章 401: Or Have They Been Sacrifaced

"Weep for me, my eyes!

Spill your tears and mourn for me the vanished kings

Hujr ibn 'Amru's princely sons

Led away to slaughter at eventide;

If only they had died in combat Not in the lands of Banu Marina!"

-        Imruʾ al-Qais Junduh bin Hujr al-Kindi, Arabic Poet

"We got even lesser time on our side… The Ottomans are on a haste in ending this war, not because of us, but because they are a lot more vulnerable than us to attacks; Thanks to their ancestors they now have enemies in the south, in the east, in the west, and in the north. If they do not withdraw their forces and build back their defences before the others catch the scent of their blood. But for us… Innocentius you should know, that is we taxed the citizens of Constantinople and Peloponnisos three years in advance in preparation for this war, and till now, our supplies are already running low. If we continue this war, we might go bankrupt pretty soon."