Pueros

Tamerlane's Boys

Chapters 31-33

Chapter 31
Janissaries

Interesting incidents take place in the Janissary school barracks and elsewhere.

(Janissary school barracks, Edirne, Ottoman Empire, Autumn, 1395)

Nevertheless, Kiril had still been required, after being stripped naked in readiness to be immovably bound to the punishment post, to perform the customary ritual of kneeling to kiss the particular hand of the quartermaster that would hold the vicious horsewhip. The boy would also be required to pay the man for the privilege of being severely flogged by him. However, such dues would have to wait to be deducted from the otherwise impecunious 7 year-old's tiny monthly living allowance, the first allocation of which he had not yet received.

(Samarkand, Transoxiana, same time)

The first half-hour of Vissarion's audience with the formidable woman, which court practice dictated could never have taken place with one of Tamerlane's queens with just the two of them present if he had not been a eunuch, was taken up with relatively trivial conversation. However, the perceptive young Georgian recognised that there was a purpose to the chatter. The Bibi Khanum was asking diplomatic questions about the 18 year-old's life and views to gain an insight not only into his history, much of which she undoubtedly already knew, but also his true character.

Like the person she was gently interrogating, Shadi Mulk Aka could correctly gauge people quickly. The Bibi Khanum also had a particular reason why she needed to do so in respect of Vissarion, and not just because of his influence in her husband's life, which had finally been revealed in its true extent by the sad demise of Umarshaykh.

Vissarion, appreciating that the woman was studying and appraising him, carefully constructed his replies, as he was keen to establish good relations with Tamerlane's Bibi Khanum, whom he knew his master held in great esteem. One of the reasons behind the conqueror's rare respect for a female was the fact that, although childless herself, she had taken great interest in ensuring the welfare of her husband's offspring by other queens.

"I understand," Shadi Mulk Aka eventually commented, "that you've established a special rapport with my grandson, Ulugbeg." The mentioned 1 year-old was not an actual blood relative of the Bibi Khanum but such familial titles, as she was now applying to the baby boy, had been customarily attached by her to her husband's children for decades. However, Vissarion at first became uncomfortable about the practice, realising that the Eldest Queen must also have referred to Umarshaykh as her 'son'. As the young Georgian had, albeit innocently, been responsible for this man's death, he began to worry afresh about the food and drink that was being offered by an apparently very generous hostess.

Nevertheless, Vissarion managed to display in his still boyish voice and sublime face no disquiet about his situation when he replied positively to Shadi Mulk Aka's comment. The 18 year-old Georgian was then to experience some relief when the Bibi Khanum advised "Good, as I'd like you to continue to play a special role in the child's life, as well as that of his young father."

Shadi Mulk Aka then remarked "I believe you have beneficially intrigued my grandson with your own interest in stars." Vissarion was not surprised by the Bibi Khanum's knowledge about this phenomenon, as he had needed to seek, for his own safety, the Eldest Queen's permission to visit Tamerlane's Samarkand palace every night in order to perform his nightly duty and tempt Ulugbeg to sleep.

Vissarion politely nodded in agreement with Shadi Mulk Aka's remark. The Bibi Khanum then informed the young Georgian "I too am interested in the stars. In fact, I possess my own astrologers, who unfortunately had, at my husband's insistence, like you once were, albeit for different reasons, to be castrated in order to perform their function for his Eldest Queen!" She then smiled, on revealing this fact and before commenting "Poor men, as if they could be interested in an old woman like me!"

Vissarion could not help but replicate the freshly revealed infectious smile of Shadi Mulk Aka, who now went on to confess "I'm told by my astrologers that both Ulugbeg and his young father, Shahrukh, are destined for greatness. However, I'm also advised that they'll need a good guide to help them achieve such a destiny."

"My astrologers additionally predict," Shadi Mulk Aka then told a shocked Vissarion , "that you will be the guiding star for both Shahrukh and Ulugbeg!"

(Janissary school barracks, Edirne, Ottoman Empire, same time)

Janissaries gained their name from the Turkish words 'yeni' and 'çeri', meaning 'new troops', which they were when originally formed by Mehmed's grandfather, Murad I, who was himself called a Bey until he re-titled himself to become the first Ottoman Sultan. As his empire began to acquire the characteristics of a major state, he needed men to form his own, personally fiercely loyal, standing army, appropriately housed, rationed and paid. Such a force was required as much to resolve internal as external conflicts.

The need for Janissaries, who were commanded by a senior Aga, arose from the fact that existing forces, or 'akinjis', were unpaid, other than by booty, and were levied when needed from many different, widely dispersed Turkish tribal groups. The non-remunerative status and geographical spread might make some contingents reluctant or difficult to be summoned in time to perform the required function. The allegiance of these warriors was also normally to their own clan leaders, who sometimes might be in dispute with the Sultan.

Murad I originally enlisted Janissaries from adult prisoners of war. However, when this proved unsuitable to secure complete competence and loyalty, he began the practice of forcibly recruiting Christian boys for the corps and other aspects of imperial service.

Although such action was technically forbidden by religious scripture and therefore could definitely not be applied to Muslims, the proscription was ignored in respect of those not born of the true faith. A remark of the Prophet Mohammed, that "every human being carries from his birth a desire to embrace Islam", was used instead as an excuse for such compulsory conscription, with conversion of the boys from Christianity becoming an integral aim.

Murad I had come to believe that boys would be better recruits into his service than men because their minds and bodies could be moulded to serve him as he wanted, namely exceedingly well and with exclusive devotion. In order to achieve this result, the youngsters were taken from their homes at an early age, by means of the annual devshirmeth, which is Turkish for 'gathering'.

In the process, which began with the initial recruitment of 1000 boys, the youngsters were completely cut off forever from contact with their families and original communities. The system remained embryonic under Murad I's son, Bayezid I, but would be considerably improved, albeit not in lack of harshness, under this latter Sultan's own ultimate sole successor. Over the next couple of centuries, approaching 300,000 young Christian males would be forcibly enlisted into imperial service through the devilish, often yearly human taxation of the devshirmeth.

A senior court officer, sometimes the 'Keeper of Cranes', protected by Janissaries, initially made rather indiscriminate tours of the provinces to enforce the devshirmeth, which required the 'gathering' of only the choicest boys. The head of each visited community, the 'protegeros', was required to submit the official register of the local Christian families and assemble the relevant fathers with all their sons.

From these, the visiting official chose, on average, a fifth, all aged between 7 and 14. Boys who were of particularly good appearance or strength, or who displayed certain skills or talents, tended to be the ones who were selected and taken away, with an imperial scribe recording their details. However, just one juvenile Christian recruit was originally removed from any one family and only sons and those of ill or infirm parents were excused.

Attempts at evasion of this inhuman blood tax were naturally common. As the law provided that only unwed non-Muslim boys could be recruited, some sons were married off or converted to Islam at very young ages, sometimes when they were still in their cradles. When such practices were quickly outlawed, and heavy penalties imposed for attempting to avoid the devshirmeth, Christian families became so desperate to save their own sons that some uprisings occurred, which were usually suppressed with much bloodshed, or they betrayed each other in order to try to save their own children. Alternatively, many, especially in border provinces, instead simply fled with their precious offspring, leaving behind their homes and many of their possessions.

Abuses by officials in respect of the devshirmeth also quickly arose. The recruiting officers would often furtively enlist a greater number of boys than required but the excess would not be delivered to the acemi oglan.

Instead, the officers frequently offered to sell the boys back to the wealthier parents at high prices. Alternatively, the surplus from poor homes were sold into slavery, often to traders from still independent and Christian Constantinople, where, in line with contemporary Byzantine fashion, many ended up as eunuchs.

There was, however, also another side to the devshirmeth, resulting from the severe oppression imposed by the Muslim overlords and the immense poverty prevailing in many conquered Christian communities. Some boys, in order to escape such miserable existences, and despite the prospect of years of initial harsh training, were actually glad to be selected for training in the acemi oglan. Some parents, in order to secure a better future for their children, also encouraged sons to enlist. The escape from penury and the possible great honours and riches that imperial service might eventually offer were particular attractions.

Ottoman officials rarely failed to advertise such possible advantages of imperial service before the often ragged and hungry Christian boys and their families. In fact, such benefits eventually led the Muslim Turks themselves to complain about the resultant monopolisation of many of the highest positions in the empire by men of infidel birth.

New recruits, called 'ajami' or 'apprentices', were instructed in the principles of Islam. They were not obliged to become Muslims but, through efficient indoctrination, most did so, many even more fanatically than those born into the faith. The promotion of the personal benefits to be gained from conversion, when those choosing to remain Christians would probably be discriminated against in their future careers, possibly to the point of eventual exclusion from imperial service, assisted the process.

Depending upon age at enlistment, apprentices could be trained for up to 17 years, generally in two completely separate environments. In the acemi oglan, which was commanded by an 'Aga', the cadets would be divided up into sections of 20 to 30 boys, each with its own section leader, or 'Boluk-basi'. Here, formal instruction would be given in Islam, languages, character-building, leadership, physical prowess, science and a craft of their own choosing, as well as military matters.

The boys received a small monthly payment from which they maintained themselves by contributing a specified amount to the common household. Although clothing was distributed annually by the state, amongst their own responsibilities was the purchase of footwear. Rations of bread, mutton and candles were also furnished free by the government, whilst the apprentices were charged for their supplies of butter, vegetables and rice.

Life in the barracks was hard and the discipline severe. The boys slept in lit rooms, under the watchful eyes of eunuchs, who punished severely every noise or other impropriety. Attempts were made to suppress all freedom and individuality. Blind obedience to superiors was inculcated in the cadets, as well as a fanatical subservience to the Sultan, to whom they were made to believe they belonged in body and soul.

The fundamental laws, or 'Kanun', applying to Janissaries were promulgated by Sultan Murad I and were embodied in thirteen articles. First, they were to owe absolute submission and obedience to their superiors. Second, there must prevail amongst them perfect unity and accord, with their living conditions always the same. Third, they must abstain from everything that did not become a warrior, such as luxuries in dress. Fourth, they must never deviate from the sacred teachings of the Islamic prophet particularly venerated by the corps, Haci Bektas. Fifthly, only those raised by virtue of the law of devsirmeth, who had completed their classes in the acemi oglan, could be admitted into the order. Sixthly, punishments carrying the death penalty would, by privilege, be carried out in a special manner. Seventhly, they could only be admonished and punished by their own officers. Eighthly, promotion was rigorously observed by order of seniority. Ninthly, invalids would be retired with pension. Tenthly, they could not let their beards grow. Eleventhly, they could not marry before they left active service. Twelthly, they would sleep in barracks, which they could not leave without authorisation. Thirteenthly, they would perform the necessary exercises and manoeuvres for their military instruction.

The spartan upbringing of the boy apprentices in the acemi oglan was supposed to create perfect military spirit. The development of a common esprit de corps, involving unflinching discipline and absolute subservience to superiors, was designed to make the Janissaries the backbone of the Ottoman forces and the bedrock of support for the Sultans, the guardians of his empire.

The other training environment for apprentices, besides the acemi oglan, involved agriculture. Boys were sent to work on farms, sometimes for years and usually in Asian Anatolia, far from their original homelands. The idea behind such practice was threefold.

First, the experience, which, dependant on the people to whom they were allocated, could be harsher than at the boys' school, was supposed to assist them to become better acquainted with the Turkish tongue, faith and culture. Second, the apprentices aided agricultural production by helping to overcome shortages of cheap labour. Third, the cadets helped to boost the imperial treasury, as farmers were expected to pay the state for the services of the youngsters.

At the age of about 14, the most intelligent of the apprentices were chosen for further training as 'Icoglani' pages in the Sultan's palatial residence. There, these select few were instructed in relevant topics, under the supervision of white eunuchs, for up to another 10 years in palace schools. A system of examinations then judged them for service within the imperial court, state administration or army, chiefly the paid cavalry, or 'Sipahi', who were considered the military elite.

At the age of about 24, graduates of the acemi oglan, who remained in perfect physical condition and were now thoroughly indoctrinated in the service of the Sultan and skilled in the use of arms, finally joined the corps of Janissaries. Those of weak constitution or deemed to have failed their lengthy induction for whatever reason were assigned to various alternative occupations, receiving in the process the dreaded title of 'Cikme' or 'rejected one'.

The entire Janissary corps was known as the 'Ojak', or 'hearth', and did not number more than 20,000 during the first two centuries of its existence. The order was divided into 'Ortas', varying in size from 100 to 500 and, as the soldiers tended to remain in such units throughout their service, these companies often represented a kind of extended, surrogate family to them. The 'Oda', or 'room', was the name given to the particular barracks in which the soldiers were lodged.

Promotion was generally gained by way of long or distinguished service and was initially to the most junior rank of officer, 'Odabashi'. Only the most able advanced to 'Chorbaji', which entailed command of a whole Orta.

At first, the Janissaries wore no particular distinctive clothing save a white felt cap. However, a red version with gold embroidery was substituted and later a uniform was introduced, consisting of a long coat, or 'dolarma', reaching down to the ankles, with a cowl which could cover the head, plus shirt and trousers. Commanding officers were distinguished only by the colour of their boots, being either red or yellow, depending on the type of Orta, whilst those of subordinates were black.

The main banner of the Janissaries was of white silk, on which verses from the Koran were embroidered in gold. This flag was planted in camp beside the commanding Aga's tent.

Each Orta also had its own banner, half-red and half-yellow, placed before the tent of the Chorbaji. Each encamped unit additionally possessed some great bronze cauldrons, or 'kazans', which, under the protection of subordinate officers, boiled soup and pilaw rice rations and were occasionally proudly paraded at times of peace.

To the Janissaries the cauldrons were more important than flags and standards. Around them, the men assembled not only for their meals but also for important deliberations. On marches, the huge bronze pots were carried in front of each Orta and the greatest disgrace was to lose them in battle, for which all officers would be disgraced and the unit shamefully disallowed from exhibiting replacement vessels in public ceremonies.

