Chapter 13

Jeremi had come ahead from Smoleńsk with three hundred men, leaving five thousand in Smoleńsk, and orders to another ten thousand to come forward as far as Mińsk using the canals. He had hurried to bring some at least to oppose a Russian incursion, and back up Jurko, to find that he had some cushion of time with regards to that. He left the majority of the three hundred in Dorogobuż, including the baggage train. Most provisions as far as Smoleńsk would come by canal, and the baggage train was relatively small.

"It will do your men good, I fancy, if I join your shovel-masters for a few days, I think?" said Jeremi.

"It will do their morale no end of good," said Jurko. "And it enables you, too, to see the lie of the land, to know how to bring an army through best."

"Yes, I'm getting too used to canals," Jeremi laughed.

"We'll have a canal here too," said Jurko.

"The Dniepr wanders like a seasick drunken Cossack here," said Jeremi.

"I thought I might blow a channel between some of the loops," said Jurko. "But I thought if I started setting explosives it might start war before we were ready."

Jeremi nodded.

"Wise," he said. "With the canals to Smoleńsk and the road Andrzej and you have built, we have no problem bringing up supplies. I want to make a forward base within a day's march of Moskwa."

"I'll ask our new peasants," said Jurko.

He went to sit with them as they ate, with his own food, which they stared to see was the same as they were given. They hastily rose, and Jurko sat, motioning them to do likewise. Cautiously they did so.

"Lads, you might feel I'm asking you to betray your country, but I want to set up a base a day or so out of Moskwa," said Jurko.

"You have taken us as spoils of war, my lord – your highness; we are your serfs," said the man who had refused to surrender because he had family.

"There are no serfs under Commonwealth rule; or rather, it is being abolished. As far as I am concerned, you are free men; and as free men, your work is recorded to receive pay accordingly," said Jurko. "And I answer to 'my lord;' it's quicker than highnessing."

"We are being paid as well as fed?" the spokesman rose to kneel and kiss Jurko's feet.

"Please don't do that," said Jurko, uncomfortable. "Of course you are paid as well as fed. You are men, not animals."

"My lord, would you accept our families?"

"Of course. Do you come from nearby? Can you steal them away?"

"If we may, several of us would like to do so. Lord Dorogin owns much of this region; he wanted to expand his holdings."

"Oh, steal the lot, your family and anyone else who wants to come," said Jurko, recklessly. "If they aren't afraid of digging, and if the women will help out with cooking, childcare, and nursing and caring for your old folk."

"And some will dig, as the princess digs," said the man.

"What is your name?" asked Jurko.

"Iwan the broad," said the man.

"You are foreman then," said Jurko. "It'll mean a small rise in pay; but you can think and speak out. I shall tease you at times and call you 'Plato' who was a philosopher of old, but his name means 'broad' for he had big hands and wide shoulders. He wrote a book called 'The Republic' about how a state should be run. Some of it's a load of bollocks, but some of it is useful. I think you're a more down to earth philosopher; but if I call you 'Plato' everyone will know which Iwan I mean. Take what you need, for as long as you are gone; there should be some spare food, because you never know when it is needed."

"Thank you, my lord; and some of us will fight for you willingly, to make Moskwa into the Commonwealth. And you might make my former lord's Dacha your base; it is half a day from the city."

"Splendid," said Jurko.

He went over to Jeremi.

"That fellow looks like you gave him the moon on a plate," said Jeremi.

"I gave him food, which he values more," said Jurko, soberly. "And freedom; and he is off to get his family. He asked that you bring Moskwa into the Rzeczpospolita; which wasn't the plan, but perhaps you should write to the Sejm, and tell them how the former serf levee, once liberated, have begged you to liberate all of their country."

Jeremi sighed.

"I will do so," he said. "I hope they will honour it."

"Tell them that when slaves cry out to you for liberation from oppression, it is your Christian duty," said Jurko. "Come, Papa! Let us craft a letter together which will melt the heart of even a Radziwiłł being asked to spend money!"

