The surprise came when about thirty rowboats exited the mouth of the wide canal that led to Rivo Alto, and they began to navigate into the shallow waters where Ravenna’s ships could not reach. This was a problem for Ravenna’s fleet, as they were now surrounded. On one side Olivolo and the Longobard mercenaries. On the other side a fleet of row boats with their own archers. The rowboats were more tactical. They concentrated their arrows on the warship closest to them, and once they overwhelmed it, they attacked and boarded the ship, finishing off the remaining enemies. They then set the ship ablaze, smoking out any survivors below deck.
Exarch Theodoros was watching horrified from a distance. He saw his warships fall and burn one by one. Eventually, he did not even have to call for a retreat. When half the warships had succumbed, the remaining ones managed to turn around and started sailing back. They immediately headed toward the inlet and out into the sea. It had been a devastating loss, both militarily and to the Exarch’s prestige. He had never really been a threat on land. Now he could not even hold his ground with a naval battle.
Exarch Theodoros turned to Ioannicio and said:
“Ioannicio, go ahead with your alternative plan to punish these Venetians…”
“Yes, my lord…”
“How long do you think it will take?”
“Everything is ready already…” Ioannicio replied. “It’s a matter of waiting for the right moment, when Polo returns to Heraclia. You will definitely have your revenge before the end of summer…”
As the naval battle was underway, a parallel battle was also taking place. It was in Brixia, where Duke Alachis and his warriors were alone against the might of all western dukes led by King Perctarit’s teenage son, Cunipert. It was an uneven fight. Duke Alachis was vastly outnumbered, as none of the eastern dukes showed up. Most importantly, Adalulf did not show up. The two battle scenes, one in the Venetian lagoon between Ravenna and the Venetians, and the other between the western Longobards against Duke Alachis, were crucial for the future of all northeastern Italy.
In the meantime, Adalulf was soaking by himself in the hot springs of Aponus, and his face did not have the expression of success. He succeeded in surviving the most improbable situations, and he now also managed to get his son back. He was not going to make the same mistake with Aldo that he made with his older sons. Despite his personal survival, his face just showed remorse. He had betrayed the warrior within him. With his friend, Duke Alachis, also died Adalulf’s honor. He was now fully transformed into a crippled old man. He had now lost for good his ferocious stare, as he knew that what he had just committed was unforgivable cowardice. He betrayed his own kind to give a different future to his only surviving son.
Duke Alachis was outmanned. He was being wounded but kept fighting, until young Prince Cunipert came over and thrust his sword through Duke Alachis’ thorax. The old warrior fell to his knees looking up. Prince Cunipert retrieved his sword and Duke Alachis fell face down onto the bloody battleground.
Chapter 28
REOPENING THE SILK ROAD
The three Venetian ships were stopped in Kerkyra. They were selling the salt they had in the bulk of the ship, but not the fifty slaves. As they were selling barrels of salt, Sabino approached Polo, who was standing by himself. He usually was in the middle of trading deals, but he had other things in mind. Selling salt was not challenging to him anymore. There was no excitement. He was looking forward to arriving in Alexandria for the first time, but he was also concerned about what he left behind.
“What is the matter, Polo?”
“Nothing really, Sabino… things are going as planned…”
“I don’t see you replying to all those hagglers over there, and you are letting Justo have all the fun!”
“Sabino… have you noticed that there are no ships from Ravenna? We are the only ones in this market selling salt… we can do what we want with the price…”
“Yes, that’s good! What do you think that means?”
“Well, we left not knowing whether Ravenna was going to attack us or not. I guess now we have our answer… If they did not sail south to trade, that means they all went to battle against us…”
“I guess…” Sabino replied.
“And instead we left…”
“Don’t worry Polo! Marcello lives for these moments, and besides, we had plenty of Longobard mercenaries to defend us. I think this is going to be a turning point. This is the year that we rise above Ravenna!”
“It seems almost unbelievable compared to what we were a few years ago, and I guess the absence of Byzantium up the Adriatic is helping,” Polo commented.
“Anyway, Polo, we had no choice but to leave,” Sabino reassured him. “What are Marcello and the rest defending, after all? They are defending our ability to freely trade. If we stayed back, in a way Ravenna would have won. The true victory is if we come back from Alexandria richer than ever!”
“I guess you are right, Sabino…”
The two old friends then went back to help sell the remaining salt. They did not stay in Kerkyra for more than the few days it took to sell the salt. They replenished their stock of water and the other supplies they needed, and then they continued sailing toward Alexandria.
As the three Venetian ships sailed in the eastern Mediterranean, Justo yelled from his ship at Polo.
“Polo! I don’t think we have enough manpower to fend off a potential attack!”
“We never had, Justo!” Polo replied.
“I am worried because we are still technically a Byzantine ship, sailing in waters controlled by the Arabs!”
“We never stood a chance militarily! Our only defense is to claim our humble merchant intentions and hope for the best!”
