Chapter 478 God Wills It

Eric believed Shansi’s Identity could be greatly exploited, so he took him in, treated him with all due courtesy, and promised to help him return to his loyal Damascus.

Eric and his forces then rested in Hama for half a month, establishing their rule over the entire region. With the help of the Armenians and other Eastern Orthodox, the process went quite quickly.

Eric kept some of the Muslim artisans and merchants, expelled the more defiant Muslim citizens to the countryside, and moved the Armenians and Eastern Orthodox from the villages into the Hamah City District to become new citizens.

At the same time, he freed all the slaves in Hama and issued a decree banning the slave trade within its borders. Freed slaves who possessed Skills and were literate were given the right to remain in Hama City as new citizens. Those without special Skills were also permitted to stay in Hama City and earn a living until they could find somewhere else to go.

Although Eric did not issue an explicit order to convert, the majority of the freed slaves converted to Catholicism, while a small portion converted to the Eastern Orthodox faith.

Furthermore, Eric had the Pisans establish a complete system of municipal institutions in Hama, modeled after the civic structure of Pisa, abolishing the city’s old office of the Governor.

Of course, in the newly established city council—Hama’s governing body—the Pisans automatically occupied one-third of the seats as the preeminent members and held absolute veto power.

For the Muslim citizens, who had never been allowed any involvement in civic affairs, this was practically a gift. They had only heard tales from Baghdad of merchants having the right to help the Caliph collect taxes. Now, here in Hama, with the help of the Heretics, they were actually given the honor of participating in their own city’s governance. They were ecstatic.

....

Bishop Admar’s aide, Brother John, did not leave with the bishop, but remained with Eric’s forces. Perhaps Admar, despite his disgust for Eric, understood that Eric, however dissatisfying, still acted on behalf of the Pope and bore the responsibility of leading the Crusaders. It was the Church’s duty not to abandon any Crusader contingent, even one it did not personally endorse. Thus, Admar chose to leave his assistant, Brother John, with Eric’s army.

Brother John, too, was displeased with Eric’s earlier decision to make peace with Suleiman. No true Christian Monk could remain impassive when it came to Antioch. Antioch was Saint Peter’s City, the first capital of Christianity. In his youth, Saint Peter himself had preached in Antioch and served as its bishop.

If Rome was the destination of the Church, its final capital and Saint Peter’s final resting place, then Antioch was its beginning, its first capital, Saint Peter’s starting point.

And yet, not only had they failed to enter Antioch, they had been humiliated by the Heretics.

It was truly intolerable.

Bishop Admar’s anger was understandable.

’Eric’s actions were undoubtedly wrong and infuriating, but who among us who bears the Cross on this crusade isn’t a sinner? This is a path of redemption, is it not?’

’We just need to march toward Jerusalem and leave the rest to God’s will.’

Therefore, Brother John chose to give Eric a chance. On the very first day after Hama City fell, he wrote a letter extolling Eric’s accomplishments to counteract Bishop Admar’s letter of condemnation.

It seemed God was on Eric’s side once again.

.....

The only imperfection in an otherwise perfect situation was that Mahmud, in his Mountain Castle, still refused to surrender. The double act by Belem and Brinyos had failed.

As long as Mahmud’s Mountain Castle remained a threat, Eric could not leave Hama with an easy mind.

Eric was filled with questions. ’What on earth is making Mahmud so stubbornly refuse to surrender?’

A sense of unease began to creep over him.

On the ninth day, Eric’s question was answered.

On the ninth day, Eric’s scout, the Knight known as ’Hook Eye’, rode back into Hama. He was so covered in blood he looked like a man made of it. He had two arrows in his abdomen, having snapped the shafts just so he could keep riding. The twelve knights who had left with him three days prior were all dead.

"A... a massive army, my lord. From Aleppo. Thirty to forty thousand strong. They’ll arrive within two days at most."

No words could describe the gloom in the council hall; only the mood of the army itself was heavier.

Despite the oaths of secrecy, someone inevitably leaked the news of the approaching army, throwing the soldiers into a panic.

In desperation, Belem ordered his knights to surround the camp to prevent desertions, with orders to kill anyone who tried to flee.

The tactic worked, for the soldiers feared Belem and his Shrewsbury Knights even more than they feared the Turkic People.

Over the past week, Belem had made good on his threat to Mahmud, executing one Turkic prisoner every hour, every day.

Their heads were severed, their bodies brutally dismembered.

Belem and his Shrewsbury Knights would slice open their bellies and pull out their entrails for the birds to eat. The corpses were often castrated, their own organs and limbs stuffed down their throats.

Belem took to launching the severed heads and organs over the walls and into the Mountain Castle with a catapult, hoping to terrorize Mahmud’s soldiers.

Stephen of Blois was preparing for a retreat, taking stock of our forces, organizing supplies, and planning an escape route. Breaking out from an encirclement of tens of thousands of soldiers, surrounded by Heretic towns, would not be easy. He was already on the verge of a nervous breakdown.

Eric called a council of war.

"It seems we have no choice," Stephen said with a sigh. "We can only retreat to Cilicia and wait for reinforcements."

"Reinforcements? What reinforcements? Where am I supposed to get reinforcements? You expect Odo to send an army to save us? Retreat?! You tell me how we’re supposed to retreat! The enemy outnumbers us five to one! What Christian town or village is going to shelter a fleeing army of God?"

"Every Christian in the Levant will know we abandoned them. We’ll never be able to establish a foothold in this land again!" Belem roared at Stephen.

"We cannot retreat," Brother John protested. "My letter has already been sent to His Holiness the Pope. Imagine his joy upon unsealing it, only to be followed by news of our ignominious flight! The Holy See will be enraged."

"Of course the Holy See will be enraged, and we’ll be a laughingstock! I would rather die a heroic death than retreat a single step. God as my witness!" a German noble declared firmly.

"We can just up and leave? What about the Christians here? I witnessed their baptisms with my own eyes. They are my brothers! They see us as their Spear and Shield. We cannot forsake them," a Scottish noble added in support.

"This is madness! Utter madness! It’s suicide! No one is coming to save us! Count Evler’s army is on its way to Jerusalem, the King isn’t in Cyprus, and the other Crusaders aren’t in the Levant!" a Norman noble shot back heatedly.

"When my family sent me off, they saw a hero. Am I to return to them a coward? I would rather die here!" a Breton Knight declared loudly.

"I swear to defend the Cross with my own flesh and blood, no matter the peril! Only death on an enemy’s spear is worthy of God’s forgiveness! Retreat? Before God, I am fearless!"

"God is our Shield, and faith is our weapon. If we should fall in this land, the Lord of Heaven will grant us a greater glory. To choose retreat would be to betray the Lord of Heaven! How can we retreat in the Lord’s presence? If we die in battle, our souls are certain to ascend to Heaven."

The Nobility erupted into a fierce debate, some even coming to blows.

The cacophony of debate was shattered by a tremendous crash as Eric flipped the table completely over.

Brother John looked at Eric and reminded him, "Earl of Gloucester, I have just reported your glorious conquest of Hama to the Holy See. You will have made a strong impression."

"Gloucester, we will follow your lead."

"You took Hama. We’ll respect your decision."

"Eric, don’t go mad along with them!"

Eric swept his gaze over the assembly. "We will not retreat! We will not surrender! If we die, we die in the Lord. If we live, we live in the Lord."

"God wills it! We will never surrender!"

"For glory and for God!"

"We’ll fight them to the last man! We will not retreat!"