Janissaries were stationed in most of the guardhouses of Edirne and other cities and large towns throughout the Ottoman Empire, as well as in border forts. It was customary for the Sultan and his senior officials to bestow largesse on the soldiers during visits.

In the towns and cities, no sentries were generally posted but instead policing patrols were sent out several times a day. During peacetime, only the border units were allowed ready access to arms and so such civic guardians generally only sported wooden clubs. Nevertheless, such weaponry, combined with their rightfully feared reputations, usually secured order, including the protection of Christian and Jewish minorities from the potential violence of Muslim mobs.

Kiril's group of Bulgars, newly enlisted via the devshirmeth, had, in the end, somehow endured their initial, extremely shameful, freezing and wet experience in the school courtyard with quiescence and forbearance. However, the youngsters, who were aged between 7 and 10, even though recruitment could encompass boys up to 14, had had to use much mettle to survive their humiliation of being publicly naked for the first time in their lives. Their deep abashment at being so disported was compounded by the fact that the fierce instructor who inspected them was not the only person to do so, although he was the only one to perform the scrutiny of their forms intimately.

The school courtyard was ominously surrounded by menacingly tall, multi-storeyed buildings of foreboding dark stone, which were made to look worse by the black rain clouds above. The facades of these edifices contained many open windows, from where a multitude of faces of men and boys peered downwards.

The young naked Bulgars, already soaked and very cold, subsequently had to summon up even more courage to jump without hesitation into the waiting tubs of freezing rainwater. However, the willingness of the shivering, nude boys to perform this act was probably boosted by recognition that a painful blow from the instructor's horsewhip, which a few had already received for being dilatory during the inspection process, would punish any who delayed.

All of the boys wondered later how they had managed subsequently to clean themselves thoroughly, but without soap or flannels, in the chilling rainwater in the manner ordered without becoming blocks of ice or contracting pneumonia. In fact, as a result of their treatment over the years ahead, some would subsequently suffer the latter illness and even die as a result.

Some other boys would fail their lengthy induction for alternative reasons, such as character faults or clear inability at the necessary skills. The severe training regime was geared, almost four centuries before Darwin proposed his theory of natural selection, to the survival of the fittest. However, few deliberately flunked in order to be transferred to an easier life, as the price they might have to pay was to lose their balls.

Failed apprentices who nevertheless had been judged to have tried their best to survive, and were otherwise deemed suitable, would be transferred to the palace to be trained as new white eunuchs for the Sultan. Their castration was permissible under Islamic law because they had all been born as Christians.

Some of the more capable failures were also kept at the acemi oglan, where they would be castrated to become the next generation of eunuchs charged to the help the Janissary staff with the on-going supervision of apprentices. Gelding was considered necessary to avoid temptation, as many of their young charges were exceedingly pretty. Their fate certainly appeared to enthuse the performance of their duties, in which they invariably exhibited great, sadistic proficiency, undoubtedly being jealous of the apprentices' better burgeoning careers, as well as their intact balls.

Meanwhile, the remainder of the failures was despatched to the slave markets. There, given the common requirements of Byzantine traders from Constantinople, many also lost their balls.

Few considered running away as an alternative option to remaining an apprentice. The ability of the adult Janissaries to track and find young deserters was legendary, although this was undoubtedly aided by two factors. First, attractive rewards were offered to local people for the return of such escapees and, second, most of the boys had nowhere else to flee other than home, where they could easily be traced. The recaptured juvenile miscreants would then be severely punished.

After their awful initial experience in the school courtyard, the naked, freezing, copiously shivering, young Bulgars were finally led inside one of the sinister adjacent buildings, out of the horrible external elements. However, the interior of the acemi oglan, although thankfully dry, seemed even colder, being gloomy and completely unheated throughout, even in the midst of a Balkan winter.

The group of young nudes was eventually led to a large gymnasium because they were to be provided with no towels to dry themselves. Instead, in order to eradicate their bodily dampness and become warm, they were compelled, by the orders of their first instructor and his nasty horsewhip, to exercise to achieve such bodily comforts.

The boys could understand the man because he was fluent in the Bulgarian tongue, as he actually shared their ethnicity. However, such common heritage would not gain the new recruits any privileges, as they were to discover, for he was inflexibly tough on all apprentices regardless of background, as befitted his position of Aga of the whole acemi oglan.

The event in the gymnasium was to be the Aga's first opportunity to judge who were the fittest of the new boy contingent and who would require special treatment to bring their young forms up to the required standards. Fortunately for the eventually completely exhausted Kiril, the 7 year-old was deemed in excellent physical condition for his tender age, someone who would require just two, exceedingly strenuous bouts of lengthy, daily gymnastic exercise. However, unfortunately for the young Bulgar and his compatriots, the sweat now garnered on their naked, juvenile bodies was then sufficient for the adult Janissary to insist upon an immediate return to the courtyard and the waiting tubs of cold rainwater.

Later, on re-entry into the adjacent sinister buildings by frozen young bodies, towels were finally awaiting the latest batch of recruits, along with an issue of clothing, uniform in all but size. There was the obligatory felt and hard wearing white dolarma coat, white shirt and red trousers, with shiny black boots. All were new and arraigned in piles comprising different sizes, from which the dried, fresh apprentices were expected to choose a selection, in duplicate except for the footwear, that was slightly too big.

The duplication was to permit one set of garments to be worn whilst the other was being laundered, responsibility for the performance and perfection of which was down to the boys themselves, with faults in appearance being subject to punishment. The acquirement of bigger sizes was to allow for boyish growth over the year ahead as, except in exceptional circumstances, such allocations of attire were only annual.

The boys were also issued with one metal dish and spoon, which they would need for their food allocations and were required to keep clean. No cups were issued, as the only drink they were permitted was water from wells.

The boys, now dried and dressed in their new cadet uniforms, were all very hungry, after their long and exhausting marches from their homelands, which had lasted many days, during which rations had been very sparse. The new apprentices therefore subsequently settled down eagerly, at tables in a huge canteen, to their first decent meal for a long time. In fact, for some of the fresh recruits, given their impoverished backgrounds, the fare presented to them, and quickly consumed with happy relish, represented their first-ever, proper repast.

After washing their dishes and spoons in the tubs provided for the purpose, the boys were separated by age because the multi-national dormitories to which they were now to be assigned were similarly segregated. Kiril therefore soon found himself being introduced, with a few Bulgars of the same age, to his new adult section leader, or 'Boluk-basi', who, with the aid of some eunuchs, was in charge of an Oda of almost thirty 7 year-olds.

The large, spartan, 2^nd-floor dormitory, in which a still apprehensive Kiril now found himself, comprised a long, wide room, with an open, unfettered window at the far end. The only furniture consisted of thirty simple bunks, aligned in rows of fifteen either side of the room and each equipped with only one blanket on top of a straw mattress.

As the boys were expected to sleep naked, the prospect of slumber during a Balkan winter under such a solitary cover, in a place unprotected from the external elements at one end, naturally did not encourage Kiril to believe that his new life might improve from its traumatic beginning. The 7-year's assumption was only reinforced when he discovered that his allocated bed was close to the window. The young Bulgars were amongst the last of the new recruits from the latest devshirmeth to reach the acemi oglan and, as could be expected, the earlier arrivals had already chosen bunks as far away from the opening as possible.

As the sun had by now already set outside, the current young inhabitants were already under their blankets, knowing that sleep would be advisable, as they would be expected to rise long before dawn. However, the earlier watching of the spectacle in the courtyard below, involving the latest recruits, had, with the acquiescence of their stern supervisory eunuchs, delayed their intent, as had the advent of the new arrivals into their dormitory.

Many eyes focused, in the constant but dim lamplight, on the young Bulgars, as they placed their dishes, spoons and spare new clothes under their bunks, quickly followed by the garments they were wearing, before slipping naked, rapidly and rather shamefully under their own blankets. Despite such activity, utter silence prevailed within the dormitory, as no-one fancied experiencing the cane carried by the duty eunuch, charged with supervising the room overnight. Kiril tried his best not to break such quietude, as he subsequently cried himself to sleep.

Kiril first met Zoran the next morning, after the supervisory eunuch woke all of his young, naked charges and ushered them downstairs and out into the courtyard, around the lengthy perimeter of which they had to run several times. The boys were encouraged in their actions by their gelded overseer's cane. Meanwhile, damp, chilly darkness, apart from moonlight and the illumination provided by a few wall torches, still prevailed in this external, rainy environment.

As the suddenly panting Oda of 7 year-olds subsequently left the courtyard, another assembly of similarly aged nudes arrived to take their place. The older age groups would enjoy the privilege of enduring such a welcome to each day slightly later, in order of seniority.

Kiril's Oda of 7 year-olds then found themselves in one of several ground-floor bathrooms, where a deep cold plunge first awaited them. After the morning shock of this chilly amenity, the shivering boys then formed small teams to draw water from wells to pour into large tubs, in which they were required to settle themselves in order to bathe. To the new Bulgar recruits, the only improvements provided by these amenities, compared to those in the courtyard of the previous evening, were their less public nature and lack of exposure to wind and rain. It also became apparent to them that they would have to accept frequent nudity in front of others as routine in this harsh place.

Kiril quickly fell into the required routine that began every day, which culminated in a towelling of freezing young bodies, a return to the dormitory and a redressing in uniforms, as a prelude to a porridge breakfast in the huge downstairs canteen, with all the other inmates of the establishment. To consume their meals at relevant times, the boys collected their fare from a large retinue of adult cooks, standing besides immense cauldrons from which the food was ladled, and they then sat at tables allocated to their Oda.

After the washing of dishes and spoons, the boys were subsequently permitted a little time in their dormitories before attending their first classes of the day. The supervisory eunuchs would often not be present during this period and this was just such an occasion. Consequently, Zoran, who was a Serb and rather big for his age, made use of the opportunity to approach Kiril.

Zoran was accompanied by several sycophants because he was the dormitory bully. The current intent of the young Serb was therefore to intimidate Kiril, as well as the other newly arrived Bulgars. He expected them to acknowledge and defer to his power, showing him proper respect, just as he had already encouraged all of the other boys in the Oda to do.

Communication by the Serb with the Bulgars was initially rather awkward because of the current lack of a common language. However, Kiril quickly appreciated the gist of what the bully expected, and exhibiting much more brave spirit than the others, refused to be intimidated.

The bigger Zoran, after overcoming his surprise, therefore hit the impertinent newcomer but Kiril, despite his more diminutive size, retaliated. The ferocious fight that ensued drew raucous shouts from the suddenly formed crowd of more than twenty fellow 7 year-olds. Unfortunately, the loud noise also brought the return of the supervisory eunuch.

One of the ultimate consequences was Kiril's public naked attachment to the punishment post in the school courtyard. The 7 year-old tried to display continued bravery, as his cute bottom now received a third hard blow from the quartermaster's horsewhip. However, he could not prevent uttering a loud yelp in response and the flow of tears down his exceedingly pretty young face.

The quartermaster's fourth strike, deliberately angled to cut across the three vivid stripes already created on Kiril's lustrously curvaceous buttocks, was the most excruciating so far. A few drops of blood also appeared at the intersections of the latest violent hit with its equally fierce predecessors. The 7 year-old Bulgar now could not stop himself from dissolving into uncontrolled loud sobbing.

The quartermaster now turned his attention away from Kiril's buttocks and began to whip the 7 year-old's slim back instead, whilst maintaining the deliberate lengthy gaps between each blow. The man was very well practised at the art of ensuring that his boy victims, of whom there had been many hundreds over the years, including the majority of the current assemblage of young spectators, thoroughly appreciated the agony inflicted by each accurate strike before the next was delivered.

Kiril's flagellation was concluded when four stripes had been created on his back, to match the vivid display on his bottom. The boy's whip-marks were then treated with salt, causing the young Bulgar to scream more loudly than ever, whilst somehow avoiding fainting. The sobbing 7 year-old was then temporarily imprisoned in a dark, dank cell located in the school's large kitchen.

Some crimes in the adult Janissary barracks, which was adjacent to the acemi oglan, were actually occasionally punished by incarceration for life in such a place, although flogging, invariably unwanted transfer to a remote border fortress or dismissal from the corps was more usual. The latter penance was often considered by the men to be worse than the death penalty. However, execution was imposed very rarely, with the most frequent sentence for serious misdemeanours instead being degrading banishment and associated confiscation of property.

Nevertheless, in wartime, desertion was sometimes punishable by mutilation and then strangulation, which was considered the most honourable form of capital punishment according to Turkish custom. Any death penalty in war would be carried out privately by the chief cook, after sunset in a special tent erected in the centre of the camp. The furtive nature of this practice originated because of the fear that a public execution might cause a mutiny, as a result of the close comradeship that invariably existed amongst the men. However, since no Janissary could, under any circumstances, be executed, it was customary first to expel the intended victim from the corps. Only after he was thus degraded to the position of an ordinary person could justice take its course.

Naturally, Kiril, as a result of his acute shame and the agony he was still feeling, currently gave no thought whatsoever to such matters, involving the now, to the physically and mentally intensely anguished boy, deeply hated Janissary corps. The 7 year-old instead prayed to his currently Christian God to bring to his sad life something that could help alleviate at least some of his present distress and undoubtedly unhappy future.

(Samarkand, Transoxiana, same time)

"You," Shadi Mulk Aka had then continued, with clear admiration in her eyes, "are, however, an entirely different proposition. I truly see in you the needed guiding light, not only for my husband but also for his youngest son and grandson!"

"I therefore charge you, Vissarion of Georgia," the formidable woman then announced with immense, unarguable authority, "with ensuring that you fulfil your own destiny in this world, namely the safeguarding of all of my husband's achievements after his death, for as long as you yourself live!"

(Janissary school barracks, Edirne, Ottoman Empire, same time)

As Kiril and Zoran had previously been separately led, still nude and now very sore, to the kitchen cell, both hurting boys sported apparently incongruous erections. Their small, uncut cocks had become hard during their whipping and then remained so not only throughout the flagellation but also until they reached their tiny prison. However, no-one amongst the many spectators chortled or commented about such an embarrassing display. Their attitude did not arise just because breaking the universal silence that prevailed, apart from the sound of leather hitting boyish flesh and associated agonised yelps and sobs from young throats, could lead the perpetrators also to be similarly bound naked to the punishment post. Instead, the lack of reaction was due to the common nature of the penile phenomenon.

