1312, Day 751

Another day, another "interview".

"So you had nothing to do with the attack on Constantinople?"

A blow to the face, Matthias couldn't see out of his right eye anymore. Of course it wasn't like the view had changed much.

"I find that hard to believe," Nikeforos continued.

Matthias let his head hang. Talking usually only brought more pain.

A backhand to the cheek, close to that eye. Sometimes not talking brought just as much.

Matthias looked up, vision swimming, the shadow of the Strategos over him.

"I been here two years, why would I know about Tancred's assault on your capital?"

Nikeforos grunted, "You were Domestikos for two terms. You ran the Reich while that dreamer Siegfried enjoyed the pleasures of Constantinople. You inserted yourself into every aspect of your Kingdom for that long and you're telling me you had nothing to do with his death, the Lutheran rebellion or the sacking? Next you'll say that you had no plans to hold Adana against us."

Matthias spat some blood.

"Oh I was going to hold Adana. I never denied that. I would have made it a killing ground for anyone who tried to take it from me. But the rest. . .no. No."

Nikeforos kicked over his chair, sending Matthias sprawling to the floor. Two kicks into the ribs. Matthias thought he could hear a snap as he screamed. Wheezing, he began to laugh.

"What's so funny you German pig? You did all that didn't you?"

Matthias's laughter became higher pitched and he began hyperventilating. Finally he calmed down enough to speak.

"No, don't you see, it's too sloppy. If I was going to launch a vast conspiracy against your Empire, I wouldn't have given you southern Italy and Outremer before I stabbed you in the back. I certainly wouldn't have used religious extremists, their faith gives them strength, but they can't be controlled. As for the sacking of Constantinople, if I was going to break the alliance, I would have set it up to make it seem that you betrayed us. That way, the world would see the Reich as the aggrieved party. Oh no, I. . .I would have done it much better."

Nikeforos seethed.

"You arrogant bastard!"

Another kick, it caught him in that eye. Pain again, worse. Blackness.

Nikeforos turned from Matthias. He wished he could just kill him. But some in the Court still hoped for reconciliation, if word got out that he had a prisoner, one who then died in his custody, it would be bad for him. They were fools, but they outranked him. The latest German atrocities would turn that tide, and when Imperial opinion switched, Matthias Steffen would die.