bright flame and will serve you well for the purpose. Allow me to say too that I’ve a fine stock of wine—”
“No. No wine, thank you.”
From behind me a woman’s voice whispered, “Oil, Ossian, oil. Remember Master Tóla’s manuscript, the one about Alexander the Great.”
I whirled about—but no one was there.
“Remember,” the voice whispered again.
Once more I spun around. The merchant seemed to be paying me no mind and I asked, “Did you just now hear a voice? A whisper?”
He cocked an eyebrow. “A whisper? No sir, can’t say as I did.”
“That is very odd. I heard it clearly.”
“If you say so, sir.” His uncertain nod said more than his words.
There was no doubt I heard it—a woman’s voice but how could that be? Who whispered? What did she mean? I thought for a moment and the importance of her message came to me along with the remembrance of the manuscript. It contained ancient knowledge told within a story of Alexander the Great and the Persians. Of course! If that knowledge could be properly brought against our enemies, the shock might even the odds and turn the tide of the coming battle in our favor.
I turned around toward the spirit voice and whispered, “Thank you.”
The decisive outcome of the battle might well depend upon this merchant, and I pointed into his wagon. “Would you be so good as to hand me one of those empty wine bottles?
”The man watched me, a question in his eyes. “Why, of course, sir.”
He handed me the bottle and I hefted it in my hand. It was made as baked pottery, though it felt light enough. I hurled it as far as I could, where it fell and shattered upon the ground.
“Sir, I must say!” He was red in the face. “Those bottles cost money, you know!”
“Of course they do, and I will pay you for that one. Now, do you have pine tar at your disposal?”
He was confused. “Pine tar? Yes, that is, I know where I can acquire it.”
“Good man. I wish to order one small keg of pine tar, two barrels of your flaxseed oil and one thousand wine bottles.”
“Very good sir! I can assure you I will deliver some of the finest wine—”
“No. Not wine. Only the bottles.”
He stared at me as if he was now firmly convinced that I was dim-witted. “You want one thousand empty wine bottles, sir?”
“Yes. The bottles along with all the other items we’ve discussed. Can you deliver all those things here by next week?”
It would be understandable if he still questioned my sanity but I could see his mind swirling and he came through like a champion. “Yes sir! Absolutely sir, though it will require several trips.” His lips turned down in a scowl. “These be troubled times so I shall need payment in advance.”
“You may have ten percent of the payment before you leave here. The remainder you will receive upon delivery.”
“You do not trust me.”
“As you say, I do not trust these troubled times or the sense of a man who would travel alone in a wagon, his purse stuffed with gold.”
“As you say, sir. You understand that all this special…well, my regular customers will suffer a bit, don’t you see, and I’ll—”
The cost of such things remained a mystery to me but much looted gold, silver and similar treasures resided in our treasury. I had a good man who would see to proper payment. “Say no more. You will receive special compensation.”
Chapter 10
The Battle of Lough Derg
My soft leather shoes swished through the wet grass as I walked from camp towards a small nearby mound. Behind me men were donning armor, saddling horses, preparing for the fight of their lives. Hidden behind a wall of morning fog swirling across the prairies from Lough Derg, warriors in the enemy camp would be doing much the same while hearing the words of Christian priests speaking of their god.
I climbed the mound to its crest and shivered slightly in the cold, damp air. Overhead, misshapen skeletal branches of a long-dead tree jutted into the gray
“No. No wine, thank you.”
From behind me a woman’s voice whispered, “Oil, Ossian, oil. Remember Master Tóla’s manuscript, the one about Alexander the Great.”
I whirled about—but no one was there.
“Remember,” the voice whispered again.
Once more I spun around. The merchant seemed to be paying me no mind and I asked, “Did you just now hear a voice? A whisper?”
He cocked an eyebrow. “A whisper? No sir, can’t say as I did.”
“That is very odd. I heard it clearly.”
“If you say so, sir.” His uncertain nod said more than his words.
There was no doubt I heard it—a woman’s voice but how could that be? Who whispered? What did she mean? I thought for a moment and the importance of her message came to me along with the remembrance of the manuscript. It contained ancient knowledge told within a story of Alexander the Great and the Persians. Of course! If that knowledge could be properly brought against our enemies, the shock might even the odds and turn the tide of the coming battle in our favor.
I turned around toward the spirit voice and whispered, “Thank you.”
The decisive outcome of the battle might well depend upon this merchant, and I pointed into his wagon. “Would you be so good as to hand me one of those empty wine bottles?
”The man watched me, a question in his eyes. “Why, of course, sir.”
He handed me the bottle and I hefted it in my hand. It was made as baked pottery, though it felt light enough. I hurled it as far as I could, where it fell and shattered upon the ground.
“Sir, I must say!” He was red in the face. “Those bottles cost money, you know!”
“Of course they do, and I will pay you for that one. Now, do you have pine tar at your disposal?”
He was confused. “Pine tar? Yes, that is, I know where I can acquire it.”
“Good man. I wish to order one small keg of pine tar, two barrels of your flaxseed oil and one thousand wine bottles.”
“Very good sir! I can assure you I will deliver some of the finest wine—”
“No. Not wine. Only the bottles.”
He stared at me as if he was now firmly convinced that I was dim-witted. “You want one thousand empty wine bottles, sir?”
“Yes. The bottles along with all the other items we’ve discussed. Can you deliver all those things here by next week?”
It would be understandable if he still questioned my sanity but I could see his mind swirling and he came through like a champion. “Yes sir! Absolutely sir, though it will require several trips.” His lips turned down in a scowl. “These be troubled times so I shall need payment in advance.”
“You may have ten percent of the payment before you leave here. The remainder you will receive upon delivery.”
“You do not trust me.”
“As you say, I do not trust these troubled times or the sense of a man who would travel alone in a wagon, his purse stuffed with gold.”
“As you say, sir. You understand that all this special…well, my regular customers will suffer a bit, don’t you see, and I’ll—”
The cost of such things remained a mystery to me but much looted gold, silver and similar treasures resided in our treasury. I had a good man who would see to proper payment. “Say no more. You will receive special compensation.”
Chapter 10
The Battle of Lough Derg
My soft leather shoes swished through the wet grass as I walked from camp towards a small nearby mound. Behind me men were donning armor, saddling horses, preparing for the fight of their lives. Hidden behind a wall of morning fog swirling across the prairies from Lough Derg, warriors in the enemy camp would be doing much the same while hearing the words of Christian priests speaking of their god.
I climbed the mound to its crest and shivered slightly in the cold, damp air. Overhead, misshapen skeletal branches of a long-dead tree jutted into the gray
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