Krispos the Emperor

loud, for fear of finding out he was right and wounding Iakovitzes in the process.

The Grand Courtroom continued to empty. A couple of men came forward instead of leaving; they carried rolled and sealed parchments in their outstretched right hands. Haloga guardsmen kept them from getting too close. One of the northerners glanced back at Krispos. He nodded. The Haloga took the petitions and carried them over to him. They'd go into one of the piles on his desk. He wondered when he'd have the chance to read them. They'll reach the top one of these days, he thought.

The petitioners walked down the long aisle toward the doorway. Krispos rose, stretched, and descended the stairs from the throne. Iakovitzes wrote another note: 'You know, it might not be so bad if the Thanasioi give the Khatrishers all the trouble they can handle and a bit more besides. Let Tribo say what he will; the day may come when the khagan really has to choose between going under and calling on Videssos for aid.'

'That would be excellent,' Barsymes said. 'Krispos brought Kubrat back under Videssian rule; why not Khatrish, as well?'

Why not? Krispos thought. Videssos had never abandoned her claim to Kubrat or Khatrish or Thatagush, all lands overwhelmed by Khamorth nomads off the plains of Pardraya three hundred years before. To restore two of them to the Empire ... he might go down in the chronicles as Krispos the Conqueror.

That, however, assumed the Khatrishers were ripe to be conquered. 'I don't see it,' Krispos said, not altogether regretfully. 'Khatrish somehow has a way of fumbling through troubles and coming out on the other side stronger than it has any business being. They're more easygoing about their religion than we are, too, so heresy has a harder time inciting them.'

'They certainly didn't—don't—care for the Thanasioi,' Zaidas said. Krispos guessed the idea of conquest appealed to him, too.

'We'll see what happens, that's all,' the Avtokrator said. 'If it turns to chaos, we may try going in. We'd have to be careful even so, though, to make sure the Khatrishers don't unite again—against us. Nothing like a foreign foe to make the problems you have with your neighbors look small.'

'Remember also, your Majesty, the Thanasioi dissemble,' Barsymes said. 'Even if the Khatrishers seem to put down the heresy of the gleaming path for the time being, it may yet spring to life a generation from now.'

'A generation from now?' Krispos snorted. 'Odds are that'll be Phostis' worry, not mine.' A year before, the idea of passing the Empire on to his eldest—if Phostis was his eldest—had filled him with dread. Now ... 'I expect he'll take care of it,' he said.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Harry Turtledove has lived in Southern California all his life. He has a Ph.D. in history from UCLA and has taught at UCLA, California State. Fullerton, and California State University, Los Angeles. He has published in both history and speculative fiction. He is married to novelist Laura Frankos. They have three daughters: Alison. Rachel, and Rebecca.