bl.necroscope2-第63章

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　For　after　all；　what　were　we　up　against？　Greeks　with　all　of　the　wind　knocked　out　of　them；　an　ill…disciplined　army；　mainly　mercenary；　still　suffering　from　years　of　mismanagement。　Slav　and　Pechenegi　units　which　would　fight　only　so　long　as　their　chances　were　good　and　the　payment　better；　Frankish　units　whose　members　were　torn；　obviously；　two　ways；　the　Varangian　Guard；　a　pany　posed　of　Danes　and　Englishmen　who　knew　their　Emperor　Alexius　III　for　a　usurper　with　merit　neither　as　a　fighting　man　nor　as　a　man　of　state。　What　work　there　was　for　us　was　slaughter。　Those　who　were　not　willing　to　die　at　once　fled。　There　was　no　other　choice。　In　a　few　hours　the　Doge　and　Frankish　and　Venetian　Lords　occupied　the　Great　Palace　itself。
　From　there　they　issued　their　orders：　the　war…　and　lootcrazed　Crusaders　were　told　that　Constantinople　was　theirs　and　they　had　three　days　in　which　to　plete　the　city's　sack。　They　were　the　victors；　there　was　no　crime　they　could　mit。　They　could　do　with　the　capital；　its　people　and　possessions　whatever　they　wished。　Can　you　imagine　what　such　orders　conveyed？
　For　nine　hundred　years　Constantinople　had　been　the　centre　of　Christian　civilisation；　and　now　for　three　days　it　became　the　sinkhole　of　hell！　The　Venetians；　who　appreciated　great　works；　carried　off　Grecian　masterpieces　and　other　works　of　art　and　beauty　by　the　ton；　and　treasures　in　precious　metals　near　enough　to　sink　their　ships。　As　for　the　French；　the　Flemings　and　various　mercenary　Crusaders；　including　me　and　mine：　they　desired　only　to　destroy。　And　destroy　we　did！
　However　precious；　if　something　could　not　be　carried　or　hauled　away　it　was　reduced　to　wreckage　on　the　spot。　We　fuelled　our　madness　from　rich　wine…cellars；　paused　only　to　drink；　rape　or　murder；　then　returned　to　the　sack。　Nothing；　no　one　was　spared。　No　virgin　came　out　of　it　intact；　and　few　came　out　alive。　If　a　woman　was　too　old　to　be　stabbed　with　flesh　she　was　stabbed　with　steel；　and　no　female　was　too　young。　Convents　were　sacked　and　nuns　used　as　whores…Christian　nuns；　mind！
　Men　who　had　not　fled　but　stayed　to　protect　their　homes　and　families　were　slit　up　their　bellies　and　left　clutching　their　steaming　guts　to　die　in　the　streets。　The　city's　gardens　and　squares　were　full　of　its　dead　inhabitants；　mainly　women　and　children。　And　I；　Faethor　Ferenczy…known　to　the　Franks　as　the　Black　One；　or　Black　Grigor；　the　Hungarian　Devil…I　was　ever　in　the　thick　of　it。　The　thickest　of　it。　For　three　days　I　glutted　myself　as　if　there　were　no　end　to　my　lust。
　I　did　not　know　it　but　the　end…my　end；　the　end　of　glory；　of　power；　of　notoriety…was　already　looming。　For　I　had　forgotten　the　prime　rule　of　the　Wamphyri：　do　not　be　seen　to　be　too　different。　Be　strong；　but　not　overpowering。　Be　lustful；　but　not　a　legendary　satyr。　mand　respect；　but　not　devotion。　And　above　all　do　nothing　to　cause　your　peers；　or　those　who　have　the　power　to　consider　themselves　your　superiors；　to　bee　afraid　of　you。
　But　I　had　been　burned　by　Greek　fire　and　it　had　merely　infuriated　me。　And　rapacious？　For　every　man　I　had　killed　I　had　taken　a　woman；　as　many　as　thirty　in　a　day　and　a　night！　My　Szgany　looked　to　me　as　a　sort　of　god…or　devil。　And　finally。。。　finally；　of　course；　the　Crusaders　proper　had　e　to　fear　me。　More　than　all　matters　of　〃conscience〃；　more　than　all　the　murder　and　rape　and　blasphemies　they　had　mitted；　my　deeds　had　given　them　bad　dreams。
　Aye；　and　they　were　sore　in　need　of　a　scapegoat。
　I　believe　that　even　without　Innocent's　pious　protestations　and　hand…flutterings　and　cries　of　horror；　still　I　would　have　been　persecuted。　Anyway；　this　was　the　way　of　it。　The　Pope　had　been　enraged　by　the　sack　of　Zara；　at　first　delighted　by　Constantinople；　then　aghast　when　he　heard　of　the　atrocities。　He　now　washed　his　hands　of　the　Crusade　in　its　entirety。　Far　from　helping　true　Christian　soldiers　in　their　fight　against　Islam；　it　seemed　its　only　aim　had　been　to　conquer　Christian　territories。　And　as　for　the　blasphemies　and　generally　atrocious　behaviour　of　the　Crusaders　in　Constantinople's　holy　places　。
