The Dance of Time

The Malwa used the same code, except when they were transmitting encrypted messages. That was not really so odd, since that code was the common one in the history of the universe that had produced both Aide and Link.

'— start with the dispatches-'

— bzzz-bz-bzzz-bzzz-bz-bz-bzzz-

'— regarding. .' He trailed off, his head swiveling toward the radio. Calopodius, unlike Belisarius, could translate Morse code instantly. It was by now a language he was as fluent in as he was in Greek or Latin.

— bzzz-bz-bz-buzz-bz-bzzz-bz-bz-bzzz-

'General. .' Calopodius rose to his feet.

Belisarius, frowning, tried to interpret the messages. There was something. .

Yes! Yes! Yes! Aide was doing the equivalent of shouting. It's starting!

What's starting? I can't-

Be quiet. I'll translate for you, starting from the beginning.

GENERAL BELISARIUS STOP THIS IS EMPEROR DAMODARA STOP I AM TRUE AND RIGHTFUL EMPEROR OF MALWA STOP NARSES UNCOVERED PLOT THAT STOLE MY BIRTHRIGHT STOP I MARCH ON KAUSAMBI AT DAWN STOP WILL OVERTHROW THE USURPER SKANDAGUPTA STOP

Calopodius was translating the same words aloud, for everyone else in the bunker.

'I will be damned,' murmured Maurice, shaking his head. 'You were right all along. I never really thought you were.'

RANA SANGA AND HIS RAJPUTS WITH ME STOP TORAMANA AND HIS YE-TAI WITH ME STOP ENTIRE DECCAN ARMY WITH ME STOP

'Calopodius!' Belisarius half-shouted, waving his hand in summons. 'Let someone else translate. I need your assistance. Now.'

He moved toward the radio. 'Over here.' The blind young officer came away from the table and followed him. So did Maurice.

BHARAKUCCHA IN MY HANDS STOP NANDA LAL EXECUTED STOP MAHAVEDA CULT OUTLAWED STOP ALL MAHAVEDA AND MAHAMIMAMSA UNDER SENTENCE OF DEATH STOP

Calopodius was not the only one in the bunker who was fluent in Morse. One of his scribes had picked up the translation almost without a pause.

'He's not fooling around, is he?' said Maurice.

MADE PEACE WITH RAO STOP VINDHYAS THE NEW BORDER STOP BHARAKUCCHA TO BE FREE CITY STOP NEED AXUMITE TROOPS FOR GARRISON STOP

'Smart,' said Belisarius. 'Very smart. Calopodius, Antonina's still in Barbaricum with Ousanas, isn't she?'

'Yes. They weren't going to start up the Indus until tomorrow or the day after.'

'Good. Send her a message immediately telling her to stay there until she hears from me. Better use the telegraph rather than the radio, though. No reason to let the Malwa overhear-'

'They won't anyway,' came Justinian's voice from the entrance. Belisarius turned and saw the former emperor moving into the bunker. 'Don't you pay attention to anything I tell you?'

He didn't seem more than mildly aggrieved, though. Justinian always enjoyed explaining how clever he was. When it came to artisanship, anyway, if not politics.

'I designed this system so that we wouldn't be intercepted.'

Lousy old braggart, grumbled Aide. He didn't design the system. I did. He just followed my instructions. But he's right. The position and length of the antennas- everything-were set up so we could send signals without the Malwa overhearing us as long as we do it right. They'll intercept anything we receive, of course. No way to prevent that. But we can transmit in secret.

'Explain,' Belisarius commanded. 'Explain clearly, so a dimwit like me can understand it.'

Justinian snorted. 'Such unwonted modesty! It's like this, my not-so-stupid General.' Justinian began moving his hands, as if he were shaping a cat's cradle with no string. 'With directional radio, the signal has two strong. . call them beams. The strongest, by far, is the forward signal. But there's also a back signal that can often be picked up. The side signals, however-the lobes-are undetectable.'

By any technology either we or the Malwa have, anyway, Aide agreed.

Belisarius thought about it. 'In other words, any signal I sent to Damodara in Bharakuccha would probably be picked up by Link.'

'Yes. The monster's radio tower, our radio installation, and the Malwa tower in Bharakuccha are almost in a direct line. Not quite, but close enough that we don't want to risk it. Barbaricum, on the other hand-'

'Is off to the side, yes. Far enough?'

Yes.

'Yes,' said Justinian simultaneously. 'Link won't hear anything you send to Barbaricum. And they, in turn-'

But Belisarius had already figured it out. 'I understand. We can't signal Damodara in secret, but Barbaricum can with their radio. So we set up a triangle of communications-and the only part of the leg Link can pick up is what we receive. But not what we send.'

Yes.

'Yes.'

Belisarius scratched his chin. While they'd been talking, the radio had kept up its beeping and whooping.

Bring me current, Aide, while I think. What's Damodara saying now?

Most of it's pretty pointless, in my opinion. A lot of grandiose declarations about the sterling character of the Ye-tai-talk about a pile of nonsense-and even more stuff-really grisly, this part-about the penalties to be meted out to mahaveda priests and mahamimamsa.

The jewel sounded more than a little miffed. I don't understand why he's taking up so much precious radio time just to specify what order in which to tear off their limbs and what animals are permitted to feed on the corpses. That last business started with jackals and he's been working his way down from there. Right now he's talking about how beetles should be used to finish up the odd bits and ends. Do you think he's a sadist, maybe? That could be a problem.

Belisarius chuckled. Even after all these years, Aide-who was vastly more intelligent than humans when it came to many things-could still fumble at the simplest emotional equations.

No, he's just very clever. Since he decided to launch his rebellion openly-and that's interesting, right there, don't you think? — he's taking advantage of the opportunities as well as the problems. First, he's making crystal clear to the Ye-tai that if they acquiesce to the new regime, they won't be penalized. I'll bet he's been sprinkling Toramana's name all through, yes?

'Showering' his name, more like. All right, I can understand that. But why-

The business with the priests? They're hated all through India, to begin with, so it's another way to rally popular support. What's probably more important, at least immediately, is that the mahaveda and mahamimamsa are Malwa's first line of enforcers.

Along with the Ye-tai. But. . oh.

Belisarius smiled. I know you can feel 'fear' yourself, Aide, but it's always a fairly calm thing for you, isn't it? Almost an intellectual business. No trembling, no sweating, no bowels loosening.

Don't be silly. Protoplasmic nonsense, that is. You're saying he's trying to panic the mahaveda?