In the end that was how Alexius vanquished his enemies: the Apulian captains, weary of campaigning for a whole year without much in the way of plunder and while their leader was absent from the camp seeking reinforcements, accepted bribes to abandon the campaign and go home.
Bohemund had never made any secret to Tancred that he thought of Alexius as an enemy with whom he had a score to settle, a man who had dented the lustre of a reputation of which he was proud. Although not a victim of vanity, it could not be anything but pleasing to know that your fame as a warrior had spread well beyond the confines of Southern Italy. Maybe it was something to do with his outstanding physical dimensions as well as his fighting skill, but the name of Bohemund of Taranto was spoken of with awe across Christendom.
‘Do you intend to fight him again?’
‘Who?’ Bohemund asked, though he could hardly fail to be aware of what Tancred was driving at.
‘Or is the task to get from Alexius more than he wants to give? Title to Antioch, for instance.’
‘Do you never tire of probing?’
‘No,’ came the reply, ‘and if you wonder at it, I am curious to know how far you will go to secure possession of the city. And I would be obliged if you did not, as you usually do, take defence in an unknown future or our shared blood.’
Being close-mouthed, never showing your hand unless it was absolutely necessary, was a de Hauteville trait, which some called deceitful — usually those who were the losers in any dispute with the family. Yet it had even been termed that by those who had loyally supported and fought with them. Bohemund’s father had often given the impression of not knowing his own mind on the very good grounds that if you appeared to be confused, that surely must apply to your enemy, while all those who supported you had to do was follow your directives.
‘Am I being challenged?’
‘I think I have the right, if not to challenge, to seek to be informed.’
The time was long past when Bohemund could reply to that with severity. Tancred was grown to full and puissant manhood now, was a fine and competent commander of men who had stature; he had fought too many battles, both with his uncle and independently, to just be dismissed. At the heart of his enquiry was his own future: if his uncle was planning to stay in Antioch, whatever his status and regardless of who was suzerain, what did that mean for a nephew needing to make his own way in the world?
‘The truth?’
‘Nothing less would please me.’
That led to another silence and a backward look at the long line of mounted men and milities in their wake. Bohemund dismounted — it was time to walk the horses to ease fatigue and his lances did likewise — so it was at a steady walking gait that the reply finally came.
‘I will seek to hold Antioch under my own title …’
‘It is not just Alexius who will dispute that.’
‘No.’ There was no need to name Raymond. ‘But that is my aim.’
‘And if the Emperor denies it?’
‘Toulouse must be dealt with first, but even with what he holds, not having the citadel puts me in a better position than he.’
Tancred listened as his uncle outlined, in what was for him an uncharacteristically detailed way, both the problems and advantages of the prevailing situation in terms of supply, the possibility of having to fight Raymond’s Provencal knights for possession of the Bridge Gate and Mahomerie — to be avoided unless impossible — and most importantly the value of time.
‘Toulouse has alienated all my peers by his high-handedness and I think even Ademar is sick of his pretensions with the Holy Lance.’
‘You do not mention Jerusalem,’ Tancred said in a deliberate way; he felt he was being fobbed off with discussion about matters of which he already knew.
Getting his innermost feelings out of Bohemund was like drawing blood from a stone; it went against his whole nature to be utterly open and it took some time and a certain amount of rumination to conclude that only a straight answer would satisfy.
‘You must have realised by now, Tancred, that Jerusalem holds no attraction for me. I would want it to be wrested from Islam for the glory of our faith but …’
‘Without your efforts?’
‘We spoke of this before, nephew, do you not recall, and I advanced the notion that there would be as much dispute over the title to Jerusalem as we are now having regarding Antioch.’
‘And you favour de Bouillon, I know.’
‘I do, for the very good reason that he has only the restoration of Christianity as his purpose. There are no other ambitions to distract him.’
‘Raymond will claim it, despite your partiality for Godfrey, and he will use the Holy Lance to further his cause.’
‘You mean the Holy Fraud,’ Bohemund replied bitterly, ‘and if that offends you, I do not care.’
‘Fraud or real, the mass of our charges believe in it.’
That got a snapped response. ‘Without knowing the truth of how it was found!’
‘Jerusalem?’
‘Let others have the glory of rescuing the Holy City. I will be content to guard their rear and give what assistance I can. You once asked me if I had Antioch marked as a prize before we ever set out from home. The answer is no, but I did tell you that I had no intention to do for Alexius or Byzantium that which they could not do on their own. Antioch is the richest prize in this part of the world and one Alexius forfeited by failing to come to our aid when he had sworn to do so.’
‘And if he comes now?’
‘Then he had best do so with his sword raised.’
‘And do you think that will happen?’
Bohemund slowly shook his head. ‘In time, perhaps, but not soon. Would a man who could not take Nicaea, only three days’ march from his capital, and in fear of losing everything, undertake a three month advance into what could be enemy territory just to get to the walls of the most formidable fortress in the whole of Asia Minor when it is held by me?’
‘He need not march, Uncle, he could come by sea. Byzantium still has a fleet even if it is much diminished.’
That brought forth a smile. ‘So might I,’ to be followed by an enigmatic silence, this time accompanied by a sly smile, until Tancred had to finally ask how that could be?
‘I have sent offers of trading concessions to both Pisa and Genoa, both of whom are a nightmare for Byzantium. Their fleets are larger, their vessels are better, their fighting ability proven and they stand to make fortunes from trading through Antioch, a city under the Turks that was denied to them. With naval support from such city states Alexius will not dare to seek to get to Syria by sea, for he risks destruction on water just as he fears he might also do on land. Likewise he will not be able to supply his army by sea and we both know that a land march through Cilicia without that has many difficulties. And what will the Turks do then, with Constantinople bereft of defenders?’
‘And in all this, Uncle, what do you have in mind for me?’
‘The true purpose of your probing.’
‘I will not deny it and neither will I seek to excuse it.’
‘There is no need why you should, Tancred, you are my nephew and as close to me as would be a son. You may demand of me things that others cannot and if I can give of them, I shall.’
‘And if I seek the freedom to act for myself?’
Bohemund replied with real feeling. ‘That, of all things, is the easiest to grant. Did I not say you would need at some time to strike out on your own?’
‘Not as easy to do as to say! Every command I have held, bar one, has been under your banner and leading your lances.’
‘Some of our Apulians will follow you.’
‘How many?’
Bohemund laughed. ‘If you are intent on Jerusalem, that should guarantee those with the most sins to repent, and besides that you have the men from your own fiefs of Lecce and Monterone.’