Pueros

Tamerlane's Boys

Chapters 36-38

Chapter 36
Surprises

Surprises are encountered by various people.

(Great Palace, Constantinople, Byzantine Empire [modern Istanbul in Turkey], Summer, 1397)

John returned to the sturdy wooden entrance and without knocking, for he was, after all, the Emperor's second son who, in his young opinion, had the right to explore anywhere without restriction, opened the door and entered the chamber. The pretty fair-haired 7 year-old boy was immediately surprised and shocked by the scene that now befell his serene sky blue eyes.

(Central Asian steppe [modern Kazakhstan], north of the Timurid Empire, 2 weeks later)

Knowing that the patron saint of Georgia, George, had failed him and that there was nothing that he could do to save himself, the spreadeagled Teimuraz had therefore closed his sensuous brown eyes to await his initial fate at the shaman's cruel hands, namely imminent conversion into a eunuch. The 14 year-old boy also appreciated that far worse was to come over the days ahead to meet the priest-apothecary's medicinal requirements.

Proceedings were, however, suddenly and surprisingly interrupted by a loud scream from a woman in the watching crowd. The shaman looked up to see the clearly frightened female concerned pointing to the brow of a low incline, which bordered the southern edge of the pastureland upon which the nomadic tribe was currently encamped.

(Great Palace, Constantinople, Byzantine Empire [modern Istanbul in Turkey], 2 weeks previously)

The Imperial castrator reluctantly stopped what he was doing because he had immediately appreciated the identity of his surprise guest. As a palace employee, the man had seen the boy at court ceremonies and functions on a number of occasions and, although such sights had usually been gained from a distance, he could not fail to recognise instantly the magnificent features of the delightful 7 year-old.

Before the surprised castrator could ask his own question of his young visitor, John enquired politely "What, Sir, are you doing to that boy?" The mentioned, naked 13 year-old was, of course, the gagged Petŭr. However, before the man could answer, the similarly nude, frightened and tearful 8 year-old Mehmet, standing nearby between the restricting arms of two strong palace guards, resumed his desperate entreaties to be spared the gelding knife because of his real status in life.

Mehmet had stopped his pleading temporarily because of his own surprise at the intrusion of the 7 year-old into the castration chamber. However, fear of what was about to befall him and recognition that the immaculately groomed and dressed boy might be of importance had speedily spurred the 8 year-old to resume begging in his, to the Byzantines present, strange tongue.

Mehmet's appeals were eventually brought to another halt by John, who, now alerted to the presence of a second naked boy in the chamber, turned to the 8 year-old and, putting his right forefinger to his rosy lips, commanded "Shhhhh!" Although the Ottoman prince was not accustomed to and, in fact, would normally be affronted by the impertinence on the part of any boy, especially one more junior in age, imparted by the universally understood expression, the young Muslim obeyed the 7 year-old Orthodox Christian's order.

Having re-established quietude, John then turned back to the adult knife-holder and repeated his original question. The man replied "I'm castrating these two boys, Majesty. In fact, I'm performing the task so that they can serve you!"

It was now John's turn to be surprised. His Imperial parents had not told him that they planned to supplement his current adult servants with a couple of similarly aged boy slaves to play with, plus an older one issued with limited authority, even over the young prince, to keep them all in line. The Emperor and Empress had decided that such gifts might discourage their adventurous second son from wandering their huge palace alone.

"What does 'castrating' mean," John next asked, "and why does it have to be done to these two boys so that they can serve me?" The 7 year-old had heard of eunuchs. In fact, most of his adult male servants were classified as such but he had never really understood what the term meant, although he had noticed they were invariably clean-shaven whilst most other types of men, including his father, were fashionably bearded. The adult knife-holder tried his best to explain the answer to both of the inquisitive prince's questions but naturally encountered difficulty in doing so to someone so young and innocent.

Advising a 7 year-old why the culture of the Byzantine court had created the need for many eunuchs over the centuries was truly arduous. For example, it was awkward to describe to a boy not yet aware of the facts of life the requirement to eradicate the sex drive of anyone who might have access to the females of the Imperial household. It was also hard to detail to one so immature how the Emperors liked to make sure that their most important officials could not produce children who could reduce their devotion to their masters by making them ambitious for their own lineage. Being without such offspring, and being denied any realistic personal aspirations to the throne because of their gelded status, usually ensured that the loyalty of such important servants always remained with those who had granted them their positions.

John was appalled to learn what castration entailed. The kindly and intelligent boy could also not accept as being moral the partly understood reasons provided for the genital mutilation of his young slaves-to-be. The 7 year-old therefore commanded the castrator to stop his work and repair the scrotal wound already perpetrated on the 13 year-old bound to the sanguine workplace table.

The castrator hesitated to comply, as he was sure that the command would be overruled. However, the perceptive John, appreciating the reason for the man's indecision, reassured him "Don't worry, Sir, I'll clear my instruction with more senior palace officials and ultimately with my father if necessary!"

In the event, clearing John's command with his father was not immediately necessary. Having confirmed with the elderly senior palace eunuch, who had bought the intended young castration victims at the local slave market, that the boys were, with another already gelded, to be surprise gifts to him from his parents, the prince and the official agreed to keep matters unresolved for now. The Emperor and Empress had not specifically ordered three young eunuchs for their second son, although the provision of geldings would have been normal for their posts. The genital status of the new slaves could therefore be discussed later with the Imperial couple, after the presentation of the human presents to their child.

The facade of a supposed surprise parental gift could thereby also be maintained, as long as John played his part successfully, which no one involved doubted that the clever, resourceful boy would do. The elderly senior palace eunuch had agreed with the young prince that it would be better not to risk engendering Imperial anger by advising the Emperor and Empress that their offspring had discovered their secret intent. The gelded bureaucrat, who had originally been surprised to discover that his orders about castrating two new slaves had been countermanded, entered into the bargain fully aware that such ire, although unlikely, would, if induced, only be targeted at the palace officials not at the beloved second son. Such knowledge had been amongst the reasons that had encouraged him to acquiesce to the 7 year-old's wishes.

Another reason had been a fervent desire on the part of the elderly senior palace eunuch not to argue with the highly important boy over such a petty matter, especially as the 7 year-old's significance might someday become even more considerable. Although the young prince had been kept deliberately ignorant of the news so that he would not become upset, his older brother, Michael, heir to the Byzantine throne, had always been sickly and there was much court speculation that the child might not live to succeed his father. This situation made the healthy John the likely next Emperor.

Mehmet had remained silent throughout John's earlier discussion with the castrator. The young Muslim had somehow recognised that Allah had kindly sent someone to his rescue, or rather to that of his balls, and he was therefore also subsequently content to retain the secret of his identity.

The happy event had enabled Mehmet to rekindle his hopes of somehow escaping unharmed with Vladimir without becoming a hostage of the Byzantine Emperor. The young Ottoman was aided in his stance by John giving up attempts to discover why the naked 8 year-old had mentioned the name of Bayezid amidst his earlier shouted entreaties. The 7 year-old's decision resulted from the boys' current lack of shared language and a newly formulated mistaken presumption that the Turk had invoked the appellation of the enemy Sultan in order to suggest that somehow that ruler would someday avenge what was being perpetrated on his captive subject.

Meanwhile, Petŭr was suffering acute agony, resulting from the delicate stitching of his genital wound. However, the 13 year-old also recognised, despite the pain, that the patron saints of his Bulgarian homeland, Cyril and Methodius, must finally have heard his desperate prayers and influenced the Christian version of the Supreme Being to come to the surprise salvation of his boyhood.

(Central Asian steppe [modern Kazakhstan], north of the Timurid Empire, 2 weeks later)

A massive scramble then commenced amongst the tribal grouping, which far out-numbered the arriving cavalry. Most of the younger men sought their arms and steppe ponies in readiness to enter imminent battle. The more elderly tried to organise the urgent decamping of the large temporary nomadic village, full of round felt tents, and the shepherding of their previously playful children and peacefully grazing animals in order to try to make a rapid escape.

Soon, a surprised Teimuraz had been left completely alone, still naked and bound, spreadeagled to the trellis table, with his previously rampant cock softening, whilst the cum on his cute belly and chest was gradually drying under the hot overhead sun.

(Great Palace, Constantinople, Byzantine Empire [modern Istanbul in Turkey], same time)

"I thought that it would be clearly understood that I wanted young eunuchs to serve my second son," the Empress not unreasonably commented, "as geldings have always filled similar positions. Such slaves live and work in the inner palace, amidst the ladies and girls of the Imperial household. You, of all people, should have known that this would be the desire of the Emperor and me!"

The elderly palace eunuch did indeed appreciate that the provision of gelded slave boys for John would be the wish of the Emperor and Empress. After all, as a child, he himself had been castrated to serve in a similar capacity. However, he was ready to receive such Imperial scolding because he had conspiratorially entered into a plot with the young prince to overcome such parental objections.

"The older 13 year-old boy," the Empress insisted, temporarily forgetting the presence of her second son or, in front of the youngster, she would have diplomatically re-phrased her words to something less specifically blunt, "must in particular be gelded quickly. If he can't already lustfully impregnate a female now, he'll soon be capable of doing so!" Helena Dragash then had cause to recall that John was present when he interrupted to say "But, mother, I don't want my new friends to be castrated. I'll vouch that neither Petŭr nor Mehmet will ever do anything naughty!"

Helena Dragash blushed at being drawn to remember her second son's presence and how crude her last sentence had been in front of the innocent child. The Empress was also surprised to discover that the 7 year-old appeared to know what castration entailed. However, she rapidly recovered her composure to reply patiently "My love, it's a court tradition that goes back centuries. It's also for the ultimate good of the boys, as it removes a temptation that might lead them into a lot of trouble. Their future palace careers will additionally prosper more if they become eunuchs, as Nicephorus here can testify!"

Nicephorus was, of course, the elderly senior palace eunuch. He had progressed from being a boyhood companion of Manuel II Palaeologus' late father, John V Palaeologus, to being the official in charge of the thousands of servants in the Imperial household.

A polite debate now ensued between Imperial mother and second son, with the father diplomatically keeping out of the argument. The discussion finally appeared to come to an end when Helena Dragash resolutely looked into John's gorgeous sky blue eyes and firmly announced "My love, despite your pleas, my mind is already made up. Both of your new slaves, who are not yet eunuchs, will be castrated without further delay!"

Nevertheless, John was not ready to concede defeat despite this statement and the fact that, in the end, there could only ever really be one winner in the argument between an Empress and her 7 year-old son.

(Cairo, Egypt, Mamluk Empire, same time)

It was also no surprise that Ahmad Jalayir often also thought of how he would love to torture to death a certain young Kurd eunuch called Haluk, if the pleasant opportunity ever arose.

(Georgia, same time)

"Do you think that Georgia will ever be free again?" the friend asked, during a break the two boys had taken amidst their energetic play. Alexander pondered the surprise question for a while before replying "I truly don't want to sound big-headed but I somehow know that it's my destiny to ensure that our homeland does someday regain its freedom from Tamerlane's suzerainty. However, I don't how I'll achieve the feat against the conqueror's mighty forces. Perhaps God will grant me a miracle!"

Alexander, who was second in line to the Georgian throne as a result of Vissarion's selfless disinterest in the position, had not yet been acquainted by his father, Konstantine, or uncle, King Georgi VII, with the surprise news that his older cousin was still alive. However, if the beautiful and clever 8 year-old had known the equally gorgeous and intelligent 20 year-old's circumstances and character, he might have gained an inkling of the manner in which God would grant him his desired miracle.

(Great Palace, Constantinople, Byzantine Empire [modern Istanbul in Turkey], same time)

The agreement between mother and son, involving the future preservation of the boyhoods of Petŭr and Mehmet, would, however, depend on the two young slaves managing to discipline their developing libidinous masculine urges. For the 8 year-old Turk, this should, of course, be relatively easy to achieve, at least for the foreseeable future, but for the 13 year-old Bulgar, whose lively teenage hormones were already creating sperm and causing his cock to be regularly unruly, the task was not so simple. However, no females currently had to be wary of his burgeoning lustful desires.

The feminine body did not yet tempt Petŭr. The boy's surprising secret sexual appetite, currently fairly well disguised and suppressed, apart from the development of an occasional erection, thankfully hidden beneath the rich garments of a palace slave, frustratingly centred elsewhere.

13 year-old Petŭr's libido was besotted by the delicious forms of certain 7 and 8 year-old boys, with whom he spent virtually all of his waking hours.

(Toledo, Castile, Spain, same time)

Ever since his return from his mission to the Principality of Muscovy, Ruy Gonzalez de Clavijo had frequently remembered the beautiful Nicolai and Teimuraz, whom he had been surprised to find deep in the dense forests of southern Rus. The royal chamberlain's regular recall did not stem from lustful thoughts, as he was strongly heterosexual, although he had to admit that the two boys were exceedingly pretty. Instead, such recollection had been brought about by his deep desire to accept their invitation to visit the travelling court of their lord and master, Tamerlane.

To the adventurous Ruy Gonzalez de Clavijo, who was always eager to explore and experience different lands and cultures, the idea of undertaking such an exotic expedition was overwhelmingly tempting.

(Great Palace, Constantinople, Byzantine Empire [modern Istanbul in Turkey], same time)

A week previously, having been formerly introduced to his three new young slaves and been left alone with them in his palatial quarters, John had gestured to his new companions to sit with him. The 7 year-old prince did so considerately, politely and amicably, without any hint of superiority or arrogance.

Such harmonious traits were to be features of John's future relationship with his three new young slaves. The latter were already extremely grateful to the prince for saving the boyhoods of Petŭr and Mehmet and so such treatment only further endeared the 7 year-old to them.

