“In fact, the threat’s real enough. In general, at least. I just wish Justinian would stop being obsessed with the matter.”
She mused. “At the moment, the two most successful and esteemed generals of the empire are you and Sittas.” A small laugh. “Not even Justinian worries about Sittas! Outside of war, Sittas is the laziest man alive. And he can’t stand the duties of a general in Constantinople—everyone knows it. He’s been pestering Justinian for months to be reassigned to a field army, whereas an ambitious general couldn’t be pried out of the capital with a lever.”
She gave Belisarius a cold smile. “That leaves you. You alone, to be the focus of Justinian’s worries.”
Belisarius began to speak, but Theodora cut him off.
“Spare me, Belisarius. There’s no point in making reassurances. I don’t need them, and Justinian won’t believe them.”
She waved her hand. “No, the right course is exactly the one you propose.” Another laugh. “Although even in my wildest dreams I never would have thought of sending you to Axum and India! God, Justinian will be ecstatic!”
The Empress was silent for a moment, lost in thought. “And it’s not a bad idea, in any event, even leaving Justinian’s jealousies aside.”
She arose and walked slowly back to the window. Belisarius was struck by the regal grace of her movements, as encumbered as Theodora must have been by those incredible imperial robes. (Which, Antonina had told him, Theodora insisted on wearing at all times.) She looked every inch the ideal image of an Empress.
For a brief instant, Belisarius caught a glimpse of the woman’s inner demons: that fierce, driving ambition which had carried her and her husband to the throne from the lowest of beginnings. Justinian, a semiliterate peasant from Thrace—who had, of course, long since become as literate a man as any in the Empire, applying his own fierce intelligence. Theodora, a whore from Alexandria.
But Theodora had been no sophisticated courtesan like Antonina, gaily choosing her few consorts and reveling in the charm and wit of their company. Belisarius knew Theodora’s own history from Antonina. The Empress had been sold into prostitution by her own father at the age of twelve, to a pimp who had sold her in turn to every ruffian who hung about the Hippodrome.
He watched the still, beautiful face staring out the window. Watched the pride in the stillness, and the icy intelligence in the beauty, and thought he understood Theodora. Understood her, and understood her unshakable devotion to Justinian.
I swore an oath to Justinian, which I will always keep. But I wish I had sworn it to her. She would have made a far better Emperor.
“I don’t trust this Venandakatra,” Theodora said softly. “Even before Antonina told me of Irene’s suspicions, I had my own.” She glanced at Belisarius. “You’ve not met him?”
The general shook his head.
“I shall introduce you to him tomorrow. Justinian is having a reception for Venandakatra.”
She stared back out the window. “Trade envoy!” she sneered. “That man has enough arrogance in him to be Lord of the Universe. A foul creature, he is! As vile a man as ever lived, I suspect.”
Belisarius restrained his start of surprise. Antonina, he knew, had simply passed on that much of what they knew about Venandakatra which could reasonably have been spied out by Irene. There had been no mention of his vision.
Venandakatra the Vile. Apparently, the cognomen had been no personal fancy of Raghunath Rao.
Theodora shook her head. “No, I don’t like this Venandakatra. The Malwa are playing a deep and dark game. And we know almost nothing about them. Yes, best we find out what we can, as soon as possible.”
She turned back. “But there’s something more important. You’ll have plenty of time to get to know this Venandakatra creature. Much more, I assure you, than you’d ever want. In the meantime, however, there are other people you must get to know immediately. The Axumite embassy will also be present at the reception, which is doubling—as an afterthought, I’m afraid—as their departing ceremony. They are returning to Axum the next day.”
She resumed her seat on the throne. “To my mind, your proposed visit to Axum is even more important than the trip to India. For one thing, I’m not sure how much you’ll actually be able to find out in India. Whatever else he is, Venandakatra’s no fool, and he’ll have his own suspicions of you.”