The Byzantine Wager

Chapter 13 - The Emperor Begins his Day

Chapter 13

The Emperor Begins his Day

Andronikos relieved his bladder and bowels behind a curtained alcove as his servants assembled in the dressing chamber. Six vestes, keepers of the imperial wardrobe, bore garments, a pair from each of the colleges of the cotton, the linen, and the silk. With them came the keeper of the purple slippers. To supervise was their superior, the vestetor. Also in attendance at his morning toilet were his barber, his freedman secretary, his strator (a page who hurried forth to remove the used chamber pot from the alcove), the bearer of the Chalice of Mithridatium, his astrologer, and two Varangian bodyguards.

Andronikos strode nude to the center of the room and stood with his arms and legs akimbo. He nodded first to the barber. Carefully the servant began to pluck arrant hairs from his nose and ears with a tiny set of silver tweezers. The barber had to stand on a stool, because Andronikos Komnemnos was - by far - the tallest man of his age, towering a full head higher than any man he had ever encountered (save for a Nubian he once met at the court of the Sultan of Damascus, with whom he was of a height). With great delicacy and respect the barber continued on to more private areas before combing and oiling the luxurious mane of black hair, only slightly graying at the temples, despite the sixty-five winters which had besieged them. Finally, the barber oiled, perfumed, and trimmed the magnificent forked beard which set the standard for court fashion. It covered Andronikos' chest and reached down to his fit stomach.

The Vestes of the Cotton came forward and began to robe him in a brilliant white dalmatica. Andronikos nodded to his secretary, the Keeper of the Imperial Inkstand. "What needs to be seen to this morning?"

"Recently, in your wisdom and foresight you had asked for the state of the fleet to be looked into. I am afraid the news is not good. In addition to the fleet under Admiral Angelos' command, three ships are on escort duty in the Euxine Sea to Trebizond, two were on escort duty to Spania, but the convoy has not been seen in some time. Two ships are available, but they are not seaworthy in the strictest sense, nor are they adequately crewed. A further three ships have had their keels laid in the dry dock, but they cannot be completed due to a lack of wood."

"Why is there no wood? Are the hills and mountains of our realm not full of trees?"

"Splendid full, Basilius, but there is no one to organize the hewing of the trees. The position of Logothete Sylvanus is empty." The Logothete Sylvanus oversaw forests, hunting lodges, and fish ponds which lay on Imperial lands. The secretary did not need to add that since the treasury was almost completely empty, planks could not be purchased - any materials would have to come from the Emperor's own patrimonium.

"Logothete Sylvanus," Andronikos sighed. The appointment would have to wait. Perhaps he would reward it to one of his flatterers and put them to work. Perhaps he would save the position for someone wealthy, execute them later for not having provided enough timber for the navy, and then confiscate their estate as well.

Andronikos loved being the emperor.

Except that he wasn't. Not yet.