Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

An Agony of Flame and the Fury and the Mire: Parts Three and Four of The Last Vigil
An Agony of Flame and the Fury and the Mire: Parts Three and Four of The Last Vigil
An Agony of Flame and the Fury and the Mire: Parts Three and Four of The Last Vigil
Ebook634 pages10 hours

An Agony of Flame and the Fury and the Mire: Parts Three and Four of The Last Vigil

Rating: 0 out of 5 stars

()

Read preview

About this ebook

A two-part climax to The Last Vigil, An Agony of Flame and The Fury and the Mire, concludes the story of the fall of Constantinople. Here is an intense evocation, both of the gruelling eight-week siege itself and of the chaotic as well as terrifying aftermath.
In part three, Niccolo and Demetrius serve on the great Roman land walls, enduring bombardment and nocturnal hand-to-hand combat. Nestor-Iskander reappears, a deserter now from the Turkish camp. Niccolo is badly wounded, recovering in Theodora’s house in the suburb of Studion. Then comes the night of the final Ottoman assault when, after a valiant defence, treachery leads to massacre (including the death of Demetrius) and Niccolo finds himself among a scatter of survivors.
Part four centres on Niccolo’s frantic attempts to find a way through a city, now being systematically sacked. Moreover, he must think of others. Demetrius might be dead but Nestor-Iskander has survived and demands refuge. Then there is Theodora locked up with the faithful in Hagia Sophia. Can Niccolo reach her before the marauding enemy? So, he travels deeper and deeper into his adopted city’s heart of darkness. Nestor finds protectors, loses, then regains them. Theodora is found then lost forever. Mehmet appears once more; Cinnamon never reappears. Finally, after the city has been overwhelmed and pacified, Niccolo sets sail westward across the Mediterranean, not home to Venice but to an Atlantic shore where a new age of exploration is about to dawn.
LanguageEnglish
Release dateMay 31, 2022
ISBN9781528997072
An Agony of Flame and the Fury and the Mire: Parts Three and Four of The Last Vigil
Author

S. W. Douglas

The author was born in 1952. He read English at Exeter College, Oxford, and went on to write his doctoral thesis there on the poetry of James Merrill. He has previously published four collections of poetry, two novels and - under the pen-name S. W. Douglas - Breaking the Flood, part one of The Last Vigil. He is married with a son and daughter.

Related to An Agony of Flame and the Fury and the Mire

Related ebooks

Ancient Fiction For You

View More

Related articles

Related categories

Reviews for An Agony of Flame and the Fury and the Mire

Rating: 0 out of 5 stars
0 ratings

0 ratings0 reviews

What did you think?

