The tide of victory

with Malwa soldiery. That's a fireship, aimed at the shipping in the harbor.'

His quick conclusion summed up the worst of Antonina's fears. She rose abruptly and began heading toward the entrance to the palace. Behind her, she heard the scrape of stools as the Axumites followed suit.

'That ship has been kept out of the harbor itself, hasn't it?' she asked Dryopus, who was scurrying next to her.

'Oh, yes,' he assured Antonina. 'Until they've been inspected, no ship is allowed past the screen of galleys into the harbor. Those were your orders from the very beginning, and I've seen to it they've been scrupulously adhered to.'

Ousanas had drawn alongside her and heard Dryopus' last words.

'Won't matter,' he said curtly. 'The Malwa are canny, and their spies are excellent. By now, those procedures of yours have become routine. The Malwa waited until enough time had elapsed for everyone to become lackadaisical.'

'The procedures have been followed,' insisted Dryopus stubbornly. 'Not a single ship has ever entered the actual harbor without being inspected. Not one!'

Antonina felt compelled to defend her subordinate. 'He's right, Ousanas. And while I have no doubt many ships have come in carrying contraband, that's not the same thing as sabotage. No inspector, no matter how corrupt, is crazy enough to accept a bribe from a Malwa ship loaded with soldiers and weapons.'

Ousanas shook his head. 'The problem is not with the inspectors. It's with the galleys. By now, those soldiers and sailors are so bored with guard duty they won't be paying attention to anything.'

They had reached the palace's aivan, which was doubling for the evening as a weapons repository for the nobility enjoying Khusrau's hospitality. The Axumite weaponry was as distinctive as the Ethiopians themselves, so by the time Antonina and Ousanas came up the Persian soldiers guarding the weapons had sorted them from the rest.

Ousanas himself had brought nothing but his great spear. He waited impatiently while the other Axumite officers donned their armor and attached the baldrics holding their swords. That done, the officers took up their own spears and the entire party began hurrying through the aivan.

Antonina had brought no weapons of any kind herself, and was now regretting the loss. But when she murmured something to that effect, Ousanas smiled grimly.

'Not to worry,' he said. 'Your maidservant was smart and efficient even before she obtained me for a paramour.'

At that moment, they passed through the entrance vault of the aivan and debouched onto the street beyond. Antonina immediately spotted Koutina, squatting among a small horde of servants waiting for their masters and mistresses to emerge from the imperial soiree.

Actually, Koutina was the only one of the servants who was not squatting. She was perched comfortably on a piece of luggage standing on end. The handcrafted leather-and-brass valise was something which Koutina was in the habit of carrying with her every time she and Antonina went anywhere beyond the immediate vicinity of the small mansion Antonina had appropriated for her activities. Weeks earlier, she had requested enough money from Antonina to pay for the rather expensive item. Which Antonina had given her readily enough, of course. She had long since come to have complete confidence in Koutina's ability to manage all of Antonina's household affairs.

Antonina had wondered about that valise. The thing was rather large, and heavy enough that Koutina had had straps attached to it by which she could hoist the thing onto her shoulders. But the one time Antonina had inquired, Koutina had simply smiled and said it contained the odd necessities which might be required by some unlikely eventuality.

Koutina had spotted them even more quickly than Antonina had spotted her, and was already hurrying toward them. Koutina had clearly realized something was wrong, judging by the frown on her face. And instead of hoisting the valise onto her shoulders, she was beginning to undo the buckles holding the valise shut.

A sudden suspicion came to Antonina. 'Has that thing got-?'

Ousanas snorted. 'A smart and efficient woman, I said.' Scowling, he eyed the western horizon and, then, the harbor area to the south. 'The sun has already set. And it will be dark tonight, with a new moon. The Malwa planned this well.'

Antonina was still not quite as certain of the situation as Ousanas, but she was relieved to see the contents of the valise, once Koutina opened it up and set it before her. Inside the case was Antonina's gun and her cleaver, along with the cleaver's scabbard.

'I tried to figure out a way to carry your cuirass,' said Koutina apologetically, 'but the leather-maker said it would require something almost the size of a trunk. And be very heavy to carry.'

'Tell me about it,' grumbled Antonina, buckling on the scabbard. Then, more cheerfully: 'It doesn't matter, Koutina. That damned cuirass is more of a hazard than a help at sea, anyway. Which is where I'm sure we're headed. I'm just glad you were foresighted enough to bring my weapons. Thank you for that.'

Koutina reacted to the praise with a simultaneous smile and frown. Smiling: 'You're welcome.' Frowning: 'You shouldn't be using them at all!' Koutina pointed an accusing finger at Matthew and Leo: 'That's what they're here for!'

Matthew looked embarrassed. Leo might have scowled, but it was hard to tell. Leo always looked like he was scowling.

For a moment, Antonina considered summoning a palanquin. But she dismissed the idea immediately. It would take at least three palanquins to carry her bodyguards and the Axumites, along with herself. By the time they were assembled, they could have walked halfway to the harbor. The imperial palace was less than a mile from the docks.

The Axumites had already reached the same conclusion and were starting into a dogtrot. Antonina hurried to keep up with them. That pace was one which Ethiopian soldiers could keep up for hours. Antonina couldn't, but she was sure she could maintain it long enough to reach the harbor.

'I have no intention of mixing myself into the fray.' The effort of trotting made the words came out very firmly indeed.

'You always say that,' came Koutina's equally firm rejoinder. 'And look what happens! At the battle with the Arabs! And you joined the assault on Lady Holi's ship!'

'Not ladylike,' insisted Antonina. She was beginning to pant a little.

So was Koutina, but the maidservant wasn't about to let the issue slide. 'Promises!' She gazed ahead at the darkness looming over the gulf beyond the harbor. 'Are you sure we're going to have to go out on boats?' Gloomily: 'I don't swim very well.'

'You can stay on the docks.'

'Where you go, I go. But are you sure?'

Antonina was about to reply that she wasn't really sure of anything. But, at that moment, the darkness over the waters of the gulf was suddenly streaked by flashes. A bit like horizontal lightning, perhaps.

'I'm sure,' she said. 'That's Malwa rocket fire. The attack has started.'

Chapter 15

They reached the docks just a few minutes later. By the time they got there, Roman officers had already organized at least eight galleys to set out into the harbor. The first of the galleys, in fact, was just beginning to cast off.

'Impressive,' stated Ousanas. 'The galleys guarding the harbor may have been caught napping, but the rest of your naval forces were alert.'

One of the other Axumite officers laughed harshly. 'It helps to have a battle erupt, to wake up dozing seamen.' He studied the gulf beyond the harbor-what could be seen of it, in the darkness, which was not much-and pronounced: 'The three galleys on guard have been badly hammered, I think. I haven't seen a rocket flare in over a minute, and that was only the one.'

'Out of action now,' agreed Ousanas. 'Let's hope the survivors can row their ships ashore. But it doesn't