1632 Snippets
The Demons of Constantinople – Snippet 30
The Demons of Constantinople - Snippet 30 Chapter 10 -- Attack on Tzouroulos Location: Happytime Motel, Pucorl's Lands Time: 6:35 AM, November 17, 1372 Pucorl stepped through the door and his body changed. He was still humanoid but definitely no longer human. His armor was again part of his body and his body was now filled with oil and electrical systems, no longer blood and nerves. And he couldn't remember how that change was made. As a landed knight Pucorl had greater control over his form than most pucks, and his make-up was much of earth,...
The Demons of Constantinople – Snippet 29
The Demons of Constantinople - Snippet 29 "We can build a generator if we have to. I want to see Pucorl when he gets here. Say, did you notice Annabelle's chair is right next to Pucorl's?" Wilber shook his head. He liked Annabelle, and knew that she had a sort of old-fashioned love-from-afar crush on Pucorl. That had to remain an unrequited crush, since Pucorl was a van, not a man. This could add whole levels of complications that Wilber was fairly sure they didn't need. *** Pucorl wasn't warned. He did get a call telling him to make sure...
The Demons of Constantinople – Snippet 28
The Demons of Constantinople - Snippet 28 The call of a mortal to a demon great or small was dependent on the degree to which the caller knew the demon's name. Zeus' name wasn't only Zeus. It was also Jupiter and ten thousand more words of power and legend. The larger and more powerful the demon, the longer and more complex the name. If the caller, be they mortal or demonic, had enough of the name, they could compel a demon, force it into a container of their choosing and make it obey them. That had happened to Themis because a human's call...
The Demons of Constantinople – Snippet 27
The Demons of Constantinople - Snippet 27 John V pounded a small paperweight on the table. "That can be discussed at a later time. You were talking about demo -- 'angel' enchanted crystal sets. But you have yet to explain their great advantage." "Communications are a force multiplier," Roger said, and Bertrand cleared his throat again. Roger held up both hands. "Sorry." "He's right," Bertrand said. "The person who wins the battle is usually the person that has the most people there when the fight happens. If you can get word to your forces...
The Demons of Constantinople – Snippet 26
The Demons of Constantinople - Snippet 26 Chapter 9 -- Councils of the Mighty Location: Edirne, Formerly Adrianopolis, Ottoman Capital Time: Mid-afternoon, November 4, 1372 Sultan Murad I didn't shout at the courier. He wanted to, but by this time in his life what he wanted to do almost never took precedence over what he needed to do. He was a large man with a tendency toward corpulence, mostly held in check by the fact that he rode with his army and worked out with sword and shield. Instead of shouting, he heard the man out, then thanked him...
The Demons of Constantinople – Snippet 25
The Demons of Constantinople - Snippet 25 "There is this," Manuel said. "The demon-locks are expensive to make. The flintlocks are cheaper, but not as good. But, Mother, we will need the flintlocks to face Murad in the field." His mother returned to the couch. "Was their world then ruled by the mob?" "They come from three countries. America, which is across the Atlantic Ocean, France, and India. All of their countries appear to have been republics, in which the senate and most of the other offices were elected by the vote of the people. As to...
The Demons of Constantinople – Snippet 24
Merry Christmas! The Demons of Constantinople - Snippet 24 Helena had a copy of Delaflote's book and had used it to summon a demon to her white-winged lark. The demon turned out to be a strix, which was under her control but as uncooperative as it could get away with. That left her with a less than high opinion of Delaflote's skill as a wizard. She looked over at the cage where the lark resided and it cawed like a crow and she heard in her head, "You're an idiot." "Shut up," she muttered. Constantine, looked over at the cage, and frowned...
The Demons of Constantinople – Snippet 23
The Demons of Constantinople - Snippet 23 Chapter 8 -- Suzerainty Location: Royal Palace, Constantinople Time: Mid-morning, October 24, 1372 The Ottoman ambassador bowed slightly to the Byzantine emperor, John V noted with distaste. His sons were both here, Andronikos and Manuel. Neither looked any more pleased by the lèse-majesté than John was. But he gritted his teeth and stood it. For two reasons. First, he had promised to give Murad I suzerainty if Murad got him free of the Bulgarians, which Murad did. The second, more pressing, reason...