Tap to rate

Review must be at least 10 words

    Book preview

    An Agony of Flame and the Fury and the Mire - S. W. Douglas

    =_bbook_preview_excerpt.html[$Ǒ%U%UlCBJATq""#_\f#2?w9jfhHKnnzTΟ2uislެy?J~_G~_A>07q44o>{ݼC|544_}K/ƮkxvׄmqXqhNi9M;q 2˿Oɓ/c\[3}wqRgYeOi\\=8SsK_k Sf:\>+yJuq=ua`>|LÉs7^ [|_4Ni{yk~v\´rZdiS|7a^Hӯ/>S5zC{~50Xq{;tܓ]yDnUdgeislfV ,*/mJa_6g鷪ɫl?&²L D:N}y"xZap8,5g۾7&׮R4PZ4Yܼ9,r~׾7]˟>ӟbvyU^nVSLc\Yn,˔/rOr)ۼ~ ,S>-}j{JcFl|:Gs Hy\ƃNb+qiqpRĺOlƟe zE:{Yu|l,n/mO.|0%g/9d)u͡ )}# 1圠Yv$k75uNC9tO8]Ӎ%SXVLE82P5$Y^ܩYg?uh: \:l*$w[ Y㊍Vc=r΢y]qýəzCWέF6>ti&D,O!u<jšI)L?o|n^|dpx|Kog͋(˟oi^Y4n>u^_u^ЇCXx{-sD~ IDOMs?064Z!cP "dG71BD7q-s3UW; &\ڮ ҆Sa3N.go~9\`G#>)Q.=2 Z:C!y>m}[ 䋾!_bʡAq/^-g&^(_U4tڈ;LOã* q]1ъYa~?e} _jW`4KF":e58re }I^RVߥߋ@ㆁX [xXڈ#خ_a9|(M[{&:(=󶤩9%OL rM<׵UFڃErTgP >oQ>pҴxHN_ 8,awڐDpTq'i˪h7Iڍ8Z(a<\.boNޥU"%ȖJ|!-7Z^nD 3 U}hU,^?*A͍8|97-'j**1iH("ȿ~~leH5 pMj<_P%=k(9iLrDPlj$2۠ǩ+O ԩ8wq)4P';E @"2UV$!{(qr;06_.pEݍ|°y|XgAJJ?^ԕq i.FLYj{KQM9rFQn BvK!ye|5G %#\D:AIH45`'qz^n|]뻏rrkd; K)RG@/g_ e R +߉kOdGk(b manE@B{1`CuvwMOT$/ 5B"L<~=6uE:pOb,A&8(~.kerO !أ#))RRq/~|Npvj;좆r>z7oYe:.K߸Kã /iN2\$h`UQAZkQC3͚D )"s X*WY6,#WD&R*<=dpŧ4T =n5^T, Θ& k}Neȋ®nm#8thp%f]{RG~Y;Q*XX >q&()܎x}19v?縊_/2^U&?7 N$D@/[) qHw7[??awf9S(_D˧}/RPQp]MTIWՓ{H~kh(B <ʉ+A.O: 8eJBG~&'JPg7F+ drڱ)w8@"/xb =ų.=K]]mV%&RƂ7ŗ0?q5E,Tg0cnʒ."E ,@+C(M著CcFJ,jQt>Uf13ѺpSx3QZQqIօG5|GG_@7,UM~oo wk Z>v8&qQfERDQܚ%%|ݼՓً@;Drǡꯠ(~7q CXF<- d}艠*ѧQa}H9n@l{(u/RILT;} @fu@8<}?q/7F \ XTt\9S[}`I ~mۛ OC/CqGɮM<EkwBT5@V.b'9@{}-ݪ 8Fq`yH4ܪ= 7c7>7*zl]zDXu`S9ȴYP ܯaI6F~?'$lH@# I+tY([NnѵLwCya9C0Ԛ hG/ lcFdإ_]3kj1W(ED}Jk<0 h k-G}F*xF8 U?$zC6?w#\a w&ZXFIU#ԄHNx/h.AO@|-*Qhgudsk7ASw3*tbG(vfB*ƥ؆QUOL6ow.