PROPOSE GRAND ALLIANCE STOP IRAN TO KEEP THE SIND STOP JOINT
OCCUPATION OF THE PUNJAB STOP KUSHANS TO KEEP THE HINDU KUSH STOP AXUM
TO GARRISON KEY NEUTRAL SEAPORTS STOP INDEPENDENT CITIES BUT AXUM MAY
COLLECT TOLLS STOP IS THIS AGREED STOP
Belisarius turned to Calopodius. "Do you have Barbaricum on the line, yet?"
"Yes. Antonina hasn't arrived in the station, though. Neither has Ousanas. But they're on the way."
"We'll wait till they arrive. What about Sukkur?"
"Same story. I've got the Persians on the line, but Khusrau is somewhere else. He's in the city, however, so they say it won't take long."
"Good. Have you instructed the radio operators in Barbaricum to send a relay signal to Bharakuccha-and only to Bharakuccha?"
"Yes, General. I-ah-made the last part quite clear."
Maurice grinned. So did Justinian. "I will say your wife has done wonders for your assertiveness," said the former emperor.
Justinian turned to Belisarius. Faced in his direction, rather. As was often the case with blind people, he had a good sense of other peoples' locations in the room, but didn't know exactly where their faces were.
"And what about you? I trust we're not going to see a sudden lapse into timid modesty. 'It's not my place, whine; I'm just a general, whine.'"
Belisarius grimaced. "Theodora is not going to like it. She's already accusing me of giving away everything."
"So what? She's in Constantinople-and, more to the point, the Emperor of Rome is in Barbaricum. Probably at your wife's elbow."
That's a dirty rotten lawyer's trick, for sure, said Aide. Of course, he is the Empire's top lawyer.
"She's still the Empress Regent," Belisarius pointed out. "Until he attains his majority, Photius doesn't technically have the authority to order most anything."
"So what, again? Difficult times, difficult measures. Unfortunately, the raging thunderstorm"-here Justinian waved at the entrance to the bunker, beyond which could be heard the faint sounds of people enjoying a pleasant and balmy evening-"made it impossible to communicate with Constantinople by radio. And the telegraph-all those pestiferous relays-just wasn't fast enough. Given that a decision had to be made immediately. "
Justinian's smile was unusually cheerful, for him. "I can assure you that, as the Grand Justiciar, I will be forced to rule in your favor if Theodora presses the matter."
Belisarius returned the smile, scratching his chin. "No qualms, yourself?"
Justinian shrugged. "We've been together a long time, she and I. It's not likely she'll have me poisoned. And I'm right and she's wrong-and no one knows it better than you. In another universe, I kept you at war for years out of my over-reaching ambition, and had nothing to show for it in the end except exhaustion and ruin. Let's not do it again, shall we?"
He's right.
Yes, of course he is. Rome doesn't need more territory. It'd just bring grief with it. Even the enclave I'll insist on here in the Triangle is for purely political reasons. But you- o craven crystal-will remain huddling in your pouch while I have to bear the brunt of Theodora's wrath.
Seems fair to me. You're the general. I'm just the hired help. Grossly underpaid, to boot.
"Antonina's on the line, General," said Calopodius. "And they're telling me Khusrau has arrived at the telegraph station in Sukkur."
"Let's do it, then."
The communication with Antonina went quickly.