The Knights Hospitaller

After two days of travel, Agnes chose a sloping plot of land along the river. Vitus spread out a map and confirmed it belonged to a former Achaean noble, then agreed to his wife's request.

He swung down from his horse and grabbed a handful of soil to inspect it. "You have a good eye. This is fertile, well-drained sandy loam. But we'll need to build a waterwheel and irrigation channels to cope with the dry summer climate."

After settling on the site for the mulberry grove, Agnes wrote home, asking her family to help buy mulberry saplings and silkworm eggs, then hire a group of experienced farmers. When she had finished, she pressed her seal into the wax on the letter. "The mulberry grove is taken care of. Where should we go now?"

Vitus led the carriage train farther south to inspect Kyparissia, in the southwestern part of the peninsula.

Compared with six months ago, the port town's permanent population had recovered to 1,800. Five merchant ships were moored at the docks, all owned by Venetian merchants who had come to import olive oil.

They also bought wool, grain, salted fish, and other agricultural products, while selling woolen cloth, ironware, and soap. Agnes observed them for a long while, then suddenly asked one of the Venetian merchants:

"You pay almost no taxes. Why?"

The Venetians replied, "Because we signed an agreement with the Eastern Roman Empire, granting us certain privileges in that regard. Oh, and the Genoese have similar privileges."

Agnes stared in shock, then ran to Vitus to complain. His answer, however, was not what she had expected.

"The Venetians are right. In 1082, Alexios Komnenos issued the Golden Bull, granting the Venetians many privileges in exchange for naval assistance. Later emperors signed similar agreements too, including my father and brother."

Vitus had long realized that the Eastern Roman Empire had, in practice, become a supplier of raw materials and a dumping ground for Northern Italian goods.

Ironically, that was precisely why Venice and Genoa had come to Constantinople's aid several times, keeping it from falling to the Ottomans. As a rising empire, the Ottomans were more aggressive and wouldn't tolerate the merchants' brazen behavior. Once the Eastern Roman Empire fell, the Ottomans would control the Black Sea and Eastern Mediterranean trade routes, and the good times would be over for Italian merchants.

"How could they do this?" Agnes understood why the Eastern Roman Empire was short of funds. She resolved to expand her business, investing in soap and woolen-cloth workshops to seize a large share of the market from Venice and Genoa.

Just then, the town mayor, Daniel, received word and raced to the docks to greet them. "Your Highness, what brings you here?"

"I'm just looking around. There's no need to be nervous."

Even so, Daniel stayed close behind, afraid something might go wrong. Vitus paid him no mind. Instead, he took out his notebook and a homemade charcoal pencil, recording the market's trade volume and prices item by item.

He had picked up the habit in Italy. Whenever he visited a town, he gathered relevant data to assess the general state of the area.

After touring the whole town, Vitus went to the mayor's residence to review the latest work records, occasionally asking a question.

"How are the circuit courts doing?"

Daniel replied, "Well enough. They've visited ten villages so far, but haven't returned yet."

Vitus did not leave the many villages under his jurisdiction entirely to their own devices. He had the judicial system send officials into the countryside at regular intervals to settle local disputes. If they found small bands of bandits, the town garrison would ride out to clear them out. If a band numbered more than thirty, the mayor had to report it to the ducal residence and request the intervention of field troops.

Vitus flipped through the pages, about to ask about something else, when a guard suddenly reported that a badly damaged sailing ship had arrived at the docks, carrying dozens of armed men who claimed to be members of the Knights Hospitaller.

With the civil officials visibly relieved, Vitus returned to the docks and saw a battered two-masted galley. A red flag flew from the masthead, bearing a white eight-pointed cross at its center.

The town garrison had already surrounded the docks. Wearing captured armor and carrying spears or heavy crossbows, they watched the unexpected arrivals warily.

Vitus stepped out from the crowd and called to the captain, who looked like a pirate. "Do you speak Latin?"

"I come from a noble count's family. Of course I speak Latin..."

The captain introduced himself as Simon de Chantonay, the second son of a French count and a knight of the Knights Hospitaller. Not long ago, he had been ambushed by an Ottoman fleet and forced to flee into a storm to survive. After a long, roundabout journey, he had ended up here.

Ambushed? More likely, you were robbing an Ottoman merchant ship and got caught by their navy.

Vitus offered them two choices. "You can stay aboard your ship, and I'll send someone to bring you food and drink. Or you can leave your weapons and armor on board, and I'll arrange lodgings for you in town."

After more than half a month at sea, Simon's greatest wish was to take a hot bath and sleep in a clean bed. He quickly removed his armor and led his men into town in an orderly fashion.

That evening, Vitus invited Simon and five other knights to dinner. He plied them with fine wine, hoping to get them drunk and draw out information about the order.

More than a century earlier, the Knights Hospitaller had seized Rhodes and made it their headquarters. They kept their number of knights at several hundred, usually the second or youngest sons of Western European noble families.

The Knights Hospitaller drew members from many countries, dividing them into seven sub-orders according to their homeland. The grand master usually took turns serving among the members of these sub-orders.

As for income, the order owned estates throughout Europe, donated by nobles. They also actively engaged in piracy, attacking Ottoman and Mamluk merchant ships and coastlines.

"Last year, we launched fifty raids at sea—hic—and planned five land operations too. It was the most profitable year since I joined the order."

Simon's words drew cheers from his five companions, who seemed quite pleased with their pirate's life. Vitus took the opportunity to ask what happened to their spoils and prisoners. "I've heard that Ottoman galleys usually use Greeks and Armenians as slave rowers. What do you do with them?"

Simon replied, "They stay on Rhodes to farm and work. Or we send them to Crete, where Venetian merchants have set up huge sugar plantations and are badly in need of labor."

Vitus suggested sending the rescued Greeks to the Peloponnese. The knights exchanged glances and said that such matters were decided by the grand master; they had no authority to make that call.

It seemed they had reached some sort of agreement with Venice.

Vitus had no choice but to change the subject. "If the Ottomans ever launch a major invasion, how could I secure the Knights Hospitaller's help?"

Simon replied, "Fighting the Ottomans is our sacred duty. Of course, if you're willing to cover part of the costs, we'll respond more quickly, and the relief force will be much larger..."