Traveller Manifesto
4. Constantinople - 11th Century

Constantinople – 11th Century.

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This is a Byzantium Traveller report by Captain Cameron McFee.

We’re most relieved to hear you all returned safely. I know someone would have notified my wife of my delay. Please give her my love and let her know that I’m well.

We’ve been domiciled in guest rooms in the main wing of the Royal Palace that can only be described as sumptuous. Fortunately, we’ve been allocated adjoining apartments, each with its servants. Yes, I have half a dozen servants who, Poxon will be delighted to hear, are all young men. They seem to be okay and haven’t made any advances, though I can’t say what, if anything, has happened between them and Professor Taylor. The rest of you buggers can make whatever bets you like about Professor Taylor’s romantic preferences, but I’m still none the wiser. But keep that purse of silver handy just in case.

Professor Taylor is plainly thrilled to be here. He’s already been in discussion with one of the Palace scholars who took the time to show us the Emperor’s library. It’s a treasure-trove of ancient texts that Professor Taylor has been given permission to view at his leisure. He became all gooey about a few volumes he claims are lost histories, but you know what he can be like. Naturally, he plans to photograph everything he can get his hands on and forward the images with his reports.

We haven’t yet seen or heard from Emperor Basil, nor do we think we ever will. Our main contact is a steward who is our go-between. His name is Dalmatius, a charming and stately fellow who’s the ultimate diplomat. Naturally, he claims to know very little of our official status, though he’s been very helpful.

I’ve already undertaken a reconnaissance of our rooms and the palace immediately adjacent. We’re in a wing that is commonly used for diplomatic embassies and, it seems, we are currently the only residents.

Conspicuous by their absence is the Roman Catholic delegation we met in the auditorium before our audience with the Emperor. After their intrusion at the discovery of the felled Unmanned Aerial Vehicle, they seem to have been excluded from the Palace. I can only assume they aren’t popular.

We are, of course, well fed and cared for, though we haven’t yet attempted to leave the Palace complex to explore further. This is quite a maze and even I can see that it’s a wonderland of art and architecture. We are doing the best we can to document the entire facility. Professor Taylor is ecstatic, so this delay in our departure has its benefits.

I’ve included a basic schematic of our rooms and the adjoining complex that leads to the city wall. I would recommend an extraction from the wall, accessed from the water. I haven’t heard anything of the downed drone and, given the religious significance the UAV crash has been given, don’t expect to.

Please advise as you need more intel.

Things are becoming a little dull, so I plan to begin a daily training regime for us both.

That’s it for now.

This is Captain Cameron McFee, signing off.

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