The Emperor Awakes
Read The Emperor Awakes Online
Authors: Alexis Konnaris
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, organizations, places and events are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or locales is entirely coincidental.
Copyright © 2011 Alexis Konnaris
All rights reserved.
ISBN: 1466287438
ISBN 13: 9781466287433
eBook ISBN: 978-1-61914-884-0
Library of Congress Control Number: 2011915811
CreateSpace, North Charleston, SC
Alexis Konnaris grew up in Cyprus. After graduating from Magdalene College, University of Cambridge, with a Bachelor of Arts in Law, he worked for several years as a lawyer in Cyprus and in England.
The Emperor Awakes
is the author’s first book.
Contact Alexis:
[email protected]
Follow Alexis on Twitter:
@AlexisKonnaris
To my mother, Erma (1950-2009), who was the inspiration and driving force behind this book and without whom this book would not have been written.
Mum, your fighting spirit lives on.
I love you.
CONTENTS
CHAPTER 1: Forest of Valens, near Constantinople 4th May 1453 A.D.
CHAPTER 2: Limassol, Cyprus Present day
CHAPTER 3: Limassol, Cyprus Present day
CHAPTER 4: Cappadocia, Asia Minor (Modern-day Turkey) Present day
CHAPTER 5: Monastery of Pantokrator Mount Athos, Northern Greece Present day
CHAPTER 6: Constantinople 28th May 1453 A.D. (Eve of the Fall)
CHAPTER 7: Constantinople 28th May 1453 A.D. (Eve of the Fall)
CHAPTER 8: Constantinople 29th May 1453 A.D. (The Day of the Fall)
CHAPTER 9: Constantinople 29th May 1453 A.D. (The Day of the Fall)
CHAPTER 10: Smyrna, Asia Minor July 1921 A.D.
CHAPTER 11: Sultan’s Palace Edirne (Adrianoupolis), Eastern Thrace 24th April 1453 A.D.
CHAPTER 12: Edirne (Adrianoupolis), Eastern Thrace 21st May 1453 A.D.
CHAPTER 13: Cappadocia, Asia Minor June 1453 A.D. (After the fall of Constantinople)
CHAPTER 14: Smyrna, Asia Minor July 1921 A.D.
CHAPTER 15: New York Present day
CHAPTER 16: New York Present day
CHAPTER 17: New York Present day
CHAPTER 18: Athens, Greece Present day
CHAPTER 19: Limassol, Cyprus Present day
CHAPTER 20: Limassol, Cyprus Present day
CHAPTER 21: Constantinople (Istanbul) Present day
CHAPTER 22: Constantinople (Istanbul) Present day
CHAPTER 23: Constantinople (Istanbul) Present day
CHAPTER 24: Constantinople (Istanbul) Present day
CHAPTER 25: Limassol, Cyprus Present day
CHAPTER 26: Athens, Greece Present day
CHAPTER 27: Alexandria, Egypt 287 B.C.