John asked Petŭr if he knew some Turkish as well as Greek and the young Bulgar answered affirmatively, having acquired the skill as a result of the Ottoman conquest of his homeland. The 7 year-old prince therefore requested a happily compliant 13 year-old to act as translator for conversations with the two new 8 year-old slaves, Mehmet and Vladimir, until the latter learnt to speak the Hellenic tongue, for which part-time lessons had already commenced.

John next asked Petŭr to tell him briefly about his previous life, which the young Bulgar was content to do, albeit with the more nasty and obscene elements suitably censored for such young ears. Having then learnt the basics of the 13 year-old's sad history so far, the ever-inquisitive 7 year-old subsequently requested the older boy to convey a similar solicitation for a brief bibliography to Mehmet and Vladimir.

When Petŭr competently obeyed John's request, his Turkish being better than his Greek, Mehmet's jaw dropped in horrified surprise. The young Ottoman now realised that the young Bulgar must have understood his entreaties in the castration chamber and therefore his real identity. However, the 8 year-old could not work out why the older boy had not so far revealed his knowledge to others, which could have earned him considerable rewards.

Knowing that John could not understand them, a worried Mehmet replied to Petŭr that he must already know his background. In response, the young Bulgar looked rather perplexed until recall came to his bright mind.

"You're not still going on about being Mehmet," Petŭr asked, "fourth son and heir of Sultan Bayezid I? I thought that was just a desperate lie to try to save your balls, as I'm sure that I'd have said similar stupid things to save mine if I hadn't been gagged. However, if you're still maintaining the fantasy, I have to assume that you're simply mad!"

Mehmet's face blushed and he stuttered "I'm sorry. I was just teasing!" The young Ottoman then gathered himself and proceeded to provide a carefully constructed but nevertheless occasionally faltering fictional biography, cleverly based on suppositions probably already given to the Byzantines by the Arab trader who had abducted him. The 8 year-old lied that he was the son of a Turkish nobleman from Bursa, whilst Vladimir had been his slave.

The damage, however, had already been done. The perceptive Petŭr, whilst still translating Mehmet's tale for the benefit of John, began to wonder whether the vehement protestations overheard in the castration chamber might somehow miraculously be true. After all, the 8 year-old's shouted objections to being gelded had, on reflection, been convincingly full of forceful belief, and the city from which he claimed to have been abducted did possess an Ottoman palace that was second in importance only to that in Edirne.

By the time that Petŭr had completed the translation of Mehmet's verbal biography for John, he was convinced that he had just conveyed a pack of lies to his new master. The 8 year-old's name meant nothing, as it was very common amongst Muslims. However, there were three other reasons for the young Bulgar's conclusion.

First, there had been Mehmet's earlier, clearly horrified reaction when discovering that Petŭr knew Turkish. Second, there were the desperate pleas that the 8 year-old had rendered with such forcefulness in the castration chamber. Third, there was the more recent suspiciously faltering rendition of the young Muslim's supposed history. However, before taking any action, the patient young Bulgar decided to wait awhile to become better acquainted with the younger boy in order to try to confirm his suspicions.

Petŭr did not like the idea of commencing his service for such a lovely prince as John by being party to deception. However, the young Bulgar also did not want to be unwisely precipitate. Nevertheless, by the time that the 13 year-old was unobtrusively supervising the game of hide and seek in the palace garden a week later, he had become even more sure about his conviction.

Petŭr had carefully watched virtually every move made by Mehmet over the past week. The two 13 and 8 year-olds, along with Vladimir, shared the same quarters, which were within those of their young Imperial master. The trio was also always together when with their prince.

Petŭr simply came to recognise, from Mehmet's conduct, mannerisms and reactions to certain situations, many of which were clearly subject to strenuous attempts to subdue true feelings and behaviour patterns, that the younger boy was much more than he had declared. The young Bulgar's conclusion was happily confirmed when he had furtively overheard Vladimir, presumably forgetfully, once referring to his fellow 8 year-old as "Majesty" rather than "Master" or "Sir". The latter would have been appropriate to their former mutual status if the young Turk had truly been the son of a Bursa noble but the title actually used could only relate to a prince.

Whilst supervising the game of hide and seek, Petŭr finally decided what he should do with the knowledge he had gained about Mehmet's real identity.

(Central Asian steppe [modern Kazakhstan], north of the Timurid Empire, same time)

The shaman knew Tamerlane's banner because he had once served as a mercenary in the conqueror's army before eventually deserting. As a result, he had become acquainted with the associated Turkic dialect, which was why he had been able to converse with Teimuraz.

The shaman, who had not realised or bothered to discover Teimuraz's association with the clearly currently bellicose Tamerlane, now tried to make his escape with the women, children and elderly of his people, whilst the numerous tribal warriors confronted the dreaded conqueror's much smaller force.

(Great Palace, Constantinople, Byzantine Empire [modern Istanbul in Turkey], same time)

Mehmet's lovely but suddenly worried brown eyes then glanced into the blue versions possessed by Petŭr. The Ottoman prince initially intended to answer negatively but the young Bulgar's facial expression clearly indicated that the secret was truly known by the 13 year-old. The concerned 8 year-old therefore decided on another desperate tactic.

Mehmet acknowledged the truth and began to beg once more, this time to encourage Petŭr not to reveal his secret. The 8 year-old outlined that it was his hope not to become a hostage of the Byzantine Emperor and his and Vladimir's ultimate intent to escape somehow. However, the young Bulgar, whose ethnicity provided him with a natural dislike of Ottoman Turks, replied "I don't want to deceive Prince John or create any chance that he might somehow be endangered by you or your ambitions. I therefore consider it my duty to reveal what I know!"

"Oh, please don't," Mehmet pleaded, with panic in his voice, "but instead allow me and Vladimir at least one chance to escape. My father's blockading armies are just outside Constantinople's western walls. We therefore haven't far to go. I also promise on the sacred Koran that no harm will ever come to John by our actions. We...." The young Ottoman's entreaty then tailed off. However, Petŭr was intrigued by what the younger boy had been intending to add and so asked him directly what he was about to say by repeating questioningly "We?"

"We, meaning both Vladimir and I," Mehmet then announced with sudden shyness, feeling sufficiently trapped to have to make the confession, "simply like John too much to allow any harm to befall him!" Petŭr, who, of course, now felt similarly about the 7 year-old Byzantine prince, could not prevent himself from smiling in response to the declaration.

Despite Petŭr's natural inclination to hate the conquerors of his homeland and the fact that Mehmet was a son of the leading perpetrator of such national subjugation, the young Bulgar had come to like the young Ottoman. Such endearment was only reinforced by this latest confession. The 13 year-old was therefore prepared to deal with the 8 year-old with some consideration, which was why he had first confronted him in the first place about what he had concluded rather than go straight to the relevant palace officials to share his beliefs with them.

Appropriate questioning, if necessary under torture, would then soon have elicited the complete truth from Mehmet about his identity. However, having experienced such torment, Petŭr's liking for the young Ottoman prince had encouraged him to forego the prospective rewards for his disclosures by instead suggesting to the 8 year-old that he should himself reveal his real status.

The bright 13 year-old Bulgar was sufficiently aware of 'realpŏlĭtik', especially as there had been so many similar prior examples, to know that the Byzantine Emperor would not harm his important captive. Petŭr's reasoning, which was actually shared by Mehmet, was that Manuel II Palaeologus would undoubtedly instead barter the young Ottoman in return for concessions from Bayezid I, probably involving the permanent lifting of the current Turkish blockade.

In Petŭr's opinion, such a settlement could only better the circumstances of Mehmet and the young Bulgar's new home, Constantinople, and, more importantly, new master, John. However, for reasons of personal honour, the young Ottoman instead preferred escape to becoming a hostage. Such disagreement now led to a rather fevered whispered argument between the 13 and 8 year-olds, whilst the young Byzantine prince and Vladimir continued their energetic friendly tussle on the grass nearby.

Petŭr, who was in a position to dictate a settlement to his differences with Mehmet if necessary, eventually came up with a compromise solution. "You tell John who you really are," the young Bulgar suggested, "and let him decide what should then be done about your predicament!"

Mehmet thought quietly about Petŭr's surprise proposal for a little while before eventually responding "Alright!" His decision was, of course, influenced by his newly acquired liking for John. However, a more important factor had been proud awareness of his own high status in life, ordained by Allah, and a new belief that the younger 7 year-old prince might share at least some of the associated divinely gifted personal attributes.

Mehmet truly believed that heavenly inspiration was a characteristic of his own direct male lineage, regardless of the age of the individual. He was therefore persuadable that such a superior quality might be granted to certain members of other Imperial families, even if they were enemy Christians. Consequently, the Ottoman prince decided that his Byzantine equivalent might possess sufficient qualifications to decide his immediate fate, and anyway he really had little choice but to accept Petŭr's proposal.

Only time would tell whether Mehmet's preliminary judgement about John was to prove correct.

(Central Asian steppe [modern Kazakhstan], north of the Timurid Empire, same time)

Tamerlane, however, did not extend his command to Rahu. The conqueror knew that his brave 'Little Limpet' would only disobey, the nullified 14 year-old always being resolutely determined to be a constant protection at his master's side.

Even from the distant perspective of the brow of the southern incline bordering the nomad's grassy summer pastures, and despite the crowd surrounding the scene within the temporary village below, Teimuraz was identifiable from the elevated location as being the object of much tribal interest. Tamerlane and his boys, not least the highly alarmed Arman and Sibur, also recognised that the naked 14 year-old was certainly a very unwilling participant in whatever was happening. The conqueror therefore had no hesitation in ordering an attack against the capable warriors, who were mounted on steppe ponies and were now riding out to meet him.

Tamerlane and his boys and men had been brought to this place by the efficient tracking of Arman and Sibur and the clever theorising of Vissarion. The wise and beautiful blonde, blue-eyed young Georgian eunuch had preceded the fictional Sherlock Holmes by half a millennium when he had proposed that, if all other factors in an investigation were eliminated, the one that remained must be relevant to the solution.

Consequently, having checked all other ideas relating to Teimuraz's mysterious disappearance and been left with investigating only the supposedly harmless nomads who had been encamped near Yasi, close to where the 14 year-old had gone missing, Tamerlane had agreed with his favourite's surprise proposition. The wondrous 20 year-old had suggested that the small wandering tribal grouping should be found to discover whether they somehow knew why his fellow young Georgian had vanished.

The tribal warriors far outnumbered Tamerlane's much smaller contingent of bodyguards, who mainly comprised mounted archers. The conqueror therefore, by his order, wanted first to make sure that his beloved boys were safe by not being involved in the imminent conflict, and were, in fact, ready to flee south into Timurid territory if the imminent skirmish was won by the enemy.

Satisfied that a certain four boys were indeed prepared to obey his command, Tamerlane then launched his assault on the enemy, with Rahu, Arman and Sibur at his side, along with the conqueror's youngest son, 20 year-old Shahrukh, and his 17 year-old groom, Todo, who was Teimuraz's older brother. Leaving Haluk, Nicolai, Rezan and Vissarion on the brow of the incline for safety, the small force galloped down the hill towards the enemy.

Haluk, Nicolai and Rezan then looked aside at the wise Vissarion, to whom they often deferred all matters of mutual importance for resolution. The resplendent young Georgian said nothing but instead withdrew his sabre in response.

Soon afterwards, a quartet of brave young warriors, flagrantly disobeying Tamerlane's order, was also galloping down the incline to face the enemy.

(Great Palace, Constantinople, Byzantine Empire [modern Istanbul in Turkey], same time)

"I thought that I might try to escape with Vladimir," Mehmet replied, "without becoming a hostage of your father. However, Petŭr suggested that I should not continue to deceive you but instead put my trust in you to decide what to do, and I agreed!"

"But I'm younger than you and you've only really known me for a week," John, who was wise beyond his tender years, retorted to the similarly gifted Mehmet, "so how can you be so trustful of my judgement?"

"It was quite simple really," the slightly older prince replied, swallowing some of his inherent natural pride, "because, in the week we've known you, you've made such a big impression on us all. If I hadn't been the heir to the Ottoman throne, I'd actually be very happy to remain your slave for life!"

(Central Asian steppe [modern Kazakhstan], north of the Timurid Empire, same time)

(Great Palace, Constantinople, Byzantine Empire [modern Istanbul in Turkey], same time)

Mehmet immediately presumed that John meant that the 7 year-old prince should surrender the 8 year-old version to the Byzantine Emperor. Although the young Ottoman would thereby lose some honour, he would nevertheless be safe and would eventually be returned unharmed to his father after a deal had been reached.

Mehmet was to proven very mistaken in his assumption.

(Central Asian steppe [modern Kazakhstan], north of the Timurid Empire, same time)

"Rather a delicious looking morsel," the grinning Arman suggested to Vissarion. "Yes," replied the latter, "but I prefer to eat beef!"

Despite being substantially greater in number, the nomadic warriors had been no match for Tamerlane's bodyguards, who, given their positions, were amongst the conqueror's best cavalrymen. The horse archers had first managed to kill or seriously maim many of the enemy or their ponies at a distance with arrows. The subsequent hand-to-hand combat between expert fighters on tall, fearless steeds and less experienced combatants on smaller, frightened animals had been similarly one-sided, quickly encouraging the surviving opposition to flee.

The fleeing nomads left behind hundreds of their dead and wounded. Several of the deceased had been surprised, just before blackness overwhelmed their minds, to receive their death blows from a ferocious boy whose age looked no more than about 12. Of course, Rahu was actually 2 years older. A few more of the enemy were equally amazed to be losing a fight with Tamerlane's other four boys, whose weaponry skills, although previously little used in actual combat, had been well honed by expert tutors.

