warshawski, haunts Bill’s computer

  The Twenty-firsters, Fictional

  Amelia Grady, drama teacher, driver of van. She and Paul are the least wealthy of the twenty-firsters in terms of coming from money. She was married to a French police inspector and took the job as much as anything to get her son Paul into the American School. Their computers and phones while decent aren’t the top of the line devices of the other 21sters.

  Annabelle Cooper-Smith, American, turned 18 sometime during Demons of Paris. Her next stop after the American School was to be CalTech or MIT where she would learn to design cars. Her secret ambition was to be a Nascar race driver or at least pit boss.

  Bill Howe, American, 18, dating Jennifer

  Jeff Martin, American, 18, deceased

  Jennifer Fairbanks, American, 17, dating Bill. The daughter of an electrical engineer and a Corporate Manager. Jennifer was at first glance the most standard teenage girl in the group, but the knowledge of engineering and management along with the income from the village of Vitré in France has left her fairly well off. She is the one that makes the crystal radio sets.

  Lakshmi Rawal, Indian raised in America, 16, Lakshmi is the daughter of an Indian diplomat. She didn’t take the event well, but recovered. She wanted to be a movie star. Her dad wanted her to be a diplomat or diplomat’s wife. She was in the drama club for her, and studied civics and government for her dad. She is used to the company of the elite even in comparison to the other 21sters. She is also skipped 5th grade, so a senior at 16 taking advanced placement course, very smart. For us she played only a small role in Demons of Paris partly because she was still trying to cope with the loss of her dreams and family, but also because she didn’t see any way at all that any sort of democracy or republic might be established in France, and one dictator wearing a crown isn’t a lot different from another.

  Liane Boucher, French, 17, cinematographer

  Paul Grady, 9 year old son of Amelia Paul was 8 at the time of the transfer and turns 9 in Vienna.

  Roger McLean, American, 18

  Wilber Hyde-Davis, English, 17, has cochlear implant enchanted by Merlin which lets him speak and understand any language including the speech of animals, it also provides magically acute hearing. Interests in the software of robotics, programing, gaming and virtual reality. His computer now occupied by Merlin is a very high end gaming laptop. Since the transfer he is learning wizardry.