Chapter 19

Helena had thought Kijów a grand city, but Lublin was even grander. And after their time on the road, for it had been quiet enough in the guest quarters of the monastery at Chełm, it was a cacophony of sound. The heat inside the city was also oppressive. It had been warmer than was comfortable travelling, but the paved streets and the close, high buildings seemed to concentrate the torrid rays of the sun, throwing the heat absorbed by the stones back at the travellers. Helena was pleased to get inside the castle, where they would stay.

"It is a very... robust... city," said Helena to Asieńka.

"What an excellent description," said Asieńka. "It is very cosmopolitan; you will meet people here of all kinds of religion, for it symbolises the ecumenical nature of the Commonwealth. It is on the trade route from Wilno to Krakow, so it is a wealthy trade hub."

"I think I prefer a wooden dwór surrounded by people I know well, whether that dwór is set in a forest or whether it has sails and travels from place to place."

"I fancy your young man feels the same," said Asieńka. "Which is just as well."

"I'd live in a city for him," said Helena. "But I don't have to like it."

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Michał was throwing a temper tantrum.

Gryzelda was making helpless little pleas to him to stop, and Jeremi was in a towering rage.

"Father, may I?" said Jurko.

"If you can make him behave, do so, by all means; he doesn't respect me," growled Jeremi.

"If you let him ride with you and ask questions, he would get to know you better," said Jurko. "I am new, exotic, and happy to chat to him. I treat him like a recruit, not like a little boy. He responds well to it."

"His mother has not permitted me to do so."

"I think he needs his father, and this is his way of saying so, because he is only a little boy and he doesn't have enough command of the language. I... I need you, father, and though I fascinate him, I am an interloper. He is your heir, and I think he needs to feel like it. And he may not even know that is what he seeks, any more than I knew how much I needed a father when I gifted the Kurcewiczówie as a pale substitute. He's shouting because he needs to tell you something, but he can't articulate it. I know; I felt the same when trying to communicate in Latin, rather than in my native Ruthenian, before I had the fluency to do so."

Jeremi was appeased.

"Show me how you handle him," he said.

"Towarzysz Wiśniowiecki!" snapped Jurko. "Do you want your lady-mother to think that Cossacks train only baboons? On your feet!" Michał had thrown himself on the ground to kick, and sheepishly got up. "Now! Salute your father and bow to him, and bow down to your mother, and beg her forgiveness! Then you may salute me and report your problem."

Michał saluted Jeremi and bowed, and bowed to Gryzelda.

"I am sorry, my lady-mother," he said. He turned to Jurko and saluted, and held himself stiffly.

"My lord-brother, I wanted to stay with you, but my mother insists I spend time in her chambers," he said.

"I see," said Jurko. "Have you no respect for your mother, that you spurn time with her when you are on leave? Surely you are not hoping to hang out at low establishments drinking hirilka, gambling, and wenching?"

"Yuk, no!" said Michał, horrified. "Hirilka is horrible! I tried some, once. And so are girls."

"Well, then, you have no reason not to pay court to your mother, and spend some time inspecting our father's angels with him, while I am away," said Jurko.

"Away?" gasped Michał.

"Yes; Pan Jan and I are going on a mission for father. We hope to be back in a couple of days, but it may take more. And we will ride at a pace your pony cannot manage, and too fast to carry passengers, and however hard you try to eat all that is good for you, your legs are not long enough for a full sized Cossack pony. So I leave you as our father's right-hand man, to do as he, the commander, orders, and to guard your lady mother with your life. Can you do that?"

"Yes, my lord!" said Michał, saluting again.

"Good man!" said Jurko, saluting him back. "I will be early on the road so will bid you farewell now."

Michał threw his arms around Jurko, and the Cossack picked him up.

"Papa also needs cuddles," he said, and passed the little boy to Jeremi. Jeremi may have felt stiff and awkward, but he did need to get to know his son.

"There, lad," he said. "Tomorrow we'll inspect the angels."

Jurko bowed and withdrew, thankfully.

Attracting the hero-worship of his young half-brother was nice, but potentially dangerous if their father took umbrage.

It seemed that he was glad of an excuse to get to know Michał better.

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"How soon do you think we can get to Puławy?" asked Jan.

"It's five and twenty miles; with the early start, and a Cossack canter so the nags don't tire, it should be about three hours. If the road is good, which I believe it should be. But I don't suggest we try to get back today."

"No, by the time we have negotiated for river boats it will be well into the afternoon. If it were war time and getting troops to Warszawa was vital, we could do it."

"And my father wants to make contact with people, talk about peaceful resolution of the Cossack question and so on," said Jurko. "He'll want to do so in Puławy as well, with the Lubomirski and Sieniawski families. I wondered if he would ride ahead, to have some time with them, and then we can push the pace to get the whole cavalcade there by nightfall, and move them into boats for overnight travel downstream."

"You're optimistic over loading those coaches and the ladies in a hurry," said Jan.

"I was going to take the coaches apart," said Jurko, calmly. "And if necessary, carry the ladies aboard."

"A sort of reverse looting," said Jan, gravely.

"You laugh it up when my method works, Lach," said Jurko.

"You might want to leave the talking to me, if we run into Prince Jerzy Lubomirski," said Jan.

"What can you tell me about him?" asked Jurko.

"He's about ten years older than us and already covered in honours," said Jan. "He's the Sejm Marshal for one. He's a magnate, wealthy from land and salt."

"Mother of God! We shall have to watch our words if we want him to help out father in establishing a third hetmanship."