Tamerlane's soldiers rapidly finished off the wounded, as the conqueror's cavalrymen had no real scope or motive to deal with such captives, and then began the pursuit of the fleeing enemy. However, after listening to Vissarion's compassionate counsel, the conqueror ordered his men to allow the subsequently captured but otherwise unharmed nomadic men, women and children to go free, with a warning never to practise their barbaric medicine again.

As an example of what would happen to them, if the conqueror ever heard that they had dishonoured his mercy by disobeying his demand, the tribal survivors were forced to watch the grisly demise of their shaman before they were released. It was the elderly priest-apothecary, rather than Tamerlane's boys, who was now skinned alive. His amazingly still-alive flayed body was then left to die slowly, impaled on a sturdy stake, firmly embedded in the sanguine pasture.

Meanwhile, Teimuraz now felt obliged to show Vissarion suitable thanks for brilliantly producing the theory that had led to the 14 year-old boy's salvation. Arman's young groom had, of course, been present, accompanying his Armenian master, when his fellow Georgian had confessed, over a year previously, his true princely identity in order to save the people of Kutaisi in their mutual homeland from their foolishness.

Consequently, being privy to the secret, the eternally grateful Teimuraz now acquired the habit of occasionally furtively calling his fellow Georgian 'Saint George', which referred to Vissarion's real name, which was Georgi in their native language.

(Bursa, Anatolia, Ottoman Empire [in modern Turkey], same time)

Bayezid I had concluded that the theory about the boys furtively venturing out of the local palace in order to embark on a little adventure, but then being abducted by scoundrels involved with the trading caravan that was simultaneously passing through Bursa, was probably correct. Mehmet and Vladimir were therefore probably already dead or enslaved in some distant place. However, the Sultan had also decided to take no chances and so had organised a further thorough search of the city and environs, including the nearby port of Mudanya on the Sea of Marmara.

Bayezid I did not only use his Janissary and white eunuch bodyguards, the staff and pupils of Edirne's acemi oglan or the members of military garrisons he had managed to enlist for his cause on the way to and in Bursa. The Sultan also forcibly recruited most of the able population of the city and surrounding communities. However, the local people's participation in the search was more enthusiastic than reluctant because of the huge reward on offer for the return alive of Mehmet or definitive news as to what had happened to the young prince.

Unfortunately, a surprising, complicating and unwanted by-product of the search was the many urchins, similarly featured boys about the same age as Mehmet, who came from far and wide to claim that they were the missing prince. Some were destitute street orphans, whilst others were pushed by impoverished families into making their assertions, which were partly prompted by strong rumours, actually based on fact, that Bayezid I rarely saw his youngest son. The theory was that the Sultan might not therefore recognise an impostor, especially if the man was stricken by grief and might consequently be prone in his despair to accepting someone similar to the missing child.

Of course, the idea was ridiculous for Bayezid I, as well as his wives and many of his closest courtiers, would easily be able to recognise an impostor. However, the desperation of the young claimants was such that they promoted themselves as the missing Mehmet regardless, thereby taking up much of the precious time of the Sultan's travelling officials. In the end, the latter, rather than investigating each false claim made by a scruffy urchin, simply resorted in frustration and annoyance to crops and whips to rid themselves of the mischievous, ragged fraudsters.

Meanwhile, the staff and pupils of the acemi oglan, including Kiril and Zoran, had been allocated the port of Mudanya in which to make their own contribution to the search for Mehmet and Vladimir. In order to assist local communications, the large school group had been allocated a military runner, a now 17 year-old Christian named Johann Schiltberger.

(Yasi [modern town of Turkestan in Kazakhstan], Timurid Empire, 1 week later)

"Yes, Lord!" Vissarion answered rather weakly and submissively to Tamerlane's threat. The naked young Georgian, having just been awoken from a short sleep by the feel of the knife and realising his master's real requirement, then carefully helped the conqueror to put the weapon to one side. The peerlessly beautiful 20 year-old, still looking 5 years younger, subsequently dutifully buried his immaculate face in the conqueror's hairy but recently washed and perfumed groin.

Tamerlane was soon moaning again. However, this time not in complaint about the disobedience of his boys, which he had forgiven as soon as he had seen them fighting ferociously, successfully and ultimately thankfully without harm in the brief skirmish with the steppe nomads. The conqueror was instead groaning whilst Vissarion once more brought him to climax, this time orally, as the man had already gained immense satisfaction from the young Georgian eunuch's anal orifice earlier on this warm summer night.

It was actually Nicolai's turn to perform his own expert fellatio on Tamerlane but he was sound asleep on the other side of his master from Vissarion and the conqueror had earlier decided not to disturb him, preferring instead to tease his somnolent young Georgian eunuch with his knife. The delighted man was also not going to refuse the 20 year-old's subsequent kind offer of volunteering to perform the similarly featured young Muscovite's oral duties.

(Constantinople, Byzantine Empire [modern Istanbul in Turkey], same time)

John's surprise resolution to Mehmet's situation was that the 8 year-old Turk must indeed be allowed furtively to escape with his slave, Vladimir, albeit, for their own safety, to the east rather than to the west. However, the young Byzantine prince, mature beyond his years, was not so unconcerned about the interests of his city and dynasty that he did not first reach a secret agreement about the future with his Ottoman equivalent.

If they had known about the situation, most people in Constantinople, including John's father and mother, would have been appalled at the boy's actions. They would undoubtedly have believed that the city would have benefited far more from holding Mehmet as a hostage and allowing the Byzantine Emperor to discuss an appropriate political trade with the Ottoman Sultan. However, sometimes such short-term adult solutions to problems do not match the wisdom inherent in longer-term youthful idealism, and this was to prove such an instance.

The small rowboat did not have to contend with passing the great chain across the entrance to the harbour of the Golden Horn, which divided Constantinople and was named after its shape and the colourful effect of the setting sun on the surface of the water. The formidable metal barrier stretched from the southern shore of the magnificent anchorage to the northern fortress of Galata, effectively preventing all shipping from entering or leaving until lowered.

The tiny vessel had instead set out on its perilous mission from a boat-shed actually located on the Bosporus, of which the Golden Horn was an inlet. The Imperial palace amenity had not been used since the arrival of enemy Turks on the opposite eastern side of the narrow strait and the commencement of the blockade. Nevertheless, John knew of its existence and how to reach there undetected when supposedly tucked up in bed.

The idea of smuggling Mehmet and Vladimir out of the well-guarded formidable western walls to the blockading Ottoman land army had quickly been dismissed as too dangerous. The odds that the boys would be detected and killed either by the Byzantines or the Turks, who would probably suspect that they were respectively spy escapees or infiltrators, was simply too great. John had alternatively suggested fleeing to the east by boat across the Bosporus. Bayezid I's forces had captured most of the narrow strait's Asian shore. However, the adventurous 7 year-old prince had insisted on travelling in the tiny vessel too, much to the horror of Petŭr, who had agreed to try to use his bigger physique to perform much of the necessary rowing.

The plan was for Petŭr to land Mehmet and Vladimir somewhere relatively safe on the less well-guarded eastern shore of the Bosporus before returning to Constantinople, as the young Bulgar now had no personal wish to escape his new existence with John. The brave 13 year-old had been prepared his risk his own life to fulfil the 7 year-old's scheme, both for the boy himself and the almost equally pleasant pair of 8 year-olds. However, the additional endangerment of his beloved Byzantine prince had not featured anywhere in his agenda until a certain set of determined sky blue eyes had managed to encourage him very reluctantly, and much against his better judgement, to change his mind.

The boys had chosen their night carefully and well. Clouds hid the moon so that moonlight might not give away the presence of their boat on the surface of the Bosporus. The water was also relatively calm, although the strait was notorious for sudden dangerous squalls.

As the young intrepid quartet set out from the European shore of the Bosporus, Petŭr quietly prayed that no such unwanted weather surprises would arise on this night.

(Tashkent [in modern Uzbekistan], Timurid Empire, several days later)

"Keep still," ordered Haluk, as he carefully poured a little soapy water into the upright wooden funnel. The latter was currently protruding from Nicolai's rectum.

As Haluk waited for the water to disappear slowly into Nicolai's insides, the young Kurd could not help but gently stroke the literally outstanding smooth curves of his fellow eunuch's buttocks. "You have a lovely bottom," the 15 year-old then announced, causing the 16 year-old Muscovite to turn his gorgeous head, crowned by a silky mane of golden hair and adorned by sensuous blue eyes, to respond with a smile "Thank you!"

Nicolai then truthfully added "Your bottom is just as lovely!" Haluk blushed slightly but, remembering his chore, did not return to the subject. The young Kurd instead ordered, as he removed the now empty funnel from the young Muscovite's rear, "Clamp!"

Haluk was, of course, addressing his command to Nicolai's anal muscles, which now had to try to contain the soapy water within his rectum for a few minutes before he moved to discharge the liquid into a waiting chamberpot. The 16 year-old was being subject to a regular enema, which was customary for those of Tamerlane's boys who were scheduled to entertain their master's cock inside their rear orifices overnight. The procedure would be continuously repeated until the expelled fluid showed no signs of discoloration.

As Nicolai later lay patiently to allow Haluk's finger to perform another task on his rear, namely the gentle greasing of his thoroughly cleansed rectum, the young Muscovite felt his cock harden slightly, despite the gelded nature of his genitalia. Such a phenomenon had long been common whenever the magnificent 16 year-old eagerly anticipated the imminent entertainment of his prostate.

(Samarkand, Transoxiana, Timurid Empire [in modern Uzbekistan], same time)

Consequently, both Ulugbeg and his weary nurses, who were currently faced with the sad prospect of another night without much sleep, prayed for Vissarion's swift return from his travels to the north with Tamerlane. Meanwhile, in a nearby bedchamber, someone else was also looking forward to the young Georgian eunuch's return.

Tamerlane's formidable Eldest Queen, or 'Bibi Khanum', Shadi Mulk Aka, was also waiting impatiently for the delightful Vissarion's return to Samarkand so that he could relate to her some of his renowned stories.

(Mudanya, Anatolia, Ottoman Empire [in modern Turkey], same time)

As Kiril and Zoran performed their duty, they noticed one of the eunuchs, responsible for overseeing their dormitory back in Edirne, using his crop on two filthy and dishevelled urchins, who appeared to be slightly younger than themselves. "Presumably", the young Bulgar commented to his Serbian friend in the Turkish tongue they now competently shared, "at least one of the boys must be claiming to be the missing prince". Such an occurrence was no longer a surprise, as many such children had made such desperately outrageous claims in recent days and felt the crops and whips of adults in return for their efforts. The young Janissary cadets invariably felt very sorry for the youngsters concerned, given that their appalling poverty must have encouraged them to make such fantastic assertions. 'Perhaps', the two 9 year-olds began to think, 'life in the acemi oglan might not be so bad after all'.

Meanwhile, the current recipients of the angry crop ran away from the clearly annoyed eunuch. The boys concerned had become very untidy and dirty over recent days, after successfully furtively landing on the eastern shores of the Bosporus and creeping through the fortunately porous local Turkish army lines without harm. Furbished with some packed food, the two 8 year-olds had then begun to walk southwest towards Mudanya, thinking, probably correctly, that no one would accept claims relating to their true identities until they encountered someone who could recognise them. Such people only existed, in this part of the world, in Bursa and so, believing that being premature about the revelation might only cause them trouble, they set out for that city.

The young duo eventually came across, just north of Mudanya, a group of uniformed men and boys clearly searching for something. Having being grumpily told by the eunuch they first met that the search was for Prince Mehmet and his similarly aged slave, the 8 year-olds were naturally now immediately prepared to reveal their identities.

The filthy and dishevelled boys were then very surprised to be, in response to their declaration, at the receiving end of the angered eunuch's crop. This was an unexpected reaction from which the 8 year-olds felt forced to run.

The tearful Mehmet and Vladimir then ran straight into Kiril and Zoran.

(Delhi, India, same time)

Of course, the boys presently had no idea, and would be very surprised to learn, that terrible disaster would, within the next year, befall the Sultan and his family, as well as the magnificent city in which they all resided.

Chapter 37
Delhi

Disaster befalls Delhi.

(Delhi, India, Summer, 1397)

(Great Palace, Constantinople, Ottoman Empire [modern Istanbul in Turkey], same time)

Helena Dragash was, of course, referring to Mehmet, who appeared to have somehow successfully run away with the similarly aged Vladimir, not only from the palace but also Constantinople. A search of the city for the 8 year-old fugitives had not found them and a significant cash reward for the return of the impertinent young slaves, deliberately set at a figure higher than the boys' market value, had gone unclaimed.

John and his remaining older boy slave, Petŭr, had expressed ignorance about what might have happened to Mehmet and Vladimir. Consequently, the Emperor and Empress were never to learn what had occurred, or be appraised of the real identity of the two missing boys. Eventually shrugging off the loss of property, the Imperial couple instead ordered the elderly senior palace eunuch, Nicephorus, to buy two more young slaves to act as their second son's play companions.

"Make sure this time," Helena Dragash commanded Nicephorus, "that both slaves are castrated before Prince John ever meets them!" Both Empress and elderly eunuch fully appreciated that the young prince would only again succeed in saving two more boyhoods if he learnt about the proposed purchases.

(Mudanya, Anatolia, Ottoman Empire [in modern Turkey], same time)

Kiril therefore halted the flight of the two filthy urchins, whose eyes were still tearful as a consequence of the pain and shock caused by being at the receiving end of the angered acemi oglan eunuch's crop. The young Bulgar did so simply by standing in their way and offering the boys in his uplifted hand the intended gift.

