1453: Revival of Byzantium

Antonius thought for a while and retorted. "But I am not that kind of academic fit chap who can spend hours holding a quill and smelling ink."

"It will prove helpful, my friend." Abdullah said adamantly. "It will help, there is nothing to be proud of being an illiterate man who does not know how to think, besides…."

"She is a relatively seductive fine lass, isn't she?"

Antonius thought for a while and nodded.

"…"

"So, there is nothing I can do to stop you from leaving?"

"It is my destiny to have this setback in my life, if that is the will of Allah, I will face it, and with the Barakah and guidance of Allah I will get through it."

"I see, I see." Antonius nodded non-stop. "When are you leaving? Do you need any help?"

"I am leaving after sunset."

"How are you supposed to leave? Every gate is completely sealed by now." Antonius is pretty puzzled.

"I can assume that they have a secret passage from the outside into the city, my friend, and I need to tell you this." Abdullah stepped forward, held Antonius' shoulder and uttered softly making sure only the two of them can hear.

"They must have some special way to send information and personnel into the city, thus send someone smart to follow me behind, and a few hours after I leave, seal that secret passage and arrest anyone loitering nearby, you may have some surprising findings."

"I will send Julian after you, he is a smart kid. But… Will you come back?"

"Who knows." Abdullah smiled and patted Antonius on the shoulders. "Maybe I will maybe I won't, but there are several things that I must tell you before I leave. Take it down… never mind I shall write it down for you."

"First, my friend, you showed virtues of respecting those with knowledge, but that is not enough, you should not just respect them, but gather as many of them by your side as possible and let them work for you."

"Secondly, do not risk your life too much, I know you strive for excellence and leave no man behind, but every time you find yourself in a life and death situation…. That is unacceptable and irresponsible, be a strategist not a berserker."

"And thirdly… Learn, learn more, enrich yourself with knowledge. Like what the Great Prophet once said in the hadith. 'Seek knowledge from cradle to grave, seek knowledge even if it is as far as Serica.' Hope that by next time you are no longer referred to as a barbarian, but a scholar with a clear conscious. "

Antonius almost have tears in his eyes, and he listen, he kept the water slip into his pouch and gave Abdullah a tight hug.

"Farewell, my friend… Hope I will not see you on the battlefield next time."

"Don't worry." Abdullah gave Antonius a sturdy hug too and smiled. "When I go back, I will not contribute any of my lifelong studies and knowledge to Mehmed, while I bet that he wont expect anything from me either…"

…

Later that day, after sunset.

Julian and several men came back to report that the secret passage is through a cellar in the Cistern of Aetius, where the Ottomans managed to dig a hole there many many years ago which only allows one person to crawl through.

They managed to catch two suspicious men loitering in the area whom after simple interrogation says that they are cistern workers just there to maintain the normal functioning of the city's water supplies, they speak perfect Demotic Greek, behave like a regular low-waged Roman sewage worker, and dressed like one. Antonius can only assume one thing, that there are not only enemies outside the city, but there are some more of them prowling inside the city as well.

"Send one of them to the emperor… Inform him that there is a rat hole in the cistern that provide water for his palace, then keep one for ourselves, get Abraham to interrogate him, suck him dry of all the information he has." Ordered Antonius in a cold and monotonous voice.

"Do we use some obscene methods of interrogation to open his mouth sir?" Asked Julian.

Antonius hesitated for a while. "You may, just do not kill him…. And do not leave marks that are too obvious or leave him mentally disabled, he might be of use later."

"Yes sir."

Antonius fidgeted around for a while and continued. "So… Abdullah left through that tunnel?"

"Yes sir."

"Did he drop anything like…. Hint? Message? Paper slip?"

"No sir…"

"…"

Antonius raised his hand signaling Julian to leave. But just as Julian is about to open the door, Antonius left one more sentence. "I shall request to the emperor to station a few of our men over there, just in case if Abdullah comes back, or perhaps some other rats come out of that hole."

…

The emperor Constantine is on a tower beside the gate of Xylokerkos supervising the defense of the city when he met Julian who escorted the man here. To Julian's surprise, the moment after he finished explaining the whole story to the emperor, the usual courteous and gentry emperor kicked the man down to the ground of the walls and took out his horse whip ready to slash the man until he got stopped by George Sphrantzes who pulled his arm and Issac Phrangopoulos who hugged onto the emperor's waist.

Julian realised something is not right and stepped away from the commotion, hugged his arms around his chest and readied himself to enjoy the show put on by the emperor.

However, out of everyone's surprise, the man on the ground suddenly jumped out and ran towards the arrow slit of the walls and attempted to leap off the walls to commit suicide but failed. Two soldiers who are standing guard immediately bolted into action and pinned the man to the ground.

Constantine panted for a while and seemingly calmed himself down, he threw his whip to one side, stepped up to the man, grabbed him by the hair and lifted him up before asking.

"Why, Ignatios, why?"