Boys under chastisement frequently became hard. Young erections were also commonly seen on more innocuous occasions, such as during the morning nude runs and bathing. The sights were simply dismissed as natural, although many of the apprentices, especially the older pubescent ones, attempted to minimise their still embarrassing occurrence by ensuring that burgeoning bodily lusts, caused by accumulating hormones, were manually satisfied nightly under the privacy of their solitary blankets.

The key words in the charges levied against Kiril and Zoran were 'being caught'. The newly arrived 7 year-olds had not yet known that fights to settle disputes between acemi oglan apprentices were not actually frowned upon. However, the expectation was that they were not to occur spontaneously and carelessly but were instead to take place in efficient secrecy and in line with established codes of honour.

Of course, Kiril and Zoran now appreciated their error, having been told about the correct procedures to establish honour and suffered the painful consequences of their mistake. The boys also knew that they were to be subsequently offered the opportunity to resolve their dispute in the correct manner. However, the pair of 7 year-olds was to decline the chance, for a very good reason.

The sensuous, tearful eyes of Kiril and Zoran looked at each other, as they shared their painful misery in their tiny, cold cell. Here, their pretty pair of 7 year-old bodies was not only experiencing residual excruciation and humiliation, as a result of their recent public flogging, but also shivering because of the chill. It was eventually the young Bulgar who produced the solution to the latter problem.

(Samarkand, Transoxiana, same time)

Shadi Mulk Aka smiled at Vissarion's intuitive but no longer unexpected display of wise insight when the young Georgian subsequently remarked, after a short bout of resumed inconsequential chatter, "Lady, I believe that you still possess some doubts about me. Before I go, would you care to let me know what they are?"

"There's only one further issue that I'd like to resolve," Shadi Mulk Aka replied, "and it involves your background." "What is it about my life, Lady, that's problematical?" a puzzled Vissarion responded.

"Well, you see Vissarion," Shadi Mulk Aka answered, "I know who you really are!"

(Janissary school barracks, Edirne, Ottoman Empire, same time)

As the normally stern quartermaster, who had beaten and then delivered Kiril and Zoran to their cell, retreated from the sturdy door of the tiny prison, having been a secret witness to the scene within through a spyhole, he smiled. The man then commented to a cook "Another harsh lesson learnt well!"

The quartermaster went on to order "Release the boys after another hour. Then feed them fittingly with extra rations, as a reward for becoming friends!"

The cook also smiled in response, as he remembered how he had made a lifelong friend, years previously in similar circumstances, in the shape of the still handsome quartermaster.

(Baghdad, Mesopotamia, same time)

Ahmad Jalayir had written an exquisitely illustrated book of elegant poems, and assembled a large library of similar masterful works. He also patronised many painters, who created the 'Jalayiri' style, named after his dynasty, which considerably enhanced the evolution of Persian pictured manuscripts.

Ahmad Jalayir's initial rule in Baghdad had ended with the westward thrust of Tamerlane and his first capture of the city. The conqueror extorted heavy ransom from the inhabitants and, when he subsequently left, after 2 months of revelry, to conquer the Kurds of Takrit, he, as usual, deported many of the local skilled artisans to help aggrandise his own capital of Samarkand.

The masters of the renowned Baghdad school of book illumination, who had enjoyed the patronage and protection of Ahmad Jalayir, were amongst those forced to leave to perform similar work in distant Transoxiana. However, Vissarion's counsel had ensured that Tamerlane's new governor of the devastated city was a benevolent man, keen to bring relief to the surviving population.

As previously mentioned, Ahmad Jalayir, after unsuccessfully trying to have Tamerlane assassinated, fled from his early refuge in Damascus to safer exile in Egypt with the Mamluk ruler, Barquq, who not only welcomed him warmly but also later returned him to Syria with an army. In Aleppo, the deposed Sultan heard that the conqueror was engaged in a terrible campaign of retribution against the Mongols of the Golden Horde on the steppes in southern Rus.

Ahmad Jalayir therefore took the opportunity of Tamerlane's distant absence to retake Baghdad, massacring the conqueror's small garrison and forcing the governor to flee. However, plague had now broken out in the city, and many people were leaving to go to healthier climes.

Sultan Ahmad now decided to retire to the comforts of a palace in Tabriz in Persia, which had also been recently wrested from Tamerlane's control..

(Edirne, Ottoman Empire, same time)

(Tiflis, Georgia, same time)

Tamerlane never completely subdued any of his peripheral conquests, mainly because he was not being interested in populating such lands with his own people. His initial concerns instead were primarily to keep himself and his standing army occupied and to secure plunder, of both the material and human kind, plus subsequent regular tribute. He was also eager to protect the key trade routes in the region, particularly the great Silk Road, which brought his core domains great prosperity.

Consequently, unless his interests were threatened, Tamerlane did not particularly mind local rulers attempting to maintain at least some of their previous authority. He was therefore unperturbed by the continued existence of Bagrat V's now largely obscure successor, Giorgi VII, as long as his own full access to Georgia and payment of regular tributes from a local, respectful and quiescent population remained undisturbed. Although the dreaded conqueror and the cowed new King had not agreed any treaty, and indeed never met, relative harmony in the country and between the two had been maintained through the satisfaction of such expectations.

This peace in Georgia, however, had now been shattered by a major uprising against Tamerlane's suzerainty. The revolt had been initiated by the King's supposed eldest grandson, another Georgi, whom everyone had earlier assumed had been killed 9 years previously.

The younger Georgi was the sole offspring of Duke Alexander Bagrationi, only son of the King, who had been beheaded, along with the rest of his family, at Tamerlane's behest after the original fall of Tiflis 9 years previously. The boy would therefore have become the rightful heir to his grandfather, the monarch, if it had not been believed that he had perished with his father.

Giorgi VII's younger brother, Konstantine, and his own 6 year-old son, Alexander, were then considered instead to be the King's heirs. However, the appearance, in Tiflis with a few followers, of an 18 year-old youth, from his own supposed place of hiding, had now radically changed the situation.

The youth had proclaimed himself to be the long-missing younger Giorgi, whom everyone had believed had been beheaded 9 years previously, along with the rest of his immediate family. The supposed younger Georgi had not bothered to meet up with the eponymous King, whom he instead publicly termed a coward for not having the guts to confront Tamerlane in order to free Georgia from foreign oppression. The 18 year-old then called on the people to support him in an uprising against the conqueror, who was currently represented locally by just a few officials and small military garrisons.

The appeal of the younger Giorgi met immediate, injudicious popular support, having stimulated renewed, strong nationalist fervour. Meanwhile, the King's wiser entreaties, made from his continued, remote place of hiding, for his people to be more circumspect regarding his supposed grandson and the youth's call to arms against the dreaded Tamerlane went completely unheeded. Instead, the conqueror's local officials and garrisons were overwhelmed and massacred.

As has been proved throughout history, nationalist sentiment, once sparked into life, can fatally overpower reason, and this point was again to be proved, as revengeful preparations were inaugurated to despatch Tamerlane's renowned and fearsome army to Georgia to suppress the revolt.

(Samarkand, Transoxiana, same time)

The Ming Emperor was not particularly interested in foreign policy, being primarily concerned about internal reform, especially the consolidation of the new dynasty's position. He therefore allowed his generals to fight the frequent campaigns needed against the Mongols or their associates, which were basically defensive in nature.

The Hing-Wu Emperor, however, sent embassies to tributaries of his Yuan predecessors, commanding that the Ming be recognised as their new overlords. An ambassador was also despatched to Samarkand. Although Tamerlane had not yet attacked China, the threat he posed had a profound impact on policy in the country.

The Hung-Wu Emperor was currently particularly concerned about Tamerlane's control of much of the Silk Road and alleged pledge to restore the Yuan dynasty in China. The conqueror's wider aim of surpassing the achievements of Alexander the Great and, even more pertinently to the Chinese, Genghis Khan was also feared.

Tamerlane unusually chose not to accept Vissarion's advice about how to treat the latest Chinese embassy. The conqueror instead decided upon a course of action that would send an unmistakable message to the new Ming ruler.

Tamerlane had the Hung-Wu Emperor's ambassador imprisoned.

(Tabriz, Mesopotamia, Spring, 1396)

The brown haired and eyed male beauty was 14 years old, and expert at dancing erotically to suitable music, provided by a discreetly located small group of flautists and lyre and percussion players. The boy had already seductively shed many garments and now gyrated dressed only in a minuscule yellow thong, which did nothing to disguise the excited state and shape of the barely hidden, smooth genitalia underneath.

Despite being a Muslim for whom alcohol was forbidden, Ahmad Jalayir felt obliged to quench the acute dryness of his throat with yet more wine, as he eagerly observed the immaculate boy's highly stimulating movements. The Sultan had to consume several more sips from his goblet when the young, lithe dancer's thong was subsequently shed, and the beautiful 14 year-old danced in complete nudity, with young genitalia, including a delightfully fulsomely erect cock, flopping around with free abandon.

Shortly afterwards, in Ahmad Jalayir's nearby bedchamber, the boy received appropriate reward for his expertise, as the Sultan's own, much bigger and hirsute erection painfully penetrated deep into the 14 year-old's innards. However, there were two consolations for the hurting young dancer.

First Ahmad Jalayir's excitement was such that the Sultan did not take long to climax and spurt copious cum into the boy's rear. Second, the young dancer did not expect to be beaten by his trainer for making any errors during his recent erotic performance, which he correctly believed had been performed to perfection.

Later, as Ahmad Jalayir played with the boy's genitalia, in order to revitalise his own temporarily sated adult libido, he ran his fingers over the 14 year-old's completely smooth, nicely proportioned scrotum. The young dancer's body, now recovered from the recent sodomy and thoroughly pleasuring in the attention paid to his delicious sexual organs, squirmed as a result of such fondling.

The boy's still hard, throbbing cock was already pointing excitedly back towards his own cute navel and the 14 year-old realised that he could not endure too much genital fondling before his body ultimately reacted in the natural way. However, if he did climax and cum without permission, the young dancer appreciated that, depending on the Sultan's mood, he might be punished for the effrontery.

The boy therefore tried his best, as Ahmad Jalayir remorselessly fondled his genitals, to prevent himself from climaxing. Meanwhile, the Sultan knew full well the 14 year-old's predicament but was enjoying playing the game. Consequently, the man now continued his activity by gently running a fingernail up and down the young dancer's rigid, ivory-like, quaking erection.

The boy's own hands grasped the bedcovers on either side of him, as the blood pounding inside his rampant cock somehow began to create tingling sensations elsewhere throughout his gorgeous young body. In desperation to avoid what now appeared both inevitable and imminent, the lovely 14 year-old also tried to think sad thoughts in order to divert his mind away from the unprecedented pleasure being experienced in his groin. However, his efforts to avoid orgasm quickly proved fruitless.

An arc of white cum spurted out of the boy's cut cockhead, as a young body vibrated in orgasmic delight. The destination of some of the sperm was now to prove particularly unfortunate, as the Sultan's face and beard was splattered with juvenile ejaculate.

For losing the game, Ahmad Jalayir would just have had the boy flogged. However, despoiling the regal face of the Sultan deserved greater retribution.

As Ahmad Jalayir angrily wiped the boy's cum from his furious adult face with one hand, he terminated the 14 year-old's orgasmic pleasure by squeezing the young dancer's scrotum with the other. The young victim of this sudden, unexpected genital assault immediately yelped in anguished surprise.

Tears subsequently came to the boy's sensuous brown eyes but they had formed not because of his temporary genital excruciation. The lachrymose display had instead been caused by a foreboding announcement from the Sultan.

"My squeezing of your genitals," Ahmad Jalayir had declared, "is the least you should worry about, boy, because I'm now going to make sure that you can never repeat what you've just done. You'll also never enjoy food again until, as a new eunuch, you've eaten your own balls!"

(Kutaisi, Imeritia, Georgia, same time)

As Vissarion rode on his splendid, black, Persian steed, which had been a gift from Tamerlane, to the agreed place of parley, midway between Shahrukh's ring of besiegers and the main city gates, he was accompanied. Arman, Sibur and a small contingent of the best cavalry protected the boyish diplomat, as he went to meet the similarly sized Georgian municipal delegation.

Vissarion immediately recognised one of the Georgians but guessed correctly that the man concerned, who was a robust, white-haired septuagenarian, although displaying some evidence of faint awareness that they had met somewhere previously, did not yet return the compliment. The 19 year-old also did not intend to give the delegate the chance to establish recall and so he wasted little preliminary time with introductory pleasantries and was instead quickly demanding that the city surrendered.

All of the city's intermediaries were initially stunned and somewhat insulted that a boy, who appeared no older than about 15, was apparently charged with negotiating with them. In fact, most wondered whether the whole scene was a deliberate slight and insult, from which no serious agreement was ever envisaged and from which they should therefore immediately depart to return to their besieged metropolis. However, the more aware, robust, white-haired septuagenarian intervened to terminate such speculation.

"I presume," the robust, white-haired septuagenarian announced, "that you are Vissarion." All of his colleagues, and indeed virtually everyone in the country, had heard about the gelded catamite of the hated Tamerlane, whose position made him not only a disgusting male whore but also a despised traitor to his native Georgia. Such views were rarely diminished by consideration of the genuine national good the young eunuch had been responsible for by virtue of his influence over the dreaded conqueror. However, no-one was going to air their abhorrence to the boy's face, as they also recognised that the beautiful visage belonged to the now second most powerful person in his dreaded master's empire.

Nevertheless, the young Georgian's ability to judge people and their underlying attitudes well caused him to appreciate the disdain with which the city delegates now regarded him, after he answered "Yes, I am Vissarion!" However, the 19 year-old had become both accustomed and immune to such feelings, held about him in certain circles, especially his homeland, and so he subsequently returned unperturbed to debate.

