The tide of victory

'Surely you don't agree with him,' stated Antonina.

Vasudeva's smile, as always, was a thin and economic affair. 'Wouldn't surprise me,' he said. 'Not a bad idea, in fact. Pagans are a silly superstitious lot, of course, but they're not the least bit inclined toward exclusivity.' He stroked his wispy goatee. 'Maybe.'

'Et tu, Brute?' muttered Antonina.

Vasudeva's smile widened. 'Antonina, be serious.' He nodded toward the wedding couple and the small crowd gathered about them. 'Have I not myself-me and my officers-been the subject of just such a premeditated marital display this very morning?'

Antonina was a bit disconcerted by the Kushan general's perspicacity. Belisarius had told her, but she was not very familiar with the man herself.

Shrewd indeed!

All three of the Kushan generals were now smiling. 'And quite well done it was, too,' murmured Vima approvingly. 'What ambitious general, daydreaming of his own possible lineage, would risk bringing the wrath of such empires down on his head? Wouldn't do at all to overthrow the established dynasty, in the face of such universal approval.'

Belisarius was studying the faces of the three men. For once, there was no smile at all on his face.

'It's been done, and often enough,' he said softly. His gaze came to rest on Vasudeva. Vasudeva's smile was still in place.

'Not here,' said the Kushan. He glanced at Kungas. 'All of us have spent time with him, Belisarius, since he arrived. We are satisfied. He will make a good emperor.' His two subordinates grunted their agreement. Vima added: 'And where else could you find such a scheming empress?'

Vima studied Irene. 'I suppose you could marry the widow, over the body of her dead husband. But-'

Huvishka shuddered. 'Talk about sleeping with both eyes open!'

A little laugh swept the group. Belisarius nodded. In truth, he was not surprised at the easy way in which the Kushan generals had accepted Kungas as their new monarch-to-be. Belisarius had come to know all three Kushan soldiers well, in the past two years. They approached life with hard-headed practicality, and were not given in the least to idle fancies.

Still-

Kungas and Irene had brought fewer than three thousand Kushan soldiers with them from Majarashtra. There were over ten thousand serving under Vasudeva's command in Belisarius' army. Two thousand of those had been with Vasudeva when Belisarius defeated them at the battle of Anatha. The rest had come over after the Malwa disaster at Charax. When the Malwa commanders started their defeated army marching back to India, their Kushan troops had mutinied. The march would be a death march, and they knew it. And knew, as well, that Kushans would do a disproportionate share of the dying. The Ye-tai, not they, would receive what little extra rations could be smuggled off boats along the coast.

It was an awkward situation, thus. All of the Kushans serving under Belisarius had been released for service in their own cause. On the one hand, that gave Kungas a small but by no means laughable army. On the other, it meant Kungas and Irene would be marching across the Persian plateau in order to rebuild the shattered empire of the Kushans accompanied by an army most of whose soldiers owed them no allegiance at all. Everything would depend on the attitude of the officers those soldiers did know and trust. First and foremost, Vasudeva and Vima and Huvishka.

Just as Vasudeva had shrewdly surmised, the main purpose of the wedding which had just been held was to make the attitude of Rome and Persia and Ethiopia as clear as crystal. This man-and this woman-have our official seal of approval. So don't get any wild ideas.

'Good enough,' murmured Belisarius. 'Good enough.'

* * *

Later that morning, Irene and Kungas went to the Roman emperor's chambers to receive his own official seal of approval. Which they got, needless to say, with considerably less reserve than from his elders and nominal subordinates. Irene was eventually forced to pry him loose.

Photius was struggling with unmanly tears. 'I'll miss you,' he whispered.

Irene chucked him under the chin. 'So come and visit. And we'll do the same.'

Photius managed a smile. 'I'd like that! Theodora hates to travel, but I think it's exciting.' He hesitated; a trace of apprehension came to his face, as he glanced quickly at the taller girl standing next to him.

Tahmina had his little arm firmly held in her hands. 'Whatever my lord and husband desires,' she crooned.

Irene grinned. 'Well said! My own philosophy exactly.'

Kungas grunted. Irene ignored the uncouth sound. A very stern expression came to her face, and now she was wagging her finger in front of Photius' nose.

'And remember! Every new book that comes out! I'll expect it sent to me immediately! Or there'll be war!'

Photius nodded. 'Every one, as soon as it comes out. I'll get the very first copy and sent it to you right off, by fast courier.' He stood straight. 'I can do that, you know. I'm the Emperor of Rome.'

'Quite so,' crooned Tahmina.

* * *

That evening, in the suite of the imperial palace which had been set aside for the use of Kungas and Irene, a different ceremony took place. At sundown, Antonina bustled into the room. Behind her came a servant, carrying a large and heavy crate.

Antonina planted her hands on hips and gave the men sitting on the various divans scattered about the large salon a ferocious glare. The glare spared no one-not her husband, not his chief commanders Maurice and Sittas and Agathius, not Ousanas and Ezana, not Kungas nor his chief officers, not the Persian general Kurush. If they were male, they were dead meat.

'Out!' She hooked her thumb at the door. 'All of you, at once! Take this military folderol somewhere else. This room is hereby dedicated to a solemn ritual.'

Maurice was the first to rise. 'Got to respect hallowed tradition,' he agreed solemnly. 'Let's go, gentlemen. We're pretty much done with everything except'-he sighed heavily-'the logistics. And Agathius and I can do that with Belisarius in his own chambers.' He gave Antonina a grin. 'It'll take us hours, of course, but so what? This one won't be coming back tonight.'

As he moved toward the door: 'Not on her own two feet, anyway.'

Antonina growled. Maurice hastened his pace. Antonina's growl deepened. A small tigress, displeased. The rest of the men followed Maurice with considerable alacrity.

When they were gone, Antonina ordered the servant to place the crate on a nearby table. He did so, and then departed at once. With a regal gesture, Antonina swept the lid off the crate. More regally still, she withdrew the first bottle of wine.

'Soldiers,' she sneered. 'What do they know about massacre and mayhem?'

Irene was already bringing the goblets. 'Nothing.' She extended them both. 'Start the slaughter.'

Chapter 4

'I wish you'd stop doing this,' grumbled Agathius. 'It's embarrassing.' The powerful hands draped on the arms of the wheelchair twitched, as if Agathius were about to seize the wheel rims and propel himself forward. Then he had to hastily snatch the maps and logistics records before they slid off his lap onto the tiled floor.

Seeing the motion, Maurice snorted. 'Are you crazy?' The grizzled veteran, striding alongside the wheelchair, glanced back at the young general pushing it. 'It's good for him, doing some honest work for a change instead of plotting and scheming.'

Belisarius grinned. 'Certainly is! Besides, Justinian insisted on a full and detailed report-from me personally. How can I do that without operating the gadget myself?'

Agathius grumbled inarticulately. The wheelchair and its accompanying companions swept into one of the