"Yes, and he's tipped to be Starosta of Krakow, and possibly in line for a hetmanship," said Jan. "He's a staunch supporter of the Golden Freedoms."

"I'll be careful; my opinion on the Golden Freedoms..."

"Is probably not fit for civilised company," said Jan.

"Well then! I was only going to say it should be drowned in a golden shower."

"Not fit for civilised company," reiterated Jan.

"It's more the idea that any member of the Sejm can veto any idea, on his own," said Jurko. "I know nobody really dares use it, but you never know when someone gets the idea to exploit it.

"I think maybe we need reform, but the Sejm won't sit still for it," said Jan.

"So we need this man on our side."

"He's said to be personally ambitious. I think he'd be ready to cut a deal with your father, for his own elevation to hetman."

"Good idea. We can always assassinate him if he gets too ambitious."

"You can't go around... all right, you probably can go around assassinating people, but it's not..."

"Golden Freedoms, ambition, wealth of a magnate. So does he care more about his country or about his position, and which will you choose?"

"Well, when you put it like that... this is an unwise sort of conversation to be having."

"Neither of my men riding with us knows Latin and they are loyal to me personally."

"A comfort of sorts."

"Besides, this conversation never happened."

"You mad Cossack."

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The city was a fine one, as might be expected of a city housing two significant families, one of them considered magnates and princes.

"I suppose we make a courtesy visit," said Jurko. "And hope he doesn't keep us kicking our heels."

"Go in as Korybut," said Jan.

"Why, thank you, my hawkish brother, and will you teach me how to do sabre drill as well?"

"Oh, stuff yourself with straw, Cossack; you aren't used to the banner yet and you don't know how to wave it properly," said Jan.

"Oh, I concede that," said Jurko.

Jerzy Lubomirski was pleased to see one Jurij Korybut Bohun, if puzzled.

"So, you're Ironfist's get?" he said.

"Yes, my lord-brother," said Jurko, who was not about to be intimidated.

"And what can I do for you?" asked Lubomirski.

"Why, I make a courtesy visit on our way through your beautiful city," said Jurko. "Or rather, as far as my lord-brother of the Jastrzębiec banner and I are concerned, in, out, back and through. My father has asked me to arrange transport down the Wisla for his wife and her ladies and, of course, the escort. I expect he'll ride ahead of the ladies to have a chance to speak to you personally."

"Now, will that be just a courtesy call?" asked Lubomirski.

"Oh, I don't claim to fathom all the ways of politics," said Jurko. "My lord flies my friend and me to take down prey of the Commonwealth and we go, and do, without asking questions. It's my brother he plans to raise to politics."

"So, there is a reason."

Jurko rocked his shoulders.

"He might have said something about a quid pro quo, but I don't understand these things, and it would be natural for you to support each other, surely?"

"Over those things which are mutually beneficial, yes," said Lubomirski. "What, has he an eye on the Crown Field Hetmanship, now Potocki is promoted to Crown Grand Hetman?"

"Oh, my sire is more interested in matters to the East," said Jurko, carelessly. "I am sure he'd support your claim to that situation for a little consideration over his own suggestions. But I'm not sufficiently versed in politics to know how he would slap the wrists of Potocki, Radziwiłl and so on... what interests me is a navy which would be safe from the Swedes, and could yet raid them, if only the Sejm had not shut down the war on the Turks which could bring enough loot to finance a navy without needing the Sejm to cough up money."

"I hear you," said Lubomirski.

"But please! I am a humble captain of Cossacks, and I know nothing," said Jurko.

"Why, I am sure you will learn much from your father," said Lubomirski. "I beg you, take a midday meal with me, and I will send orders for such shipping as is necessary to take your father and his family to Warszawa. Will we see them later today?"

"No, I was expecting to spend most of the day hiring boats, and to return early enough tomorrow for my father to ride ahead with an escort and the rest of the cavalcade to straggle in by nightfall," said Jurko. "I pray God I never have to travel in one of those contraptions. Women are hardy creatures to deal with such ignominy and discomfort."

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"Jurko handled it brilliantly, my lord," Jan reported to Jeremi, when they returned in the very early morning. The young men were leaning on each other, almost crying with laughter. "And he kept saying, 'but I'm just a humble captain of Cossacks, and I know nothing of politics,' all the time adding to the things that would bring Lubomirski more wealth and position with canals and ships, all through the meal. Lubomirski was practically salivating to get into talks with you."

"My son!" said Jeremi, embracing Jurko. "We'll make a politician of you yet!"

"Not officially, father," said Jurko, embracing him back. "I'm far more use to you as a simple, ignorant captain of Cossacks, who can blurt things out and be relied on not to see the advantages to the enemy... uh, political rival."

"I love you very well, my boy, my falcon," said Jeremi. "Now, the both of you go and take two hours' sleep; I'll ride out with a few men, and you can get everyone else into Puławy by nightfall."

"As you command, father," said Jurko, kissing his father's hand. He was rewarded with a kiss on the forehead.

Jeremi was well pleased with Jurko. The lad was not as polished a courtier as some, though he could assume the manner, but his assumption of the manner of a simple man was masterly.

But it would be well not to lose track of the fact that in many ways Jurij Bohun was simple and straightforward. He was honest, loyal, and trusting. And if he ever felt that he had been used, that trust could be broken.

Jeremi would fly his falcon only at selected targets.

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Jeremi was orphaned at around Michal's age and as far as I can see, had a pretty arid childhood. It's my thesis in this story that bringing warmth into his life and teaching him how to love and show love has far-reaching changes effected in his attitude and what he can achieve, beyond the ironfisted and callous commander.