*Kv]4@TBz\XX'zJ/?\ \wp[tQ3t1/)q_4 r6qN?Mط\2x8a`Ƨ/Ԇ". ߦ`fae$(^e |e=HZG"rVxpt"Lkk;@DtA>x I.Qi6ۊg\x7Λ}R s cHNhX e"Rh܋**Z@=FN\nE!̊RV0 U3K$r.!*ʵYr #5<Omή"uOxyK˸ yL"rdۃFQE&FW F$֓S+pZEY k"'܏L?ɽhZ&;G|8kDtvaπކ W3'zK1S~ǹdމƄeUbe 镅lܥeTwΛq 0_6XuYOWWqBbJL4 9O$ɂ0 PΰP B ’G ˬCZ8tc\&9gg1AoYN-3 OcdK1>s7 syV[tcNAVho Rnq`()ӤvUVXe˓ 򝨮X=n=KU'rxH_dsv6hQ,Z e=io&r,V 5ǐ.oRD&(ݗ*?04PnQK-''EU郲#sQȟKT2^Z\%\4x+;5_DŽevC8hL%r$1'l j.3a9o=8,B$XQǯRi%!߃pإ6LG/4T jhE9}[d䜎62[ HcP',f͎F&̪w=&jL 3pUhNsAy6E)>[zVmjf!#\bjil25JTVE=N $^KTZl<%N0 [^X=6?" hX[Inae6BOrM&]DUxoS<jn],ňU<8=sf9`oL׍շo¹ً t uhӋEKi%+L2 rHL-~<08eb9nJ*Z7/ZM+ i芲0Dm#9Fw*ChF++j`Pz$*`J ?Q8 rPD|φaa$1D&=> reD+_0QcoPg6V.0 5Y1[ }0eϡU3Kϱ6-C%Giթy<%Q UC0<[K}xN&-%c$J)V8߽b+o!'_+P'}sc@ |$sPx'P6E8yiUl8/Pci2690QީGkw\i{//ԄԄ*T)t@S0LZ 5 S-~lى1m y !uhh=yaֺECo2>↯X[ek?Rx(?_>v7TB،:!'x_]>,ؑ :YEC,yD֯ aM=Z"軨˪P)WK ,ʹǃDS>s+r{-A8r|QC %rݭto3e7HЖ ?ӗ]/rvѺPEcIZ ѴV@Xz4\DfQOc'.& :3ڼ~_L45&_$Clj}FVRQ0+ӈAa~DxeF 0e!_Iܢ#w޾[B7oC+ .i@tEN+ |JANИ'rIBa+,y2n0OGZQEC--H<-e:($UxMIOch12V?(+ K$<nܲ:IǡW(0: TX)$̓I_cmFKJM~do?5^-Oz @ u0Co [P(G(;T<z^{}/cx1~@g\{%^ 'CD =,ZpڭZ??1(lLHa_Qg%bvr.߳ב^VE0(NFsޏQ*d♃(MǦR;1mCyeIyB(lϖ#ۘ|OLUv+y{rz^cvSh?R'եw_y|qrT~r|ݠX3^`hƾKmdkEJ"^:Z5dQ+Kq:iUo켞<"Ѧgi\E| Klq Lft JY,[궨:Z_8յxIdXr+"Ue[05yh_W' wD$V".J2̡iY)q[C2H)` "i]vF`aę OUrX F/׾XI_0JsX߲깪u7Kn,I@D]&كF[)I@)twXpkm=XUb|Wk]$!Ρ[cFV.B7NH5|;S2]?6/eG]q5g7s0f^RYghAt>0KX<ƫH&7RjC7GڇJα=<2V=ޔDD43^QKDhr'Sc-As ->dim-`LkZ͠E jeDС/] 򮡶B.pR[߬RMΓ5p$XO!77յ^iExҒ lSWN[nF0mZBoɅrMj֤U.;[:@ \"Gf-F(M bnfKV&EN(A&k-SҮ֧g &,bBE4GAfnV"׹Ӭ`⫫}be_5BIרI5]'΅2ڜjZSdT_selsG {!Ur,d$/ Kl(^JvPʜ4l&B38EMpŸ*?j5ιGcm+\6{ukM#hyGC>PXV{ 3ows$B`J($X7NQam!N8oTÅ6Eie cՊ N|ء;ɢiԯ|4Ku`7 v?