Jeremi laughed.

My most respected Lords-brothers,

We had a most hasty session when I left to support my son, Admiral-Hetman of the Commonwealth, and I was delighted to have your blessing to punish a contumelious incursion on our fatherland.

I have been much disturbed, however, by the attitude of the footsoldiers who were delighted to be captured.

My friends! When you have had a man kneel to kiss your hands and feet, thanking you for pay as well as food, and for freeing him, and promising to work hard for you, and his fellows murmuring assent to a boldness they did not dare for themselves, you would, like me, be weeping with shame that there are people who consider three meals a day luxury beyond belief and pay in addition to be something amazing. And one dared to beg that we of the Commonwealth should aid in the freeing of the poor of Moskwa from their oppressors, men who we, in our naive innocence assume to be noblemen of similar nature to ourselves.

I can tell you that I have spoken to those who survived Jurij's defence of his road [with shovels, of all things, not having time to prepare properly for war!] that they have the veneer of nobility, but are indeed brutish beneath, more akin to brigand kings than noblemen. We can respect the Turk for his civility and education; and the roughest of Cossacks for his innate nobility of spirit. But I was astounded to find that I could not respect the brutes who led the attack. It may be that they are exceptions, but I fear they are not.

Is it the will of the Sejm that we continue after taking Moskwa to prove it can be done, and done easily, to hold it for the Commonwealth, appointing Hetmani? Shall I perform my Christian duty in bringing freedom and civilisation to a beleaguered land? I was much moved, and I hope I may communicate my feelings.

Your king and instrument of the will of the Commonwealth,

Korybut.

"Put like that, they almost have to agree," said Jurko, in satisfaction. "They'll send some observers."

"I've written to Radziwiłł, asking him to send some troops, and we should convene ten or twelve thousand," said Jeremi.

"We'll want artillery," said Jurko. "Way I see it working is this; we go up Pokłannaja Hill without a road, for the winged hussars to charge down, several Cossacks lurk to go in the gate when it opens at dawn, take down the gate guards so they can't shut it when the hussars charge. They'll lock up the Kremlin, of course, but the artillery on the hill will have a clear view without having to fire on the civilians at all."

Jeremi nodded.

"A straightforward plan, as the best ones usually are." He went on, "I'll spend a couple of days digging and tree wrangling with you, then I'll go back to Smoleńsk to muster the army."

"Send the artillery on ahead," said Jurko. "And send fodder on to be cached every 30 miles so you can then get the army moving at a faster rate than normal overland travel. I'm inclined, when we have the families of the peasants, to think about clearing parts of the forest to grow hay if nothing else, for way-posts. Those who don't want to fight and are better at farming than digging."

"It makes sense," said Jeremi. "And perhaps throw up rough shelters for travellers."

"Yes, and enlarge such few villages as there are," said Jurko. "If it used to belong to that cockerel of a fellow, it's mine now, and he can go lay an egg."

Jeremi laughed, stripped down like the rest, and took up a spade.

The peasants who had not gone, looked on him in awe. That his bare chest was taut and muscular, and his body carried no spare flesh, was also impressive.

"Your royal father is a very bohatyr," ventured one of the freed serfs timidly.

"Yes, he is," said Jurko, proudly. "And I have the body of a sex god, which is why there are no pagans anymore because Jarilo is bereft of it." He named the Slavic god of fertility. The peasant gave him an uncertain look, though the Cossacks bellowed with laughter. Jurko clapped the man on the shoulder, in a friendly fashion. "I was making a joke," he said. "My men tease me about keeping my body beautiful for my wife's pleasure."

"I see, my lord, thank you for sharing your joke with me, my lord," said the peasant, relieved that his new idol was not blaspheming. "I never knew nobles could joke."

