103 Fire in the Hole

For the next three weeks, the defenders organized a dozen or so similar escapades behind the walls, but each time the Zaporozhian infantry stopped their efforts to destroy our fortifications and deal more serious losses... If any were captured, I ordered them to be impaled so that the city's defenders had a free show. The only exception was the Muscovites who looked like nobles or army officers, I ordered my people to spare them, so that I could then interrogate them more actively.

I scooped up a handful of snow and started wiping the blood from my hands with it ... another useless carcass.

"Saddat, get someone to take that corpse, he was less useful than a virgin in a brothel." (MC)

"He did not say anything?" (Saddat)

"He said a lot, but it didn't make sense ... he must have been mad from pain and fear. I only wasted my time." (MC)

Although it was disappointing, it was not surprising ... in his place, I would go mad, pee or shit myself too.

"Have you prepared the next two prisoners for questioning?" (MC)

"Yes, we did as the Lord commanded. We tied the branches with ropes to the ground. Then we tied the captives by the hands to these branches ..." (Saddat)

"Well ... there is one problem with this method of execution... there are actually two problems. It's messy and you don't know which way the pieces of the body will go." (MC)

Although my methods were brutal and cruel, sometimes they worked well ... thanks to this I knew who was at the Tsar's court and I could make use of it later.

"Lord ... this will only strengthen the hate and ferocity of the defenders." (Saddat)

"Oderint, dum metuant." (MC)

"I don't know Latin ..." (Saddat)

"Let them hate, so long as they fear... but once we get the city it won't matter. Let go to the prisoners, we cannot let them wait any longer." (MC)

I have always believed that a soldier does not fight because he hates what is in front of him, but because he loves what is behind him... I did not hate the Turks, Tatars, Cossacks, Muscovites or other nations who fought against the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth ... they just had to suffer in order for my country to survive, human rights are a luxury that I cannot afford.

My thoughts were interrupted by the rain of blood that fell on my face ... this is a really messy method of execution, I have to wash and change again.

Two weeks later, not much changed, except that the tunnel and the chamber under the fundation and wall had already been dug... it was one of the most dangerous tasks. If the defenders heard the sounds of shovels and pickaxes, they could destroy this tunnel. Therefore, while the works were being carried out, I increased the frequency of cannon fire.

"Start filling the chamber with barrels of gunpowder. From what I saw, it should fit 400 barrels of 10 kilograms each ... fill the remaining space with grenades and Greek fire. Then let the cannoneers lead a fuse and seal the entrance to the chamber with stones and earth." (MC)

I wasn't sure if four tons of gunpowder would have enough strength to destroy the walls ... but during the fall of Antwerp in 1585, the Dutch deployed four hellburners to destroy the bridge, only one of them, loaded with four tons of gunpowder and stones, reaching its destination... bridge was destroyed and almost a thousand Spaniards were killed, according to historical records, the force of the explosion was felt even 35 kilometers away... My explosive charge was in the ground, so despite the similar amount of gunpowder, the explosion may have a completely different force ... the structure of the bridge and city walls was also different.

I could have devoted more attention to physics and mathematics at school than history ... but now it's too late for that.

It took us two consecutive days to fill the chamber ... for safety reasons, I forbade the use of fire in the tunnel, and transporting barrels, 2.5 kilometers in a narrow space, was not easy in itself. I was a little excited ... if all went well, the way to the city would be open ... if not, I would have to get it in a more direct way.

"We blow up the walls at night, most of the city will sleep... If the breach is large enough, the Tatars go first. Saddat, you need to get the inner wall as soon as possible. If the breach is small, the Zaporozhian infantry will go first, and Ivan similar orders. We must occupy the inner wall." (MC)

"What to do with civilians?" (Iwan)

"If he has a stick in his hand, he is no longer a civilian... but do not kill without reason, but also do not risk your own life without need. Anyone in the city can be a threat." (MC)

A few hours later ... it was probably already around 2 am ... I headed towards the tunnel entrance, Ilya was standing nearby with a torch in hand.

"Lord" (Ilya)

"Go ahead, send someone to light the fuse ... We can't let the Tsar wait for us." (MC)

One of the Cossacks under Ilya's orders entered the tunnel with the torch, the fuse was only a dozen meters long, so some time will pass before we see the results of my preparations.

A dozen or so minutes later ... it happened. I was so focused on staring at the walls that I wasn't sure if I heard the explosion first or felt the ground shake. Suddenly I heard rumble ...

Oh shit, even I didn't expect that. I was hoping to make a breach, even a large breach ... but not like that ... 8 maybe 10 meters of wall, partially disappeared underground or collapsed. It looked like a domino effect, except that the blocks were bigger.

I don't know if it was due to the gunpowder or if the walls were not so good ... but Moscow was open to me... Moments later I saw the Tatars moving towards the collapsed wall.