"I'm sorry about the eunuch's petulance," Kiril had said, "but to show that all members of the Janissary school aren't so testy, can I offer you both some compensation?"

Kiril's kind consideration was now to transform his life and that of Zoran.

(Great Palace, Constantinople, Ottoman Empire [modern Istanbul in Turkey], same time)

"I do too," Petŭr responded. "Do you think we'll ever see them again?" the 13 year-old Bulgar then enquired.

"I don't know," John answered, "but I hope we do. I also hope that Mehmet will keep his word about being friends for life, as such fellowship might someday prove important for both our peoples!"

(Mudanya, Anatolia, Ottoman Empire [in modern Turkey], same time)

There had been three main clues. First, the vocal tones of the two supposed urchins, used to express thanks for the bread, had been far too posh for peasant waifs. Second, a closer look at the dirty and torn clothing worn by the boys revealed that, under the grime, was rich, very well tailored cloth. Third, the pair obviously comprised a Turk and a Slav, which was exactly the combination for which the current intense search was being conducted.

Kiril tested his theory by bluntly asking the young Turk, to the utter amazement of his cadet companion, Zoran, "Are you Prince Mehmet?" Despite having his mouth full of bread, the face of the pretty 8 year-old, to whom the question was addressed, then immediately brightened with a broad smile at realisation that someone friendly had recognised him.

"Yes, I am Prince Mehmet," the 8 year-old eventually managed to reply in his sophisticated accent once he had swallowed his bread. Zoran's jaw then dropped in awe at both the identity of the boy before him and Kiril's cleverness in realising the fact.

(Constantinople, Ottoman Empire [modern Istanbul in Turkey], next day)

As before, the eunuch was looking for boys with a bit of spirit, although perhaps not as much as that apparently possessed by the last pair of 8 year-olds purchased here, whose vitality had been so great that they had run away. Nicephorus had also already alerted the Imperial castrator, who could expect to be practising his craft again soon.

(Bursa, Anatolia, Ottoman Empire [in modern Turkey], same time)

"This Prince John helped you escape despite knowing your true identity?" the Sultan rhetorically queried in astonishment, as he was acquainted about his youngest son's recent adventures from the boy's own sweet lips. "What did he ask for in return?" the suspicious Bayezid I then asked, sceptically believing that there was usually a price to pay for such acts of supposed generosity.

The freshly washed, groomed and richly redressed Mehmet truthfully answered "John wanted nothing except my continued friendship, which I was happy to grant!"

Bayezid I's incredulity was later compounded when Mehmet successfully pleaded for the release unharmed and return to their former posts of the black eunuchs and military commanders imprisoned in Bursa's gaol, awaiting execution for being negligent in their supervision of the prince's welfare. The boy's entreaties had been based on the suggestion that he had been entirely responsible for his own misfortune and therefore his servants should not suffer for his stupidity.

The 8 year-old's father eventually granted his youngest son's wish, even though he would have preferred not to be so generous.

(Great Palace, Constantinople, Ottoman Empire [modern Istanbul in Turkey], next day)

John, despite knowing that Petŭr could be severely punished if the young Bulgar failed to supervise the prince's welfare, had once more suddenly evaded all of his guards, including the 13 year-old version, and disappeared into vast complex of buildings, courtyards and gardens that formed the Great Palace. However, the 7 year-old was not just wandering but was on a mission that he thought that his new slave, given his instructions, might try to prevent.

John hoped to be able to complete his assignment before any adults learnt of his disappearance, thereby protecting Petŭr from harm. However, if the prince's escapade again unfortunately became parental knowledge, the prince's bright mind had also concluded that the usually selfless young Bulgar might, in retrospect, eventually accept a whipping in return for the ultimate success of the 8 year-old's sortie.

John's ambition to keep his objective secret was, however, ruined when Petŭr's equally bright mind suddenly realised where his prince might be heading.

(Bursa, Anatolia, Ottoman Empire [in modern Turkey], same time)

"Thank you, Majesty," Kiril and Zoran managed subsequently to respond in shocked delight in their now decent Turkish. However, the boys' rapture was then tempered when Bayezid I, never someone who liked to prolong audiences once relevant business had been concluded, commanded "You may now return to the acemi oglan!" Regardless of the Sultan's gratitude and how rich the boys had suddenly become, it appeared that the 9 year-olds were not to be excused training for Imperial service.

From displaying delighted amazement, the pretty faces of Kiril and Zoran quickly changed to exhibiting crestfallen dejection. However, this phenomenon had been fatefully noticed by Mehmet, who had been standing with his slave, Vladimir, beside his enthroned father. The 8 year-old prince had heard of the very harsh regime inflicted on Janissary cadets and therefore instantly recognised the reason for the sudden misery of his slightly older saviours.

"Father, you can't dismiss the cadets from my life just like that," Mehmet therefore considerately suggested, "as I believe that they should be allowed to serve me permanently. After all, don't you think that, given my recently well demonstrated occasional thoughtlessness about my own security, the strength of my bodyguards should be increased?"

"But these are merely 9 year-old boys," Bayezid I protested in reply, "who have years of training and growing to undergo before being ready to serve the Imperial family!" However, Mehmet was not going to allow his father's counter-argument to pass unchallenged.

"But father," Mehmet then cleverly continued, "don't you think that some boys who are about the same age as me, and who therefore share similar interests and needs, might be useful as additional protectors of my person, even if they are only currently partially trained for such service?"

Bayezid I pondered Mehmet's suggestion for a while and eventually concluded that the young prince's proposal had some merit. After all, his youngest son and nominated heir was growing older and therefore increasingly important and prone to danger, not least from his older brothers. Similarly aged young guards had the prospective benefit of being able to act as supplementary protectors at times when adults might be distracted. For example, the boys could assist Vladimir by keeping a watchful eye on the 8 year-old whilst simultaneously sharing his lessons or simply playing with him. Nevertheless, the Sultan also believed that the military training of the cadets in the acemi oglan had to continue.

Consequently, father and son reached a compromise solution to the issue. Now that the threat to Ottoman European possessions from the Christian Crusade was over, Mehmet would return to Edirne and Kiril and Zoran would then split their time in that city between continued training in the acemi oglan and serving the prince in the local palace.

Meanwhile, certain previously impoverished Bulgar and Serbian families, which had been forced to give sons up to the Turkish devshirmeth, would suddenly receive substantial financial windfalls from the miraculously prospering boys, whom they were nevertheless still not allowed to see again. Additionally, a particular supervisory eunuch pertaining to the acemi oglan, who had failed to recognise Mehmet and Vladimir a few days previously, had been punished. He had first been stripped and severely flogged with his own crop, which had earlier hit the prince and his slave, and was then banished to perform poorly paid minor administrative work in a remote fortress on the eastern border of the Ottoman domains. The posting was one of the least sought after within the Imperial service because the fortification concerned was located not only in very poor, arid, desolate terrain but also on the dangerously rarely peaceful frontline with the Mamluk and Timurid Empires.

(Great Palace, Constantinople, Ottoman Empire [modern Istanbul in Turkey], same time)

"Nicephorus will undoubtedly soon provide you with two more young boys, destined for my service, to castrate," John had perceptively advised before adding "but I again command you not to do the deed. As previously, I'll sort the matter out with my father and mother so that my order with not be countermanded!"

After the earlier experience, the frustrated castrator had no doubt that John would succeed in ensuring the success of his aim. The craftsman therefore sadly put the tools of his trade away, just as Petŭr arrived at his door to collect the departing prince.

"How did you know I'd be here?" a smiling John asked of Petŭr. "I know you much better now, Majesty," a relieved young Bulgar answered, as he escorted his prince back to the 8 year-old's palatial quarters, "so I realised what you'd probably be trying to do. I worked out that you'd be generously trying to save the boyhoods of the pair of young slaves whom your parents will undoubtedly be planning to give you to replace Mehmet and Vladimir!"

"That was very perceptive of you," John remarked in reply. "Thank you, Majesty," Petŭr responded, his original worry and annoyance now totally deflated by again being in the presence of his beloved prince and relishing the boy's characteristic consideration for others. The young Bulgar could also not help but reflect that the Byzantine Empire could only benefit greatly if someone with the child's marvellous personal attributes ever attained the Imperial throne.

Shortly afterwards, two new 8 year-old slave boys were presented to John by the prince's doting parents. Much to Helena Dragash's secret dislike, both of the young gifts had retained their testes.

(Bursa, Anatolia, Ottoman Empire [in modern Turkey], same time)

As a captive European Christian, Imperial policy meant that Johann was not allowed to return with the grateful Bayezid to Edirne, from where escape back to his homeland might be easier. The youth instead had to remain in Asian Anatolia.

Many of the palace Janissaries were very pleased to be allocated such a handsome runner, although their delight had more to do with the lustful aspirations of their manly penises rather than military considerations.

(Edirne, Ottoman Empire [in modern Turkey], a few months later, Autumn, 1397)

Respect, however, for Kiril and Zoran, which was already significant amongst their instructors, supervisors and fellow pupils, increased still further. The boys acquired such admiration not only for their recent achievement and associated new wealth, the residue of which, after making hefty contributions to their families, was being kept safely in trust until their eventual retirement from Imperial service. The 9 year-olds also gained such regard because they retained their modesty and consideration for others despite spending half of each week in far more splendid surrounds than the acemi oglan, with far more important people.

Everyone within the acemi oglan additionally fully realised where the careers of two very able and apparently lucky boys, who were now very friendly with Prince Mehmet, and about whose school progress the Sultan himself regularly enquired, could finish.

(Samarkand, Transoxiana [in modern Uzbekistan], 6 months later, Spring, 1398)

Tamerlane felt that his presence was needed in order to speed the slow construction work. The sexagenarian conqueror had begun to feel his mortality and so wanted to see the various buildings completed before he died. Given that the potential dreadful consequences of his feared temper were a far greater stimulus to performance than financial or other incentives, his policy of personal supervision was undoubtedly the best option, even if it entailed a significant personal sacrifice.

In keeping with his agreement with his redoubtable Eldest Queen, with the exception of the now 21 year-old Vissarion, Tamerlane's boys were presently diplomatically accommodated outside of Samarkand. Whilst in his capital, the conqueror was expected to perform regular conjugal duties in respect of his younger wives and resist his preference for his beloved catamites.

Local exile, however, no longer applied to Vissarion, who was housed in the palace. The beautiful young Georgian eunuch was not needed for his master's bed but was required instead to provide regular counsel for the conqueror and perform certain story-telling duties for the Bibi Khanum, Shadi Mulk Aka, and the much less formidable 3 year-old Ulugbeg.

Tamerlane had now just listened to a tall story. However, this tale was contained in a supposedly factual verbal report related by his ambassador to the Sultan of Delhi, who had recently returned to Samarkand to complain personally about the Indian ruler.

The fanatically Islamic ambassador, who hated Mahmud Tughluq's liberal attitude to non-believers, had falsely accused the Sultan of many perfidies, including profaning the faith, insulting Tamerlane and plotting war against the conqueror. In fact, it was the emissary who was actually conspiring to cause conflict, as he wanted to coax his master into attacking the Delhi Sultanate in order to institute a more extreme Muslim regime, one that was intolerant of other faiths and was hopefully led by himself. The envoy was aware that such a plan would be supported by some of the more avariciously bellicose Timurid military commanders, who would be desirous of the vast plunder such a campaign could garner in such a rich land.

"With all due respect to your emissary," Vissarion answered, "I do believe that he holds rather extreme Islamic views. His complaints about Mahmud Tughluq might therefore be tainted. Consequently, I suggest that you send someone trustworthy with him back to Delhi to double-check the situation." The 20 year-old diplomatically refrained from mentioning that he had noticed the envoy's look of pure disgust at seeing that the young Christian eunuch bumboy was in the conqueror's close entourage when the verbal ambassadorial report had been delivered.

"Whom do you suggest that I send?" Tamerlane next asked, clearly conceding his favourite boy's points without further comment. "Me!" Vissarion replied, knowing that his master sadly had little need for the 21 year-old's gorgeous young body whilst he dutifully spent at least some of the summer in Samarkand with his wives.

Vissarion was later to regret his one word response for as long as he lived.

(Khyber Pass [between modern Afghanistan and Pakistan], 1 month later)

Vissarion's most persuasive argument, apart from his famous disarming smile and sparkling blue eyes, had been that the Muslim Sultans of Delhi had never been known to betray the sacred customs of hospitality. The young Georgian thereby successfully contested that his official mission should therefore be safe from any harm from Mahmud Tughluq.

Meanwhile, Tamerlane's ambassador to the Sultan of Delhi had for two reasons been secretly furious at his master's announcement that Vissarion should accompany him back to India, although the devious emissary hid his ire well. First, the envoy did not want anyone to find out that he had been telling lies to the conqueror. Second, he abhorred the idea of being in any way associated with the young foreign infidel eunuch whore.

The ambassador, however, also appreciated that he had to accept the situation if he wanted to live. No one could expect to complain about the 21 year-old Georgian tart and survive Tamerlane's consequent wrath.

The emissary therefore put on a show of agreeable affability towards Vissarion throughout the long journey southeast from Samarkand to Delhi. As the ambassadorial caravan progressed slowly over the barren and treeless Hindu Kush and then through the Khyber Pass to the Peshawar plains and the valley of the Indus, the envoy contentedly believed that he had successfully managed to hide his real attitude of intense hatred towards the young Georgian.

Throughout the lengthy journey, the ambassador also happily appreciated that, to prevent Vissarion discovering and reporting the truth about his lies, he would have to kill the young Georgian whore and he had already decided where and how he would perpetrate the pleasurable deed. The emissary would wait until Delhi was reached and then poison Tamerlane's beloved tart. The envoy would then immediately flee the city, claiming that Sultan Mahmud Tughluq had commissioned the murder and that he himself had just managed to avoid the same fate.