CHAPTER 28: Alexandria, Egypt Present day
CHAPTER 29: Pergamon, Asia Minor (Modern-day Turkey) Present day
CHAPTER 30: Mystras, outskirts of Sparta Peloponnese, Greece Present Day
CHAPTER 31: Constantinople (Istanbul) Topkapi Palace Museum Present day
CHAPTER 33: Sydney, Australia Present day
CHAPTER 34: Limassol, Cyprus Present day
CHAPTER 35: Sydney, Australia Present day
CHAPTER 36: Limassol, Cyprus Present day
CHAPTER 37: Monastery of Pantokrator Mount Athos, Northern Greece Present day
CHAPTER 38: Sydney, Australia Present day
CHAPTER 39: Ayia Galini, Southern Crete, Greece Present day
CHAPTER 40: Elli’s private island retreat, Mount Ellothon Aegean Sea, Greece
CHAPTER 41: Valchern Corporation Headquarters Limassol, Cyprus
CHAPTER 42: Constantinople (Istanbul) Present day
CHAPTER 43: Limassol, Cyprus Present day
CHAPTER 44: Monastery of Pantokrator Mount Athos, Northern Greece Present day
CHAPTER 45: Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg, Russia Present day
CHAPTER 46: Limassol, Cyprus Present day
CHAPTER 47: Limassol Castle, Limassol, Cyprus Present day
CHAPTER 48: Limassol, Cyprus Present day
CHAPTER 49: Limassol, Cyprus Present day
CHAPTER 50: Limassol, Cyprus Present day
CHAPTER 51: Limassol, Cyprus Present day
CHAPTER 52: Limassol, Cyprus Present day
CHAPTER 53: Le Mirabel (Ruinand underwater city) Marathon Bay, Greece Present day
CHAPTER 54: Le Mirabel (Ruinand underwater city) Marathon Bay, Greece Present day
CHAPTER 55: Ten thousand metres above the Aegean Sea, Greece Present day
CHAPTER 56: Limassol, Cyprus 21st May Present day
CHAPTER 59: Cyprus Present day
CHAPTER 60: Cyprus Present day
CHAPTER 61: Cyprus Present day
CHAPTER 62: Cyprus Present day
CHAPTER 63: Limassol, Cyprus Present day
CHAPTER 64: Limassol, Cyprus Present day
CHAPTER 65: Limassol, Cyprus Present day
Symitzis family :
Elli:
current head of the Valchern Corporation, matriarch of the family, elder sister of Iraklios, and mother of Aristo and Vasilis
Aristo:
Elli’s eldest son and brother of Vasilis
Vasilis:
Elli’s youngest son and brother of Aristo
Iraklios:
businessman and Elli’s younger brother
Eleni:
head of the family in the 15
th
century, and mother of Michael and Mark
Michael:
Eleni’s eldest son and brother of Mark
Mark:
Eleni’s youngest son and brother of Michael
Zoe:
head of the family in the early 20
th
century, Antonios’ elder sister, and mother of Manuel, Nikitas and Stephanos
Antonios:
businessman and Zoe’s younger brother
Zozo:
Antonios’ eldest daughter
Manuel:
Zoe’s eldest son, and brother of Nikitas and Stephanos
Nikitas:
Zoe’s second son, and brother of Manuel and Stephanos
Stephanos:
Zoe’s youngest son, and brother of Manuel and Nikitas
Markantaskis family:
Andros:
businessman, head of the family, husband of Anna, and father of Giorgos and Katerina
Anna:
Andros’ wife, and mother of Giorgos and Katerina
Giorgos:
archaeologist, son of Andros and Anna, and brother of Katerina
Katerina:
businesswoman, daughter of Andros and Anna, and sister of Giorgos
Ariana:
Anna’s mother, and grandmother of Giorgos and Katerina
Others
:
Madame Marcquesa de Parmalanski:
leader of the Ruinands
Mrs Manto:
Antonios’ housekeeper and cook, grandmother of Manto below
Mrs Manto:
Elli’s housekeeper and cook, granddaughter of Manto above
Andrew Le Charos:
Australian businessman of Greek descent
Ducesa de Mori Astir:
wealthy socialite
James Calvell:
deputy director of the Metropolitan Museum in New York
John Halland:
restorer working for the Metropolitan Museum in New York
Alexei Sumarov:
director of the Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg, Russia
Spyros:
abbot of the Monastery of Pantokrator, Mount Athos, Greece
Aggelos:
librarian of the Monastery of Pantokrator, Mount Athos, Greece
Forest of Valens, near Constantinople
He had committed a heinous crime, but his ruthlessness had ebbed away as he crossed the woods. The silence that shrouded everything around him would have been welcome had he not had blood on his hands, the blood of a governess to an innocent baby. He did not mean to do it. It was an accident. She got in the way. He had lifted the baby from his crib and was all packed up and ready to go when she appeared at the door, no doubt on her usual round to check on the baby.
Why did she have to put up a struggle and start screaming? She had to be silenced otherwise the whole plan would have been shattered before it had even started. He had lost the element of surprise and the screams had cost him his head start.