37. Kratos and Poseidon

  Zethos’s sleep was interrupted by commotion outside his door, he picked up his mace and smashed the Norman assassin who promptly fell to the floor.

  “Commander are you alright!” Lucanus said, half covered in blood, “they just tried to get me, the bastards!”

  By the gods we must look like lunatics. Zethos thought, grinning while he patted his lieutenant, and then proceeded to go outside, a few of his men with relieved faces as they caught a few Norman rabble rousers.

  “Die you filthy scum!” The man spat, “Pagan, demon worshipping scum!”

  “Demon? And do the angels try catch someone while they are sleeping?” Zethos said.

  “Who did the night attack?” The man said, being accusatory and trying to flip the logic back at Zethos, “I did the same thing.”

  Zethos thought for a while, a convincing argument, albeit slightly different situations.

  “I didn’t attack you in your beds, and I spared your worthless lives,” Zethos said menacingly, “and I will spare them again, but there will not be a third time! You fucking hear me? Do I make myself clear!”

  Looting the churches yielded some 10,000 solidi, likewise there was 7000 solidi in the local leaderships stashed coins and 3000 in equipment. Hiring was limited to replace the casualties but with 39,800 solidi he thought about hiring another thousand.

  I need to move on to Potenza, but I can at least have a garrison.

  With a mere 800 solidi he outfitted a garrison and replaced the 20 glaive-men lost, 500 militia who could at least hold a fortress. The rights of the citizens were considerable, and the usual reading of rights and privileges reduced the likelihood of rebellions. A small market tax was not exactly going to offend too many people, particularly when all other taxes were gotten rid of.

  In Bari the 13th of March consisted of giving Gocelin 500 additional bolt shooters, in honour of his contributions the state gave him technicians, local Greek contractors happy to send 1500 technicians to help. 15,000 solidi was spent leaving the state with 243,000 solidi, but yet again, the state sold 4710 litrai of black pepper some 12,000 solidi straight into the coffers of the state, alongside an equally large amount of cinnamon exports; 24,000 solidi going straight into the coffers, the state actually increasing their reserves, as a result of this, another 15,000 solidi and another 1500 technicians and 500 bolt shooters were sent directly to Gocelin. The fleet was astonished at the generosity, but Adaneus could see that Gocelin’s work was shielding Bari from direct harm, and that he would buy time for Adaneus to reinforce the various cities anyway.

  “Our reserves are only 249,000 solidi,” Demetra said, “but Gocelin can now redirect the Normans away from us.”

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  “That’s all fine and good, but did we just blunder right now?” Butros advised, “what if he marches that army back at us?”

  “And gets catapult fire at him?” Adaneus said, “he’s welcome to try, he won’t like it so much.”

  “What about aid to Zethos?” Kwame asked.

  “His goals are unclear,” Adaneus whispered, “securing the roads was a merely a pretext to obtain loot.”

  “May I make a recommendation to begin the process of garrisoning the road towns he took,” Demetra said, “it might be expensive, but it will be worth it.”

  The carpenters were all working on bolt shooters, it was practically all they were doing at this point, catapults and ballistae, ropes that had to be taut, the state was spending large sums on artillery precisely to consolidate the various towns that were now in their possession. 9000 solidi went to raising garrisons and providing arms to Toritto, a further 10,000 was given to Demetra to expand the spy and information network outside of the city of Bari. The town of Nardo apparently neglected in the conquests of Gocelin had defected to the Republic without a fight, and so by the constitution of the Western Roman Republic its 5% market tax would technically go to the central government. 30,000 solidi was given to secure olive groves in the area on a 20 year lease with the local farmers, as apparently the locals were intrigued by the scheme that could provide capital so readily.

  “They really wanted the lease system?” Butros said, shaking his head.

  “Yes, from what I heard, it’s what caused them to defect,” a local messenger, “they specifically requested the 20 year lease, 2000 iugera of land is for sale, for solidi.”

  3000 technicians and 1000 bolt shooters went north, and money for leases went south, the Republic continuously sent oxen to Taranto on the now safe roads to make sure the town could repel attackers. The technicians cost the Republic another 30,000 diminishing the reserves to 170,000 solidi.

  “I have my own information networks,” Kwame said, “apparently the fiscal policies are making revolt very unlikely in the short and long term, Brindisium reported a lot of cooperative people, Otranto less converts, but the progress is still good.”

  “That’s good,” Adaneus said, “I’m glad we’re making progress.”

  Zethos had organised his army to head south to take Matera, he realised one singular road would be a problem, particularly if for some reason the Normans came from the other side. The 14th of March fitted the name.

  “All we do is marching…” one soldier grumbled.

  “We have taken numerous towns soldier!” Zethos said, “don’t forget our accomplishments!”

  As the wagons trundled along. A Norman cavalry squadron came from seemingly nowhere. Lucanus and a bunch of men armed with glaives cut them up in half. Zethos knocked a man with a flanged mace, a concussed man whose horse.

  “Scouts!” Aspar shouted, “what the fuck man, do your job!”

  “Sorry sir,” one of them said, “one of ours got hit, there’s a lot of Normans along the road, I think they intend to surprise you, this was a little advance party.”

  The column was strung out, and that was always a problem with any marching formation, Zethos commanded that his men have weapons handy precisely to avoid this kind of fate. A Norman armed with a bow came from a bush, but this time around he was struck down by the scout, returning to the army with a bloody sword and a bit of triumph.

  “Did they put a bounty on me or something?” Zethos whispered a little bit incredulously.

  Marching was consistent. Lucanus put on a breastplate.

  “I’m not going to do a Julian the Apostate,” Lucanus said, winking, and then clicking with his mouth, “you know that reference men? Don’t rush after enemies without first being properly armoured. It will save your life. Don’t think you’re some hero, sometimes it’s worth it, but if you have the option take the time.”

  “Listen to him men,” Zethos said, “I’ll spare you the history lesson, but don’t get caught without your armour.”

  “I wouldn’t mind the history lesson,” one mace-men said.

  “Well, there once was a man who read books, and he through an amazing series of events became the emperor…”