Cyprus?
Giulio had underestimated his son-in-law's madness. He had heard of the recent Battle of Choirokoitia, but had not paid attention to the details. His business rarely involved eastern trade, so it would not be affected by it.
"How many men are you planning to bring?"
Vitus asked, "How many oceangoing merchant ships can you provide?"
Giulio had three large merchant ships under his name. If he bought or hired vessels at short notice, he could scrape together another five transport ships. In addition, Theodore had two oceangoing merchant ships. Ten vessels in total—enough to transport 2,500 men at once.
That was enough!
Vitus said, "As long as my troops land successfully, we have at least an eighty percent chance of winning. The Mamluks are outsiders and cannot gain the support of the people.
"The Lusignan Dynasty came from France. After their crushing defeat, the nobles of the ruling class suffered grievous casualties, and their control over the lower-class Greek populace has sharply declined. They are destined to become puppets of foreign powers."
Giulio patiently listened to his son-in-law's battle plan. At the end, he asked what the Di Maggio family would receive in return and got a perfectly proper answer:
A sugar plantation or vineyard worth 8,000 Florins. After the war, Cyprus would permit the Di Maggio family to open trading posts in coastal towns and grant them the most favorable terms.
"This is no ordinary matter. Let me think about it."
Master Di Maggio still intended to run for the office of Gonfalonier in a few years. Worried that the family's reputation might be damaged, he remained silent for a long time. Vitus said nothing more either. Leaning back in his chair, he closed his eyes to rest and ease the fatigue accumulated during the journey.
After a