%{yoC@#?,}y&OoJff|p?&0R>MgŊ8%02j[Y3cjАoB+0Y< DZ]v"T).TYDjPe 9ra8Yjs -K0AFDg5G2ҿ=5'qa 83yTL<uB Nj?b /La:4ÙfD!jP˅*=YK*e:FEëTI๤ie*6KC(ZyxubWOKy9)1Tac baO]12[ѽC=N06[IFJߝᛥr w{:rC ;DtKS2KsYU%:mv䷵G-Pa9ipgYp.1.@K{_83'`xEܭE<YxX$J>8lPɄ[UAtcsۤeܢ:mٙaKވsbi9bdrI 9}l:ǩkUuXJyX6 ƺV@jߖ`Nj;Qk*oU*HG yhq@x!YG+Ԫ?%mhMerjj=^k6α-+taz*f 86{G `'o݌;t*Qos^"i="G9fH@{-f.w:`.(/y>5*K9 ZcС]>OL=Sqi)͒#[fϘ;|)tϓDe[W G~z[B'~ysvvC>~RYAghlCVY/tKcnV7 ǦNFYʦDb^6XPƙ?q Sͅ4rBCjm5ޙY Mf[cĬ81i ffL,?j5K{xԗ]KԐ0-LgS2LoWynSbM$C&(Q1˫>cnx49x2fN֨X>Tf{Ń6׃Ye̡^Ѓ 2y+VJ%5-,̩Jv|ϧv`q'VnL'4Q#hݡ8vA#rщhE$@">d@*߳4i,aOҞ,-C b+prd޶*=W1~h1o]7cEno6DW|gK^~A`S@RJ]g:cԨ5nY=Skۣg$ivJmnHdǻoͩ+c l~V7qb6_0ق?ilbiira^-BCR1M?L_?W_^ M)4e=w o}v6oNebRUZ]J'*/LLX'˩ Ɗe3jAզ7c&\HvJ8y:ʎeFU8z^L}2C5l탎G$oň8Ez=C}f LonDbRmt09њ3Yҙb+fd_cLqƁOJlUKf@$ +zтm{L/GA jxV+kBEQL:B<_l\HvFM=&F"xzItT"-Y\qSFVVسZÔw:AhTu8ԯXe꾚j9mzJZN ٌvŰ3fU>=H屈ɱaI]3{rV]eW43FKlF@d~"fW6%ޠEl8\ '5ʲ*s4EGTB\*WtwnQJcQq:^O*j,"Sur+5BѨn,ZԍxmNu(xߊCj2bsk5XZ:FeUjo=_l"uVFK<ۀ܉̚kmCf!n.%Xpu!Ҙ;1D(Eeȓ홲-9tZj]ͅi4=zoJZɠC=,t}[J + l)-HŅ5Ujg9UMzկ# m5Zײl݅*R X=0s8,mqml5{b]ε)E￵-&.WxKW+F LX:kvعwz ;i?U?' xQٰNSU pס*BqۀY*SRmgZ-#/٧qo],h?i^_]Y;CRgJW>s,dfo(C++z0̪^GY*ʑgFjG$z1wb_e^HuIKZn#'hӴ'S:0(ȥvʃF)dEM=}Wn >nkM㏪4{rDϷ*3awZ܀lusZ^>ĖSi@'aG26C[NH/r3]f?Wx*6>ax6lYh!QP>3sDjy(.QgzFKhDT+uR2OȎ[OʵUONڬ }Zq|cSIwl>h2铒4o-2p>is՝lyO74#A%ldP2Qq5]VY6Q|e=f>lQ(-INhK;jϦjwrOfE ۬,Ȋb6xKfk %`fNk@4`z7zZP9zݦ8-@T* o]=5e  XKS8ILˮr};m9ΫJm!Mo^h=|qW7ʿFn ;5}T/'!,; +y?"G䰽{ާ3ЬMQ;KGKgғZffēW=v#7 YU% ^@s>p@şX6*x u5ҮRAE)IЁܼ%ȧ- Œ+F(J^67 i{.Hmĺ\סO9kјf(ުMs#0Ez;ƦPrq&,ڟ8OWkכԪƫAs!W; ow^!ZĮ nW}@aMTx} 3gxٛZEPwd8Yv(ުhӓ!