"I promise," Vissarion now declared with honest conviction, "that, if you open your gates and surrender your city peacefully, no harm will come to it or any of the population, apart from the person who claims to be Prince Georgi. He is an impostor who, for the sake of his own vainglory, is prepared to offend Tamerlane and allow fellow Georgians to suffer appallingly as a result!"

"We cannot give up the heir to the Georgian throne," the robust, white-haired septuagenarian replied with characteristic selfless bravado, "the senior grandson, who also shares the name, of our King, Georgi VII!" "But he's an impostor!" Vissarion forcibly reiterated.

"I believe that he appeared from nowhere with just a few followers," Vissarion continued, whilst referring to the accurate intelligence information he had received, "and simply proclaimed himself to be the long-missing grandson of Georgi VII. I understand that the King has not met his supposed relative to confirm him as kin but has instead condemned the youth's call to rise against Tamerlane's supremacy. Yet many foolish people are prepared to risk their lives in his supposedly audacious and unwisely popular but undoubtedly doomed cause. Don't you see, the impostor is simply gambling with your lives. His mad, unrealistic aim is to usurp the throne by somehow miraculously succeeding in his rebellion against my master but all he'll sadly actually do is to lead his misguided supporters towards their deaths!"

"I knew Georgi VII's grandson as a boy," the robust, white-haired septuagenarian responded, now with a clear element of concern in his voice and face, "and the young man who now claims to be him resembles the royal child that I knew. He also knows too much about the King and his court to be an impostor!"

"Did he remember the private nickname you gave to the King's grandson, which only you and the boy was supposed to know?" Vissarion asked. "No," the robust, white-haired septuagenarian answered immediately, without much thought, "because he forgot, which given the time lapse is simply natural." Only after giving this reply did the man begin to wonder in amazement at the uncanny accuracy and detail of the intelligence information possessed by the youth negotiating with him.

"I tell you he's an impostor," Vissarion then restated, albeit with maintained, assured calm rather than the furious, deadly impatience that would by now have been engendered in Tamerlane, if the conqueror had been involved in such debate. The robust, white-haired septuagenarian, subsequently appreciating that the beautiful and apparently very well informed youth negotiating with him was uttering a firm, genuinely held conviction, naturally next enquired "How can you be so sure?" The selfless 18 year-old did not want to answer truthfully but realised that he had no choice if he was to save the people of Kutaisi from their foolishness.

(Janissary school barracks, Edirne, Ottoman Empire, same time)

The adult Janissary medic grabbed hold of Kiril's little, flaccid cock and began to rub the delightful uncut penis to full erection before presenting his carefully sharpened knife to the very pretty boy's pleasant, smooth genitalia.

(Kutaisi, Imeritia, Georgia, same time)

"I'm sure," the beautiful Vissarion declared in answer, "because I know that the nickname you gave to me was 'Stargazer', for I am Prince Georgi, senior grandson of the King and rightful heir to the throne of Georgia!"

Chapter 32
Princes

This chapter reveals a little more about the lives of some of the Princes and other characters in Tamerlane's world.

(Kutaisi, Imeritia, Georgia, Spring, 1396)

The people of Armenia were primarily Christian and were therefore not keen to see the return of a Muslim Emir to rule their country. Consequently, Tamerlane's salvation of Arman, from being decapitated like the rest of his family, had not appeared to anyone to be a particularly personally unwise move in respect of the conqueror's own dynastic ambitions in the country. Such an attitude was strengthened by realisation that it was also inconceivable that the then boy Prince's compatriots would want to see the later return, as their ruler, of someone who had been one of the dreaded conqueror's catamites.

Young Prince Georgi, great grandson of Bagrat V, senior grandson, and therefore rightful heir of the present eponymous King of Georgia, Georgi VII, and son of the late Duke Alexander Bagrationi, was another matter entirely. Their dynasty was old and still greatly respected, despite the country's recent sufferings at Tamerlane's hands and the consequent disappearance into safe, remote hiding by the incumbent monarch.

On Bagrat V's death in 1393, after 38 years on the throne, his eldest son became Georgi VII in a necessarily simple and secret coronation, attended by only a few, before remaining in obscurity. After the supposed demise of the new King's own eldest son and all of his immediate family, outside the walls of a sacked Tiflis and again at Tamerlane's bloodstained hands, several years previously, the official heir to the monarchy had become Konstantine.

Konstantine was the now childless Georgi VII's younger brother, who happily acquired his own son, Alexander in 1389, a few years after Tamerlane's devastating initial raid on Georgia. The now 7 year-old child currently lived with his royal father and uncle in their secret place of refuge.

Bagrat V and his two sons, the later Georgi VII and Konstantine, had been heavily defeated in battle by Tamerlane during the latter's invasion. The shattered remnants of the Georgian army, including the King and his pair of middle-aged offspring, had then been forced to flee to safer parts of the country, leaving their capital, Tiflis, undefended, apart from its walls and small garrison.

The governor of Tiflis, responsible for the city's defences, was Duke Alexander Bagrationi, 27 year-old only son of the later Georgi VII. Although he organised resistance well and bravely, the walls of the capital were no match for Tamerlane's siege engines, which were influentially assisted by crude but nevertheless efficient artillery pieces imported from China along the Silk Road.

Consequently, the walls were quickly breached and Duke Alexander Bagrationi's courageous but, in retrospect, unwise decision not to surrender Tiflis meekly to Tamerlane, in return for an original promise of lenient treatment for him, his family and people, was then severely punished. In order to provide a terrible example to the other cities and towns of Georgia, the conqueror allowed his victorious soldiers to go on a bloody rampage, raping, pillaging and murdering many of the populace in the process.

More formal executions of the leading citizens took place outside the city walls so that Tamerlane could build a symbolic tower of skulls, as a further warning to the wider population of Georgia that his will was not to be resisted. Amongst those to suffer were the captured Duke Alexander Bagrationi and all of his immediate family, with one exception.

Duke Alexander Bagrationi had taken the precaution of separating his only son and heir, 10 year-old Georgi, from the rest of the family in order to try to pass him off as the offspring, called Vissarion, of a noble, in a desperate attempt to save the boy from Tamerlane's vengeance. However, the father's desperate efforts on behalf of his only child seemed doomed to failure when the conqueror decided that his construction of the local tower of skulls also necessitated the decapitation of all of the captured nobility and their families.

The sublime young head of Prince Georgi was therefore still destined for removal from his gorgeous torso until another factor saved the boy, namely his extraordinary, unparalleled beauty. Tamerlane luckily glanced the child amongst the huge crowd of bound captives, of both genders and all ages, awaiting execution. Subsequently, instead of allowing the 10 year-old to be decapitated, the conqueror decided that the blonde-haired, blue-eyed child should lose his balls to become one of his invariably exceptionally lovely catamites.

At that time, Tamerlane liked to have the non-Muslims amongst his boys castrated, in common with contemporary Turkic fashion, partly in order to try to maintain the child's impeccable boyish looks for as long as possible by delaying the 10 year-old's later progression into manhood. Although this particular aim of gelding was actually only rarely achieved, with young Prince Georgi, also known as Vissarion, it seemed to work, given that now the immeasurably beautiful and diminutive young Georgian still looked at most 15 despite being currently 19 years of age.

Fearful of the consequences of disclosure of his true identity, young Prince Georgi, great grandson of King Bagrat, maintained the pretence that he was Vissarion, son of a mere noble, now deceased. The subsequent acute shame, induced by his forced castration and introduction to Tamerlane's bed, only served to increase his resolve to retain his secret, especially as, after the chaos, destruction and killings heaped on Georgia by the conqueror, no-one recognised him. Those who might have known the only son of Duke Alexander Bagrationi were either dead or had fled into hiding.

The young Prince was also encouraged in his determination to retain anonymity because, despite his tender years at the time, he knew that Georgia would never want a eunuch catamite to assume the country's throne. The shamed boy was therefore selflessly content to allow his great uncle, Konstantine, to become heir instead to Georgi VII, and was very happy to hear later that the man had sired a healthy male child, Alexander.

This gladdening occurrence encouraged young Prince Georgi to be satisfied that his family line could continue without any contribution from him, which was, of course, impossible anyway because of his gelded state. Consequently, the boy was also subsequently comfortable with remaining Vissarion, although this contentment was, as shall later be revealed, considerably assisted by another development.

Vissarion, as hereon he will again be called, because that is the name by which he became known to posterity, had not even previously advised his oldest and still best friend, Arman, about his real identity. The now 19 year-old, amazed Armenian heard the similarly aged Georgian's startling revelation only outside the walls of Kutaisi.

Vissarion had confessed his true identity now to save the people of Kutaisi from their foolishness in not surrendering their city and the false young Georgi. News had originally reached Samarkand that the local uprising had been instigated by the same-named older King. However, his real grandson, knowing the monarch for wise caution, considered this information either to be incorrect or indicative of the man's insane desperation or of the fact that an impostor was posing as him.

The forces, led by Shahrukh, subsequently despatched by Tamerlane at the beginning of the next campaigning season in the following Spring, quickly came to learn that the revolt had been stimulated not by Georgi VII but by his supposed eponymous grandson. Vissarion naturally knew that this princely claimant was truly an impostor.

On hearing Vissarion's remarkable announcement, only the robust, white-haired septuagenarian, amongst the Kutaisian intermediaries, did not exhibit incredulous scorn. He instead moved his horse closer to the magnificent black steed of the alleged Prince in order to gain a better perspective of the 19 year-old.

The robust, white-haired septuagenarian then tried his best to concentrate his eyes on Vissarion's beautiful face. Despite the man's poor sight and the fact that he had not seen young Prince Georgi for over a decade, slow but clear recognition of the real identity of lovely youth then dawned in his mind.

The robust, white-haired septuagenarian then, without initially speaking, dismounted from his horse, picked up Vissarion's hand, which had been holding the bridle of his own resplendent Arabian steed, and kissed it. The man subsequently released his hold and fell to his knees.

"Please, Prince Georgi" the robust, white-haired septuagenarian now requested, "forgive an old man's poor eyesight and memory for not recognising you previously!" On hearing this plea, the rest of the stunned Kutaisian delegation also dismounted from their horses, having totally accepted their highly respected, senior colleague's revised stance. They subsequently knelt similarly, whilst suddenly recognising the error of their ways and feeling immense regret and mortification at their own earlier thoughts and failures in respect of Vissarion.

The beautiful youth might have become a eunuch catamite, albeit certainly not of his own free will, and had subsequently remained in the entourage of the hated Tamerlane. However, the delegates now suddenly appreciated that surely a prince of the royal house would only retain his apparently demeaning and treacherous status for selfless ulterior motives. Some of the wiser adult minds also recalled the conqueror's recent, more benevolent attitude towards Georgia and realised who must have been behind such a change. They additionally recognised that the 19 year-old had probably remained with his dreaded master, sacrificially suffering the ignominy of being one of his boy whores, in order to secure such favours for his homeland, to where it would anyway be too shameful to return in his real guise because of what had happened to him. Such revelations, which were actually only partly correct, only made them further ashamed about their earlier attitudes.

"I'll forgive your poor eyesight and memory, Uncle Demetre," Vissarion announced to the still kneeling, robust, white-haired septuagenarian, and his similarly posing Kutaisian colleagues, "if you do as I ask. Surrender your city and the false Georgi to me. Tamerlane's forces, led by Prince Shahrukh, have, at my suggestion, deliberately targeted the capture of the impostor as their first objective in Georgia. My advice was proffered without me having to tell them how I knew that the young man was a fraud. I firmly believe that the knave's exposure as a phoney and his subsequent demise will quickly end, without too much further damage, the unwise uprising that has selfishly, for his own evil aim of usurping the throne, endangered my homeland. The conqueror's army will then be merciful to all, including the people of your city, as long as they were not conversant with the charlatan's true identity and wicked plotting!"

Vissarion referred to the still kneeling, robust, white-haired septuagenarian as 'Uncle Demetre' despite the fact that he was not a blood relative. The man had instead been a senior adviser at the court of the now 19 year-old's late great grandfather, Bagrat V. His wise counsel had been a major contributory factor in having this King posthumously awarded the suffix epithet of 'the Great'. He had retired to the vineyard he owned near his home city of Kutaisi, on the River Rion in the province of Imeritia [120 miles northwest of Tiflis], before Tamerlane's invasion of Georgia.

As one of Bagrat V's senior counsellors, Demetre had taken the trouble to spend a lot of time with those who should later inherit the throne of Georgia, namely successively Crown Prince Georgi, his son, Duke Alexander Bagrationi, and his offspring, the boy who would eventually adopt the pseudonym of Vissarion. The latter, as an infant, had already displayed much interest in the stars and the royal adviser had often sat alone with the delightful boy at night, introducing him for the first time to the names of the various constellations in the heavens above.

Demetre had been rewarded for his stellar efforts, and for the many bedtime stories he usually mesmerisingly told the boy afterwards, with being called 'Uncle' by the exceedingly pleasant, beautiful and intelligent youngster. Of course, all of these tales, plus copious additions invented or researched by the later renamed Vissarion, would be subsequently retold, equally intriguingly, to certain others, whilst they all relaxed and readied themselves for sleep, usually after sex under a certain bearskin in a large, luxurious tent.

In response to being kindly termed 'Uncle' by the third in direct line of succession to the throne of Georgia, Demetre began to call the boy, whom he otherwise knew as the younger Prince Georgi, 'Stargazer', because of the child's apparent infatuation with the night-time heavens. The pair conspiratorially kept the nickname secret from anyone else.

After Demetre now, given the recent revelations, and with the full agreement of his Kutaisian colleagues, quickly promised to surrender the city, the false Georgi and the impostor's closest followers, he and the other delegates were ordered back to their feet and then horses by Vissarion. The latter then asked the men to promise to keep his true identity a secret.

Only Arman and Teimuraz, of those otherwise present at the parley from Tamerlane's forces, were privy to the recently revealed, very surprising knowledge. Vissarion obviously spoke to the Kutaisians in Georgian, but, amongst his own comrades, only the young Armenian and his 13 year-old groom could understand what he was saying.

