In the Heart of Darkness(15)

The charioteer turned the horses, raced away. Behind, other chariots copied the same maneuver. Within not more than a minute, the ranks of the enemy were being shredded by a hail of rockets. The missiles were not very accurate, but made up for the lack by their numbers and the manner of their explosion.



Fragmentation warheads, came the thought from Aide. This time, the thought was saturated with satisfaction. Shrapnel.



Belisarius slumped back, sighing. He rubbed his eyes wearily.



"Yes, there's promise there." Again, he scratched his chin. "But these—katyushas—will only work on level ground. In mountain terrain, we'll need something different. Something that a small squad of men can carry by hand, and that can be fired over hills."



The facets flashed excitement.



Mortars.



Belisarius' eyes widened. "Show me," he commanded.



A small motion caught his eye. The Maratha slave had finished his prayers and was lying down on his pallet in preparation for sleep. His face could not be seen, for it was turned away. Belisarius put aside his dialogue with Aide, and devoted a moment to contemplating the man Dadaji Holkar.



Aide did not object, nor interrupt. There were many things about humanity which Aide did not understand. Of no human, perhaps, was that more true than of Belisarius. Belisarius, the one human of the ancient past whom the crystals had selected as the key to preserving their future. The choice had been theirs, but they had been guided by the Great Ones.



Find the general who is not a warrior.



Belisarius, the great general.



That strange thing Aide was coming to know, slowly, haltingly, gropingly.



Belisarius, the man. That stranger thing Aide already knew.



So Aide waited patiently. Waited during that moment of sorrow for another man's anguish. Waited, patiently, not because it understood grief but because it understood the future. And knew that its own future was safeguarded not by the weapons it was showing the general, but by the nature of the man himself.



The moment passed. The man receded.



"Show me," commanded the general.





Chapter 4


CONSTANTINOPLE

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"You're positive?" demanded Theodora. "There's no mistake?"



The Empress of Rome leaned forward in her luxurious chair. No expression showed on her face beyond a certain tense alertness. But the knuckles of her hands, gripping the armrests, were white as snow, and the tendons stood out like cables.



Irene met the dark-eyed gaze squarely.



"I am certain, Your Majesty. I've only met Narses face-to-face on three occasions, but I know him quite well. I've studied the man for years, as one professional—and possible competitor—will study another. I could not possibly mistake his appearance, undisguised. Nor he mine, for that matter—that's why I took such elaborate precautions with our disguises."



Theodora transferred her piercing gaze to Hermogenes. The young general winced, shrugged.



"I can't vouch for it myself, Your Majesty, one way or the other. I've never met Narses." He took a deep breath. "But I do know Irene, and if she says it was Narses—"



The Empress stilled him with a curt gesture. The black eyes moved on to Maurice.



"It was Narses," growled Maurice. "I've met the man many times, Empress, in the service of my lord Belisarius. We've never been personally introduced, and I doubt if he'd recognize me. But he's a distinctive-looking man. I'd know him anywhere, as long as he was undisguised and the light was good." The grey-haired veteran took his own deep breath. "The man was undisguised. His face—his whole figure—was clearly visible the moment he stepped out of Balban's villa to wait for his palanquin. And the light was good enough. A half-moon in a clear sky."



The Empress looked away. Still, there was no expression on her face.



Irene spoke hesitantly: "It's possible he's playing a double game. Simply trying to draw out treason before he—"



The Empress shook her head. The gesture was short, sharp, final. "No. You do not understand, Irene. Narses and I have been close—very close—for many years. If he suspected treason, and wanted to draw it out, he would have told me. There is only one explanation for his presence at that meeting."



She turned, raised her head imperiously, looked at Maurice and Hermogenes.



"Thank you, gentlemen," she said. Her voice was cold, perhaps a bit choked. A bit, no more. The Empress turned her head slightly, staring at the wall.



"Now—please leave. I wish to be alone with Antonina and Irene."



The two men in the room immediately left. After they closed the door behind them, they looked at each other and puffed their cheeks with relief.