The Girl with No Name Ch. 30

Danka thought about the Grand Duke's excellent group of informers who had allowed him to thwart the Lord of the Red Moon a few years before. Now he had set up a similar spying network against the Vice-Duke. She was part of that network and probably its most valuable member. Ironic... she had escaped from serving the Sovereign in 1755, only to unwittingly return to serving him four years later. The Grand Duke always seemed to win, always seemed to outsmart everyone else.

Scribe # 8 was not surprised to find out from the guard that her most significant contribution to her group was the encryption information. Ernockt had created an exact replica and was busy collecting and translating coded messages from the True Believers' Bishop. The conspirator had discovered the Bishop and the Vice-Duke were planning a terror purge of tax evaders and suspicious individuals in the late summer: a mass arrest and execution of several thousand people around the Vice-Duchy in an effort to scare everyone else into conforming to the wishes of the two leaders. There was too much dissention and free-thinking in the Vice-Duchy, and the executions should resolve the problem and consolidate the Vice-Duke's control over his subjects.

The guard concluded by speculating the conspirators might attempt to assassinate the Bishop before he had the chance to distribute arrest lists to the parishes and issue the final orders. If that were true, they would have to conduct the assassination within the next few weeks.

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Prince Hristóckt slowly recovered throughout the first half of July. Scribe # 8 knew he'd recover a lot faster if that idiot doctor from western Europe would just leave him alone, but she was not in a position to say anything about the treatments. Even had she been able to help, she would have kept her mouth shut because she enjoyed watching the degenerate weakling suffer. However, in spite of everything, he did slowly recover and spent increasing amounts of time outside.

By July 15 the prince felt well enough to make a pilgrimage to the cathedral in a town called Sihídikti Ris, which was located at the far eastern edge of the Duchy. Danka had heard about Sihídikti Ris: it was supposed to be have the most spectacular setting of any Danubian town, surrounded by sheer cliffs on the east, northeast, and southeast sides. Perched high on one of those cliffs was a True Believers' house of worship containing the largest Virgin Mother statue in the entire Duchy.

The most important summer mass of the Old Believers was traditionally held on August 2. The mass was the opening event of the annual meeting between the Bishop and other important dignitaries, during which the Church hierarchy planned their activities for the rest of the year. Prince Hristóckt announced that he wanted to go to the mass in Sihídikti Ris to receive a blessing from the Bishop. It seemed like a good idea to everyone in the inner palace, so much that the Vice-Duke decided his heir would represent the Vice-Duchy's royal family at the mass. The prince would make the pilgrimage, receive a blessing from the Virgin Mother, and be exposed to fresh air and sunshine along the route.

Scribe # 8 wondered how he could possibly make such a trip on a horse without getting sick and falling off. Well, it turned out he would not be riding a horse. He would be carried in a litter, or a "sedan chair", which was a silk-covered chair with a large parasol covering the top and poles sticking out of the ends that allowed four men to carry it. Danka looked at the contraption in disbelief. Prince Hristóckt would actually be carried all the way from Rika Chorna to Sihídikti Ris, and no one seemed to think there was anything wrong with that.

There was another surprise for the servant. Not only would the prince be carried across the Vice Duchy in a covered chair, but she would accompany him on the trip. He announced that he wanted her to walk alongside the litter, stark naked. Scribe # 8 would be the only naked person in a procession of dozens of top officials and Church leaders. Even the Bishop had misgivings about forcing a servant to walk across the entire Vice-Duchy in the nude, but the prince insisted it was necessary so she could be properly humbled and know her place around him. The scribe knelt and pretended to be very frightened at the prospect of making such a journey completely uncovered. The truth was that she was fine with the arrangement: she had walked in the nude all over the western valley the year before. Walking around naked in the Vice Duchy didn't bother her in the least, even though it was supposed to be an unbearable humiliation. The only thing she'd need would be shoes to protect her feet. With some massages and flattery she managed to convince the prince to give her a pair of shoes, as though he were granting her a huge and unreasonable favor. Before leaving, she fixed herself a dose of tea from the final batch of blue powder she had kept in her nun's habit and packed her medicines and the items she needed to clean her teeth in a small cloth she entrusted to one of the litter-carriers. She wanted to make sure that if she did not return to the palace, nothing of her would remain there.