Arman was conversant with the local language because he had been introduced to it by Vissarion and Teimuraz, both of who were Georgians. Over the years, the young Armenian had become quite conversant with the native tongue, mainly out of respect for the heritage of his best friend and groom and because the former had reciprocated the cultural regard.

Vissarion suggested that it would be better for the honour of Georgia and his people if his compatriots continued to believe that the real younger Georgi had been beheaded outside Tiflis years previously. The discovery that the rightful current heir to the throne had become, albeit originally involuntarily, a eunuch and catamite of Tamerlane might be too traumatic for many of the populace to endure without seeking the end of the monarchy.

The wise 19 year-old, rightful Crown Prince of Georgia, sincerely and perceptively believed that his royal dynasty still had a constructively important role to play in the country's future affairs. Consequently, he advised the Kutaisian intermediaries that it would be best if his great uncle, Konstantine, and this man's young son, Alexander, remained unperturbed as the nominated successors of Georgi VII.

Vissarion rapidly secured the oaths, to maintain his secret, of Demetre and the other, universally strongly royalist intermediaries, which were all reluctantly given but never subsequently broken. The 19 year-old considerately next suggested two explanations that the returning men could provide their people.

First, the 19 year-old recommended how they explained their sudden confidence that the so-called Prince Georgi, who had been cornered in Kutaisi by Shahrukh's skilful military manoeuvrings, which had actually been devised by Arman, was an impostor. The men were to advise their fellow citizens that the hated Vissarion had brought irrefutable evidence of the deception, comprising witnesses, including the actual executioner, to the decapitation, years previously, of the young son of Duke Alexander Bagrationi in front of Tiflis' walls.

Demetre in particular was confident that the citizens of Kutaisi would be eager to believe their intermediaries and not consider Vissarion's evidence a trick. After all, Tamerlane's hated eunuch catamite did not really need to instigate his own plan of deception to take the city. The forces of Shahrukh were so formidable in number, ability and equipment that the place should not take too long to assault successfully. In the circumstances, the people rightfully feared for themselves and their metropolis. They had also helpfully quickly grown to dislike the false Georgi and particularly his followers, who had treated them with great, disrespectful arrogance. The phoney had only previously retained loyalty to his cause out of nationalist and royalist sentiments, which were now heavily eroded by the reality of the dreaded conqueror's proficiently besieging soldiers.

The second explanation Vissarion recommended related to how the intermediaries could justify kneeling before the hated eunuch catamite at the site of the parley, which was visible from the walls of Kutaisi. The action would be considered humiliating in circumstances other than in front of the foremost members of the Georgian royal family. The 19 year-old therefore advised the men that they should describe their seemingly shameful deference to have been cruelly requested by Tamerlane's treacherous boy whore in return for his agreement to saving the local city and citizenry from undoubted, imminent destruction. The delegation's act would thereby be regarded not as demeaningly disgraceful but instead as sacrificially selfless.

Gratefully armed with this pair of useful verbal defences for their actions, especially the agreement to surrender both Kutaisi and the false Georgi, Demetre and his colleagues returned to their city, where soon afterwards the gates were opened. On the subsequent peaceful entry of Shahrukh's forces, Vissarion personally went to interrogate the young man who had impersonated him and who, along with his closest followers, had now been incarcerated in chains in the municipal prison.

The cowardly but very handsome false Georgi did not take long to confess his deception to the complete satisfaction of the citizens of Kutaisi, with just the sight of the tools of torture proving sufficient motivation. However, despite the angered demands of the local people, who disliked being duped, Vissarion spared his fellow 19 year-old. The young eunuch had quickly recognised the true, evil brain behind the plot to usurp the throne of Georgia.

The false Georgi's main supporter was someone who had originally been an always ambitiously but ultimately unsuccessfully scheming Baron at King Bagrat V's court. The man had also first confirmed the impostor's legitimacy.

The Baron had noticed the resemblance of one of his own young kitchen staff to the Prince he too regarded as truly dead, plus the possibilities this presented to further his own lust for power. He therefore persuaded the youth, mainly by use of threats, to become the impostor, and then instructed him in matters relating to the royal house.

Consequently, the impostor had been able to answer at least some questions relating to his own supposed life at King Bagrat V's court, which had allegedly ended 9 years before he professedly resurfaced, after supposedly hiding for almost a decade under the protection of the Baron. The phoney could also survive other queries by suggesting that he had only been 10 years old at the time of his disappearance amidst the chaotic devastation wreaked on Georgia by Tamerlane and, after the subsequent time gap, could not be expected to remember everything.

The false Georgi revealed to Vissarion that the evil Baron had actually not expected to be able to defeat Tamerlane, on the conqueror's inevitable vengeful return to Georgia, but had instead intended to hide again until the undoubted bloody storm of retribution had passed. However, the wicked noble had anticipated that his young stooge would, in the interim, accede to the throne, replacing Georgi VII, whose disposition he had hoped to manoeuvre because of the King's unpopular caution towards the national uprising.

After Tamerlane had subsequently departed the country, as he invariably did, the Baron then expected to assume behind-the-scenes real power after bringing the false Georgi back out from hiding to accept the throne. The position of King might not mean much at present but the conqueror, who was now a sexagenarian, would not live forever. His long wished ultimate death could result in complete freedom for Georgia and full restitution of the powers of the monarch, albeit to the wicked hands of the noble rather than those of his young stooge.

The audacious but amoral plot, which could have only succeeded at the cost of many Georgian lives and the further devastation of much of the nation's cities and countryside, had almost succeeded. However, the completely unexpected, lightening targeting by Shahrukh's forces of the impostor, conducted in accordance with Vissarion's wise counsel and Arman's excellent military advice, had fatefully trapped the surprised phoney, the evil Baron and their close supporters in Kutaisi.

Most of the wicked conspirators were now to pay the ultimate price for their infamy in customary Georgian fashion. They were stripped and impaled outside the undamaged walls of Kutaisi, with the unsympathetic local citizenry as witnesses. The evil Baron took many hours to die. However, the false Georgi was reprieved by Vissarion, who recognised that the handsome blonde, blue-eyed young man had been unable to avoid his role in the plot because his master would have murdered him.

Word soon spread round Georgia that the miraculously reappearing Prince Georgi had been an impostor and so the revolt against Tamerlane's suzerainty now rapidly collapsed everywhere. Shahrukh, receiving counsel from his usual young advisers, therefore chose not to extract full retribution against the whole populace for their impertinent uprising, as long as civic heads swore oaths of renewed fidelity and offered up those responsible for massacring his father's local officials and garrisons. Given that few now had the desire or stomach to offer further resistance, given the probable alternatives, the men concerned were speedily produced to receive due punishment, which entailed the loss of their heads rather than impaling. The reasoning for this distinction was based on the fact that their underlying treachery, based on the assumption that the princely impostor was no fake, had been against the conqueror's trust, whilst that of the evil Baron and his fellow plotters had really been against their own country's true interests.

Meanwhile, throughout the whole process of renewed national subjugation to Tamerlane's suzerainty, Vissarion's true identity had remained undetected by anyone, other than those now knowledgeable about the fact, who had kept silent. Georgi VII, his younger brother Konstantine and his 7 year-old nephew, Alexander, were also left alone in their supposedly secret, remote hiding-place. However, they did receive one fright that disturbed their furtive, normally tranquil lives.

Georgi VII was immensely surprised to acquire a new 19 year-old kitchen hand, someone who had been compelled to arrive with his offer of service, as well as a note from the hated Vissarion. The alarming arrival of the blonde-haired, blue-eyed young man naturally revealed to the King that the treacherous eunuch catamite had somehow discovered where the remaining, living members of the Georgian royal family were concealing themselves. However, after reading the parchment, the monarch did not organise familial flight to another secret place of hiding.

Georgi VII's ageing eyes instead became rather tearful, whilst he learnt how Vissarion had guessed correctly where the royal family would be hiding. The now only formerly hated eunuch catamite had visited the remote but palatial fortress, high in the Caucasian mountains of northern Georgia, several times when a young boy, as it was a frequently used regal summer retreat. However, this revelation alone had not caused the King's lachrymation.

Instead, Georgi VII's tears reflected his new appreciation that his only grandson still lived but had found a different occupation from being rightful Crown Prince of Georgia, a new role from which he could never retreat. The King had now learnt fully about his younger namesake's life over the past decade and the reasons why the 19 year-old could never be deflected away from his current existence, not that, given the circumstances, his grandfather would ever want to attempt to do so.

Vissarion's secret would only be shared with the King's younger brother, Konstantine, and one day, when the boy was old enough, with the sibling's son, Alexander, who resembled to a remarkable degree, in both physique and character, the long-lost younger Georgi. This discreet sharing of the information would one day prove very fortunate for the 7 year-old and Georgia.

(Samarkand, Transoxiana, about 6 months previously, Autumn, 1395)

Shadi Mulk Aka replied that she had sent investigators to Georgia to learn more about the background of a person who was rapidly gaining in status within Tamerlane's empire. The cautious Bibi Khanum was not going to entrust matters of importance to someone about whom she did not possess all the facts. The Eldest Queen had done something similar in respect of Arman, although his origins, as the son of the late Emir of Armenia, were better appreciated than those of Vissarion, who was only known to be the offspring of an obscure noble.

The investigators had encountered little luck until one day someone in Georgia recalled the occasion, years previously, when Tamerlane had returned to the country with his boys to tackle the raiding Mongols of the Golden Horde. During their stay, the conqueror had given Vissarion permission to visit a supposed uncle on the latter's remote rural estate. The then 13 year-old had taken his similarly aged friend, Arman, with him.

The two beautiful boys had then, for the first time, temporarily fallen into evil Mongol hands.

(Kutaisi, Imeritia, Georgia, about 6 months later)

"I was too frightened," Vissarion answered, "during my early days as one of Tamerlane's boys, that revelation of my true identity might both anger and worry our master, causing him to kill me. I'm afraid to say that, when I was younger, I was cowardly and therefore prepared to do almost anything to stay alive." On hearing these words, Arman wondered whether his brave friend, who had demonstrated his inherent selfless courage on many occasions, had ever truly been selfishly timid. After all, personal survival is a strong instinct to resist, unless perhaps others might suffer at your expense.

"Of course I trusted you," the young Georgian proceeded to inform his Armenian friend, "but was afraid that, if I told you the truth about my background, we might sometime become indiscreet about it, perhaps by being overheard talking about my history. Later, when I began to realise that Tamerlane would never harm me, regardless of my heritage, my past no longer seemed to matter. Only the present was real, and here I was now happily Vissarion not Prince Georgi!"

"Were you never tempted to reassert your rightful role in Georgia," Arman next enquired, "as I'm sure that Tamerlane would have supported you?" Vissarion replied negatively, giving as his reasons his eunuch catamite status, which was a background that his compatriots would find intolerable in a King.

"Anyway," Vissarion added, whilst his peerlessly blue eyes gleamed, "there's also a much more important reason!" "What's that?" asked Arman. His friend then proceeded to give the young Armenian the same answer that he would later provide to someone else of great significance in his life.

Arman subsequently enquired "If your late father had no brothers, who was the uncle we visited in Georgia almost 7 years ago?"

(Tiflis, Georgia, almost 7 years previously, July 1389)

Vissarion went conscientiously about his duties, overseeing the restitution work conducted by the various Georgian craftsmen, most of whom had been captured and exported to Samarkand, along with the plundered religious artefacts, 3 years previously. Tamerlane had, as was his custom, spared such artisans from his wrath and resultant decapitation to go instead to adorn his own capital city. They had now been returned to their homeland to perform the restoration of the great cathedral.

Vissarion had initially been pleased that no-one appeared to appreciate his true identity. As a young prince, he had led a sheltered life, closeted in various palaces and rarely being seen in public. Those who might have known him from the royal court seemed to be either dead or in hiding. However, he was then suddenly taken aback when he could tell, from the astonishment on the relevant face, that one of the ecclesiastical craftsmen had unfortunately recognised him.

The awkward situation became even more potentially dangerous when the craftsman began to make moves that indicated that he was about to pay reverence appropriate to an important member of the Georgian royal family, by kneeling before Vissarion and kissing the Prince's hand. Fortunately for the maintenance of the boy's secret, the artisan spotted the 13 year-old's urgent negative nod and was perceptive enough to realise the furtive gesture's intended meaning.

Vissarion then ushered the craftsman to a quiet corner of the cathedral in order have a private, whispered conversation with him, which had to be short to avoid suspicion. The boy then briefly appraised the artisan truthfully about his situation and the need to keep his identity secret.

The craftsman, highly unusually for his profession, was himself of noble birth. However, as a younger son, his liberal father had not minded him following his artistic leanings, especially as they concentrated on works devoted to God. Consequently, the aristocrat had become a renowned producer of ecclesiastical paintings and similar church adornments, although, for the last 3 years, he had been compelled to turn his talents towards mosques and other public buildings in faraway Samarkand.

The craftsman did not particularly recognise Vissarion from King Bagrat V's court, which the noble rarely frequented, as he much preferred art to politics. The aristocratic artisan had instead become acquainted with the boy during the early stages of Tamerlane's siege of Tiflis 3 years previously.

The immensely pretty Prince had been given by the boy's father, Duke Alexander Bagrationi, to the safekeeping of the noble craftsman's older brother, who was to try to pass the then 10 year-old off as his own son. Unfortunately, the ruse had, of course, failed after Tiflis' walls had been breached and Tamerlane's army, matching their leader's anger at the city's defiance, had poured inside to wreak vengeance for the earlier civic resistance.

The noble craftsman, after he was captured but then, for his professional expertise, spared and transported to Samarkand, had believed, like virtually everyone else, that the young Prince had been sadly killed along with the rest of the family of the aristocratic artisan's brother. However, this day in Tiflis, 3 years later, had corrected this misconception.

After subsequently leaving the cathedral to return to Tamerlane, Vissarion chose the perfect moment to ask his master for a favour. Th request was made as the conqueror awaited the nightly bedtime story from the rosy lips of the beautiful boy, whom he had just eagerly sodomised, albeit with as much gentle care as the man could muster.