'Surely,' the ambassador blissfully assumed, 'the deeply grieving and enraged Tamerlane would then feel compelled to reek terrible retribution against the Muslim Sultan of Delhi and his largely infidel Hindu subjects'. The emissary was to prove correct in his supposition.

(Delhi, India, 1 month later)

The emissary and Vissarion were subsequently received in the city's palace with appropriate polite formality and generous hospitality amidst immense splendour by the expectant Mahmud Tughluq. The ruler of the Delhi Sultanate had been made aware, by despatch riders send by relevant local governors, of the approach and composition of the ambassadorial caravan throughout the many days that the slow convoy had been traversing the northwest of his huge domains.

The now 11 year-old Ahmed stood adjacent to his father during all of the ceremonies. The prince had been delighted to be introduced to the very pleasant, fair, golden haired boy with sparkling blue eyes who was amazingly supposed to be one of the feared Tamerlane's principal advisers. The young Muslim was also surprised to be quietly briefed by his parent's own counsellors that the beautiful Vissarion was not the 16 years of age that he looked but actually half a decade older.

Vissarion, who was actually astutely aware of the accompanying emissary's dislike for him, and of the reasons for such distaste, now further annoyed the envoy by accepting Mahmud Tughluq's offer of accommodation in the Sultan's palace rather than at the ambassadorial residence. The young Georgian believed that such separation from his master's local representative might enable him to elicit more quickly the truth about the ruler of Delhi's attitudes and intentions in respect of Tamerlane.

Subsequently, however, the ambassador's early annoyance at the special accommodation arrangements awarded Vissarion turned out to be short lived. The emissary instead rapidly appreciated that, if he could somehow poison the young whore whilst the tart was a direct guest of Mahmud Tughluq in the Sultan's palace, then his lie about the host being the instigator of the imminent planned murder would only be made more believable.

(Great Palace, Constantinople, Ottoman Empire [modern Istanbul in Turkey], same time)

Petŭr was lying naked on his bed in his own palatial chamber, which was adjacent to the larger one belonging to the supposedly dozing John. The young Bulgar, whose sexually infatuated mind had actually just been dreaming of the physical charms of his young prince, was rubbing with his right hand his rampantly erect, precum-dribbling cock.

Any boy who had passed through pubescence would therefore have known, from the visual evidence, the answer to John's question. However, the gorgeous, now 8 year-old prince had not yet reached such a stage of life and was therefore still innocently ignorant of certain facts.

Before Petŭr had time to reply to John's enquiry, the young Bulgar's unruly body instead chose to react first in a different way to the beautiful young boy's unexpected presence. In response to the immaculate vision of the living prince standing nearby, the throbbing cock of the now 14 year-old embarrassingly exploded with a veritable fountain of sperm. Consequently, the surprised but still curious 8 year-old's next question naturally referred to the recently witnessed orgasm and flying ejaculate.

The intrigued John enquired of Petŭr, who was slowly recovering from the pleasurable acute intensity of his latest productive climax, "What's just happened to you and what's that white gooey stuff on your face and body?"

(Delhi, India, same time)

The slave grinned, after using the supposedly amusing couple of rhyming words, before continuing more seriously "My master suggests that you might instead prefer to drink the juice in this flagon, which he brought from Samarkand."

"Please thank the ambassador for his kind consideration," Vissarion responded, whilst accepting the proffered gift.

(Samarkand, Transoxiana [in modern Uzbekistan], shortly afterwards)

Arman, deeply frightened by the worrying feelings that had suddenly invaded his handsome body, shouted "Vissarion!"

(Delhi, India, same time)

Tamerlane's joyous ambassador subsequently used the cover of darkness to flee Delhi, as he was in a hurry to be the first to convey the news of Mahmud Tughluq's treacherous perfidy and Vissarion's murder to his master.

(Outside the walls of Delhi, India, 3 months later, September 1398)

The conqueror had now declared no mercy for the ruler and inhabitants of Delhi, or for the fabric of the city itself, as he ordered his army to perform, what their leader correctly judged would be, the final successful assault on the metropolis' now crumbling walls. None of Tamerlane's surviving boys argued with their master's ruthless order, as they felt that they had lost a dearly beloved brother because of the perfidiousness of the local Sultan and his people.

Even Arman had been convinced by the returning ambassador's report about Vissarion's murder, ignoring strange feelings that his oldest and best friend was somehow still alive, albeit in great danger. Along with Haluk, Nicolai, Rahu and Rezan, as well as the rest of the army, amongst whom the deceased young Georgian had always been very popular, the young Armenian therefore not only agreed with Tamerlane's savage command.

Arman, Haluk, Nicolai, Rahu and Rezan also insisted on taking a full part in the imminent implementation by the dreaded conqueror's army of their master's brutal order, which would involve the merciless bloody sacking of Delhi. The deeply grieving and wrathful Tamerlane was not in a mood to deny his similarly suffering remaining boys such a vengeful pleasure.

Consequently, Tamerlane and his surviving boys and army were full of furious bloodlust, as Delhi's external defences were finally breached.

(Inside the walls of Delhi, India, same time)

"Pray to Allah for deliverance!" was all that the despairing Mahmud Tughluq could manage to mutter in reply.

Chapter 38
Damascus

There are only three chapters of this saga to go. In this episode, yet another city, this time Damascus, experiences the wrath of the dreaded Tamerlane. However, more personally important for certain boys, certain other events take place in the vicinity of the Syrian capital that will affect their lives forever.

(Damascus, Syria, Mamluk Empire, September 1398)

Ahmad Jalayir had ambitions of trying to reclaim Baghdad whilst Tamerlane was busy in India. However, his aspirations were in time to rebound nastily onto his current host city of Damascus.

(Inside the walls of Delhi, India, same time)

Mahmud Tughluq was very reluctant now to flee Delhi and leave the city's inhabitants to suffer at Tamerlane's bloody vengeful hands. The Sultan would have preferred to die with his people. However, he believed that he had no choice but to indulge in flight.

Mahmud Tughluq was totally unconcerned about his own welfare but he realised that he had a duty to attempt to protect the many other cities, towns and villages within the vast Sultanate. If he allowed himself to be feebly slain in Delhi, there would be no one with sufficient authority to organise suitable resistance to protect the rest of his domains against Tamerlane's undeserved wrath. There was also the security of his son and heir, who had earlier resolutely and ultimately unarguably refused to be evacuated to a safe sanctuary, and the future of his dynasty to consider.

Mahmud Tughluq appreciated that his flight would be portrayed as cowardly by his enemies. However, he selflessly accepted that he would just have to suffer such slanderous opprobrium in order to salvage what he could of the previously peaceful and prosperous Sultanate and his own family's destiny.

Mahmud Tughluq therefore reluctantly led his 11 year-old son, Ahmed, and the boy's similarly aged slave, Krishnan, into the basement of one of the many buildings within his palace complex, where the hidden entrance of the secret escape tunnel was located. He did so just as the first of Tamerlane's soldiers, weaponry already well used and bloody, burst in through the gates of the residence. The conqueror's warriors then easily overcame the Sultan's personal bodyguards. The latter were few in number, which was a refection of the fact that the local ruler had never previously been seriously endangered in his homeland because of his general popularity amongst all classes and religions.

The streets outside the palace were already awash with blood, severed limbs, decapitated heads and dead bodies, including those of non-combatant men, women and children. In fact, Tamerlane's awful revenge for the murder of his beloved Vissarion would create 80,000 corpses, with virtually no inhabitant of Delhi found alive being allowed to remain in this world for long. Much of the city's infrastructure was also to be destroyed, whilst its great wealth was plundered.

On his way to the escape tunnel, Mahmud Tughluq gathered round him many of his petrified officials and slaves so that his loyal servants could join him in flight. However, one individual, who was too ill for travel, had to be left behind, much to the concern of the Sultan's son, Ahmed.

Ahmed believed that the relevant person would probably be slaughtered amidst the undoubted mayhem of the imminent ransacking of the palace. The young prince was therefore very reluctant to accept his father's reassurance that such a sad fate was not inevitable.

Mahmud Tughluq's large party of desperate, frightened escapees eventually entered the long, dark, narrow tunnel that would lead them all to safety. The Sultan believed that Ahmed and Krishnan were following him until he emerged in the fragmented sunlight filtering through to the distant copse, situated safely beyond Delhi's eastern walls.

The two lovely 11 year-olds were, however, now nowhere to be seen.

(Edirne, Ottoman Empire [in modern Turkey], same time)

Ever since he had come to know Kiril in the year before, Mehmet had experienced a strange feeling that he had somehow met the young Bulgar previously. However, a brief autobiographical résumé provided by the young Janissary cadet had proven that such an occurrence could not possibly have taken place.

Today, Kiril had been forced to stand aside to await the conclusion of the game of hide and seek, as he had been successfully discovered in his garden hiding place by the searching Mehmet. Subsequently, however, before the young Ottoman renewed his exploration to find the other pair of concealed boys, the pose and silhouette of the young Bulgar triggered the princely 9 year-old's recall.

Mehmet remembered someone else with almost matching features adopting a similar stance in Constantinople, whilst supervising the similar garden play of John, Vladimir and the Ottoman prince, just prior to revealing that he had perceptively guessed the real identity of the young Turk. The 9 year-old suddenly realised why he had thought that he had met Kiril previously.

Subsequent, more comprehensive research into Kiril's biography proved to Mehmet that his conjecture about an amazing coincidence was correct.

(Outside the walls of Delhi, India, same time)

Mahmud Tughluq initially had to be physically restrained from embarking on his unwise mission by his officials and slaves. Genuine concern for the welfare of their beloved master had encouraged the servants into such sacrilegious action against the sacred person of their popular Sultan.

Nevertheless, it was actually subsequent emotional blackmail that then prevented Mahmud Tughluq from re-entering the tunnel. The Sultan was reminded why he was fleeing Delhi in the first place, namely to safeguard other communities and the rest of his family, who had, as a precaution, been sent weeks previously to Banaras. He was also bluntly told that Ahmed was certainly already dead and so his more important duty now was towards his other younger sons and daughters.

As Mahmud Tughluq was subsequently led from the copse to safety amidst his eastern domains, the Sultan's face streamed with tears for the loss of Delhi, the city's inhabitants and his beloved eldest son.

(Edirne, Ottoman Empire [in modern Turkey], same time)

"Father," Mehmet replied to Bayezid I, "I'd like to ask you to secure justice for someone to whom we both owe a favour!"

(Inside the walls of Delhi, India, same time)

Then, suddenly, the door of the bedchamber in which the unarmed Ahmed and Krishnan were cowering burst open. Six bearded soldiers, bearing scimitars dripping blood and wearing the distinctive spiked helmets of Tamerlane's forces, subsequently entered the room.

Ahmed and Krishnan perhaps fortunately could not understand what one of the men now said in response to observing the very pretty boys present in the bedchamber. The soldier lecherously asked rhetorically "Well, what do we have here?" He then went on to answer his own question by declaring "I bet they're three of Mahmud Tughluq's bumboys!"

The suddenly smiling soldier, hidden cock beginning to throb, then turned to his comrades and suggested "Well, men, shall we let the young whores perform their role in life before we slit their pretty little throats?"

(Great Palace, Constantinople [modern Istanbul in Turkey], same time)

Of course, Manuel II Palaeologus gave no thought to the fact that there might be a connection between the gradual lifting of the blockade of Constantinople and the mysterious disappearance in the previous year of his second son's two new slaves, Mehmet and Vladimir. No news had reached the Emperor's ears that Bayezid I's youngest son had gone missing shortly before, as the Sultan had successfully suppressed all talk about the embarrassing matter.

Those who ignored the official Ottoman line that the incident was never to be referred to again, as it had in the end proved just to be a silly prank on the part of Mehmet, were likely to suffer unpleasant execution. As a consequence, those who were aware of the peculiar happening, including the population of Bursa and surrounds, were more than happy to remain forever silent about the affair.

Bayezid I had not just lifted the blockade because he felt that he owed the Byzantines, or at least their young Prince John, a favour or because Mehmet pleaded with him to do so in part payment of his own debt. The Sultan was already considering the redeployment of his forces because of four other factors.

First, there was the continuing huge cost, in terms of both manpower and money, of maintaining the blockade, which represented resources that could certainly now be better spent elsewhere. Second, there was the obvious ineffectualness of the siege in respect of starving Constantinople into surrender, which resulted from the shortcomings of the Turkish navy that had allowed smuggling of goods into the city to proceed largely unhindered. Third, there were worries about the activities of Tamerlane and the Mamluks on the eastern borders of the Ottoman domains. Fourth, there was Bayezid I's own ambition to expand his Empire in the east.

Consequently, Bayezid I thought that the time was probably ripe to recognise that the current blockade of Constantinople was going to prove ultimately fruitless and wasteful. The Sultan instead now considered it better to re-deploy his military might for other projects, initially of a defensive and then of an offensive type.

Bayezid I had concluded that the conquest of the small remnant of the Byzantine Empire could await a more opportune time, probably after the further strengthening of the Ottoman forces, especially the navy. However, logistical considerations meant that the well-entrenched armies besieging Constantinople took a year to be properly re-garrisoned elsewhere.

"I don't know," Helena Dragash responded to Manuel II Palaeologus' question, "but perhaps Bayezid is worried about Tamerlane. I know that dreadful man is busy in India at present. However, we've learnt from our spies that he has ambitions to conquer the other regional Muslim Empires, those of the Ottomans and Mamluks, so that he can become the world's supreme Islamic ruler."

