At four in the afternoon, Vitus's carriage stopped in the square before Hagia Sophia.
"Even in this heat, so many commoners have come from out of town to visit? What about the farmwork back home?"
Vitus waited in the carriage for a while, until the number of visitors dwindled. Surrounded by a dozen or so attendants, he walked straight into the main hall and found the patriarch, who was busy making arrangements.
"Have the senior clergy for the three provinces of the Patriarchate of Antioch been appointed? How much exactly will it cost to rebuild the churches in each region? Submit a list and a construction plan as soon as possible..."
The conversation continued for a long time. Vitus urged the Church to hasten its work and cooperate with the civil officials to stabilize the newly reclaimed regions.
Just before leaving, a question suddenly occurred to him. "What have the city's residents thought of me lately?"
The patriarch's tone was firm. "The people all praise your achievements and look forward to your destruction of Venice and reconquest of Jerusalem..."
The patriarch offered a torrent of praise. Vitus silently admired the dome and the surrounding decorations, then turned and left.
As they watched the emperor leave, the clergy reacted in different ways. Some came from Anatolia and the northern shores of the Black Sea, and sincerely regarded the emperor as the guardian of their faith.
A few felt that the emperor gave Adrian University and the Plethon School far too much free rein. Moreover, he attended religious ceremonies far less frequently than Manuel II or John VIII. His focus was always on military affairs and finances, while Church affairs went neglected.
The patriarch heard murmurs in the hall and turned toward their source. "This is no place for idle chatter!"
He