As Tom Swan approaches Hungary, the scale of Mehmed II’s preparations becomes clearer. Belgrade commands the route along the Danube, yet the rulers and captains who depend on it remain divided over money, command and the credibility of warnings brought by foreign agents.
Swan must turn fragmentary reports into action while learning the military geography of the frontier. His ability to move between scholars, merchants and soldiers gives him access, but it also makes every faction suspect that he may be serving someone else.