For hundreds of years, the Knights of St. Basil had waged holy war in the name of Christ. They had been the last of the great crusading orders, finally renouncing their claims to crusade in the early 19th century. The Knights had adapted quickly and had become fine and agile merchants. Syracuse's Grand Harbor continued to be busy. Though the Order technically served the Papacy, the Knights since the late 18th century had mostly served themselves. Times continued to change. The Knights continued to change. Now, the Knights of St. Basil had 2 protestants and even a few Jews in its ranks. One was the ambassador to Franken.
Despite the changes, one thing remained: The Grand Master. Elected by the Priors of the Order, the Grand Master served for life as the undisputed head of the Knights, Nicosia, and as a Prince of the Church. It had been two months since the death of the last Grand Master, Bertrand de Thercy of Montelimar at age 77. For the past 7 day, Theodore Balbi had been serving as Grand Master. It was a move that surprised many as the last Nicosian Grand Master served 100 years ago. There had been a fair amount of celebrating in the streets.
Balbi, aged 61, was relatively young. Tall and somewhat thin, Balbi's short gray beard offset his blue eyes. His was soft but firm and he spoke only when necessary. Balbi was a mercantile knight and took no vow of chastity. Moderately successful, he sold his small wine trading firm and sought permission from the Grand Master to join the ranks of warrior knights serving in the Nicosian military. Denied, he protested. Finally, he was given a small staff position. At age 47, Balbi was offered a role of ambassador to Potenza. He accepted.
Now, the halls of the Grand Master's Palace in Syracuse echoed with his footsteps. The palace had been converted nearly 20 years earlier into one of the world's finest small museums. It still held important events such as his induction to the Mastership 3 days prior. A small apartment had been granted to him until such time as he moved into the summer palace outside the city walls which was now the full time residence. He wore a simple suit, hands clasped behind his back. Many things flowed through his mind. The Knights of St. Basil administered at least 15 hospitals outside of Nicosia and operated 8 ambulance services. In addition there were rumblings from some factions of local government murmuring of Nicosia becoming a republic. Wars threatened Nicosia's world trade. Finally, Balbi had to appoint a Supreme Council- ministers to handle Nicosia's non-Order matters.
He opened the door to his appointed bedroom. A room measuring around 50 feet by 40 feet was dark, lit by a single bedside lamp. In the daylight, one could see the massive bronze Nicosian cross on the ceiling or the checkered marble floor. One would have also seen a very simple bed, simple furniture. Balbi sat on the bed, waving off his new assistants. He produced a pipe and let the aroma of the sweet tobacco smoke fill his nostrils. The next few days would be brutal.
Despite the changes, one thing remained: The Grand Master. Elected by the Priors of the Order, the Grand Master served for life as the undisputed head of the Knights, Nicosia, and as a Prince of the Church. It had been two months since the death of the last Grand Master, Bertrand de Thercy of Montelimar at age 77. For the past 7 day, Theodore Balbi had been serving as Grand Master. It was a move that surprised many as the last Nicosian Grand Master served 100 years ago. There had been a fair amount of celebrating in the streets.
Balbi, aged 61, was relatively young. Tall and somewhat thin, Balbi's short gray beard offset his blue eyes. His was soft but firm and he spoke only when necessary. Balbi was a mercantile knight and took no vow of chastity. Moderately successful, he sold his small wine trading firm and sought permission from the Grand Master to join the ranks of warrior knights serving in the Nicosian military. Denied, he protested. Finally, he was given a small staff position. At age 47, Balbi was offered a role of ambassador to Potenza. He accepted.
Now, the halls of the Grand Master's Palace in Syracuse echoed with his footsteps. The palace had been converted nearly 20 years earlier into one of the world's finest small museums. It still held important events such as his induction to the Mastership 3 days prior. A small apartment had been granted to him until such time as he moved into the summer palace outside the city walls which was now the full time residence. He wore a simple suit, hands clasped behind his back. Many things flowed through his mind. The Knights of St. Basil administered at least 15 hospitals outside of Nicosia and operated 8 ambulance services. In addition there were rumblings from some factions of local government murmuring of Nicosia becoming a republic. Wars threatened Nicosia's world trade. Finally, Balbi had to appoint a Supreme Council- ministers to handle Nicosia's non-Order matters.
He opened the door to his appointed bedroom. A room measuring around 50 feet by 40 feet was dark, lit by a single bedside lamp. In the daylight, one could see the massive bronze Nicosian cross on the ceiling or the checkered marble floor. One would have also seen a very simple bed, simple furniture. Balbi sat on the bed, waving off his new assistants. He produced a pipe and let the aroma of the sweet tobacco smoke fill his nostrils. The next few days would be brutal.