Vissarion told Tamerlane about the noble craftsman he had met that day in Tiflis' great Sion Cathedral and claimed that the aristocratic artisan was his uncle. In the mind of the boy, who always hated telling lies, this particular nightly story was not entirely a falsehood, given that the artist concerned had been playing such a role 3 years previously.

As a result of the beautiful boy's subsequent, perfectly-timed request, the noble craftsman was later excused service in Tiflis' Sion Cathedral and was allowed to return, with his immediate living family, to his father's estates, now restored to the younger son by Tamerlane. It was to those lands that Vissarion later made a courtesy visit with Arman, secretly filling in the gaps for the benefit of the aristocratic artisan regarding what had happened to him, which he had been forced to omit from their earlier brief conversation in ecclesiastical surrounds.

The noble craftsman naturally maintained, during the boys' unexpected but nevertheless welcome visit, the pretence, in front of Arman and the military bodyguards of the two young guests, that Vissarion was his nephew. The aristocratic artisan had also primed those members of his own family, who knew the then 13 year-old's true identity, not only to act similarly but also to keep their secret thereafter.

(Western Georgia, about 6 years later, Summer, 1395)

The investigators therefore demanded to know Vissarion's true origin, threatening the aristocratic landowner and his family with grave retribution if he did not answer truthfully. The man might have still been prepared to resist telling what he knew, if his interrogators had not reassured him that the subject of their questioning currently possessed an unassailable position in Tamerlane's life and court. They simply needed to clear up matters about the now 18 year-old's history if he was to be given extra responsibilities by the conqueror's Eldest Queen.

The landowner had tracked Vissarion's career and was satisfied that the investigators were probably telling the truth, which, of course, they were, and so he finally revealed to them the reality about the young Georgian's history. The man's interrogators were greatly surprised about the disclosure, having earlier believed, because of all the apparent secrecy, that there might be something dishonourable or sinister about the 19 year-old's origins. However, they also realised that they had accomplished their mission and so returned quickly to faraway Samarkand to report their amazing news to their queenly mistress. The former artisan and his family were left behind unharmed and able to continue to keep their secret from others.

(Samarkand, Transoxiana, 2 months later, Autumn, 1395)

Shadi Mulk Aka swore the successful and now very well-rewarded investigators to keep their news to themselves, on pain of horrible death. The Bibi Khanum also intended to remain utterly discreet about Vissarion's true identity, at least for now.

Shadi Mulk Aka's attitude arose from the fact that she had gained an even better appreciation of Vissarion's character, one that now only needed to be confirmed by commanding the young eunuch to come to his first private audience with her. After this meeting had taken place, the Bibi Khanum was content.

Shadi Mulk Aka was content because she now fully appreciated that her astrologers' prophecy in respect of Vissarion was likely to prove true. The young eunuch, whose immense physical beauty clearly matched that of his character, certainly possessed the attributes to ensure, as long as God continued to grant the Georgian life, the future wellbeing of not only her husband's achievements but also the later welfare of those of Shahrukh and Ulugbeg. The latter pair were beloved by the formidable Bibi Khanum, who considered them to be of her own bloodline, even though Tamerlane's youngest son had actually been born to one of the conqueror's more junior queens.

The highly astute Shadi Mulk Aka also now instinctively knew that Vissarion would, one day, confess his true identity to Tamerlane. The perceptive Bibi Khanum also guessed correctly how the young eunuch would answer her husband's inevitable questions of "Why didn't you tell me before?" and "Why won't you let me restore you to your rightful position in Georgia?"

Shadi Mulk Aka additionally recognised that the young eunuch's reply to the second query would have nothing to do with the original shame of being castrated and becoming a catamite to the main enemy of his homeland.

(Kutaisi, Imeritia, Georgia, about 6 months later, Spring, 1396)

Arman then grumpily turned his back on Vissarion and strode several paces away from his friend. The two 19 year-olds were currently located in the guest bedroom of the palace of the governor of Kutaisi that had been allocated to the former for an overnight stay. Sibur and Shahrukh had remained encamped with the army outside the city walls, whilst the young Georgian and Armenian tried to resolve outstanding local civic issues within the captured metropolis.

Arman's groom, Teimuraz, was loyally waiting in his master's adjacent bedroom, ready to be called to perform any menial duties for either him or Vissarion and hoping that he would also be summoned next door to share their bed overnight. The 13 year-old boy had already thought that he recognised the common signs that usually indicated that the two 19 year-olds proposed to indulge in sex and wanted to join in the fun. He was not, of course, aware that the young Armenian's current show of petulant annoyance threatened the whole delicious scenario.

"But I've given you the reasons why I kept my secret until now," Vissarion pleaded, whilst hoping that his lack of candour had not truly upset his oldest and still best friend. "Are you sure that you simply didn't trust me?" Arman then turned to ask face-to-face, very sulkily and accusingly.

Vissarion now really was worried that he had upset the handsome young Armenian and began to stutter nervously "I....I....promise....I....I only thought....it....it....best...." However, that was to be the extent of the young Georgian's explanation, as a completely disarming smile appeared on the handsome face opposite him, whilst he now saw clear mischief in the sparkling brown eyes.

Vissarion belatedly realised that he had fallen into the same type of trap he had laid for Arman, about 6 months previously in Samarkand. The beautiful eunuch, who still looked no older than 15, therefore decided to react in a similar manner to the way that his friend had done half a year previously.

"You naughty Armenian," the grinning Vissarion now exclaimed loudly as he rushed towards and then embraced Arman, "you're going to pay for your tease!" His smiling friend decided to join in the fun of the reversal of their previous roles.

"And how are you going to extract payment from me?" the young Armenian eventually managed to enquire, once his lips emerged for air after a long bout of passionate kissing and bodily groping by his fellow 19 year-old.

"Well," the eager Vissarion answered, "we'll begin by removing these!" However, the young Georgian now proceeded rather more efficiently to deprive Arman of his clothing than the young Armenian had achieved with the reverse task in Samarkand during the previous autumn.

Sadly for Teimuraz, as a consequence of the subsequent, all-consuming, lengthy and repeated passions experienced on the nearby bed, the 13 year-old groom never received the call to join the 19 year-olds overnight.

(Tabriz, Persia, same time)

The bodyguard's young victims were invariably beautiful because Ahmad Jalayir liked to have gorgeous boys adding to the human scenery of his female harem. The Sultan therefore appointed a number of such delicious male creatures to serve as menial slaves to his very large retinue of women concubines.

The boys concerned naturally had to lose their testicles so that they were never tempted, by the impressive feminine forms for whom they dutifully had to perform their tasks, to satisfy the natural, libidinous, masculine lusts that would otherwise inevitably be aroused. Nevertheless, their genital loss did not disqualify them from also sharing Ahmad Jalayir's bed, sometimes in tandem with one or more of the female concubines, who, like their master, often liked playing with the young eunuch's gelded genitalia.

To Ahmad Jalayir, it appeared only rightful justice to have the boy dancer's miscreant sexual organs converted for such service. The cruel Sultan's sadistic attitude persisted despite the fact that the 14 year-old was somewhat older than normal to suffer castration.

Ahmad Jalayir had first allowed his eager-to-learn, ugly, scar-faced bodyguard to geld some boys a few years previously, under the supervision of the palace physician, as he owed his protector a favour for uncovering an assassination plot. The Sultan's thoughtfulness was assisted by the fact that the initial youngsters practised upon were considered expendable, as they were the pretty sons of some of the plotters.

The ugly, scar-faced bodyguard had made a few early, clumsy mistakes, which had resulted in the demise of some young patients through shock, excessive blood loss or infection, or a combination of all three. However, thereafter, he had become quite adept at the operation and so, in order to retain the loyalty of such an efficient protector of his person, the Sultan had permitted the man to continue to perform the function on an occasional part-time basis.

Consequently, the boy dancer now found that he was imminently to be the next poor victim of the bodyguard's well used, extremely sharp castration knife. The 14 year-old was currently lying face-up, naked and firmly strapped, in a spreadeagled pose, on top of a table in a gloomy cellar of the Tabriz palace.

The gagged, nude boy's present display of shivering did not just result from the pervading environmental chill. A glance down his own beautiful but helpless, horizontal form, by the 14 year-old's petrified, tearful eyes, had substantially added to his bodily quaking. The blade of the ugly, scar-faced and now happily grinning bodyguard was approaching his young imminent victim's vulnerable, perfectly smooth genitalia, which were currently tightly bound around the base by thin leather cord.

The appalled boy also observed something else, which was intensely humiliating and, given the circumstances, incongruous. His own engorged, circumcised cockhead, drooling precum onto his slim belly, was pointing rigidly back towards his gorgeous but obviously terrified face. The penis was fully erect and throbbing in natural tandem with the 14 year-old's understandably ever increasing heartbeat.

The boy's beautiful, gagged head shook negatively in desperate entreaty when his erection was finally grabbed in order to protect the unruly young cock from the knife being introduced to the vulnerable, smooth scrotum underneath, just at the base of the vibrating penile shaft. In response to the 14 year-old's forcibly silent plea, the bodyguard laughed before spitting accurately at his imminent young victim's sublime face and declaring "There'll be no mercy from me, slut. Instead, you'll suffer your due desserts for shooting your cum at our mutual master, as you'll soon never be able to repeat your crime!"

Copious phlegm now besmirched the boy dancer's lovely but also already tearful and rightfully frightened face. However, the 14 year-old gave little thought to such facial desecration, as the ugly, scar-faced bodyguard ruthlessly sliced open his smooth scrotum. However, the young victim's inattention to the humiliating display of spittle was not just caused by the shame and agony of the deed now being perpetrated on his wondrous young form. His entry into immediate orgasm also contributed substantially to his disregard.

The bodyguard laughed again, as he expertly directed, towards the boy's face, the resultant arc of cum, which shot vigorously from the 14 year-old's cut cockhead. Young, white ejaculate was quickly mingling shamefully with colourless, manly phlegm on the soon-to-be-eunuch's sublime visage, which exhibited a strange mix of emotions, including incongruous ecstasy, as well as the dread, distress, despair and degradation that were only natural in the circumstances.

Not long afterwards, the freshly created eunuch fainted, during the excruciating cauterisation of his scrotum wound, and just as his newly extracted testes were being sent to the palace cook.

(Delhi, India, same time)

Mahmud Tughluq had finally discovered why the castration wound of his oldest son's similarly aged 9 year-old slave had looked so fresh when he had inspected the relevant genital scene. One of the adult Hindu slaves, who had assisted Ahmed to nurse Krishnan back to recovery, after the young servant's sacrificially selfless voluntary gelding, had become indiscreet about the matter and word of the event had finally filtered back to the Sultan of Delhi.

After pronouncing his oldest son's awful fate, Mahmud Tughluq turned to Krishnan. "For your own deceit," the Sultan now declared to the young Hindu, "you will receive your freedom, enough gold to live on very comfortably for life and a luxurious residence, with many servants, in the best part of Delhi!"

Mahmud Tughluq then gave Krishnan permission to speak to him. "Lord," the 9 year-old Hindu replied, "I thank you for your offer but I'd prefer to remain in the palace as Prince Ahmed's slave!"

Mahmud Tughluq subsequently turned back to his oldest son, who, despite the appalling sentence hanging over him, was displaying a fearlessly broad and totally disarming smile. "It seems," the Sultan now commented to Ahmed, "that you inspire tremendous loyalty in your servants!" "I therefore obviously take after you," was the cheerily truthful reply from the boy.

Mahmud Tughluq was delighted at Ahmed's latest comment, as well as Krishnan's continued sense of sacrificial loyalty towards his young master. The Sultan's pleasure was boosted by recognition that such devotion must be inspired by excellent character traits on the part of both boys.

Mahmud Tughluq then made another announcement, which Ahmed had been expecting, fully appreciating that his father had been trying to tease him. "I shall, of course," the Sultan advised his oldest son, "suspend the sentence of 100 lashes until such time that you deceive me about another slave's castration!"

The still-smiling Ahmed immediately hugged Mahmud Tughluq, knowing that, even if he did somehow become involved in similar mischievous intrigue again, his very attractive, princely body would never feel the pain of the whip, at least at the command of his loving and devoted father.

(Edirne, Ottoman Empire, same time)

The incident had also produced someone else whom both delightful boys believed that they could really trust in a difficult world, which increasingly appeared full of dangers, not least as a result of potentially deadly sibling rivalry and intrigue. The pair of 7 year-olds now realised that the Sultana Olivera was a true friend too.

The woman was subsequently happily to prove worthy of such a description.

(Tabriz, Persia, next day)

First, the dreaded disease had abated in Baghdad but could perhaps finally arrive soon in Tabriz. Second, the Mesopotamian city possessed better fortifications than the Persian one, especially as the citadel of the latter had not yet been fully repaired after a recent earthquake. Third, if ever needed because Tamerlane's forces again threatened him, escape back to the protection of the Mamluks in Syria or Egypt was much easier from the metropolis alongside the Tigris. Fourth, his current host, the local ruler, an ally who had reclaimed his municipality from the dreaded conqueror's suzerainty, in line with similar simultaneous attempts elsewhere, such as in Georgia and Armenia, had decided to abandon his domain once more, literally to save his neck.

Although Shahrukh's forces had by-passed Tabriz on the way to what was considered the more important problem of the uprisings in Georgia and Armenia, the local ruler realised that Tamerlane's youngest son would soon return to give his city undivided, vengeful attention. Ahmad Jalayir's Persian ally had originally hoped that such a nasty scenario might not arise if the revolts in the lands to his northwest caused major problems and casualties, and perhaps somehow miraculous defeats, for the dreaded conqueror's troops.

The local ruler's hopes were partly based on the fact that Tamerlane's feared army had been divided between his pair of remaining sons, Shahrukh and Miranshah, who were both inexperienced and unproven in battle. The former, only 19 years of age, was attacking Georgia and Armenia as a matter of priority, hence the speed and audacity of the military deployment, whilst the latter was proceeding more sedately to try to recapture Baghdad.