As they were talking, the port of Alexandria began to be visible in the distance. As they were getting ready to enter the port, a mid-size sailboat approached them, with a crew that appeared overcrowded with armed soldiers. What appeared to be the second in command in the sailboat yelled at the Venetian ships:
“Identify yourself, strangers!” shouted the midshipman.
“We are merchants from the Adriatic!” Polo shouted back. “We have been invited by Simeon… the merchant!”
After a moment of silence, when the midshipman appeared to be consulting with another crewmember, he replied:
“Permission to approach granted. Follow us and I will indicate where you can dock!”
As they were docking, the sight baffled the Venetian crew. Even more bewildered were the Bavarian slaves that were shackled on deck. It was the first time in Alexandria for Polo as well, and although he was the only one who had already been to Constantinople and had already seen a big city, he was just as impressed as the rest.
Although under Arab control for some time now, Alexandria still had the Byzantine imprint, as it had been the Eastern Roman Empire’s main gateway to Africa for centuries. In addition to what Constantinople had to offer, Alexandria had an additional cultural layer. Egypt was the crib of an ancient civilization, and even the ignorant sailors on board the Venetian ship could feel that. Justo was perhaps the only one with a little bit more culture. He was the most excited one and was very eager to go visit the city.
As they were mooring the ships and securing them to the docks, a man around Polo’s age approached them. His name was Ismail and he was Simeon’s son.
“Are you the Venetian merchants?” Ismail asked.
“Yes! My name is Polo, and we were invited here by Simeon!”
“Yes, that’s my father! We have talked all winter about you. Welcome to Alexandria!”
“Thank you for having us over!”
“These docks on this side of the port belong to my father and his brothers. Your ships are safe over here. My father cannot come today, but take the rest of the afternoon to rest, and he will meet you first thing tomorrow morning!”
“Thank you!” Polo replied.
Early the next morning Simeon arrived with his son Ismail. The Venetians already had all the slaves disembark and they were all lined up on the dock, ready for inspection and to be transferred.
“Polo the Venetian! Good to see you again!” Simeon greeted Polo.
“Hello Simeon! I have listened to you and ventured all the way to Alexandria, as you suggested!”
“Looks like you have less slaves than you did last year…”
“That is true, but these are no Slavs… these are Bavarian prisoners!”
“Impressive… How many do you have?”
“Exactly fifty! All in great health!”
“So, shall we say one thousand gold solidi?” Simeon offered.
Polo looked at Sabino who came over and whispered in his ears. After listening to Sabino, Polo addressed Simeon again.
“Simeon… I thought last year that if we sailed all the way to Alexandria we could get at least twenty-five gold solidi per slave…”
“That is certainly true. And I also told you that you could stay free of charge at my docks. So now you have two options. You can either sell them directly to potential buyers… you might need to speak Arabic, though… and it might take some time to sell every single one…”
“…or?” Polo wanted Simeon to get to the point.
“Or I can place them for you. Essentially I buy them wholesale and you do not have to waste any precious time.”
“And how much would you be charging for your middleman service?”
“I was thinking two-hundred and fifty gold solidi, hence the net price of one thousand…”
Polo remained quiet and emotionless, while Simeon paused, trying to read Polo’s expression.
“…but I like you, so I will charge you only one-hundred and fifty and pay you net eleven hundred gold solidi!” Simeon continued once the pause was too long.
“I was thinking more of a fee of fifty gold solidi…” Polo counter offered. “…And a net pay of twelve-hundred gold solidi.”
“One gold solidus per slave?” Simeon questioned. “It appears generous, but I will have to feed these slaves for weeks before finding a buyer… then it is also costly to guard them… mostly from thieves rather than from the slaves trying to escape…”
Polo continued to remain silent. He was backed up to the wall, as returning without selling them was not really an option, and Simeon knew that. Also, trying to sell them himself was probably not the best idea, especially since it was the very first time they ventured in Alexandria and there could be all sorts of problems. First, they did not speak the language. Probably most people there understood Greek, but the ruling class was Arabic. He did not know if they would come up with additional taxes and unforeseen requirements. Besides, it was an indirect way to pay for Simeon’s hospitality. Polo had always thought long term, since that very first trip to Opterg selling fish with Aurelia and Marcia. He was more interested in a long lasting relationship with Simeon, but he could not appear too much of a fool in making concessions that were too generous.
“How about two gold solidi per slave,” Simeon eventually gave up. “That’s one hundred gold solidi. I pay you a net fee of one thousand one hundred and fifty gold solidi!”
Simeon was also thinking long term, and wanted a long lasting relationship with the young Venetian merchant. Besides, Simeon did not count wealth in gold. He figured that the discount he conceded to Polo, he could make it back by selling goods to the inexperienced Venetian who was going to buy in Alexandria for the very first time.
Polo looked at Sabino, who whispered in Polo’s ear. Polo just had to make sure that his arithmetic was correct. He then looked back at Simeon and nodded.
“Deal!”
Simeon smiled at Polo and gestured at Ismail to approach with a large pouch full of gold solidi.
“I will have my men come and pick the slaves up later on this morning. Now you are done being a salesman, and you can enjoy being a buyer! Ha, ha!”