"Let's just hope," the Empress added, "that, if Tamerlane does come this way, he had no ambitions in respect of Constantinople!"

Given what the conqueror was currently responsible for in another of the world's great cities, Delhi, Helena Dragash was right to fear the possible consequences of such a move.

(Inside the walls of Delhi, India, same time)

Brutal rape and death also now threatened Ahmed and Krishnan.

(Samarkand, Transoxiana, Timurid Empire [in modern Uzbekistan], same time)

Ulugbeg had been permanently morose since the dreadful news of Vissarion's murder in Delhi had reached Samarkand 3 months previously. In order to try to cheer the boy, Shadi Mulk Aka had just tried to retell to the 4 year-old some of the wonderful stories the young Georgian had once related to both of them. However, her efforts only caused mutual tears because of recall that both of their lives had lost someone very special.

Shadi Mulk Aka normally managed to hide grief well. However, on this occasion, as she was alone with Ulugbeg, she chose not to do so. The normally formidable Bibi Khanum believed instead that she might gain some relief from her own depression by allowing her real, lachrymose emotions, felt because of Vissarion's loss, to come to the fore.

Shadi Mulk Aka had already gained some consolation by encouraging her husband to embark on his vengeful mission to Delhi. The Bibi Khanum had also imprisoned her soothsayers, who had, apparently incorrectly, advised her that Vissarion would play a major future role in the lives of both Tamerlane's youngest son, Shahrukh, and youngest grandson, Ulugbeg.

(Inside the walls of Delhi, India, same time)

"Who's that lying on the bed, apparently being looked after by the two boys?" Arman then asked, whilst he purposefully and increasingly excitedly strode forward to try to answer his own question, as he thought that he recognised the unconscious form. Soon afterwards, the suddenly tearful Armenian was holding the hand of the somnolent shape, whilst simultaneously repeatedly naming the person.

"Vissarion!" Arman continuously exclaimed in joyful amazement, which was slightly tempered by the fact that the still breathing young Georgian would not wake up.

(Bursa, Anatolia, Ottoman Empire [in modern Turkey], same time)

Johann Schiltberger really had little choice about becoming the unit's sexual plaything for four reasons.

First, there was little need in peacetime for a runner and so Johann Schiltberger's duties were very light and largely confined to the sexual hothouse that was the small local Janissary barracks. Second, if the 18 year-old proved reluctant or petulant in respect of sharing with his comrades the undoubted substantial allures of his body, the soldiers could make life very nasty for him. Third, the youth could, on the other hand, enjoy an even more comfortable existence because of the kindnesses he would receive in return for the physical favours he provided for his colleagues. Fourth, he himself needed and thoroughly enjoyed the relevant activities.

Consequently, Johann Schiltberger quickly and rather happily became the young male whore of the Janissary barracks. This was a circumstance that, like many other facts, he was to exclude from his later biased, rather personally whitewashing and inaccurate autobiography, which he later wrote.

Four 15^th century manuscripts of Johann Schiltberger's dubious remembrances remain extant today in a quartet of German libraries.

(Inside the walls of Delhi, India, same time)

"Can you speak either Farsi or Arabic?" the multi-lingual Ahmed enquired tremulously in both languages. Arman understood the questions, as he was similarly linguistically gifted. The young Armenian possessed some knowledge of both tongues through his Persian ancestry, copious travels and association with Tamerlane's other boys.

Rezan and Rahu were both Farsi-speaking Persians, even though the latter was of the Zoroastrian rather than Muslim faith, and Haluk was a Kurd, whose ill-defined nation bordered that of the other two boys. The young trio also all spoke decent Arabic, as their peoples had cause to have many dealings with the neighbouring Arabs.

Arman now discovered from Ahmed's sweet rosy lips what had befallen Vissarion and he was later to forever regret that he had not believed his own emotions, which had suggested that his oldest and best friend was still alive, albeit in danger.

(Palace of the Ming Emperor, Nanjing, China, same time)

Zhu Di was accompanied on his visit by a large entourage of personal advisors, most genitally nullified. 27 year-old Ma He was amongst the Prince of Yan's courtiers and servants.

Ma He had been considerately provided with a fellow, younger local eunuch, 12 year-old Chi Le, by the Emperor's own palace officials. The boy was to provide menial serice for the guest and help him renew acquaintance with the Imperial residence in Nanjing.

Chi Le had been deliberately thoughtfully selected by the local officials because he shared Ma He's original ethnicity. Both nullified eunuchs were Muslims, from the Hui people of Yunan, which was situated on the border between China and Burma.

Perhaps because of their shared background, Ma He and Chi Le liked each other almost instantly. This development encouraged the adult guest to ask local officials later for the boy's permanent transfer to the service of Zhu Di, a favour that was kindly granted as a gift to the important servant of the Prince of Yan. Consequently, soon afterwards, the 12 year-old eunuch fatefully found himself travelling, with his new, similarly nullified master, from the current Chinese capital of Nanjing to the future one of Beijing.

The journey was to be one of many important trips with Ma He that Chi Le was to make in the course of his long, adventurous and significant life.

(Inside the walls of Delhi, India, same time)

Ahmed had revealed to Arman that the danger that the young Armenian had felt had befallen his beloved Vissarion was the coma the young Georgian had been in ever since drinking some of the fruit juice supplied by Tamerlane's ambassador.

Vissarion had subsequently been kept alive only by the careful, expert treatment proffered by Mahmud Tughluq's doctors. The physicians' remedies included frequent forced consumption of food and water and regular subjection to bed baths, massage and movement to keep the unconscious young Georgian's still miraculously wonderful body as clean, subtle and comfortable as possible

Ahmed also revealed to Arman that he and his Hindu slave, Krishnan, had spent a lot of their own time checking on Vissarion's wellbeing, regularly sitting with and talking to the unconscious young Georgian in order to try to wake him from his coma. Having taken an instant liking to the 21 year-old in the short time they had known him when he had been conscious, the two boys had additionally bravely refused to leave him to his fate after Tamerlane's soldiers had invaded the palace. The 11 year-olds had feared that the warriors might not recognise the young eunuch and so might kill him during their attack on the Sultan's residence.

The real position regarding Vissarion could not previously be conveyed to Tamerlane because the acutely grieving and enraged conqueror, partly at the incitement of the wicked ambassador, had executed every emissary sent by Mahmud Tughluq to try to inform the clearly misinformed invader about the true situation. However, the brave Ahmed and Krishnan hoped that they might have better success with the soldiers who eventually came to the young Georgian's bedchamber. The bold but perhaps foolhardy boys reasoned that they might be able to persuade the warriors about the identity of the unconscious patient before the young trio was killed. In fact, only Arman's highly fortunate arrival saved the courageous plan from proving fatally disastrous.

Arman's certainty that Ahmed was telling him the truth resulted from two pieces of evidence. One was based merely on personal opinion but the other was founded on visible proof.

Arman was generally a good judge of character and his judgement told him to believe in the truthfulness of the story related by the 11 year-old boy before him. Moreover, further and completely undeniable evidence of the veracity of the tale was provided by the form of the still living, albeit comatose, Vissarion.

(Ikhtiman [in modern Bulgaria], Ottoman Empire, 1 month later)

Dimitŭr found a uniformed 10 year-old boy standing outside, whose features seemed somehow familiar. "Who and what are you," the fat merchant asked, "and what do you want?"

"I am Kiril, a Janissary cadet," the boy answered in his native Bulgarian, "and I've come to arrest you!"

(Outside the walls of Delhi, India, same time)

Of course, Tamerlane and his forces had later become ashamed of their actions when they discovered the truth relating to Vissarion but the damage had already been done to terrible effect. However, in recognition of his error, the conqueror finally received one of Mahmud Tughluq's emissaries and agreed to a truce, which enabled the Sultan subsequently to sent an army of citizens to give proper funeral rites to the tens of thousands of dead in his devastated capital.

Tamerlane also presented, via the Sultan's emissary, a gift to Mahmud Tughluq, in the form of a certain dishonest and scheming ambassador, who had accompanied his master to Delhi in the hope of becoming the governor of the new Indian Timurid province. However, instead of appointing his former envoy to the position, which would now never exist, the conqueror personally cut out the man's lying tongue.

Tamerlane then placed the speechless and shamefully naked former ambassador in a cage located on the back of an open wagon. The vehicle would return with Mahmud Tughluq's own emissary to the holy city of Banaras, to where the Sultan had fled.

Mahmud Tughluq was subsequently naturally delighted to be advised by his brave returning emissary, who had been very grateful to retain his head in stark contrast to his less fortunate predecessor envoys to Tamerlane, that Ahmed and Krishnan were still alive. The Sultan had also been initially amazed to learn why the courageous 11 year-old boys had furtively slipped back out of the escape tunnel to remain instead in the Delhi palace, protectively besides the unconscious form of Vissarion. However, in retrospect, his surprise ebbed, as he remembered his oldest son's characteristic bold selflessness and the fact that similar attributes applied to the prince's similarly aged slave, who would never have left his young master's side whatever the perilous circumstances.

Mahmud Tughluq was also naturally delighted to see the former ambassador again, the man who had been responsible for 80,000 deaths in Delhi, as well as the destruction of the city's infrastructure, especially as the caged prisoner was no longer physically capable of complaining about the Sultan's religious liberality. Ahmed's father was also reasonably hospitable to his gift from Tamerlane, providing his captive with as much water as he wanted whilst he remained in his tiny prison, which was now suspended above the main gate of Banaras. Of course, the local ruler's largesse towards his unexpected guest would not extend to food during his long enforced stay, after which what little flesh was left on his emaciated and starved dead body would be fed to local carrion.

Mahmud Tughluq's relief at discovering that Ahmed and Krishnan had somehow survived the Delhi massacre was tempered by the fact that Tamerlane was retaining the boys as hostages. Despite the conqueror's sorrow for the mistaken local slaughter and devastation, he was not yet prepared to release the 11 year-olds, especially as he was compelled to remain in the environs of the destroyed city because his doctors had advised him that his beloved Vissarion was too ill to travel.

Tamerlane was wary that Mahmud Tughluq might now sometime attempt a surprise betrayal of the agreed truce in order to seek his own retribution for what had been unjustly inflicted on Delhi. The captive Ahmed and Krishnan were effective guarantees that such vengeful reprisals would not be undertaken.

Consequently, Ahmed and Krishnan were accommodated in a large, closely guarded and luxuriously appointed tent in the middle of Tamerlane's vast military encampment, which was outside the walls of Delhi on the banks of the River Jumna. The 11 year-old boys, who were now considered heroes by the conqueror and his entourage for their bravery and selflessness in trying to secure Vissarion's welfare, were very also well looked after. The rather guilty Nicolai, Rezan and Haluk in particular made regular visits to check on the wellbeing of the young guests.

Meanwhile, the comatose Vissarion had been carefully relocated to Tamerlane's own tent and bed. The conqueror slept nearby with the always close Rahu, whilst Nicolai, Rezan and Haluk used their own single bunks.

Arman's repose took place on top of some bedding located on the floor at the foot of the bed on which his oldest and best friend was continually somnolent, and his daytime was also spent in Tamerlane's tent, close to Vissarion. During the 21 year-old Armenian's unwavering vigil, he was always aware, even in the middle of the night, of any changes in the modulations of the similarly aged Georgian's breathing.

Sibur and Teimuraz made occasional visits but they knew that Arman was best left mainly alone with his beloved Vissarion and so they generally remained in their own nearby tent, regularly sharing the prayers of the whole army for the recovery of the young Georgian. However, the beautiful 21 year-old just slept on, kept alive by continued careful forced feeding, frequent bed baths and massages and regular turning of his unconscious but still somehow miraculously marvellous body.

Whatever they tried and just like their Delhi counterparts during the previous 3 months, none of Tamerlane's doctors could revive Vissarion from his permanent slumber. Consequently, deep fatalistic gloom settled on Tamerlane's encampment and on the conqueror's mind.

(Ikhtiman [in modern Bulgaria], Ottoman Empire, same time)

"For what am I being arrested and on whose orders?" a rightfully suddenly worried Dimitŭr next enquired, with terror clearly evident in his tremulous voice. "For smuggling goods into Constantinople," Kiril replied, "and selling a free boy into slavery against his will in that city. Our instructions concerning your detention and punishment come from the mouth of Sultan Bayezid himself!"

There was really only one punishment for such crimes within the Ottoman Empire and its dreadful nature was fully appreciated by the petrified Dimitŭr. However, before the fat merchant could plea his innocence, beg for mercy or try to run or bribe his way out of his predicament, he fainted.

(Great Palace, Constantinople [Istanbul in modern Turkey], same time)

The always adventurous, inquisitive and considerate John had been happy to reward Petŭr for his efficient service by sometimes removing his own rich, princely clothing and masturbating his older, similarly naked slave. The 8 year-old had regularly done so ever since he had discovered the 14 year-old Bulgar indulging in the activity 3 months previously.

Although John currently refrained from providing his own little cock with similar enjoyment, he had been more than willing to oblige the bigger version belonging to Petŭr, delighting in the ultimate pleasure the handsome young Bulgar gained from his efforts. The prince was especially pleased at inducing the literal climax of the play and creating the usual amazing fountain of sperm, which the 8 year-old then rejoiced in carefully trying to guide so that the white ejaculate fell back onto the 14 year-old owner's cute belly.

One potential problem about such activity that neither normally bright boy had, however, considered was the prospective attitude that might be adopted by certain Imperial parents if the holding of such mutually joyful masturbatory play sessions was ever discovered by the adults concerned. The fact that the continued attachment of Petŭr's balls to his very nice body was dependent on the ongoing good behaviour of the testicles concerned had been forgotten by the 8 and 14 year-olds but not by the Emperor and Empress.