+~5 eQ;g0oI"eK رN 89KeW=0BԔ>g"%`{vgjo*_lhyJxOO8B/gN>y'io@I"TLu62t p`WG Z|K_:[N;tYE:3Va EۚɈ䤟i;L#uLdqzKtE8Ah:wQ슣˨9['' >Fp]fX.Jz+~Zt Rn[)|eN}7SwcLC3"ZKF{-naG|{Jp^ OtU~kS`ܼX.J5ʨ]1v|J8Oy|.BSreftV%pf-)qw;uf8{ Vzv7ԍ֙4Q>4 xɏE5"\W[Ģ|\vHDaqPQ]|AHSŊ&Hv ~VfCvk&[~HN%_ȒT,{4m)xg8M1xl+ z$^GU-[BǘX$cⰡQmF!ɄFfUuhH :g? LuIXhiy0A|$c|WV_;grs/Io&NGl٬R_h27Cg#N]p|6_l8Lv'O䱗-xBb+ϴ[KQ8#tֶ69 DAb\^?F1e\%1mj)FWz&>#5 (eD>j <#IK͆&cIlE mk3Ms=('ԱK=NfspnDjuecVQI<4汳 & qրFݭ}0"O>]7uoԚm58֝|3Ths+|rІ""ҰmvF`.q0;^a3V2@M;wP24!%UT 3.:[pbcWPeaC4Q"Q'6TMZgjZkm,^^fOVjc 0JȒu*.Jjɺ.v[J$0ݸrJJwPwM ~&aY;:[|FXmM>#,:imPbf%~5GZK \3:0'"}wsdn^ j >3>t)~f ,ңZPSTdJ~6<0W CVs] %G:Ҍ2[ LlnQs*S2#Lp* I68*ks dgni9B@  ^7\ѡ[9p!ڕ9ʗAcx#NOnRHQl,.õ _r 1s Ϥkl´v,odB| 8Qv Ra=J -3yh!?{4euaxWXCVjXlhxk20aFf! Md3̸P7BU4"Ckm4rqyTK8MY`x9H=Ȭ5˸j(‰5xZB@1Q0_,L2tLc+ dKCv6`<1 jˑ(U.u3FHS"r`K[N{!igX3[y[k'OTKߌYYVo(D[b&- r&nz;ÒM } bcnWlq祵ScRE]Z@66BGD?ebe)Q^ʝ7cAtm6(FCe D׆:B `a9Oh%BW)8b:Y]*RuZ=Z֏{Ć=X8J_l˟FlߩMBbos8[*ą>ю޳y% <$-o}&JQ䲍6M#CjoM CҌ,"Sk߯,G5q>uLeތªpE&|&dPEz",W-\*\T"X%6&]tav~bʹ4\qxET6]6XhOdx1CaSX&tY4PaB.NJ!H#e}VcG޸qaU=|A.9G49leacD}ԏt \)=#₂.ȓ*Uq9%FA-_E G ȱ$|[ν5g `L"]*L'wiUw {3qrZ"S,.ruCDWvXy};#ӊ(wCRnz"wO[h&-Z.Fsh{ =ds6x4>3>:&dHvMNr}^tl˩P翱~&%bCf:Z^P8~W+'ߊ2'61۟Ve-[ _0c7Mng0kϞz=@|3E4i65νVZx*$bT Ыn= '`P K*>Pf_H˳xsDkL k,/=1!gƷ{1NUn<< M\iuT'Ȅ!6j _ =S@zlN|<$hצ"i|҄gץzvݞ($X9k.j_^@T[JI m0: !,iO(xe,Dw﫢6H9G*|sKLMmnct9Js>e[mUr1P_<yfv^]a/^0Pxڈ7۩7} h~>&Ke_Bw Ϫlj-X`O~#bsFt4Q;=/gcXr˳}jޣM6!5ov(q΍2x04ї*yMH fPcWe' I"`RD 'QpgNXjwI EoEX3#:6Aqĝ&4T0{^,݅Kf &x>W}x,"l;g5Zw ?>;."1SiB8\CeSR#]&+ZD囲/zVz;u lɭc*@)&弁SiWehŢК9dg[jؕt Kd$͌lmWDqܥ AEf&:z- ɰ@ O ASn>0ǭ{{iZd 9)4[xa
    Enjoying the preview?
    Page 1 of 1