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As he had hoped, that drew loud cheers from the crowd. Several men waved
weapons of their own. That took a certain amount of courage, or at least
bravado: the penalty for using a sword in a street brawl in Videssos the city
was amputation of the thumbs.
Kourikos and Triphylles came across the gangplank after Maniakes. Triphylles
got down on his knees, not to prostrate himself before the Avtokrator but
fervently to kiss the timbers on which he stood, tar and white streaks of sea
gull droppings deterring him not a bit. "Phos be praised, I'm home at last!"
he cried, which in its manifest sincerity drew a cheer almost as loud as the
one Maniakes had got.
Maniakes pointed to a nearby man who looked reasonably bright and asked, "How
long have the soldiers under my cousin Rhegorios been outside the city?"
"Since day before yesterday, lord, uh, your Majesty," the fellow answered,
adding, "The guards at the wall haven't attacked 'em, but they've held 'em off
and not let 'em in."
"They will now," Maniakes declared. They'd better, he thought, or I'm still in
trouble here. "Please stand aside, my friends, and let me come take my
rightful place in the city."
The throne wasn't exactly his rightful place. He had no blood claim to it. He
did have, though, a great many armed men who were of the opinion he belonged
on it. He also had as his foe Genesios, which in and of itself went a long way
toward cementing his claim.
More ships were tying up behind the Renewal and at the quays nearby. Sailors
swarmed ashore. A cry went up: "Where now, lord?"
"To the palaces," Maniakes answered. "Once we take them, to the High Temple,
to give thanks to Phos for letting this day come to pass." Getting the
ecumenical patriarch's blessing would start him off on the right foot. If he
didn't get the patriarch's blessing, he told himself, he would soon get a new
ecumenical patriarch.
Some of the sailors now on the docks bore the shields and swords dromons
carried so their men could repel boarders. They pushed the civilians back,
shouting "Way! Make way for the Avtokrator!"
"I wish I had a horse," Maniakes said as they made their way up into the
twisting maze of little streets north of the harbor of Kontoskalion. A cavalry
officer, he didn't feel as if he could see enough from ground level.
"We'll get you one, by Phos," his escorts said. The first mounted man they
came upon, they unceremoniously dragged from the saddle. Had the fellow said a
word of protest, had he raised a hand to defend himself, they would have done
worse than that.
Maniakes hadn't wanted to acquire a mount in such fashion, but didn't see how
he could check his men, either he wanted them enthusiastic on his behalf. To
the unhorsed rider, he said, "Come to the palaces after I've driven Genesios
from the throne for good. You'll have your beast back, and gold for my use of
him."
"Phos bless you then, your Majesty!" the man cried, and people in the street
took up the call. That eased Maniakes' mind, too; having the fickle city
populace on his side while he seized power could only help him.
From his seat atop the newly acquired horse a sedate and elderly mare with a
very comfortable gait, provided you weren't in any hurry to get where you were
going he could see over the heads of his men and the swarms of locals in the
streets. That helped him less than it would have on the battlefield, for the
streets themselves twisted too much to let him see far.
He worried about that. His sailors could easily overpower any civilians who
might try to stand against them, but if the Imperial Guards or any other
troops in the city decided Genesios was worth fighting for, his men would be
up against more than they could handle. They wore no armor, they carried only
a few spears and bows, and they had no idea how to fight save as individuals.
Disciplined soldiers would have massacred them.
But no soldiers appeared to try to bar his way. "We'll go north, toward Middle
Street," he called to his men. The main east-west highway of Videssos the city
would give him a long straight stretch, on which he could take his bearings.
Finding and then keeping to north in that warren wasn't as easy as when
sailing by sun and stars. Many buildings were tall enough to hide the sun from
sight. Sometimes balconies almost met overhead above the streets. That was
supposed to be against the law, but Genesios had ignored laws far more
important, so Maniakes had no reason to think he would have paid any attention
to this one.
He had just reached Middle Street and was started down it toward the plaza of
Palamas and the palace quarter beyond when a rumor coming from farther east
overtook him from behind. "The gates are opening," people said. "No the gates
are open."
"We have him," Maniakes said to nobody in particular. If his own soldiers were
in the city, nothing Genesios could do would stop it from falling. And
Genesios did not seem able to do much in any case. His supporters had
abandoned him outside the capital, and now the same looked to be happening
within.
The only ways Maniakes could see losing now were a lone assassin . . . and
Genesios' wizard. Against an assassin, he could take precautions. Against the
wizard Bagdasares was tramping along beside him. He didn't know if Bagdasares
would be good enough, but he was the best available.
He rode past the red granite pile of the government offices. He had always
thought the building squat and ugly when he had been in the capital before.
Then his opinions on architecture had mattered to no one but himself. Now, if
he wanted, he could change the way Videssos the city would look for
generations yet to come.
He laughed at himself. He had more urgent things to worry about.
People stood under the covered colonnades that ran along both sides of Middle
Street. Some cheered, some stared, some went about their business. A few
people gaped from atop the colonnade, too. He thought that merely a curiosity
until he realized it also made an ideal hiding place for a killer. Past
clearing everyone off, which would have made him look foolish, he didn't know
what he could do about it
He reached the plaza of Palamas unassassinated and stared across the broad
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