In fact, Manuel II Palaeologus and his Serbian wife, Helena Dragash, would certainly have Petŭr flogged and castrated forthwith if they had known what the young Bulgar had tempted their second son into regularly performing.

(Ikhtiman [in modern Bulgaria], Ottoman Empire, next day)

As the scimitar later flashed down on the execution platform of Ikhtiman's main square, proficiently severing at the first attempt the head of the forcibly kneeling bound body of the cowardly crying Dimitŭr, the watching Kiril murmured something to Zoran.

Kiril quietly announced "That's revenge for what the fat bastard did to my older brother, Petŭr!"

(Outside the walls of Delhi, India, 2 weeks later)

Shadi Mulk Aka fatefully brought the now 4 year-old Ulugbeg with her, at the infant's own determined insistence.

(Bursa, Anatolia, Ottoman Empire [in modern Turkey], same time)

(Outside the walls of Delhi, India, same time)

In fact, it was something else that Shadi Mulk Aka had brought with her that would have a major effect on Vissarion's condition.

(Edirne, Ottoman Empire [in modern Turkey], same time)

Mehmet had finally recognised, from their mutual resemblance and what both Kiril in Edirne and previously Petŭr in Constantinople had told him of their backgrounds, that the two boys were brothers. The young Ottoman prince attributed his earlier failure to realise the fact to the 4-year age gap between the pair of siblings and their different hair and eye coloration.

Mehmet had for two reasons already intended sometime to suggest to his father that a certain fat merchant resident in Ikhtiman might be worthy of investigation for smuggling and illegal enslavement. First, such activities were criminally undermining of Ottoman rule. Second, punishment of the trader responsible would be a favour to Petŭr, who had so bravely helped the prince and Vladimir to escape Constantinople. However, the young Turk had subsequently acquired a third reason not to dally anymore in respect of the issue.

Mehmet had originally deliberately delayed action about Dimitŭr because his recent dangerous escapade, which had seen him and Vladimir abducted and had caused his father so much concern and trouble, meant that he was temporarily out of favour with Bayezid I. The young astute prince had therefore been waiting until he regained his former staus before making his allegations, which, given the parental mood, the Sultan might previously have ignored.

Kiril's obvious desire for revenge, after he had heard from Mehmet what Dimitŭr had perpetrated on Petŭr, had been the third reason and main stimulus for the prince taking the chance of immediately raising the case against the fat Ikhtiman merchant with the Sultan. Fortunately, the 9 year-old had assessed his possible return to paternal favour well.

Kiril's family was of ancient noble lineage but had been severely impoverished by the recent wars with the Ottomans. This had caused the Turks to consider them to be no better than peasants, which had actually been a blessing because they consequently avoided being exiled to Asian Anatolia with the rest of the displaced Bulgarian aristocracy.

Now, given Kiril's sudden rich munificence and connections with the Ottoman court, the family could buy back some of their forfeited property without fear of expulsion to Anatolia. The large familial group was also delighted to hear that the now deceased Dimitŭr had been speaking falsely about the death of the oldest son, Petŭr.

Sadness about Petŭr's enslavement in Constantinople was also more than offset by news of the boy's fortunate fresh circumstances in that city. The family was told that the relevant information conveyed by Kiril had originated from a very reliable source, which the 10 year-old mysteriously declined to name.

"It was my pleasure," Mehmet smilingly replied to Kiril's sincere thanks for the demise of the evil Dimitŭr. "Now," the young prince then asked, "what should the four of us do now?"

(Outside the walls of Delhi, India, same time)

Soon afterwards, loud screaming could be heard from within the copious canopy, alerting the whole, worried army to the fact that something momentous, possibly Vissarion's death, had just occurred within the tent.

(Great Palace, Constantinople [modern Istanbul in Turkey], same time)

Amidst this happy activity, the door to Petŭr's bedchamber suddenly and unexpectedly opened and the elderly senior palace eunuch, Nicephorus, entered the room.

Soon afterwards, the nude, petrified and tearful Petŭr, cock suddenly quietly flaccid instead of throbbing and erect, was being led along a palace corridor by a pair of burly guards. The boy's balls had failed to retain their discipline and so they would soon be lost to their 14 year-old owner, after he had first been comprehensively flogged.

(Outside the walls of Delhi, India, same time)

The loud screaming heard outside Tamerlane's tent were little Ulugbeg's loud shrieks of pure joy, as the boy hugged his beloved and now miraculously awoken Vissarion.

It appeared that Ulugbeg possessed the opposite capability to Vissarion. The young Georgian was always able to send the infant into the realm of dreams, whereas the 4 year-old had just happily restored the 21 year-old to the world of the conscious.

(Samarkand, Transoxiana, Timurid Empire [in modern Uzbekistan], 2 months later)

The bellicose Tamerlane had often in the past considered attacking the Delhi Sultanate for reasons other than those dishonestly propounded by his wicked ambassador. The ambitious conqueror wanted to acquire an Empire bigger than anyone had ever previously managed to assemble in this part of the world. He wanted to outdo Genghis Khan and by venturing far into India he would also better Alexander the Great. The vast riches of the country were also a massive temptation.

Tamerlane therefore considered retreat from the Sultanate without establishing his own rule in the land to be sufficient compensation to Mahmud Tughluq for mistakenly acting in response to the wicked ambassador's lies. The conqueror did not believe that he also owed the local ruler the favour of departing without plentiful loot.

Tamerlane's avaricious attitude was influenced by several factors. The conqueror's army needed paying and their usual reward was not wages but booty. He therefore could not deny his men their share of spoils, or he might suffer a mutiny. He was also in a rush to complete the ornamentation of Samarkand and alternative campaigns of Imperial expansion before he died. He consequently decided that he could not forgo his own apportionment of pillage, especially as he believed that such a rich country as India was fully capable of providing the largesse without too much subsequent hardship.

Tamerlane's share of the booty eventually included much local stone, which was looted from Delhi's ruins and was destined to boost the building works in Samarkand. As the conqueror had done in earlier campaigns, he also took with him a number of captured local artisans to assist with the beautification of his capital. However, he additionally pillaged something that he had never previously plundered, namely elephants for use in his future wars.

As far as Ahmed and Krishnan were concerned, Tamerlane, despite his gratitude towards the boys for safeguarding his beloved Vissarion, had adopted a common practice of the time. The conqueror retained the two 11 year-olds as hostages to prevent Mahmud Tughluq being tempted to attack the retreating Timurid forces.

Tamerlane also intended to retain Ahmed and Krishnan for several years after his return to Samarkand. The conqueror did want his core homeland of Transoxiana to be a target for an alternative vengeful attack by the Sultan of Delhi whilst he conducted his long proposed campaigns in the west against the Mamluks and Ottomans in order to fulfil his Imperial ambitions.

Vissarion had at first been rather bewildered after waking up from his 4½-month coma. Although, the whole of the young Georgian's still lovely but thinner than usual body appeared rather weak and full of cramps, the 21 year-old had initially believed that he had been asleep for no more than a night.

Vissarion's confused mind also wondered why he had opened his blue eyes in his master's tent, surrounded by Tamerlane and his other boys, plus the Bibi Khamun and Ulugbeg, who all should have been back in Samarkand. The young Georgian believed that he should have awoken instead alone in Mahmud Tughluq's Delhi palace, where he had last known himself to be.

Vissarion was naturally intensely shocked and saddened to learn subsequently about what had happened during his 4½-month sleep, despite the clear joy expressed on the faces and in the voices of everyone around him. However, like them, the young Georgian eventually had to accept that what had unfortunately occurred in his name could not be reversed.

Vissarion also came to accept Tamerlane's withdrawal from the Delhi Sultanate as being sufficient contrition for his master's error of judgement. Although the young Georgian would have preferred to see the conqueror desist from acquiring copious plunder, he was a realist and did not argue the point.

Vissarion simply appreciated his master's need for the booty and the young Georgian's resultant lack of action can also be excused by considering the context of the cruel times in which he lived. Military activity was rarely chivalrous or undertaken for only the best of reasons in a very harsh century that was arguably the worst that people had to experience during the past millennium.

Back in Samarkand, Tamerlane remarkably and gratefully no longer had to perform his conjugal duties in respect of his younger queens. In a major reversal of her previous policy, all of these spouses had all been sent to spend the cold season in Tashkent by the formidable Bibi Khanum, with whom no one argued, not even her husband. Equally amazingly, Shadi Mulk Aka had also allowed Nicolai, Rezan and Haluk to be accommodated in the palace, although not to provide their master with sexual entertainment but instead to be company for Ahmed and Krishnan, who were granted quarters just as luxurious as they had known in Delhi.

Meanwhile, also in the palace, Rahu retained his position as one of Tamerlane's most intimate bodyguards, and the fully recovered Vissarion remained one of the conqueror's closest advisors. The young Georgian was also official storyteller to Shadi Mulk Aka and Ulugbeg. Additionally, during this particular winter, the 21 year-old had been permitted by the Eldest Queen to perform other solitary duties for her husband.

"You and Vissarion are both ageing," Shadi Mulk Aka had bluntly informed the astonished Tamerlane. "At 62, you might now quickly lose your sexual drive," the Eldest Queen continued with brutal insight, "whilst, at 21, Vissarion's remarkable boyish looks might soon finally mature into ones reflecting his young manhood. Consequently your clear desire for him might cease. I therefore propose that you spend as much time as possible in the delightful child's intimate company before time overtakes you both!"

Tamerlane was both speechless and tearful at his wise Bibi Khanum's kind consideration and could not help but hug the formidable woman. Shadi Mulk Aka welcomed the embrace for a while, as she loved and admired her husband, despite his frequent absences and sexual peccadilloes. However, she eventually managed to break free and selflessly command her spouse "Now, go to him!"

Tamerlane needed no second invitation to rush immediately to Vissarion or to spend most of the winter in his favourite boy's delightful company. The situation was made all the more poignant by the fact that the conqueror had again recently believed that he had lost his beautiful beloved forever.

(Delhi, India, same time)

Mahmud Tughluq's tears were, however, not just for Delhi and the city's either dead or scattered population but were also spilt for two other reasons, which had additionally distressed his grieving mind. First, there was the loss, as Tamerlane's long-term hostages, of his beloved oldest son, Ahmed, and the boy's pleasant slave, Krishnan. Second, the politically astute ruler realised that the desolation of his capital might also symbolise the looming destruction of his Sultanate and dynasty.

The ruin and pillage of Delhi could possibly mean that the whole Sultanate was fatally weakened and there were jackals nearby, ready to assault and consume the remnants. Although the dreaded Tamerlane no longer appeared to be a threat, neighbouring Indian kingdoms could use the opportunity now presented to attack in order to try to annex parts of Mahmud Tughluq's domains. The warlike tribes from beyond the Indus in the mountainous northwest, especially the fierce Pushtans, had also frequently cast avaricious eyes on the rich cities of the plains. There was additionally the possibility of revolt by treacherous local governors seeking to carve out their own little empires.

Mahmud Tughluq therefore anticipated trouble from such opportunistic enemies and the possible consequential ending of his Sultanate and dynasty. His worst fears sadly possessed merit.

Mahmud was to be the final Muslim Sultan of Delhi and the last Tughluq to rule in the area. Within a decade or so, there would be no kingdom left for his young heir, the absent Ahmed, to return to inherit.

Nevertheless, in the years to come, Ahmed, helped by certain new friends in Tamerlane's court, would play a major role in the creation of an even mightier Indian state than that ruled by the Tughluqs.

(Samarkand, Transoxiana, Timurid Empire [in modern Uzbekistan], 2 years later, Winter, 1400)

Shadi Mulk Aka also misjudged the persistence of certain physical characteristics relating to her husband and his favourite boy. Tamerlane's strong libido endured for a few more years yet, as did the maintenance of Vissarion's amazing boyish beauty.

Tamerlane had never been known to take a 23 year-old male to his bed. The conqueror's particular tastes normally meant that about 20 was his normal upper limit and then only if the catamite concerned had retained the looks of someone younger, normally with the assistance of earlier castration. However, Vissarion was to prove, by a fair margin, to be an exception to this rule.

Shadi Mulk Aka was also not immune to Vissarion's undoubted charms. However, it was the young Georgian's beautiful persuasive character rather than impeccable body to which the Bibi Khanum succumbed when ending the exile from Tamerlane's bed of his other boys, whilst maintaining that of her husband's younger wives.

Unity amongst queens was thereby sacrificed in favour of retaining for the Bibi Khanum the company in Samarkand of both Tamerlane and Vissarion for as long as possible. The young Georgian had, as diplomatically as possible, suggested that he might be able to persuade his master to refrain from campaigning and remain instead in his capital to supervise his local construction projects, but only if the conqueror could regain the services of his other boys.

Given the choice, Shadi Mulk Aka agreed to the move, although her motives actually had more to do with keeping Vissarion close rather than Tamerlane. The Eldest Queen now truly rejoiced in the young Georgian's company, especially as, being a eunuch, he was allowed to spend many pleasant hours alone and unguarded with her, and their conversations were always immensely interesting.

On Vissarion's part, he did not mind the agreeable periods spent with Shadi Mulk Aka. The Bibi Khanum, who, after all, had so cared for him that she taken the immense trouble of travelling all the way to Delhi to try to revive him from his coma, had become to the young Georgian akin to his lost mother.

The meetings also generally now took place in Ulugbeg's palatial quarters. They were additionally usually timed to allow the boy to play happily in the presence of Vissarion and his grandfather's Eldest Queen before he was sent into nightly slumber, close to a window exhibiting the outside starry firmament, by one of the lovely young Georgian's marvellous stories. The tales were invariably enjoyed as much by Shadi Mulk Aka as by the infant.