　I　say　again：　they　needed　a　scapegoat；　and　no　need　to　look　too　far　for　one。　A　certain　〃bloodthirsty　mercenary　recruited　in　Zara〃　would　fit　the　bill　nicely。　In　secret　muniqués　Innocent　had　ordered　that　those　directly　responsible　for　〃gross　acts　of　excessive　and　unnatural　cruelty〃　must　gain　〃neither　glory　nor　rich　rewards　nor　lands〃　for　their　barbarism。　Their　names　should　no　more　be　spoken　by　good　men　and　true　but　〃struck　forever　out　of　the　records〃。　All　such　great　sinners　were　to　be　offered　〃neither　respect　nor　high　regard〃；　for　by　their　acts　they　had　shown　that　they　were　〃worthy　only　of　contempt〃。　Hah！　It　was　more　than　exmunication…it　was　a　death　warrant！
　Exmunication。。。　I　had　taken　the　Cross　in　Zara　as　a　matter　of　expediency。　It　meant　nothing。　A　cross　is　a　symbol；　nothing　more。　Soon；　however；　I　would　e　to　hate　that　symbol。
　We　had　a　large　house　on　the　outskirts　of　the　sacked　city；　my　Szgany　and　I。　It　had　been　a　palace　or　some　such；　was　now　filled　with　wine　and　loot　and　prostitutes。　The　other　mercenary　groups　had　turned　over　their　plunder　to　their　Crusader　masters　for　the　prearranged　split；　but　I　had　not。　For　we　had　not　yet　been　paid！　Perhaps　I　was　in　error　there。　Certainly　our　loot　was　an　extra　incentive　for　Crusader　treachery。
　They　came　at　night；　which　was　their　mistake。　I　am…or　was…Wamphyri；　night　was　my　element。　Some　vampire　premonition　had　warned　me　that　all　was　not　well。　I　was　awake　and　on　the　prowl　when　the　attack　came。　I　roused　up　my　men　and　they　set　to。　But　it　was　no　good；　we　were　heavily　outnumbered　and；　taken　by　surprise；　my　men　were　still　half…asleep。　When　the　place　began　to　burn　I　saw　that　I　couldn't　win。　Even　if　I　beat　off　all　of　these　Crusaders；　they　formed　only　a　fraction　of　the　total　body。　They　had　probably　diced　with　ten　other　equal　parties　for　the　privilege　of　killing　and　robbing　me。　Also；　if　they　had　guessed　what　I　was…and　the　fire　suggested　that　they　had…quite　obviously　my　situation　was　untenable。
　I　took　gold　and　a　great　many　gemstones　and　fled　into　the　darkness。　On　my　way　I　carried　off　one　of　my　attackers　with　me。　He　was　a　Frenchman；　only　a　lad；　and　I　made　a　quick　end　of　it；　for　I　had　not　time　to　tarry。　Before　he　died；　though；　he　told　me　what　it　was　all　about。　From　that　day　to　this　I　have　loathed　the　cross　and　all　who　wear　it；　or　live　in　its　shadow　or　under　its　influence。
　
　Of　my　Szgany；　not　a　man　of　them　survived　to　follow　me　out　of　that　place；　but　I　later　learned　that　two　captives　had　been　taken　for　questioning。　As　it　was　I　stood　off　and　watched　the　blaze　from　afar。　And　since　the　inferno　was　ringed　about　by　Crusaders；　I　could　only　suppose　that　they　assumed　I　had　died　in　the　flames。　So　be　it…I　would　not　disillusion　them。
　And　now　I　was　alone　and　a　long　way　from　home。　Well；　hadn't　I　desired　to　see　the　world？
　Now；　I　have　said　I　was　a　long　way　from　home。　In　miles　on　the　ground　this　statement　is　seen　to　be　far　from　accurate。　But　where　indeed　was　my　home？　I　could　hardly　return　to　Hungary；　not　for　some　little　time。　Wallachia　was　no　place　for　me；　and　my　old　castle　in　the　Khorvaty；　looking　down　on　Russia；　was　in　ruins。　What；　then；　was　I　to　do？　Where　to　go？　Ah；　but　the　world　is　a　wide　place！
　To　detail　my　adventures　from　that　time　forward　would　take　too　long。　I　shall　merely　outline　my　deeds　and　travels；　and　you　must　forgive　or　fill　in　for　yourself　any　great　gaps　or　leaps　in　time。
　North　was　out　of　the　question；　likewise　west；　I　headed　east。　It　was　1204。　Need　I　remind　you　of　a　singular　emergence　in　Mongolia　just　two　years　later？　Of　course　not；　his　name　was　Temujin…later　Genghis　Khan！　With　a　party　of　Uighurs　I　joined　him　and　helped　subdue　and　unite　the　last　of　the　rowdy　Mongol　tribes；　until　all　Mongolia　was　finally　united。　I　proved　myself　a　capable　warlord　and　he　showed　me　some　respect。　With　some　small　effort　I　was　able　to　change　my　features　until　I　looked　the　part；　that　is　to　say　I　willed　my　vampire　flesh　into　a　new　mould。　The　Khan　knew　that　I　was　not　a　Mongol；　of　course；　but　at　least　I　was　acceptable。　And　later　he　would　have　many　mercenaries　in　his　mand；　so　that　my　participation　was　in　no　way　a　rare　thing。
　I　was　with　him　against　the　Chin；　when　we　penetrated　the　Great　Wall；　and　after　his　death　I　was　there　to　see　the　total　obliteration　of　the　Ch