The Vice-Duke decided not to go to Sihídikti Ris that year, figuring that sending his son would be sufficient representation for the region's royal family. The Bishop was miffed at the Vice-Duke's slight, but didn't say anything. The procession gathered in the city's main plaza as church bells rang and choirs sang. Scribe # 8's former companions from the nuns' residence were present, looking at her with curious and mocking expressions as she walked naked alongside the prince's litter. The men carrying the prince were strong but wretched-looking guards who had been released from punitive confinement. They weren't complaining about having to carry the prince: the hardship they would endure on the trip was nothing in comparison with what they had to face in confinement.

The procession was one of the most ridiculous spectacles Danka had ever seen. A group of priests walked in front, carrying a large statue of the crucified Son of Man. The Bishop and his associates rode fine horses immediately behind the crucifix-carriers. Prince Hristóckt's litter followed, along with the porters and the naked scribe. More priests followed on foot, with mounted guards and supply mules in the rear. The point of the procession was to take the crucifix of the Son of Man to visit the statue of his mother in Sihídikti Ris. The priests chanted, passed out blessings, and waved burners full of incense as the group left the eastern capitol and traveled towards the mountains, on a pilgrimage that would last two weeks going in each direction. The kneeling residents of Rika Chorna lined the streets and waited for benedictions and whiffs of incense as the group headed out. When they saw naked woman walking in the procession, they stared at her in disbelief.

In spite of the stares and supposed humiliation, Danka enjoyed the following two weeks. For the first time since the previous year she was able to move about outdoors and see some new countryside. The pace was slow and relaxing, more of a stroll than a walk. She had to run back and forth with water, wine, and treats for the prince, but those duties were not very taxing. He was still too weak to fondle her or want sex. She managed to ignore her odious marching companions and just enjoy the feeling of the sun and wind on her bare skin, something she had not experienced for a long time.

At night she undressed the prince, bathed him, and slept with him in a comfortable tent. She ate well and encouraged him to eat fresh fruit. During the journey his condition improved dramatically. The Bishop claimed his recovery was a blessing from the Virgin Mother, but Danka knew the improvement was because he was away from that quack doctor and breathing fresh air and eating decent food.

The eastern valley was flat until it reached a range of steep mountains that formed the eastern border of the Duchy. On the other side of the mountains was territory belonging to the Muscovite Empire. Danka knew the Muscovites were as dangerous to other nations as the Ottomans, but the mountains were impassible and thus protected the Duchy's eastern flank. The land between Rika Chorna and Sihídikti Ris was covered with small farms, but the soil was full of rocks and not really suitable for agriculture. The residents were poor, but that didn't stop tax collectors from grabbing what little they had. The procession passed through a village where executions of accused tax evaders had just taken place: three destitute farmers slumped lifeless on three posts, with five arrows sticking out of each body. The sullen townspeople knelt and stared listlessly at the procession as it passed through. The marching clerics were not concerned about the executed men and showed no sympathy towards their widows.

The land closer to Sihídikti Ris had better soil, so most of it had been taken over by wealthy landlords. The poorer residents lived in wooded settlements along ponds and streams, in conditions very similar to the conditions Danka had endured growing up. The town itself was clean and had nice stone buildings, but its residents focused on making luxury goods and providing services for the local elite. There were several churches in Sihídikti Ris, including a gothic chapel modeled after one Danka had seen in ruins in the former Lower Danubia.

The procession had arrived on July 29, a few days early in anticipation of the mass three days later. After spending a night in a compound owned by the Church, the prince became bored and decided he wanted to go up to the cathedral ahead of the main procession. He told the Bishop he wanted to pray alone to the Virgin Mother, but actually he wanted to try out a new telescope and stargaze. The Bishop was pleased to send him up the mountain ahead of the others, so his litter would not distract from the dignity of the procession. The road up the cliff-side was paved with cobblestones, but it was so narrow that the litter-carriers had a hard time lugging the prince without falling off.