As a consequence of the resultant idyll experienced by Tamerlane and his boys in the palace at Samarkand, they eventually spent two years in the capital. Meanwhile, the various major local construction projects really began to take shape, assisted by the excellent stone pillaged from Delhi and the threat of riling the infamous temper of the personally supervising conqueror if work was subject to any blunders, shoddiness or dawdling.

Tamerlane's two surviving sons, Miranshah and Shahrukh, and oldest grandsons, Muhammad and Khalil, led the minor, usually punitive military expeditions required to maintain the peace and security of the Timurid Empire in this period. During this campaigning, the principal military advisors of the conqueror's youngest son remained Arman and Sibur, for whom Teimuraz was still groom, whilst the boy's older brother, Todo, continued to fulfil a similar function for the prince.

Meanwhile, the captive Ahmed regularly experienced guilt. He longed to see his father and homeland again, yet he too was otherwise rather content in his own luxurious quarters in Samarkand. After all, he still had the company of his slave and best friend, Krishnan, which was now happily boosted by close, very friendly association with Tamerlane's boys, including Vissarion, who was very grateful for the role that the young hostages had played in his survival.

In fact, as Ahmed passed through puberty, the young prince's contentment increased still further, as a direct result of his new friendships, which allowed him to be frequently in the company of a particular member of his captor's young entourage. The now 13 year-old had become infatuated with one of Tamerlane's boys and his keen interest did not just relate to the catamite's undoubtedly very pleasant character.

(Outside the walls of Damascus, Syria, Mamluk Empire, a few months later, January 1401)

Ahmad Jalayir had only managed to recapture Baghdad because of the support of his allies, the Egyptian Mamluks, whose local base was in adjacent Syria. The conqueror therefore realised that, even if he was to retake the city again, the seemingly tenacious Sultan would probably keep coming back.

In order to prevent such a recurring nuisance, Tamerlane decided that he had to deny Ahmad Jalayir receiving local support from his allies. The conqueror, who had been planning to attack the Mamluks anyway, consequently decided that now was a suitable time to invade the rival Empire and destroy its regional power base in Syria before then again turning his vengeful attention towards Baghdad.

Tamerlane initiated his strategy by unusually campaigning in winter. Accompanying the conqueror into war were his two surviving sons, 34 year-old Miranshah and 23 year-old Shahrukh, and three of his grandsons, Muhammad, Khalil and Ulugbeg.

Muhammad, in his late 20s, was the offspring of the conqueror's deceased eldest son, Jahangir. Khalil, in his late teens, shared Muhammad's mother, Khanzada, but was the product of her second marriage to Miranshah, whilst 6 year-old Ulugbeg belonged to Shahrukh.

Arman, who remained in Shahrukh's service, was, like Vissarion, now 23, whilst his lovers, Sibur and Teimuraz were respectively 32 and 17. The latter's older brother, Todo, still the groom of Tamelane's youngest son, was 20.

Meanwhile, in ascending order of age, Rahu, Rezan, Haluk and Nicolai were respectively 17, 17, 18 and 19, with further birthdays imminent over the forthcoming months. However, none of Tamerlane's catamites had so far so lost their boyish looks that they had caused their master to lose his sexual interest in them.

The sexual career with his master of the only one of Tamerlane's boys to retain his balls, Rezan, might have appeared at first consideration to be most endangered by advance towards a more manly appearance. However, as such progression was slow, the young Persian's status was in fact safe for now, much to the delight of the eunuchs, whose prostates he happily regularly entertained whenever the conqueror was busy elsewhere.

Nevertheless, everyone aware of Tamerlane's predilections assumed that the conqueror would soon be seeking fresher and younger male flesh to play with, after finally promoting his current boys to undoubtedly important non-sexual positions within his Empire. In fact, a few people, who did not really understand the man's current character, were surprised that the two, very pretty, hostage 13 year-olds, Ahmed and Krishnan, had not been lured into their captor's bed.

At Vissarion's suggestion, Tamerlane had decided to take Ahmed and his similarly aged slave, Krishnan, with him on campaign. Both boys had not been displeased by the invitation, being instead delighted at the prospect of adventure. The 13 year-old prince was also keen to remain close to a certain friend.

Tamerlane and Vissarion believed that peripheral involvement in the war might prove educational for the two boy hostages. They additionally did not want to leave behind in Samarkand a temptation that might encourage Mahmud Tughluq to attack the city whilst they were away in the west. Even though the Sultan of Delhi was currently very busy trying to resist invaders of his own country, the conqueror and his beloved young Georgian advisor could not dismiss the possibility that Ahmed's father might somehow manage to launch such a campaign.

Tamerlane was indeed attracted towards the very pretty Ahmed and Krishnan. However, any predatory sexual despoilment of the boys would have breached Islamic hospitality and the conqueror was now too conscious of his mortality to perpetrate such a deed.

The 64 year-old Tamerlane had reached an advanced aged for his era. The conqueror consequently fully understood that an invite to meet his maker to debate his life's actions might not be too far away. In his new, more faithful and fatalistic guise, he therefore did not want to damage his present career record any more, although this did not prevent him from still pursuing bloody wars, for he firmly believed that his campaigns represented his holy destiny.

Tamerlane now considered his campaigns to be jihad against both infidels and Muslims whom he accused of profaning the true faith. His regional rivals, the Mamluks and Ottomans, were conveniently classified in this latter group.

Shadi Mulk Aka had been very sad to see her husband depart Samarkand but even sadder to lose Vissarion. During lachrymose farewells, the Bibi Khanum had, unprecedentedly in respect of one of her spouse's courtiers, hugged the now 23 year-old Georgian before issuing him with firm instructions. "Now, dear boy," the tearful Eldest Queen had commanded, "make sure that you return safely to me!" Tamerlane did not receive a similar order from her.

By January 1401, Tamerlane's army had already sacked the northwest Syrian city of Aleppo, to where the conqueror's forces had proceeded first because the metropolis was located on an important regional caravan route, which ultimately led to the Mediterranean Sea and was vital for reasons of military logistics and communications. Only after successfully assailing the municipality did the Timurid horde move south to besiege the capital of the Mamluk province, Damascus.

There was currently a lull in the fighting round the walls of Damascus, whilst Tamerlane reorganised his forces for a major, hopefully final assault. Consequently, Krishnan, acting on his own initiative and bluntly giving the truthful reason, invited Nicolai to the tent the young Hindu slave shared with his master, Ahmed. The gorgeous physique of the blonde, blue-eyed young Muscovite was apparently currently following the similarly featured and gelded Vissarion's remarkable inclination to remain permanently boyish in looks. The 19 year-old appeared at least 3 or 4 years younger than he actually happened to be.

The subsequent meeting between Ahmed and Nicolai was to prove very portentous for both boys and for India.

(Great Palace, Constantinople [modern Istanbul in Turkey], same time)

Petŭr had survived Nicephorus' wrath of 2½ years previously because John had rushed after the elderly eunuch, as he led the nude, petrified and tearful young Bulgar, confined between a pair of burly guards, along a palace corridor towards the older boy's proposed imminent flogging and castration. The young prince had intercepted and, against his normal character, screamed in desperation at the gelded official, ominously declaring that he would someday gain his revenge if any harm befell his slave.

Such a threat gave Nicephorus cause for serious thought because, although the normally pleasant but currently angry prince did not know it, most courtiers considered the boy to be the most likely next Emperor because of the sickliness of his older brother, Michael. The elderly eunuch began to wonder whether flogging Petŭr as punishment and then having him castrated in order to discipline his burgeoning teenage urges was worth the risk of infuriating the child who could someday become the master of the Byzantine Empire.

Nicephorus appreciated that, when that day came, he would probably already be dead, given his advanced age. However, he still pondered whether he really wanted to chance being the object of the next Emperor's vengeance for a perceived boyhood wrong. The elderly eunuch eventually concluded that Petŭr's naughtiness was not worth endangering himself.

The resultant secret agreement between Nicephorus on one hand and John and Petŭr on the other was twofold. First, at the demand of the younger boy, the prince could, if he wanted, continue to play with his slave's cock. Second, at the insistence of the elderly eunuch, the young Bulgar promised never to perpetrate sodomy on or encourage fellatio to be performed by his young master.

Later, when the then 8 year-old with the sparkling sky blue eyes was again naked and alone with the similarly nude 14 year-old and rubbing the young Bulgar's rampant penis, John asked Petŭr what 'sodomy' and 'fellatio' meant. The prince was rewarded for his question by the immediate entry into vibrating orgasm of the subject of his manual attentions.

John then rather expertly managed to direct the resultant arc of ejaculate back onto the older boy's belly, where the sperm formed a little white lake round the cute navel. The young prince was about to repeat this feat on this day over 2½ years later.

(Outside the walls of Damascus, Syria, Mamluk Empire, same time)

Ahmed now experienced a strange combination of emotions when he saw that it was Nicolai's gorgeous body, not that of Krishnan, which had entered the tent. The 13 year-old prince sensed surprise, as well as delight, embarrassment and another much more basic feeling.

Ahmed's delight did not just stem from the fact that Nicolai, along with Tamerlane's other boys, had become close friends of both him and Krishnan, and this was illustrated by the prince's current embarrassment. The latter emotion had resulted from a sudden facial flush, dryness of throat that made speech difficult and noticeable bulge in the 13 year-old's groin.

The more basic emotion was, of course, Ahmed's secret, infatuated but sadly so far unannounced, inactive and unrequited love for Nicolai.

(China, same time)

Zhu Yuanzhang's fourth son, Zhu Di, Prince of Yan, however, decided to contest the succession. By now, a terrible civil war in China, which would cost many lives and cause much destruction, had already lasted for over a year and would continue for more than another two.

29 year-old Ma He, now served by his similarly nullified personal slave, 14 year-old Chi Le, was to prove a vital support to the rebel Ming. In fact, Zhu Di honoured his key advisor and military commander after the brave eunuch's horse was killed under him in battle outside a town called Zhenglunba.

(Outside the walls of Damascus, Syria, Mamluk Empire, same time)

Ahmed's shame dissipated completely, to be replaced by eager lust, when Nicolai next tugged gently at the young Muslim's rich princely attire and quietly suggested "Let's both remove our clothes and have some fun!"

(Edirne, Ottoman Empire [in modern Turkey], same time)

"Matters of Empire," Bayezid I had frequently loudly repeated to his youngest son and still nominated heir, "demand that such oaths should never be considered sacrosanct. Your prime consideration in all issues should relate only to the further aggrandisement of your dynasty and religion. If, by the time that you eventually succeed me, I haven't already accomplished the relevant tasks, the conquest of the pitiful remains of the Christian Byzantine domains, including Constantinople, and the elimination of their Emperors should form a key part of your policies. I therefore suggest that you forget your pledge to this Prince John!"

Mehmet, however, could not forget either John or the oath that he had shared with the delightful boy.

(Outside the walls of Damascus, Syria, Mamluk Empire, same time)

Nicolai did not as yet adore Ahmed as much as the intensity of the young Muslim's crush meant that he was loved by the 13 year-old. The pleasant and sexually liberated young Muscovite was nevertheless happy to indulge in sex simply to please his delightful new friend.

How was Nicolai to know at the time that his affection for Ahmed would increase substantially and, as well as being fully reciprocated, become fatefully lifelong?

(Bursa, Anatolia, Ottoman Empire [in modern Turkey], same time)

The relatively cosy lives of Johann Schiltberger and his military comrades were, however, soon to be shattered by a storm gathering in the east.

(Damascus, Syria, next day)

In the absence of the wise Vissarion, who would surely have calmed his master's explosive temper but was sadly not present because of his Christian faith, Tamerlane raged at the people of Damascus for allowing such neglect to befall the holy site. Some of the conqueror's military commanders interpreted their leader's fury as granting permission to loot and consequently much pillaging, raping and murdering ensued. A fire was also started in the city that burned for 3 days.

Damascus was ruined and would take years to recover. Such recovery was prolonged because, as in the case of Delhi, Tamerlane despatched much plunder back to Samarkand, including, as usual, many of the destroyed city's artisans.

(Georgia, same time)

Alexander was still dreaming that someday his homeland would be free from Tamerlane's suzerainty but he now believed that the miracle needed to attain this outcome might actually be possible to secure. The boy's uncle, King Georgi VII, had just informed the bright 11 year-old that Vissarion still lived and had provided details of the 23 year-old's present amazing circumstances.

(Damascus, Syria, same time)

Ibn Khaldun's censorious attitude extended to excluding mention in his works of the fact that Tamerlane had, in conversation with the historian, praised his beloved Vissarion in particular.

The young Georgian had always been appreciative of the best tenets of his own faith and that of his master. Tamerlane had therefore declared to Ibn Khaldun, whilst lovingly referring to Vissarion, "Wherever he goes, two angels accompany him, one at each shoulder. These are the spirits of Christianity and Islam!"

(Toledo, Castile, Spain, same time)

Ruy Gonzalez de Clavijo therefore began to wish that something would happen that would encourage his King to change his mind.

(Damascus, Syria, same time)

Tamerlane therefore alternatively now proposed to confront the Ottoman Empire and, just as a similar decision had once proved devastating for Ahmed and Krishnan, the conqueror's new intent was also to cause major upheaval in the lives of another prince and his servants.

It would soon be time for Mehmet and Vladimir, as well as Kiril and Zoran, to suffer at the bloody hands of the dreaded Tamerlane, but not before poor Haluk first fell into the delighted, vengeful arms of Ahmad Jalayir.

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