Julian Stockwin - THE SILK TREE

He looked down to where, on the other side, ancient Greek settlements had been since time began – the shores of the Black Sea.

‘This… this is it,’ he breathed. ‘Colchis, the land of the Golden Fleece! The hero Jason and his Argonauts – but we’ve travelled infinitely further and have…’

‘Forget your history! It’s what it’s now, that’s the wonder of it all!’ Marius triumphantly punched the air.

‘What do you mean?’

‘Ha! This is Lazica, the furthest out of all Justinian’s outposts. Nico, this means… we’ve done it! This is Byzantine territory!’

‘Well, nearly,’ Nicander said, orienting himself. ‘It’s still on a bit to the trading port of Trebizond. That’s the place we take ship to Constantinople!’

Ying Mei gave a squeal of joy. ‘After all our journeying – to be here… it’s…’

Their winding progress passed quickly and they found themselves threading through well-wooded meadows and fields of corn.

In the little town nestling in the foothills it seemed not worthy of remark, colourful strangers in barbarous dress coming down from the mountains, and they wasted no time finding a place to stay for the night. In the morning they went to the market and procured clothing more in keeping before setting out on their last journey.

Trebizond was a small, pleasant town, which as a Greek colony had been trading for many centuries, and there had been no difficulty in finding a place aboard a fat trader bound for Constantinople.

There had been curious questions but Nicander was ready with an answer. This was an exotic lady from far parts, accompanied by her attendant and two monks for the sake of propriety, destined for the household of a well-placed Byzantine noble whose name need not concern the enquirer.

It had the merit that it was not at all an unusual import for the pretentious wealthy, and there were no more questions.

Marius was beside himself with impatience. Less than a week’s voyage and they would sight the marble dome of Hagia Sophia, the towers, the palace – all of which now had a very different meaning to two returning with the prospect of riches beyond anyone’s dreaming!

The ship was not due to sail until the next afternoon. The ladies made free with the baths in their rooming house, and with Marius a caged bear, Nicander found himself wandering down to the harbour.

He sat on a bollard and looked across at their ship, still loading.

It was a fairly ordinary Black Sea corbita of medium tonnage, trading mainly in grain and wine. Their quarters were as might be expected: for the ladies a poky cabin aft and for himself and Marius the usual temporary cloth deckhouse. But – in less than a week those dull black timbered sides would be touching port in Constantinople!

Emotion began to wash over him as for the first time he had the leisure to contemplate things, to get to grips with all that it meant to have left the known world and gone to unimaginable realms of the perilous and exotic – and returned.

Now, the great adventure was over. No more torrid heat, bone-chilling cold or lying under the stars on a stony desert floor; no more fear and terror, fatigue and pain, thirst and hunger. And no more fireside companionship, the sharing of trials and triumphs – that had brought them all so close.

And his beloved. She had been right to insist they keep their distance while the final journey was completed.

But she had seen him in the most demeaning and wretched circumstances during their long odyssey: had she since cooled in her feeling for him?

And if she still cared for him, that would mean setting up their lives together in Constantinople. It was of course Ying Mei who would have to do all the adjusting – would she turn her back on the rowdy circus that was the city and set up as an exile until she could return to her own kind?

How would she take to the rude, thrusting nature of Byzantium, so unlike the studied, contemplative subtleties of the Chinese? He remembered the dignified elegance of Grand Chamberlain Kuo with a stab of poignancy, and what he had learnt at Dao Pa’s feet showed that the ancient Greeks had no monopoly on pure thought.

But then he knew that Ying Mei was made of stronger stuff. If she gave him her heart, she would give soul and body too, and would become a Byzantine herself. Had not women since the beginning of time cleaved to their menfolk? Her exotic appearance would cause no comment, for this was the biggest metropolis in the Roman world, where so many races were to be seen.

And Tai Yi? When she heard about their plans would she be shocked – or heartbroken – at what her charge had become? No more in temporary exile, she might decide to set out alone and return to her homeland.

And, of course, Marius. Bluff, great-hearted Marius, to whom they all owed their lives. How would he fare, with his greatest friend taken by a woman? What would be his role in any economic and political convulsions caused by their introduction of silk production? His direct thinking and forthright ways could damn him…

And who knew what position he would find himself in. As outsiders in the maelstrom of intrigue and treachery that was Imperial Byzantium he and Marius could both be easy targets in the struggle for power in the new world of silk. In fact there was every chance…

He threw off the dark thoughts. He should be rejoicing at their homecoming, not letting imagined conspiracies spoil it.

When he got back Ying Mei chided him for being a dreamer and told him that he was to get himself ready – everyone was going for a splendid celebration dinner the night before they sailed.

They were given a room to themselves and the ladies were introduced to their first taste of Greek cuisine, slow-baked lamb with garlic and lemon.

The country wine was robust and dark and went far in adding to the jollity.

The dishes were cleared away but no one seemed to wish to leave. Another jug of wine was summoned.

‘Our first good meal since… when was it…?’ Ying Mei asked happily. She was looking more beautiful than he had ever seen her, thought Nicander.

‘That would be in Samarkand, I’d think,’ Nicander recalled. ‘But it wasn’t as you’d say a good meal, we being so distracted. I think it would have to be that funny little place in Osh.’

‘The goat was revolting!’ Tai Yi replied quickly. ‘Not fit for a lady. No – it was over the mountains in Kashgar, at the caravanserai when we arrived.’

‘That rice muck?’ Marius spluttered. ‘Queer idea of filling a man’s belly, that crew!’

‘Well, it has to be Khotan,’ Nicander said with feeling. ‘Out of the desert and fit to die – and a meal of melon slices and thin-cut mutton. That’s to remember all my life!’

It was carried unanimously and they drank to Khotan.

‘I’m really going to miss us being together like this,’ Ying Mei said quietly. ‘We’ve seen so much and…’

A hush spread, each deep in their own thoughts.

Tai Yi was the first to speak. ‘Well, we’ll be going our different ways when we reach Constantinople. You two will be returning to your monastery, Ying Mei and I will have to find somewhere and-’

‘Hey, now! We’ll be seeing each other at times, won’t we?’ Marius growled.

‘I really don’t think it possible,’ Tai Yi said with a slight edge to her voice. ‘Lady Kuo will be setting up her residence and as you are both holy men it would be unseemly to be seen too often in our company, I believe – however much we’d wish it, that is.’

Nicander couldn’t catch Ying Mei’s eye. ‘It’s been a great adventure – don’t you think so?’ he said to the table in general.

‘No one will forget it,’ Ying Mei said wistfully. ‘It’s all over now.’