Maurice’s eyes widened. Coutzes whistled softly, shaking his head. “God in heaven,” he muttered. “I had no idea the ancients could build on such a scale.”
Bouzes snorted. “Why not, brother? You’ve seen the pyramids in Egypt. I know you have. I was standing right next to you when you whistled softly, shook your head, and said: ‘God in Heaven. I had no idea the ancients could build on such a scale.’ ”
The room erupted in laughter. Even Coutzes, after a momentary glare at his brother, started chuckling ruefully.
The moment of humor was brief, however. Soon enough, grim reality returned.
Again, Belisarius was torn by warring impulses. The need for secrecy, on the one hand, especially with regard to Aide’s existence; the need—certainly the personal desire—for frankness with his new allies, on the other.
He decided to steer a tricky middle course.
“Actually,” he said, clearing his throat, “I think the nature of Babylon’s walls will work entirely to your—I should say, our—advantage. Cannon fire—delivered by gigantic siege cannon, at any rate—is too powerful to be resisted by hard walls, whether brick or even stone. You’re actually much better off using thick, soft walls. Such walls simply absorb the cannon shot, rather than trying to deflect it.”
All the other men at the table, except Maurice, stared at Belisarius with wide-eyed surprise. Maurice simply tightened his lips and gazed down at his goblet.
Maurice was the only one in the pavilion who knew Belisarius’ secret. The general had finally divulged it to him, months earlier, after his return from India. Belisarius had always felt guilty, during the long months he had kept that secret from Maurice. So, when he finally did reveal Aide’s existence, he compensated by sharing Aide’s insights with Maurice to a greater extent than he ever had with anyone else, even Antonina.
Yet, if he had initially done so from guilt, his reasons had changed soon enough. In truth, he had found Maurice to be his most useful confidant—when it came, at least, to Aide’s military advice. Not to Belisarius’ surprise, the phlegmatic and practical Thracian peasant-turned-cataphract had been more receptive to Aide’s often-bizarre advice than anyone else.
“You saw this in India?” queried Kurush. “Such fortifications?”
Maurice gave Belisarius a quick, warning glance. The chiliarch knew full well where Belisarius had seen “such fortifications.” Not in India, but in visions. Visions which Aide had put in his mind, of the siege warfare of the future. Especially the theories and the practice of a great student of fortifications over a millennium in the future. A man named Vauban, who would live in a country which would be called France.
“Not directly, no, Kurush. But I did notice, toward the end of the siege of Ranapur, that the crumbled walls actually resisted the siege cannons better than they had while the brickwork was still intact.”
He mentally patted himself on the back. It was not entirely a lie, after all. He consoled himself with the thought that the rubbled walls of Ranapur had, in retrospect, resisted the cannon shot quite well. Even if he hadn’t noticed at the time.
Fortunately, the lie passed muster. Kurush and Baresmanas seemed so relieved by the information that they showed no inclination to press Belisarius on the point.
The conversation now began to turn toward the Malwa’s relative weakness in cavalry, especially heavy cavalry, and how the allied forces might best take advantage of it. But before the discussion had gotten very far, they were interrupted.
A Persian officer bearing the insignia of an imperial courier entered the tent, somewhat apologetically, and approached the table. As he leaned over and whispered something to Baresmanas, Belisarius politely looked away and diverted the Romans’ attention with an anecdote from the siege of Ranapur. The anecdote, involving his assessment of the relative merits of Rajput and Ye-tai cavalry, was interesting enough to capture the full attention of Bouzes and Coutzes and, to all appearances, Maurice. But he noted that Kurush was paying hardly any attention at all. The young sahrdaran’s face was stiff. Whatever news was being whispered into Baresmanas’ ear, Belisarius was certain, his nephew suspected its content. And was not happy in his suspicion.