Other soldiers pushed past them to get into the fight. There were signs of struggle on the high battlements.
But below, with a sudden clang, the great gates that guarded Constantinople swung open, unbolted by Frankish sympathizers within the city. The mounted Crusaders, seeing this, quickly formed up and galloped toward the open gates in an armored wedge. There were Greek soldiers barring the entrance, and there were Northmen, too, who had been enlisted to fight in the city's armies. They tried vainly to stem the tide. But the maddened Crusaders slammed into them, battle-axes and maces swept through the air in short, sharp arcs, and there were cruel sounds as, with terrible effect, they landed on bodies. A
group of Greek women atop the wall had brought up a huge cauldron of boiling oil. They tipped it over now, and it came down in a sizzling gold en cascade. Frankish soldiers caught in the flood screamed as the hot oil poured over their armor and came through the neck and arm openings, to broil them inside like so many lobsters. Then a flight of arrows swept the women away, and the Frankish host was charging again, shouting their battle cries and advancing into the city with irresistible force. A small group of Turkish mercenaries were now the only ones left guarding the inner keep. Their arrows flew hard and fast, darkening the sky, making conversation difficult with the ominous hiss of their passage. Rank after rank of Crusaders were thrown down, rolling away from horses that bristled like porcupines as the Turkish arrow storm struck home. Then the tide of maddened Franks reached the ranks of the Turks, who, small of stature and lightly armored, could not stand up to the big, hairy, unshaven European men in their heavy mail. There was a great lopping of limbs and beating in of heads, and the blood-maddened Franks burst through the Turkish lines into the city streets.
Mack ran up, ducking under the sword, and, clutching Dandolo's arm, said, "Henry, it's me, Faust! Let me guide you!"
"Ah, the messenger from Green Beard!" Dandolo said. "Yes, fine, just point me in the direction of the enemy and give me a push."
"I'll do that," Mack said, and turned Henry around so that he faced the city walk. As he did so, he deftly removed Dandolo's silken sling, from which he had seen, peeking, the icon of St. Basil.
"Best of luck, sir!" he called out, and Henry Dandolo waved his sword and went charging into the battle, a precursor of Don Quixote if there ever was one.
Mack turned to Marguerite. "All right, let's get out of here!"
Mack, with Marguerite in tow, now turned away from the city walls and made his way back into the camp. He was in search of a place of safety. One thing he knew for sure was, he had fulfilled his first test.
He had made a choice, had saved the icon of St. Basil.
Already it was late. Darkness suddenly fell. The night had turned quite chilly. A cold wind was blowing.
Rain was falling. Shivering, shaking, Mack and Marguerite slogged across the muddy battlefield.
"Where are we going?" Marguerite asked.
"There's somebody I have to meet," Mack said, wondering where in hell Mephistopheles was.
"Did he say where?"
"He said he'd find me."
"Then why are we running like this?"
"We're getting away from the battle. You could get killed out there!"
"Hey there, you! Stop a moment!" a voice cried as Mack and Marguerite came up. "Haven't got a bit of dry firewood on you, have you?"
"No, no," Mack said. "Sorry, but we don't have any. Excuse us, fellows, we have to go."
The soldiers crowded around them. Marguerite felt something lumpy press against her side. She was about to slap somebody's face when she realized that Mack was trying to get her to take a small sack he had taken from Henry Dandolo. She concealed it on her person as the soldiers grabbed Mack.
They searched him roughly, and then turned to her. Marguerite, fearing rude hands on her person, dumbly handed over the sack.
"Aha!" one of them cried in a triumphant voice, taking out the icon of St. Basil. "What have we here?"
"Careful with that," Mack said, "that's a special holy icon."
"What does it do?" the soldier asked.
"It works miracles," Mack said.
"Works miracles, does it? Let's see if it'll start this fire. That would be a miracle!" He struck flint and steel. Sparks flew. One of them caught in the varnish on the icon's painted face. The icon sprang immediately into flames.
The soldiers bent down over it, trying to get the burning icon under the other logs. Mack took the opportunity to get away, followed by Marguerite.
They reached the edge of a little woods that bordered the battlefield. Loud lamentations could be heard from the direction of the city, now that the hiss of arrows had ended. The Crusaders were running wild.
Already a pall of smoke hung in the clear moonlit air. It looked like it was going to be Troy all over again.
Mack looked away. A flash of lightning revealed a tall, sinister figure standing not ten feet from him, wrapped in a crimson cloak, picturesquely posed at the margin of the woods.
"Mephistopheles!" Mack cried. "Am I glad to see you!" He hurried up to him. "Did you see what I did? I took the icon option."
"Yes, I saw," Mephistopheles said. "Frankly, I'm not impressed."
"You're not? But it seemed the best choice. When I heard of Henry Dandolo speak about his plans for the future of Constantinople, I knew that I shouldn't kill him. As for Alexius, I never did get close enough to him to kidnap him even if I'd wanted to."
"Fool!" Mephistopheles said. "Henry Dandolo was deceiving you. His hatred of Constantinople is implacable."
"How in hell was I supposed to know that?" Mack asked.
"Read his lips," Mephistopheles said. "If you had killed him, a better emperor might have been found, who could have saved the city from the terrible sacking and burning that the Crusaders are giving it even now." "I did the best I could," Mack said sullenly.
"I don't really mean to scold you," Mephistopheles said. "As I said, it's not you yourself being judged, it's mankind as exemplified by you. You made just the sort of silly choice a human would make. To try to save an illusion rather than perform a practicality!" "Well, I'll do better at it next time," Mack said. "I won't try to save any more illusions, I can tell you that.
What's next?"
"Your second adventure awaits you," Mephistopheles said. "Are you ready?"
"I could use a bath and a night's sleep."
"You will be able to get those things at your next stop. You are going to the court of Kublai Khan."
"What am I going there for?"
"I will explain when we get there. Prepare yourself." "Wait!" Mack cried, for Marguerite was tugging at his sleeve. "Can I take her along?"
Mephistopheles looked at Marguerite, seemed about to refuse, then shrugged. "Oh, I suppose so. Hold hands, close your eyes, and the thing will be done." Mack and Marguerite did as they were told. Marguerite also held her breath, because she hated the dizzying sensation of being conjured to another place and time.
Mephistopheles made hand gestures, there was the familiar flash of fire and curl of smoke. And they were gone.
MARCO POLO
CHAPTER 1
When Mack opened his eyes, he found he was on a busy street corner in what looked like a very large city. Mephistopheles and Marguerite were standing on either side of him. Mephistopheles was looking as dapper as always. He had a fresh red rosebud in the buttonhole of his dark lounge suit. His black shoes glittered with a new shine. And Marguerite was pretty as a picture. She'd found the time to repair her makeup since leaving Constantinople, and to change into a flowered gown with low-cut bodice.