Dark Age Maiden

His new idea, and desire after sunset

        On the same night, in Tiberio's suite, Giancarlo and Tiberio were talking. One of Giancarlo's hands was on the table, and he restlessly moved a hard clay lion he held in his other hand. Tiberio sat opposite him. Giancarlo looked up and said, "It bothers me there is still no word from Toulouse. What are they doing there?" He dropped the lion and it fell with a loud clunk on the table.

        "We are so uninformed," said Tiberio. "Surely Bishop Gregorio would send word if there were any developments."

        "He would, there is no doubt. Unless there is some reason he could not." Giancarlo looked darkly at Tiberio and they both knew what he had envisioned.

        "Surely we would have heard if there was trouble at Nice," said Tiberio reassuringly.

        "You are right," answered Giancarlo, lifting himself to sit up straighter in his chair. "Too much dark imagination is not good. Nevertheless, I will dispatch a contingent there to check. What we need to do, however, is prepare for the worst. We need to make sure your people are ready to fight if your stronghold is attacked."

        "I am not sure I follow what you have in mind," said Tiberio, leaning forward toward Giancarlo. "We have already reinforced the walls of the stockade, dug two new wells for water to fight incendiary attacks and trained over seventy peasants to use the pike. What more can we do?"

        "The trouble with the pikemen is their farming background. They are used to the quiet tilling of the soil, planting, weeding and harvesting. I am not confident they will stand steady with the tumult and screams of battle. Somehow, we must prepare them." He crossed his arms in thought. Then an idea came to him. "What we need to do is have a mock battle." He leaned forward, putting both hands on the table.

        "I see," said Tiberio, cautiously. "You do mean without pointed weapons?"

      "Of course," Giancarlo reassured him. "No sharp steel, but otherwise it should be as realistic as possible without actually hurting people or destroying property."

        "That would take a bit of planning to carry off," said Tiberio, still not sure he was in favor of the idea. "How would you do it, anyway? Choose sides to see who would defend and who would attack?"

       "Precisely. You and I would coordinate everything and establish a reasonable ratio between those inside and those outside. You've got ladders for harvesting apples and pears don't you?"

        "Of course."

        "Let those attacking use them, and show the women how to throw boiling grease and water on the attackers from the embankment."

        "Boiling water on our own people?"

        "Cold water on your people," laughed Giancarlo. "Can't you see it, Tiberio? It will be great fun. Everyone will work hard to create the effect of a realistic siege and when it is over we will celebrate. In the meantime we all will have learned something. And afterward we critique it—tell them what they did right and wrong."

         Tiberio was won over to the idea. He got up from his chair and went over to Giancarlo who also had risen. He placed his hand on his shoulder and said, "You've got a much better imagination than I do. Rather than try to orchestrate the whole thing, you might want to get some help. I'll be with you in everything, and if you choose a couple of others to work with you, the plan of battle will be easier to coordinate."

        "I'll think about it," said Giancarlo. "This mock conflict will be just the thing to get everyone involved in doing something meaningful."