"What is it?" she demanded. "And don't tell any fables. You've got the jitters, I know you do. Something which involves me."
Kungas sighed. "Thereare disadvantages," he muttered, "to a smart woman." He turned away from the window and came back to the bed. Then, sitting on the edge, he gave Irene a level stare.
Abruptly: "I spoke to Kanishka and Kujulo today. About Peshawar, and my plans for the future."
She nodded approvingly. Kanishka and Kujulo were the key officers in the small army of Kushans serving Shakuntala. Irene had been pressing Kungas for weeks to raise the subject with them.
"And?" she asked, cocking her head.
"They have agreed to join me. They said, on balance, that they thought I would make a good king."
Again, he sighed. "Nonetheless, they were critical. Rather harshly so, in fact. They feel that I have neglected the first requirement of a successful dynasty."
He looked away. "They are quite correct, of course. So I promised them I would see to the matter immediately. If possible."
Irene stared at him, for a moment. Then she bolted upright, clutching the sheets to her chest.
"What?"she hissed. "You expect me-me, a Greek noblewoman accustomed to luxury and comfort-to go traipsing off with you into the wilds of Central Asia? Squat in some ruins in the middle of mountains and deserts, surrounded by barbarian hordes and God-knows-what other dangers?" Her eyes were very wide. "Be a queen for a bunch of Kushan mercenaries with delusions of grandeur? Spend the rest of my life in a desperate struggle to forge a kingdom out of nothing?"
Other than a slight tightening of his jaws, Kungas' face was a rigid mask. "I don'texpect," he said softly. "I am simply asking. Hoping."
Irene flung her arms around his neck and dragged him down. Within a second, the huge, heavy bed was practically bouncing off the floor from her sheer energy. Quiver, shiver; quake and shake.
"Oh, Kungas!" she squealed. "We're going to have so muchfun!"
A reminder and a distinction
When he finished reading the letter from Emperor Skandagupta, Damodara turned his head and stared at the Tigris. For a moment, his gaze followed the river's course, north to Assyria-and Anatolia, and Constantinople beyond. Then, for a longer moment, the gaze came to rest on his army's camp. It was a well-built camp, solid, strong. Almost a permanent fort, after all the weeks of work.
"That's it, then," he said softly. "It's over."
He turned to the man at his side, folding the letter. "Prepare the army, Rana Sanga. We have been summoned back to India. The emperor urges great haste."
Sanga nodded. He began to turn away, but stopped. "If I may ask, Lord-what is to be our new assignment?"
Damodara sighed heavily. "Unrest is spreading all over India. The Deccan is in full revolt. Venandakatra has been driven back into Bharakuccha. He is confident that he can hold the city unaided, though he can't reconquer Majarashtra without assistance. That will end up being our task, no doubt. But first we must subdue Bihar and Bengal, while the emperor rebuilds the main army. He expects the Romans to attack our northwest provinces within a year. Two years, at the outside."
Sanga said nothing. But his face grew tight.
"It appears that you will be meeting Raghunath Rao again some day," mused Damodara. "After all these years. The bards and poets will be drooling."
Damodara studied Sanga closely. Then said, very softly: "The day may come, Rana Sanga-maycome-when I will have to ask you to remember your oath."
Sanga's face, already tight, became as strained as a taut sheet. " I do not need to be reminded of honor, Lord Damodara," he grated harshly.
Damodara shook his head. "I did not say I would ask you tohonor your oath, Sanga. Simply to remember it."
Sanga frowned. "What is the distinction?"
There was no answer. After a moment, shrugging angrily, Sanga stalked off.
Damodara remained behind, staring at the river. He found some comfort, perhaps, in the study of moving water.
A concern and an explanation
"I am your obedient servant, Lord," said Narses, bowing his head.
As soon as Damodara left the tent, Narses' face broke into a grin. "We're on," he muttered, rubbing his hands.
Ajatasutra looked up from the chess board. "What are you so excited about?"
Narses stared at him. The grin faded, replaced by something which bordered on sadness.
"You have become like a son to me," said Narses abruptly.
Ajatasutra's face went blank. For a moment, no more. Then, a sly smile came. "That's not entirely reassuring, Narses. As I recall, the last time you adopted a spiritual offspring you tried to murder her."
Narses waved his hand. "Not right away," he countered. "Not for many years, in fact. Besides-"
The eunuch sat on the chair facing Ajatasutra. He stared down at the chess board. "Besides, the situation isn't comparable.She was an empress. You're just a poor adventurer."
Ajatasutra snorted. Narses glanced at the small chest in the corner of the tent. "Well-relatively speaking."
The assassin crossed his arms over his chest and leaned back in the chair. "Why don't you just come out with it, Narses? If you want to know my loyalties, ask."
The eunuch opened his mouth. Closed it. Ajatasutra laughed, quite gaily. "Gods above! I'd hate to live in your mind. You just can't do it, can you?"
Narses opened his mouth. Closed it.
Ajatasutra, still chuckling, shook his head. "Relax, old man. Like you said, I'm an adventurer. And I can't imagine anybody who'd provide me with more adventures than you."
Narses sighed. "Thank you," he whispered. His lips twisted wryly. "It means a great deal to me, Ajatasutra. Whether I'm capable of saying it or not."
Ajatasutra eyed the eunuch, for a moment. "I'm puzzled, though. Why the sudden concern?"
The assassin nodded toward the entrance of the tent. "I didn't catch any of your conversation with Damodara. But I did hear his last sentence. `You do not have my permission to do anything, Narses.' That sounds pretty definite, to me."
Narses cackled. "What a novice! A babe in the woods!" He leaned forward. "You really must learn to parse a sentence properly, Ajatasutra. `You do not have permission,' my boy, does not mean the same thing as: `I forbid you.' "
Ajatasutra's eyes widened. Narses cackled again. "It's mate in six moves, by the way," the eunuch added.
A greeting and a grouse
There was not much left of Charax, when Belisarius and Antonina returned from Adulis a few weeks later. But the Persians had managed to salvage enough of the docks for their ship to be moored.
Emperor Khusrau was there to meet them, along with Baresmanas, Kurush and Agathius. The Persians were beaming happily. Agathius was not.
Politely, the Persians allowed Agathius to greet the general first. The Duke of Osrhoene limped forward, aiding his wooden leg and foot with a pair of crutches. "Fine mess you left me," he grumbled, the moment Belisarius came up to him.
Belisarius glanced around, frowning. "What did you expect? You knew I was going to wreck the place."
"Notthat," snorted Agathius. "It's all the irate letters I've been getting from the empress. Theodora is demanding to know how I could have been so careless. Letting the Persians get their hands on gunpowder technology."
"Oh-that." Belisarius clapped Agathius on the shoulder. "You covered for me, I trust?"
Agathius shrugged. "Sure, why not? I still know how to bake bread, when I get cashiered in disgrace." Gloomily: "Assuming she lets me keep my head."
Belisarius turned to Antonina. "The two of you have never met, I believe. Antonina, meet one of my finest generals. Agathius, this is my wife. She is also, I might mention, Theodora's best friend."
Agathius extended his hand. "Well. It's certainly a pleasure to meetyou."
A regret and a cheer
Much later that night, after Khusrau and his entourage left, Belisarius stretched lazily.
"There's something to be said for having Persians as allies," he announced. His admiring eyes roamed about the lavishly furnished pavilion which the Aryan emperor had provided for them.