For the majority of The Siege we are camped with the Turkish army outside the walls of a castle under siege, and we are party to the innermost thoughts of everybody from the Pasha who is leading the army to the four members of his harem that he brought from home. A good deal of the time though, we are witnesses to the fighting and life in the camp through the eyes the campaign's official chronicler, Mevla Celebi. Even before the actual battle begins he discovers he is faced with the problem of trying to come up with adjectives that will be suitably impressive to describe the important personages involved in the assault.
He must, of course, reserve the more ornate descriptions for his commander-in-chief, but what to do about all the other members of the War Council? For the truth of the matter is the majority of them just aren't designed to be recorded for posterity; one has a sty, another asthma, and yet another a humped back. It's as if all the officers of the army were formed in such a way as to make it harder to write his chronicle. Unfortunately it soon becomes obvious to him that those are going to be the least of his worries when it comes to recording events. Instead of the quick and decisive victory that everyone was anticipating, the first attack is successfully repulsed by the defenders and both sides have to hunker down for a long siege.
While there is a great deal of finger-pointing and acrimony among the besiegers, (the spellcaster is put to death and the astrologer is sent to dig an underground passage into the castle as punishment) those in the castle aren't feeling too relieved either. They know this was only the first of many assaults and they have to be prepared for any sort of subterfuge and trickery on the part of those arrayed against them. In the past, water supplies have been poisoned and animals infected with diseases have been released over the walls, so they know they must be vigilant.
The carnage is horrible as wave after wave of attackers are killed with boiling oil or set on fire by being covered in pitch and having torches dropped on them. As the chronicler wanders the camp, he sees countless numbers of men horribly disfigured and crippled by the wounds they have received. His mind reels from the smells and the sights of the carnage as well as the intrigues that continue apace among the captains of war who are supposed to be vanquishing the Empire's foes.
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