As Danka walked up the winding road behind the prince's litter, she noticed a detail that should have been worrisome to the True Believers. The Lord-Creator had formed the cliff from solid granite, but a large crack had opened up and the stone of the lower portion of the cliff had started to separate. The crack extended up to the ledge and ended a few fathoms underneath the plaza and the outside altar. It seemed the church itself was not in immediate danger, but from her understanding of geology and the looks of the crack, Danka knew it was likely the outer part of the plaza would sheer off and fall away in an avalanche or landslide sometime over the next few years.

The cathedral overlooking Sihídikti Ris was the most impressive structure Danka had ever seen apart from the Great Temple in Danúbikt Móskt. It had been built halfway up a sheer cliff, rising nearly 140 fathoms above the ground below. The site was located on a natural ledge that was large enough to fit a full-sized house of worship and a small plaza, which allowed for both indoor and outdoor ceremonies. The view from the plaza was truly amazing: on a clear day it was possible to see all the way across the eastern valley to the mountains separating the two main regions of the Duchy. The view and the dizzying height gave one the feeling of Divine inspiration.

The cathedral itself had been started in the 1560s and was not finished until 1609. It was a fine example of Danubian Baroque architecture, but also boasted several unique features. The back of the cathedral was carved into the cliff's bedrock. The bell tower contained the largest bells she had ever seen, bells which were designed to echo against the cliffs and be heard throughout the valley far beyond Sihídikti Ris.

The men carrying the prince were completely worn out by the time they had hoisted their royal cargo up the steep road. They collapsed from exhaustion as they set down the litter and Prince Hristóckt stood up. He ordered his servant to take out the telescope and set it up near the outer edge of the plaza. Curious to see the famous outdoor altar where the Bishop would be giving his benediction, Danka walked over to it and noted gaps, some of them as wide as two fingers, had opened up between the rows of stone blocks behind the spot where the Bishop would be speaking. She peered down and realized she could see a thin line of daylight. This ledge is going to collapse any day, she thought to herself. Another disconcerting detail that caught her attention was the smell of cannon powder. When she put her nose into the gap, the smell of explosives was quite strong.

The prince called her away from the altar and ordered her to accompany him inside the main chapel. The church was deserted because its priests were in the town meeting with the Bishop, so there was no one to object to her presence. Danka marveled at the building's interior and its carvings, statues, and mosaics. The builders had cut a large grotto into the granite and installed the Virgin Mother statue, made from solid marble and overlaid with gold and fine paint. The statue stood more than three fathoms high and was the largest statue of its type in the Duchy. The grotto was surrounded by finely carved stone, mosaics, and gold leaf covering the granite.

The prince took advantage of the deserted chapel to do something truly shocking to both the scribe and to his deity. He ordered his servant to stand in front of the huge statue, face towards the back of the church, and bend over. He fondled her in one of the holiest places in the entire Duchy, right under the eyes of the venerated Virgin-Mother. Scribe # 8 was supposed to be a nun, so the prince was trying to disgrace her as much as possible, to strip away any shred of self-respect she might still have. She forced herself to cry and pretended to act traumatized. She actually was appalled that any man could show such contempt to his own deity. She knew the prince was a degenerate, just like everyone else in the Vice-Duke's family, but even she had not realized how disrespectful and depraved he really was. And to think, this was the heir, the man who someday would be ruling the Vice-Duchy.

The prince led his servant outside. The sun was setting, so he decided to indulge in some wine, cheese, and Turkish delight while waiting for the stars to come out. After she served him, the prince ignored his servant. He emptied his bottle and grabbed another. What he really wanted was his father's Andean salt, but he'd have to settle for wine. By the time the stars finally appeared in the sky, the prince was too drunk to look at them. Scribe # 8 returned to the church to see if there was a priest's quarters where the prince could be laid out to sleep. When she found a bed, she told the workers to bring in their master. They also took away the sedan chair and the telescope. The scribe told them to rest, but the guards complained they had not had anything to eat or drink all day.

