The Icon of St. Sofia, Chapter 5

The Continuation of The Adventures of Sigegard Ainsworth, a pastiche of Sherlock Holmes and Hercule Poirot.

An excerpt:

“Our journey was slowed considerably by the thaws and storms of June. New grasses covered over many sinkholes in that vast, abandoned land, but by the grace of Sofia, we completed the trek in only a number of days.”

“In June!” Ivan protested. “You do test God himself!”

“Indeed, by many fervent prayers to Sofia and to the Blessed Virgin Mother, who guided our horses in their way.”

“In June,” Ivan repeated, staring at Fyodor. “And you are returned here in August.”

Fyodor bowed his head, then he continued. “We arrived in Stephen’s city Suceava and made our foreheads hard as flint to gain an audience with him. Andrey forthwith knelt before Stephen, raising his head only enough to be heard by the court, whereupon he declared, ‘Ivan, my lord, has commanded me to come to you, O Stephen, in the name of his sainted wife, to sue for a new treaty between our houses, and that we might at last complete the mission of God which was begun in his marriage to Constantinople. The Holy See has long desired to heal the schism which was brought about by Satan, and during Zoe Palaiologina’s life, becoming a Mother of Russia as Sofia was necessary, issue from Constantinople through which Orthodoxy and Rome might reincarnate. As her heavenly Lord brought a unity in his body through his death, so also is her death a unifying tragedy, if only you would acclaim Vasili as the true heir to Muscovy. Through him shall a bond against the enemies of Christ be born, a bulwark, as it were, linking Suceava to Kiev and to Moscow.’ He stopped his oration here.

“Stephen caught the glint of the pendant as it hung from the wrist of Andrey. Rising from his throne, he demanded it as the price to seal any negotiations. Andrey made gentle protestations, but acceded without much hesitation, to my great horror. ‘Only let it be thou only,’ Andrey declared, ‘who might touch this heirloom of Ivan’s empire.’ ‘Empire?’ Stephen cried, and he veritably spat. ‘I shall buy this empire with a single wagonload of horse manure.’ With that, he reached out his hand and touched the pendant.

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The Icon of St. Sofia, Chapter 4

Listen to this installment as a podcast.

The Continuation of The Adventures of Sigegard Ainsworth, a pastiche of Sherlock Holmes and Hercule Poirot.

Chapter Four: In which the thief is revealed as a friend of Tsar Ivan, and the ruby reveals its power to heal.

An Excerpt

“With my eyes, I swear it,” said Fyodor. “Andrey Shemyaka appeared in the marketplace, and after making himself known, he made his way to the entrance to the convent, where sat an elderly widow with a hunched back. He produced a leather pouch. Before he unrolled its cover, he made the sign of the cross and kissed it three times, genuflecting before the image of the Blessed Virgin Mother. He began to weep. Indeed, Great Tsar, I saw him weep, as a man might who is grieving the loss of a son.”

“This I have seen,” Ivan said.

“He unrolled the leather pouch and pulled forth from it the ruby pendant. It was unmistakable. Its silver did shine. When he snapped it open, a flash of light burst forth. ‘Make haste!’ he cried. ‘Make haste to touch the pendant of Sofia!’ He held it out to the old widow, whose face did take an aura of wondrous light, and she did reach out, and she no longer stooped, but she stood, upright, her youth returning to her. A great shout went up from those who saw—including from my own mouth, O Tsar—and they hastened to bring their lame and their sick.

“Indeed, the widow uttered forth a prophecy. She said, ‘She is like our Blessed Virgin Mother! Saint Sofia, pray for us!’

“Before the light from the pendant faded—”

“It faded?” Simon the Metropolitan asked. He was out of breath, having been hurried by Ivan’s attendant.

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