The ruler of Tabriz's hopes that Shahrukh's forces would somehow flounder, and be tied down or even defeated in Georgia and Armenia, were, however, to be shattered by the quick collapse of the uprisings in both countries. The people of Arman's homeland, fearful of the ability of Tamerlane's intact troops to concentrate on them after the rapid and relatively painless suppression of the revolt in the adjacent Kingdom, had speedily adopted the policy of capitulation adopted by their neighbours.

The ruler of Tabriz knew that Shahrukh was now heading towards his city, after suitably punishing those responsible for starting the uprising and murdering Tamerlane's officials and garrisons in Armenia and restoring his father's authority over the country. Ahmad Jalayir's Persian ally therefore did not want to remain in his metropolis to greet the conqueror's apparently highly able youngest son, as he believed that his head would not subsequently remain attached to his neck for long.

Ahmad Jalayir took a similar view of the scene in Tabriz. Consequently, despite the slow advance towards his own city of Baghdad by the other half of Tamerlane's army, led by 30 year-old Miranshah, the Sultan set off to return home.

To return to Baghdad and reclaim control there from his puppet governor, whom he had left in charge whilst he fled the plague, Ahmad Jalayir left Tabriz with his huge baggage train, which contained much of his copious wealth, including his many concubines of both genders. The Sultan guessed correctly, from intelligence reports, that he should easily be able to reach his destination before contingents of the armies of Shahrukh or Miranshah could intercept him, if either somehow found out about his journey.

Ahmad Jalayir's final act before he again fled a city, this time Tabriz, was to visit a certain boy dancer, who was accompanying the baggage train inside a wagon, whilst the sad 14 year-old recuperated after his recent gelding. The Sultan kindly took a little present with him.

"Here are your balls," the cruel Ahmad Jalayir advised the new 14 year-old eunuch, whose now empty scrotum was still bandaged. "One of my chefs has ground them, mixed them with herbs and cooked them in oil," the sadistic Sultan then informed, "just for your delectation!"

Before turning to leave the new, recovering eunuch, Ahmad Jalayir reminded the boy that he would be fed no more food until he had consumed the specially prepared dish now presented to him. As the Sultan then departed, his uncaring mind did not realise that he had never even bothered to discover the name of the now crying and deeply grieving young dancer, whom he had so unkindly converted into a young eunuch.

In fact, the name 14 year-old, who was a Muslim Kurd, was Haluk. Ahmad Jalayir would eventually twice have immense cause to regret that he had ever met the boy.

(Janissary school barracks, Edirne, Ottoman Empire, same time)

After being subjected to intense indoctrination for many months, Kiril, like all of the other new recruits into the acami oglan, had succumbed to conversion to the Muslim faith. His young, malleable mind had appeared superficially to have been brain-washed into accepting that the Islamic God and not the Christian version was the only true one that existed. However, in reality, the very clever but, after all that he had recently suffered, deeply aggrieved and now agnostic 8 year-old actually privately believed that any supreme-being probably looked on both religions with equal contempt.

What had therefore been removed, during Kiril's painful and humiliating time on the acami oglan's castration table, as a result of the boy's supposed conversion to Islam, had been the foreskin from the 8 year-old's previously uncut, little cock. Circumcision was essential to be of the true faith and the ancient, bloodstained furniture, on top of which the naked young Bulgar had been spreadeagled, doubled for both this operation and the occasional gelding that might be required.

Kiril had been shocked by his loss, as his Islamic teachers had not advised any of the latest recruits into the acami oglan of the requirement for such a deed. Neither had any of the existing apprentices seen fit to enlighten the newcomers about the matter, albeit for a good reason. They had been ordered by the resident Janissaries, on pain of severe punishment for miscreants, not to spread unnecessary alarm, which might frighten the new boys so much that they declined to convert to the true faith.

Kiril's new closest friend, the similarly aged, petrified and nude Zoran, had soon followed him onto the castration table, to have extracted foreskin and not balls subsequently dangled before his alarmed, tearful eyes.

(Lake Urmia, Persia, a few days later)

(Tabriz, Persia, 3 months later, Summer, 1396)

Tamerlane himself would never have agreed to such relatively merciful policies, as his thirst for bloody retribution would undoubtedly have overcome him. However, the conqueror had perceptively and self-sacrificially refrained from attacking Georgia and Armenia personally because he had realised that he might go too far in his quest for revenge, upsetting his beloved Vissarion and Arman in the process.

Nevertheless, Vissarion believed that Tamerlane would still think that the eventual retribution actually inflicted should still have been harsher and bloodier, despite probably also appreciating how foolish this attitude was, given the key advisory presence of the wise and compassionate young Georgian at Shahrukh's side. However, the young eunuch hoped that the conqueror would ultimately come reluctantly to accept the settlements, if only because a certain beautiful 19 year-old face, crowned by lengthy, silky, straight blonde hair and adorned by peerless blue eyes and sweet rosy lips, convinced him about the wisdom of the policies.

Vissarion also astutely organised a sweetener to aid Tamerlane's acceptance of the agreements reached to end the various uprisings against his master's suzerainty. This did not involve the young Georgian's sublime 19 year-old body, which the now 60 year-old conqueror, having finally escaped his queens, would enjoy for free anyway.

Instead, the compensatory sweetener was the increased tribute, about the size of which Tamerlane, always avaricious in order to fund his army and ambitions, was both very happy and surprised. The conqueror had not believed that the extraction of such sums had been possible. However, the sagacious Vissarion had recognised that they were eminently payable without too much hardship, especially when compared to the alternative option, by cowed people whose improving economies had remained basically undisturbed because of the relatively generous peace agreements reached.

After happy receiving and accepting in Tabriz the campaign reports of his youngest son, Shahrukh, delivered proficiently with the aid of the 19 year-old's chief political and military advisors, respectively the similarly aged Vissarion and Arman, Tamerlane retired to bed. This unusual happening in the middle of the afternoon was not as a result of tiredness but because the 60 year-old felt an urgent need to reacquaint himself with the young Georgian's perfect body. The conqueror had had to endure, with only occasional respites, enforced abstinence in respect of this particular highly delicious form since his return to Samarkand in autumn of the previous year.

Tamerlane had managed very infrequently to escape his palace in Samarkand to enjoy secret and all too brief reunions with his boys, including Nicolai, Rezan and Rahu, in their residence on the outskirts of his capital. However, although such rare occurrences with the latter trio had continued after Vissarion had left to go on campaign with Shahrukh, to the conqueror they were never of the same distinction without the presence of the young Georgian, despite the undoubted qualities of the young Muscovite, Persian and Zoroastrian.

Throughout the previous decade, Tamerlane had rarely been without the presence of the delightful Vissarion in his life, apart from the notable exceptions when his favourite boy had succumbed to amazingly frequent abduction and capture. As soon as the young Georgian had left Samarkand at the beginning of the latest campaigning season in Spring, the conqueror had begun to regret his generously selfless, and therefore unusual, decision not to accompany him because he quickly began to miss him so much. However, he somehow resisted the temptation to follow immediately.

Tamerlane instead remained in his capital, compensating himself with occasional furtive visits to Nicolai, Rezan and Rahu, which were inspired almost as much by surrogate parental concern for their welfare as by libido. Then, one day, couriers finally arrived bearing glad tidings.

The messengers advised Tamerlane that Shahrukh's campaigns against Georgia, Armenia and Tabriz had been successfully concluded, and that his youngest son now victoriously awaited him in the latter city. On hearing this news, the conqueror did not waste much time saying his farewells to his queens before riding off, with Nicolai, Rezan and Rahu, to the retaken Persian city.

As Tamerlane left Samarkand, his mind, relieved that the recent uprisings had apparently been safely and efficiently suppressed at very low cost, was particularly joyous about the prospect of soon rejoining Vissarion. However, the old proverb that absence makes the heart grow fonder had not again been verified, for the intensity of the conqueror's feelings towards the young Georgian were already at their maximum possible level. It was impossible for his heart to become even fonder of the divine boy.

What recent months had instead again proven to Tamerlane was how very deeply he loved his favourite, as well as missed him when he was not around. The conqueror therefore did not now intend to allow the latter situation to be repeated for as long as he continued to live.

The conqueror took a lot of time over reacquainting himself with Vissarion's sublime form. He made long awaited and eagerly practised love to his favourite over many hours, ironically in the same palace bedroom in which Ahmad Jalayir had sodomised Haluk. Tamerlane's other boys, cleverly recognising their master's desire and need to be alone with the young Georgian whilst his keen passions were satiated, diplomatically spent their time elsewhere.

Later, because the sun was beginning to set, Vissarion left the bedchamber to fulfil his usual nightly duty. Because of the special relationship that the young Georgian had established with the now 1½ year-old Ulugbeg, Shahrukh had taken the unusual option of taking his baby son on campaign with him.

Shahrukh's motivation did not just relate to considerate kindness in granting those left behind in Samarkand peaceful nights. The Prince was also emotionally deeply attached to his son and liked the boy with him, especially as his wife exhibited no interest whatsoever in fulfilling maternal childrearing duties.

Whilst campaigning, Shahrukh admitted Vissarion into his large tent every evening and not just to receive inevitably sage counsel. To ensure undisturbed nights for Tamerlane's youngest son, under the canopy the Prince shared with his own offspring, Ulugbeg, the young Georgian would eventually take the child outside for the usual view of and chat about the stars. Shortly afterwards, the 19 year-old eunuch would return the boy, now invariably soundly sleeping, to his cot, where the 1½ year-old would remain slumbering happily until long after everyone else had risen with the dawn. The travelling retinue of wet-nurses, who otherwise cared for the conqueror's most recent grandson, had still not learnt this particular trick.

When later, after successfully performing his pleasant nightly chore once more, Vissarion returned to the bedroom of the palace in Tabriz, where Tamerlane had most recently made passionate love to him, the young Georgian noticed that the conqueror was no longer alone. Peering above the bedclothes, alongside the unmistakable, bearded, grinning visage of the conqueror, were three other heads, albeit all much smoother, younger and boyishly gorgeous.

Four smiling heads, belonging, of course, to Nicolai, Rezan and Rahu, as well as Tamerlane, now shouted in practised unison "Tonight's story please, Vissarion!"

(Near Baghdad, Mesopotamia, 2 months later, Autumn, 1396)

Tamerlane was arriving from Persia with only a small element of Shahrukh's forces, as he had sent most of the latter, laden with copious tribute from Georgia, Armenia and Tabriz and under the leadership of his youngest son, advised by the very able Sibur, back to Samarkand. Meanwhile, Miranshah, with only half of his father's full army, and anyway nowhere near as personally competent in military matters as his parent, had been fruitlessly besieging Baghdad for several months. However, the conqueror believed that his own presence on the scene might change matters for the better.

Unfortunately, Tamerlane's westerly approach to Baghdad coincided with that of a much superior Mamluk force, intent on breaching Miranshah's besieging lines to reinforce Ahmad Jalayir's civic defenders. Conflict between the confronting sides was inevitable, given the local geography, if at least one side refused to retreat whence they came.

Although withdrawal from the scene was undoubtedly the better option for Tamerlane's smaller force, and was recommended by the current leader of his cavalry bodyguard, Arman, as well as Vissarion, such restrained action had rarely featured on their master's military agenda. The conqueror therefore ordered an immediate attack against the Mamluks, although not with the unrealistic aim of routing them. He was instead attempting to sweep through the enemy in order to conclude his journey.

In so ordering, Tamerlane's aroused angry bloodlust had caused him to become forgetful about something very close indeed to his heart, namely his boys. Vissarion, Nicolai, Rezan and Rahu were accompanying their master and now had to enter battle with him.

In normal circumstances, Tamerlane would have tried his best to avoid any danger whatsoever threatening his beloved catamites. However, the sight of the enemy had allowed the strong war-loving, as opposed to boy-loving, element of his persona now to take over his senses.

In equal combat, Tamerlane's men, rightfully renowned throughout the known world for their fighting capabilities, would invariably defeat Mamluks, despite the reputation of the latter for military prowess. However, no numerical equality between the opponents existed on this occasion.

The subsequent fight was extremely ferocious and lethal for many, especially amongst the Mamluks. Nevertheless, Tamerlane's men did suffer casualties.

It eventually actually took all of Arman's own, immense, brave, tactical abilities, and not those of the suddenly blood-crazed, thoughtless conqueror, to prevent his master and his force from being overwhelmed. The young Armenian was considerably helped in his task by the astonishing Rahu.

The diminutive, now 13 year-old Zoroatrian had fatally pierced, with arrows and spear, or hacked, with small sword, several Mamluks who had dared come close to Tamerlane. The conqueror was easily distinguished from ordinary mortals by his splendidly rich military apparel.

Vissarion and Nicolai courageously tried to protect their master similarly but, despite being older and bigger, neither could match the ferocious, skilled defence displayed by 'The Little Limpet', Rahu. Meanwhile, Teimuraz was attempting to perform similar protective duties at the side of his own master, Arman

Unfortunately, after eventually and thankfully successfully breaching the enemy defences to gallop safely through to the other side of the Mamluks, Tamerlane, Arman, Vissarion, Nicolai and Rahu, on regrouping with the other survivors, discovered in alarm that they were missing an important pair of 13 year-olds. Rezan and Teimuraz had been lost amidst the recent chaos and fury of battle.

(Inside the walls of Baghdad, Mesopotamia, later, same day)

The original Mamluk idea was to gather information from boys who had been in the conqueror's entourage. However, Ahmad Jalayir quickly appreciated that he had been brought something much more precious than mere intelligence data, although only one of the 13 year-olds was sufficiently richly dressed to be obviously one of Tamerlane's boys.

The bound Rezan, sturdily held by two strong Mamluks, blushed when Ahmad Jalayir felt the boy's groin, currently covered by his colourful, baggy silk trousers. "Hmmm," the Sultan then commented, quite proficiently in the conqueror's own Turkic dialect, "you must be the young Persian, Rezan, who's the only one of Tamerlane's current retinue of four catamites to still possess his balls!"

Rezan did not reply. Nevertheless, Ahmad Jalayir could tell from the boy's expression, as well as his still intact testes, that he had identified the 13 year-old correctly.

