Kazan

And here they are finally the golden domes of the Kazan mosques! Let Allah save them from the encroachments of kafirs!

We stood on the hill, starving and ragged, unable to utter a word. Irene and Irenji-Neamat went to the city together without asking anyone.

***

"Hello Hermann," said Valentin, "I have a deal for you."

"Hello Valentin, my old swindler," answered Hermann, while he was hugging him. "Doing deals is my business."

"I lost a half of my men, weapons and horses. You are good at making deals."

"I don't wonder," said Hermann. "But I won't give you money. You haven't paid for the last case."

"Here's the deal, listen, when we get the money for the next campaign..."

"And where are you going to join with your ragamuffins?"

"Isn't it some kind of job for the Moscow prince?"

"Yeah, right here their recruiting teams are running around," Hermann chuckled. "What do you need is to drag your ass to Moscow."

Valentin spoke about disasters of his squad.

"Wait a second! Are you talking about Irene Fireman?" Hermann looked worried.

"Are you familiar with her?"

"Thank God no! But I've heard about her. Dangerous woman, praise God that she didn't sell your company into slavery on the way here!" said Hermann and muttered. "So, she came to Kazan, I wonder on what business?"

***

Valentin's men ran from him in all directions. Because he had no money for this campaign.

Nicodemus became a stableman.

***

Valentin, Nicolas and I settled in the Hermann's house.

Maria-Cecilia, Hermann's wife, was dissatisfied with this. Because we boarded without payment.

"You are slackers!" she hourly said to us. "You must comply with my rules. My house. My rules!"

She called Nicolas "a smug Breton bastard," even though he didn't deserve to be treated like that.

She scolded me for thick eyebrows, I was very upset because of it.

***

Hermann once said that Grand Prince Basil was gathering soldiers to solve a problem with one of his cities. There was one of the Muscovite–Lithuanian wars.

"G.P. Basil! You Are the Man!" Valentin exclaimed.

Maria-Cecilia asked when we would vacate.