Polo smiled back and replied:
“I am definitely interested in seeing what Alexandria has to offer!”
“Oh, your men will enjoy it! There is plenty of entertainment. Now you do not have to stress and guard your cargo. Secure your treasure and come on a walk with me!”
Sabino was still counting, but Polo told him to bring the pouch full of gold solidi on board and take his time. He would walk into town with Simeon while the rest waited behind until the transaction was completed. Justo approached Polo and Simeon.
“Polo! Can I tag along?” Justo asked. “I cannot wait to see Alexandria. I know we will spend several days here, but if you are venturing into town I would like to accompany you!”
“Absolutely! Besides, you speak a bit of Greek, right?”
“Of course, I can follow what you and Simeon are saying to one another, although I don’t speak too well.”
“Simeon, this is my friend Justo, he is from the town of Ateste. It’s just inland from the lagoon that I come from. It is an ancient town with scriptures that predate the Roman Empire!”
“Oh, if you two want to see scriptures that predate the Roman Empire, you came to the right place! Come and see!”
The three of them began walking through town.
Primo and Father Leontio sojourned in Constantinople for much longer than expected. They had arrived in early winter and it was now close to summer. At first Primo was ecstatic about living in the Byzantine capital. There was much to discover from this commercial hub connecting different corners of the world. As he strolled in the city’s market with Father Leontio, Primo understood his brother Polo better. Ten years before Primo, Polo had for the first time set foot in this enchanted city. Polo’s vision for the Venetian lagoon was sparked by discovering the countless possibilities that the Mediterranean trade had to offer. Just walking through Constantinople’s market, Primo could interact with African merchants and with Asian traders, just standing a few feet from one another. He could taste exotic spices and handle delicate fabrics originating from opposite corners of the world. Primo was imagining how a younger Polo must have realized how their native lagoon was in a prime location to serve as the most important commercial hub between Northern Europe and the rest of the world. The Mediterranean was a wide open route for them to exploit, and Primo smiled every time he reminisced about his little brother’s impatience to tap into the unfathomable wealth they could achieve.
As months went by, the initial enthusiasm turned into restlessness. Primo had traveled to Constantinople with one primary objective. He had to make sure that Venetia was to be recognized as a Duchy in its own right, autonomous from Ravenna and as a direct vassal to the Emperor. Most importantly, his diplomatic presence in the Byzantine capital had to ensure that Venetians were not to be labeled as pirates, because of the show of force that Polo decided to enact over one of Ravenna’s merchant ships. But this matter was almost immediately taken care of during the very first meeting with Emperor Constantinos IV. The outcome of that meeting, however, was dubious. The only thing that Primo and Father Leontio knew was that they were not being granted permission to leave Constantinople. They were in a limbo as if Byzantium was waiting to hear Ravenna’s version of events. But the Ravennati never sent a diplomatic dispatch on this issue, and Primo and Father Leontio had no other choice but to wait, impatiently.
“Father Leontio, I cannot believe we haven’t been granted a second hearing with the Emperor!” An aggravated Primo voiced to Father Leontio during one of their countless strolls through the market.
“Believe me, Primo, I have tried!” Father Leontio replied. “But unfortunately I do not have the same close relationship with Emperor Constantinos IV that I had with his father Constans II…”
“They are keeping us here without our consent!” Primo protested. “And it’s not because the city is under siege by the
Arabs. They reached a truce when Byzantium conceded Lebanon…”
“Yes, there are no other reasons to hold us here… The Adriatic is of lowest priority to the Empire, and I feel they forgot about us…” Father Leontio remarked.
“Perhaps we should just sail off and leave, even if permission is not granted…” Primo suggested.
“Primo, we cannot escape as fugitives!” Father Leontio admonished. “It would be unacceptable!”
“Why?”
“Because you are an official delegate of a Duchy vassal to the Empire! That’s why! That would be a most serious affront! We cannot afford to have the whole Empire against us… we are better off obeying and facing whatever consequences. Trust me, if we are here to defend ourselves, the Emperor will look for some sort of accommodation between us and Ravenna.”
Primo was not listening to Father Leontio anymore. He understood what he had said. Being a fugitive was out of the question, but he did not want to wait forever just to eventually quarrel with a Ravenna representative in front of the Emperor.
“Father Leontio, Ravenna should have sent someone already…”
“Hmm, that’s true! Why haven’t they?” Father Leontio started to wonder.
“I am not sure, but if they wanted to, they would have sent someone immediately. The fact of the matter is that they chose not to… And we could be waiting here for years!”
Primo was getting upset. He started raising his voice in the middle of the market. He immediately recomposed himself, as he came up with an idea.
“If we cannot talk to the Emperor, let’s try with his son! Isn’t he a co-emperor?” Primo suggested.
“Justinian II? That crazy youngster? What good will that do?”
“I don’t know, but it’s worth a try…”
Primo started walking at a fast pace toward the imperial palace, followed by Father Leontio who was having a hard time keeping up.
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