Ahmad Jalayir then turned to other 13 year-old, who was restrained by his own pair of Mamluks, and, whilst reviewing again this boy's simpler attire, asked "And who are your?" The young Georgian was, undoubtedly imprudently, too immensely proud of his station in life not to answer truthfully "I'm Teimuraz, groom to Lord Arman!"

"Ah, Arman," Ahmad Jalayir responded, whilst again acquainting his young captives about the accuracy of his own intelligence about Tamerlane and the dreaded conqueror's entourage, "a former boy whore of my enemy!" Teimuraz unwisely became angry at this slur and retorted "Regardless of his background, my Lord's a much better person than you!" However, the Sultan did not over-react to the insult, as he knew that he would secure vengeance quickly enough. Consequently, he just made the quiet remark, which was nevertheless thoroughly sinister to the suddenly quiescent 13 year-old Georgian, "You'll soon regret ever saying that!"

It was then Teimuraz's turn to blush, as Ahmad Jalayir felt his covered groin. "Hmmm," the Sultan subsequently commented, "you too are genitally whole!"

Ahmad Jalayir then stood back to address both 13 year-olds. "Boys," the Sultan suggested, "you have brought me the salvation of Baghdad and my own position within the city!"

"I heard," Ahmad Jalayir continued, "that Tamerlane was once prepared to retreat from Shiraz rather than assault the city that threatened, if he attacked, to kill his captured slut, Vissarion. I'm now going to ask your master to do the same in return for your lives. I doubt that he'll need much persuasion to save sweet Rezan here but I'm also sure that, if he does require a little more coaxing, Arman will assist my aim by pleading for his own bumboy, Teimuraz!"

"Nevertheless," Ahmad Jalayir added, with clear sadism now displayed on his bearded face, "in order to make sure, I'll send Tamerlane some souvenirs to indicate my seriousness." The cruel Sultan then turned to the ugly, scar-faced bodyguard at his side.

"Have Teimuraz flogged for his earlier insult," Ahmad Jalayir now commanded of the happy bodyguard, "and then castrate the boys. Later, have their balls sent to Tamerlane, with the threat that, if he and his army do not retreat forever from Baghdad, more vital parts of the anatomies of the pretty pair will follow, bit by bit!"

(Inside the walls of Baghdad, Mesopotamia, still later, same day)

The equally terrified Teimuraz could hear and feel the draught from the swish of a whip, as the ugly, scar-faced bodyguard practised use of the implement before attempting to land his first agonising blow on the boy's vulnerable rear.

(Outside the walls of Baghdad, Mesopotamia, same time)

"Rezan and Teimuraz will be alright," Vissarion again tried to reassure, "as Ahmad Jalayir wouldn't dare harm them!" The fact that the boys had been captured alive by the enemy appeared obvious, as Mamluk cavalry were not in the habit of carrying away dead corpses.

"I pray so," Tamerlane once more commented, "as their capture is entirely due to my inconsiderate, bloodthirsty idiocy." The conqueror subsequently added, needlessly as far as Vissarion was concerned, "I dearly love Rezan and I know how much Arman likes Teimuraz!"

Tamerlane then remarked, in relation to something that he had noticed since rejoining Vissarion in Tabriz, "Teimuraz also seems to have recently acquired even greater affection for you, judging by the immensely respectful way that he now treats you. Your young compatriot seems to regard you lately almost like he would a king!"

Vissarion appreciated that Tamerlane's remark was innocent and that his master still did not know the truth about the young Georgian's background. However, the 19 year-old also realised that the conqueror's phraseology seemed to be a positive invitation to do what he knew he sometime had to do.

The highly astute Shadi Mulk Aka had instinctively known that Vissarion would, one day, confess his true identity to Tamerlane. The perceptive Bibi Khanum had also guessed correctly how the young eunuch would answer her husband's inevitable questions of "Why didn't you tell me before?" and "Why won't you let me restore you to your rightful position in Georgia?"

Shadi Mulk Aka had additionally recognised that the young eunuch's reply to the second query would have nothing to do with the original shame of being castrated and becoming a catamite to the main enemy of his homeland. The Bibi Khanum was now to be proved entirely correct in her presumptions.

Tamerlane rather stuttered his question of "Why didn't you tell me before?" In contrast, Vissarion replied unhesitatingly "Because originally I was frightened of you and then later, when that was no longer the case and I loved you instead, my real identity seemed irrelevant."

Tamerlane, heart fluttering as this pleasant revelation, nevertheless exhibited more calmness when he next enquired "Why won't you let me restore you to your rightful position in Georgia?" However, the conqueror's composure did not last beyond receipt of the response, when he could not prevent his eyes from erupting with yet more tears and his arms from embracing his beloved Vissarion, who had answered his master with complete veracity.

"With all due respect to my family and homeland, instead of being Crown Prince of Georgia," Vissarion had stated with clear, true conviction, "I much prefer being one of Tamerlane's boys!"

Chapter 33
Kurds

Rezan and Teimiraz are about to suffer cruelly on the evil orders of the ruler of Baghdad!

(Inside the walls of Baghdad, Mesopotamia, Autumn, 1396)

Meanwhile, sharing the gloomy, torch-lit chamber in the dungeons of the evil Sultan's Baghdad palace was a similarly nude and terrified Rezan. The latter 13 year-old lay, firmly restrained in a spreadeagled position, on the nearby castration table, with his completely smooth but seriously threatened genitalia already darkening in colour because of the effective tourniquet tied round the base of his scrotum.

The fearful Teimuraz, currently expecting the first excruciating hit by the thin leather of the whip, instead now felt the hands of the bodyguard, running over the delightful geography of the tremulous boy's highly attractive, bare rear. The man's manual attentions were gentle and lingered especially on the lustrous curves of the 13 year-old's bottom, as if gaining sorrowful pleasure from the touch before inflicting great damage on this wondrous feature of young human architecture.

Teimuraz then felt a reaction in his groin to the attentions of the bodyguard, who was currently alone with his young pair of victims. The boy instinctively looked down to see in horror and shame that his smooth, slender, uncut cock had grown to full, throbbing, almost vertical erection.

The bodyguard too noticed Teimuraz's humiliating reaction to his gentle manhandling of the 13 year-old's rear, deliberately looking round the young Georgian's bare back in order to do so. He then confirmed that he had been expectant of spying a disgusting response to his fondling by declaring to the youngster "I thought so, you're nothing but a boy whore!"

The bodyguard subsequently advised the appalled Teimuraz "However, we'll soon cure your sexual perversions, boy slut, after I've whipped you. Once I've castrated your friend over there, you'll replace him on the table to have your own balls sliced away. Let's see your cock become erect then!"

Teimuraz thought of begging for mercy. However, the boy, trying to be as brave as he could be in the awful circumstances, refrained, realising correctly that such a demeaning act would not secure his salvation from severe flagellation and subsequent gelding. The 13 year-old instead braced himself for the first experience of the bodyguard's whip, as the man withdrew from fondling his rear, apparently to take up the necessary position for the first vicious strike.

To Teimuraz, the bodyguard's adoption of such a stance and his imminent intention were obvious from a shadow now cast on the floor of the chamber before him. A wall lamp, located behind the man, had created the grim spectre, which revealed that the whip had been raised into the air in readiness to land the first hit.

Teimuraz could not prevent himself from beginning to sob, even before this blow engendered acute agony within his beautiful form. Meanwhile, the similarly aged, frightened and naked Rezan, fearfully observing the nasty spectacle from his immobile position on the nearby table, also started to shed tears.

(Outside the walls of Baghdad, same time)

Tamerlane was told by his physicians that it appeared that the poor emissary had been alive immediately prior to being launched into the air by Ahmad Jalayir's catapult. To the conqueror, the implications for the welfare of Rezan and Teimuraz seemed obvious until he read a note affixed to his late envoy's body.

The document, personally hand-written by Ahmad Jalayir, informed Tamerlane that Rezan and Teimuraz would be kept alive only if the conqueror withdrew his forces from the walls of Baghdad and publicly swore to Allah never to return. To encourage the besieger to go quickly, the Sultan also advised that the next items to be catapulted out of the city would be body parts belonging to the boys.

In fact, Ahmad Jalayir was already intent on providing Tamerlane with further early evidence of the seriousness of his threat. As soon as his bodyguard had completed his tasks in the palace dungeons, the Sultan proposed to catapult to the conqueror the extracted testicles of Rezan and Teimuraz.

(Samarkand, Transoxiana, same time)

(Nanjing, China, same time)

The workshop's craftsman had tied a thin leather cord tightly around the pretty boy's sexual organs, as well as a protective gag to his imminent young victim's mouth. He then allowed the genital ligature to perform its task for a short time before introducing a little, razor-sharp, curved knife to the lower base of the 10 year-old's small scrotum, whilst holding the youngster's now suddenly erect, diminutive penis out of the way with his spare hand.

The workshop's craftsman then proceeded expertly to amputate excruciatingly the boy's completely smooth sexual organs entirely, which were soon dangled, by the cockhead, before the agonised 10 year-old's appalled eyes. After then discarding the freshly severed, bloody, young genitalia, the perpetrator of the initial and most fundamental act of emasculation then cauterised the resultant appalling wound by application of a red-hot poker.

After eventually reviving from his consequent faint, the first days of the newly nullified boy's slow recovery would be spent without the benefit of any water to drink. Such depravation was designed to prevent urination, which could have caused infection. However, once this very painful and tormenting period of recuperation had passed, the 10 year-old would be forced to drink enormous amounts of the liquid until the pressure in his bladder punctured a hole in the layers of genital scar tissue, finally reopening his healed urethra.

After full recovery, the boy would be ready to serve the Mings, who were to call him Chi Le.

(Outside the walls of Baghdad, same time)

(Inside the walls of Baghdad, same time)

Kurds were now few in Tikrit, with Arabs being predominant in the town since their conquests of the 7^th century. However, Haluk's family had been amongst the few of their ethnicity to remain in the locale, to which Tamerlane's armies had earlier brought much devastation, having encountered some resistance there.

One consequence of Tamerlane's activities had been Haluk's enslavement and transfer to Baghdad, where he had, unfortunately for his balls, remained after Ahmad Jalayir's return and the expulsion of the conqueror's governor. Because of his exceptional looks, the boy had been selected for training as an erotic dancer, whereby he had ended up in the Sultan's bed and subsequently suffered dire genital consequences for possessing an unruly libido.

The Kurds, who are Muslim but non-Arab, being ethnically closer to the Iranians, now number over 20 million. They are, in fact, currently the largest ethnic group in the world without their own country. The territories that they dominate, which are sometimes called 'Kurdistan', is an extensive plateau and mountain area, covering parts of modern Turkey, Armenia, Syria, Iraq and Iran. The region lies astride the eastern extension of the Turkish Taurus Mountains the Iranian Zagros range, and extends south across the Mesopotamian plain to the upper reaches of the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers.

By Haluk's time, Kurdish tribes had become accustomed to reaching relatively peaceful accommodations with the various predominant regional powers, which were originally the Persians, followed by the Arabs and Mongols, and would eventually include the Ottoman Turks. Now, most, whilst trying as always to retain as much independence as possible, were coming to terms with submitting to Tamerlane's suzerainty.

Amongst the Kurds who were currently very keen to ally with rather than confront Tamerlane was Haluk. The boy's attitude arose because he still sought revenge for his castration against the man who had perpetrated the deed, namely the Sultan of Baghdad's bodyguard, as well as the person who had ordered it, who was Ahmad Jalayir himself.

It was the bodyguard who experienced Haluk's revenge first. The knife, with which he intended to geld Rezan and Teimuraz, just as he had done the young Kurd 5 months previously, and which he had set aside in order to whip the young Georgian, instead venomously struck his own back, accurately midway between his shoulder blades.

Consequently, instead of striking Teimuraz's beautiful but tremulous naked body for the first time, the whip fell from the bodyguard's suddenly limp hand, as he also crashed, quite dead, to the cool chamber floor. "Follow me!" was Haluk's subsequent instruction, in an understandable Turkic dialect, to the young, unclothed prisoners, as he then used the bloody castration knife to release the delighted inmates from their bondage, as well as Rezan's constricted genitalia from their ligature. Naturally, the pair of nudes was happy to comply with the young Kurd's command, despite their state of undress.

As the trio later ran along a myriad of windowless corridors and stairwells, which was a quiet escape route that Haluk had cleverly mapped out earlier, Teimuraz completely forgot that he was still sporting an incongruous erection. The 13 year-old remained in this happy state of ignorance even after his 14 year-old eunuch guide had brought him outside onto palace battlements, which directly overlooked the wide River Tigris.

"I hope that you both can swim," Haluk then commented, whilst quickly joining Rezan and Teimuraz in nudity and then clambering onto the crenellated frontispiece wall. Soon afterwards, three loud splashes could be heard in the adjacent River Tigris.

(Outside the walls of Baghdad, a few days later)

Killing the bodyguard with the man's own, well-used castration knife, which had already been utilised to geld Haluk and others, appeared vengefully rather appropriate. The fact that rescuing Rezan and Teimuraz would now cause Ahmad Jalayir immense problems from an enraged Tamerlane also seemed to the young Kurd to be pleasant retribution for the loss of his boyhood.

Haluk, however, would not have been pleased to learn about Ahmad Jalayir's current, successful, night flight from Baghdad, at a time when the city was again on the point of falling to the now aggrieved Tamerlane. Instead, the boy's only consolation, for the fact that the Sultan was not now to suffer grievously at the vengeful hands of the dreaded conqueror, would have been, if he had known, the humiliating initial means by which the rightfully frightened man escaped back to the Mamluks in Syria.

Ahmad Jalayir had also swum in the Tigris naked, accompanied by some similarly unclothed male members of his family and a few supporters, all in possession of as much of the Sultan's riches as they could carry without sinking to the bottom of the river. However, Haluk was currently oblivious to this scenario, not least because he was presently dancing erotically inside a large, luxurious tent.

The principal spectator, excitedly eyeing Haluk's gorgeous, gyrating Kurdish form, which was slowly disrobing to appropriate music, was Tamerlane.

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