The tide of victory

save all of the special ammunition used by the mitrailleuse and the mortars, and most of the sharpshooters' cartridges. And he was sure he would have enough gunpowder to keep the field guns in operation against whatever enemy he encountered on the march to the Chenab. Whether there would be enough ammunition left thereafter, to fend off the inevitable Malwa counterattack once he set up his fortifications at the fork of the Chenab.

Worry about that when the time comes, he thought to himself. Yet, despite that firm self-admonition, he could not help but turn around in his saddle and stare back into the darkness over the Indus.

He was staring to the southwest now, not toward the guns firing on the river. Trying, as futile as the effort might be, to find Menander somewhere in that black distance. In the end, the success of Belisarius' campaign would depend on yet another of the young officers whom he had elevated to command in the course of this war. Just as he was relying on the courage and ingenuity of Calopodius to cover his break from enemy contact, he was depending on the energy and competence of Menander to bring him the supplies he would need to make this bold maneuver something more than a reckless gamble.

Perhaps oddly, he found some comfort in that knowledge. If Belisarius was willing to condemn one young man to possible destruction, he could balance that cold-blooded deed with his willingness to place his own fate in the hands of yet another. Throughout his military career, Belisarius had been firmly convinced that the success of a general ultimately rested on his ability to forge a leadership team around him. Now that he was taking what was perhaps the boldest gamble in that career, he took no little satisfaction in the fact that he was willing, himself, to stake his life on his own methods of leadership.

In for a penny, in for a pound. You stick with the ones who got you here. Put your money where your mouth is.

On and on, as he guided his horse through a moonlight-dim landscape, Belisarius recited proverb after proverb to himself. Some of which he had long known, others of which Aide had taught him from future saws and sayings.

Aide remained silent, throughout. But Belisarius thought to detect a faint trace of satisfaction coming from the crystal being. As if Aide, also, found a philosophical comfort in matching actions to words.

* * *

Far to the southwest, at one of the many bends in the Indus, Menander was in the hold of the Justinian, cursing fate and fortune and-especially! — the never-to-be-sufficiently-damned gadgetry of a far-distant one-time emperor.

'Justinian and his damn contraptions!' he snarled, glaring at the steam engine and the Greek artisans feverishly working on it. His own arms were covered with grease up to the elbows, however, and the curse was more in the way of a ritual formality than anything truly heartfelt. This was not the first time the damned gadget had broken down, after all. And, judging from past experience.

'That's it,' said one of the artisans, straightening up. 'She should be all right again. Just that same miserable stupid fucking-'

Menander didn't hear the rest of the ritual denunciation. Before the artisan was well into the practiced litany, he had clambered onto the deck and was beginning to issue orders to resume the voyage upriver.

* * *

Ten minutes later, studying the river barges being towed behind the Justinian and the Victrix, Menander's mood was much improved. Even in the moonlight, he could see that the flotilla was making good headway. Far better-far, far better-than any galleys could have done, sweeping oars against the current of the great river. And the four cargo vessels, needing only skeleton crews, were carrying far more in the way of supplies-far, far more-than five times their number of galleys could have done.

His eyes lifted, looking into the darkness to the south. Somewhere back there, many miles behind, a much larger flotilla of sailing ships was moving up the river also, carrying men and supplies to reinforce Ashot at Sukkur. But the monsoon winds were but a fickle remnant now. The sailing craft were not making much faster headway than were Bouzes and Coutzes, who were marching the main forces of the Roman army along the riverbanks.

Still, they were not dawdling. They were moving as fast as any huge army made up primarily of infantry could hope to do. Fifteen miles a day, Menander estimated. And Bouzes and Coutzes, when he left them, had been confident they could maintain that pace throughout the march.

'Three weeks,' Menander muttered to himself. 'In three weeks they'll be at Sukkur.' He growled satisfaction, almost like a tiger. 'And once they get to Sukkur, the Malwa there are done for. If Khusrau and Ashot can hold out that long, Bouzes and Coutzes will be the hammer to the anvil. The Malwa will have no choice but to retreat back to the Punjab.'

He pictured that retreat in his mind. Practically purring, now.

Two hundred miles they'll have to retreat. With our main forces coming after them, Belisarius blocking their way-the possibility that Belisarius might fail in his attempt to reach the Chenab never crossed Menander's mind-and me and Eusebius to hammer them from the river with the Justinian and Victrix. And the Photius, coming later.

Fondly, Menander patted the thick wooden hull of the newfangled steam-powered warship. According to the last message received by Bouzes and Coutzes over the telegraph line they had been laying behind them, the Justinian's sister ship had reached Barbaricum and was starting up the Indus herself. Towing yet another flotilla of precious supplies to the front.

'Fine ships!' he exclaimed, to a distant and uncaring moon.

* * *

Not long after daybreak, the next morning, Menander was snarling at the rising sun. But, this time, simply at the vagaries of fate rather than the madness of a far-distant one-time emperor besotted with gadgetry.

For the fifth time since the voyage began, the Justinian had run aground on an unseen sandbar in the muddy river. While the ship's navigator dutifully recorded the existence of that sandbar on the charts which the expedition was creating for those who would come after them, Eusebius towed the Justinian off the sandbar with the Victrix, its paddle wheels churning at full throttle. Once the Victrix succeeded in breaking Menander's ship loose, the Justinian's own engine did the rest.

A few minutes later, having cleared the obstruction and carefully towing the cargo vessels away from it, Menander's mood became sunny once again.

So was that of his chief pilot. 'Good thing the old emperor'-such was the affectionate term which had become the custom in Menander's river navy, to describe a blind emperor-become-craftsman-'designed this thing to go in reverse. Odd, really, since he never planned it for river work.'

Menander curled his lip. 'Who says he never planned it for river work?' he demanded. Then, shaking his head firmly: 'Don't underestimate the old emperor. A wise man, he is-ask anyone who's ever been up for judgement in his court.'

The pilot nodded sagely. 'True, true. No bribing the old emperor to make a favorable ruling for some rich crony. Worth your head to even try.'

Affectionately, the pilot patted the flank of the ship and cast an approving glance at one of the heavy guns nearby. 'She'll put the fear of God in the Malwa. You watch.'

Menander began to add his own placid words of wisdom to that sage opinion, but a shrieking whistle cut him short.

'Again!' he bellowed, racing for the hatch leading to the engine room below. 'Justinian and his damned contraptions!'

* * *

The same rising sun cast its light on Belisarius' army, now well into its march away from the Indus.

'We've broken contact, clear enough,' said Maurice with satisfaction. 'The men will be getting tired, though, after marching half the night. Do you want to make camp early today?'

Belisarius shook his head. 'No rest, Maurice. Not until nightfall. I know they'll be exhausted by then, but they'll get over it soon enough.'

He did not even bother to look behind him, where he had left two young men to bear a load far heavier than their years warranted.

'Drive them, Maurice,' he growled. 'By the time we reach the Chenab, I want every man in this army to be cursing me day and night.'