Fourth Crusade

Alexandria.

Dawn had begun to break.

A soldier who had been sleeping soundly suddenly opened his eyes, only to be startled by the circle of heads surrounding his bedside. "Heavenly Father above!"

His comrades in the tent had all gathered around him.

"Tell us, how did the decisive battle go?"

"Did we beat those Englishmen?"

Looking at his eager companions, the newly awakened soldier could not help but laugh. "Of course. Not only did we win, but we also had a most unforgettable feast. The girls from Texas were incredibly passionate."

The soldiers in the camp immediately let out waves of unwilling howls.

"What happened?"

"How exactly did it happen?"

They pressed him again.

The soldier cleared his throat and struck a grand pose. "That begins with the enemy's general offensive that morning..."

From a nearby camp suddenly came an excited cry: "We won!"

As though it were a signal, thunderous cheers erupted one after another from camps everywhere in the predawn hours.

The jubilant soldiers poured out of their camps. Officers who had received Lothar's orders commanded large quantities of wine barrels and food to be brought out, and bonfires were set up throughout the camp. The scent of roasting meat spread across all of Alexandria.

Some Crusader nobles who had been sleeping soundly were so frightened by the commotion that they leaped up with swords drawn. "Have the Saracens returned?"

Only after a long while, when they learned that Lothar's soldiers were celebrating, did they lie back down cursing.

"These people are completely mad!"

"Your Majesty actually allows them to make such a ruckus!"

Standing atop the four-hundred-foot Lighthouse of Alexandria, Lothar watched the scene with a smile. The Combat Record for this campaign had been successfully completed, and he felt rather pleased with himself.

The aftereffects of