Werewolf Wednesday: Wagner, the Wehr-Wolf by George W. M. Reynolds (1846-7) Part 18

Chapter 47 is given over to describing the Siege of Rhodes, with such tragic scenes as this:

Oh! it was a glorious, but a sad and mournful sight—that death-struggle of the valiant Christians against the barbarism of the East. And many touching proofs of woman’s courage and daring characterized that memorable siege. Especially does this fact merit our attention:—The wife of a Christian captain, seeing her husband slain, and the enemy gaining ground rapidly, embraced her two children tenderly, made the sign of the cross upon their brows, and then, having stabbed them to the heart, threw them into the midst of a burning building near, exclaiming, “The infidels will not now be able, my poor darlings, to wreak their vengeance on you, alive or dead!” In another moment she seized her dead husband’s sword, and plunging into the thickest of the fight, met a death worthy of a heroine.

More scuffles follow, including one in which protagonist du jour Ibrahim personally saves the life of the Sultan. The attacker, an Italian chieftain, ends up as Ibrahim’s captive — and Ibrahim recognises him as none other than Francisco, Count of Riverola, a character established earlier in the novel (he’s the lover of Ibrahim’s sister Flora, and the brother of Wagner’s lover Nisida). The two get on well despite the unfortuante circumstances, and when the conflcit is over and Francisco freed, he agrees to keep Ingrahim updated on his search for both Flora and Nisida.

Ibrhaim then manages to manouver himself into the position of Grand Vizier, and uses his political cloud to hire a pair of Greek siblings named Demetrius and Calanthe to help Francisco in his search for Flora. Another perk of his new role  is that he finally gets to marry the mysterious and beautiful woman, who turns out to be the Sultan’s sister Aischa.