“Slow going,” commented Hermogenes. “The Euphrates meanders all over the flood plain. The Tigris would be quicker.”
Belisarius shrugged. “The Malwa aren’t relying on speed and maneuver. They’ve got a sledgehammer moving up the Euphrates. Once they reach Peroz-Shapur, they can cross over to the Tigris. They’ll have the Persian capital at Ctesiphon surrounded.”
“What’s the Persian response?” asked Germanicus.
“From what Baresmanas told me,” responded Irene, “it seems that Emperor Khusrau intends to make a stand at Babylon.”
“Babylon?” exclaimed Cassian. “There is no Babylon! That city’s been deserted for centuries!” He shook his head. “It’s in ruins.”
Irene smiled. “The city, yes. But the walls of Babylon are still standing. And, by all accounts, those walls are almost as mighty as they were in the days of Hammurabi and Assurbanipal.”
“What are the Persians asking of us?” queried Antonina.
Irene glanced at Chrysopolis. The praetorian prefect had handled that part of the initial discussions with Baresmanas.
“They want an alliance with Rome, and as many troops as we can send to help Khusrau at Babylon.” He nodded to Sittas. “The Persians do not expect us to help them against the Malwa thrust into their eastern provinces. But they are—well, desperate—to get our help in Mesopotamia.”
“How many troops do they want us to send?” asked Justinian.
Chrysopolis took a deep breath. “They’re asking for forty thousand. The entire Army of Syria, and the remaining twenty thousand from Anatolia and our European units.”
The room exploded.
“That’s insane!” cried Sittas. “That’s half the Roman army!”
“It’d strip the Danube naked,” snarled Germanicus. “Every barbarian tribe in the Balkans would be pouring across within a month!” He turned to Belisarius. “You can’t be seriously considering this proposal!”
Belisarius shook his head. “No, I’m not, Germanicus. Although I would if I thought we could do it.” Again, Belisarius shrugged. “But, the simple fact is that we can’t. We have to maintain a strong force on the Danube, as you said. And, unfortunately, we have to keep Sittas’ army in and around Constantinople. As we all know, the dynasty’s hold is still shaky. Most of the nobility would back another coup, if they thought it would succeed.”
Germanicus tugged on his beard. “At the moment, in other words, we have nothing to send Persia except the existing armies in Syria and Egypt.”
“Not even that,” said Theodora. “We’ve got a crisis in Egypt, too.”
She looked to her spymaster. “Tell them.”
“As you all know,” said Irene, “the former Patriarch of Alexandria, Timothy IV, was murdered during the Nika insurrection—at the same time as Anthony’s predecessor Epiphanios. The culprits were never found, but I’m quite sure it was the work of Malwa assassins.”
“Aided and abetted by ultra-orthodox forces in the Church,” said Justinian forcefully.
Irene nodded. “After three months of wrangling, the Greek nobility in Alexandria imposed a new Patriarch. An ultra-orthodox monk by the name of Paul. The very next day he reinstated the persecution. Alexandria’s been in turmoil ever since. Riots and street fights almost daily, mostly between ultra-orthodox and ultra-Monophysite monks. We just got the news yesterday.”
“What the hell is the Army of Egypt doing?” demanded Germanicus.
“They’ve sided with the new Patriarch,” replied Irene. “According to my reports, in fact, the army’s commander was Paul’s chief advocate.”
“That’s General Ambrose, isn’t it?” asked Hermogenes.
Irene nodded. Sittas growled:
“I know that bastard. He’s not worth a damn on the battlefield. A politician down to his toenails. Ambitious as Satan.”
The praetorian prefect sighed. “So much for the Army of Egypt. We won’t be able to send them to Persia.”
“It’s worse than that, Chrysopolis,” stated Belisarius. “We’re going to have to send a military force to Egypt to set the situation straight.”
“You think we should intervene?”
“I most certainly do. Egypt is the largest and richest province of the Empire. In the long run, we’re relying on Egypt to be the bastion for our naval campaign in the Erythrean Sea. The last thing we can afford is to have its population riddled with disaffection and rebellion.”
Theodora added her voice. “I am in complete agreement with Belisarius on this matter.” She nodded toward Cassian. “At Anthony’s recommendation, I’m sending a deacon named Theodosius to replace Paul as Alexandria’s Patriarch. He’s a moderate Monophysite. A member of the Severan school like Timothy.”