"I don't know what to tell you. I guess you can go back down and get something to eat in town. I'll watch the prince. I don't think anything will happen to him up here, and if it does, I'll be the one who's responsible. Just come back as soon as you can."

So... the men left, leaving her alone with the unconscious prince. She looked outside to see several workmen rolling a barrel towards the outside altar. They seemed to be pouring its contents into the ground. Danka snuck around the wall of the church to see what was going on. The men had posted watchmen at the entrances, but they must have assumed the cathedral was empty because no one was guarding the back of the plaza.

"...this is what I keep telling you. It keeps falling down below. You've dumped in four barrels so far. I'm telling you the hole is too deep. It won't stay, no matter how much you put in."

"Then come up with something! You're a Follower! We've got to kill him here! We have to do it this week! You know that!"

"A Follower... as though that means anything to you. Don't talk to me about being a Follower, unless you figure out how to save the girl from the palace. She's a Follower too. She's one of us. She's done a lot for you, and she's worth more than the rest of us put together!

"And I've told you we can't risk it! The Ancients will just have to take care of her in the Afterlife. What's worth more, her soul or all the others? Now what are we to do about that gap?"

The other men thought silently for a few moments. A third one answered:

"Wooden wedges. That's what we'll put in. We'll make some wedges, shove them down in between, and put the vials on top of them. That way they won't fall through. We'll surround the vials with cannon powder, just to be sure, and put sand over the top. That's how we'll handle it."

"And we can still set the fuse and time it?"

"Yes. Same plan on that. When he lights the incense, we light him."

"And I want to make something very clear to you. We light him, no matter what. It doesn't matter who else is out here, even me. You will light that fuse."

"...and you won't warn the palace girl... what difference would it make?"

"No! We're not warning the girl! She'd draw attention trying to get away, and too many people know about this already!"

The men carried away the now-empty barrel and departed down the path. Danka didn't know any of the others, but she recognized their leader, the man who was perfectly willing to separate her soul from her body and not feel any remorse. He was Enockt, her commander. It seemed Danka's debt to him included giving up her own life.

The men returned the following night, shortly before dawn. The prince was up with the telescope well past midnight, so the conspirators had to wait until he had gone to sleep before showing up with the wedges. Like everything else made by people trained by the Followers, the wedges were ingenious devices, designed to expand and firmly hold their place between the stones.

From her hiding place Danka watched Enockt, dressed as a worker, install two sets of fuses going in two different directions before pouring gunpowder over both the wedges and the fuses. He very carefully inserted ceramic tubes a hand-width apart along the entire area behind the outside altar. Finally, he covered his handiwork with dark sand. The conspirators were completely quiet and departed after just a few minutes. After everyone else left, one of Enockt's assistants remained behind to sweep the stones and keep watch over the trap.

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The bells rang in the town below to announce the commencement of the Bishop's ascent up the mountain, leading the carriers of the large crucifix statue which would symbolize the executed Son of God coming up the mountain to greet the giant Virgin-Mother. Danka frantically woke up the prince and to help him get dressed in his fine silk clothing. However, a couple of priests entered the room and yelled at her to "remove her whoring naked body" from their presence. They would help the prince get dressed, not her.

Danka realized how important the mass would be when she saw that many of the top and mid-level clergy members of the True Believers hierarchy, including men from other parts of the Vice-Duchy, were emerging onto the plaza from the road. There would be over a hundred top officials present, plus dozens of assistants and aides. Even the abbess from the convent in Novo Sókukt Tók was present, along with a couple of older nuns. Danka worried about the wisdom of assassinating the Bishop in such a public setting, that maybe Enockt's plan wasn't so smart after-all. Wouldn't seeing their leader murdered make the True Believers even more determined to kill off their rivals and wage war against heresy?