"Oh jokes are good for the soul and are a gift from God to enable us the better to survive when things are hard," said Jurko. "Though I have an easy enough life, all told, the little things like several days of sore hams for standing still all day against Durakin1 or whatever the idiot's name was, are a blessing to remind me that I should be humble and give thanks for all that I have."

The peasant crossed himself; he would have much to share about how much more Godly their new master was.

"I'm not used to digging," said Jeremi, apologetically, as he took a breather.

"Don't overdo it," said Jurko. "We need our bohatyr able to lead armies, not damaged by using muscles he isn't used to."

"It doesn't do me any harm, if I don't go too bullheaded at it," said Jeremi. "What's that?"

That was a clamour of frightened voices and the barking of dogs.

"Ready weapons! Form hedgehog!" called Jeremi.

Jurko had drilled his peasants into forming up into squares with spades, and having seen how effective they were, they were willing to do so. Those felling trees were ushered into the middle of the big square.

Out of the trees came running peasants, with bundles, some with children held in their arms, or on shoulders, four boys carrying an old woman in a rocking chair.

"Hola! In here!" called Jurko. The square flowed apart to let the fleeing peasants in, and Iwan 'Plato' came into view, carrying an old man on his back, a woman clinging to him with one hand, and to a child in the other arm, a small boy stumbling along as best he might.

The first dog came into view.

A shot rang out and the dog dropped.

"Kuryło," said Jurko, in satisfaction.

The next dog also fell, and then a thickset man on a horse came galloping out, seizing the long plait of a young girl.

Jeremi took a pace forward and hurled his spade.

The weight of it was enough to decapitate the man, and the girl stumbled as his dead hand flew open.

"Jurij. Take your Cossacks and sortie for any who have captured any," said Jeremi. "We'll hold this hedgehog against any who come."

"Yes, sire," said Jurko. "Squad one and squad three with me!"

Jurko led his men... and women... through the forest, at a short stepping trot, watching out for uneven ground, tree-roots and marsh. The peasants who knew the forest somewhat had come this way which suggested it had fewer pitfalls than some, but caution was always sensible. They came upon a knot of men and dogs, who had encircled and rounded up some of the fleeing peasants, a couple of elderly people, and some half-grown children, a pregnant woman and her man. They were herding them with knouts.

Jurij indicated his men to encircle, and then they burst out of the forest. "Shovel-masters to the rescue!" they yelled.

It did not matter what they yelled, only that they make a noise and disrupt the horsemen.

Sabres slashed. Men fell from horses, mortally wounded. Other Cossacks finished them off.

The old woman had soiled herself; Helena gently took her aside to clean her up, sending a Cossack to strip one of the assailants to bring his shirt and tunic for the old woman to put on in lieu of her soiled clothes.

The pregnant woman fell to her knees.

Malwina went to her.

"Are you in labour?" she asked.

"Yes, my lord," said the woman.

"Help me get her onto one of these horses... here, I'll mount and you pass her up," said Malwina, crisply. She took the woman in front of her. "Hang on to my stirrup, it will help you keep up," said Malwina to the man. Her language was strange to him, but he could follow enough of what she said, and Malwina set the horse to canter.

She sang Bogurodzica as loud as she could as they crashed out of the trees. Jan and Andrzej had come forward and she rode towards them.

"Woman in labour," she said.

"Jadwiga! Oleńka! Aid Malwina," called Jan. The women came to lend aid, in a hastily prepared tent. So did Róża.

Jadwiga sniggered and sang a new verse of the shovel-masters' unofficial anthem.

"They said twas time to shift obstructions, clear most speedily,

But the way was blocked by a baby, and a midwife I must be,

Balls to Prince Jurij, Balls to the Sejm,

When you're a shovel master life will never more be tame,

Balls to the captain, a toast to the king,

When you're a shovel master, you can master anything."

"Never you mind balls to prince Jurij, it was balls that got her to this point," said Malwina. "Now hush, and give her your hand to squeeze."

1 'Durak' is Russian for idiot. 'Dorog' is road. 'Put' is also road. Suffix '-in' is person.