Menander stood his ground. “It’ll be tonight,” he repeated confidently. The young cataphract took two steps to the entrance of the field headquarters and pulled back the flap. The Roman army’s camp had been set up half a mile east of a small oasis. Menander was staring in that direction, but his eyes were on the horizon rather than the oasis itself.
A moment later, Euphronius joined him. The young Syrian—he was Menander’s age, in his early twenties—took one look at the sky and nodded.
“Sundown in less than an hour,” he said. “Moonshine, after that, until midnight. The Arabs will wait until the moon goes down. Then they’ll attack.”
Antonina, seated in a chair near the center of the tent, found herself smiling. As soon as she realized what she was doing, she removed the expression. But not soon enough for it to have escaped Ashot’s attention.
Ashot grinned at her. She returned the grin with a look of stern admonition, like a prim schoolteacher reproving an older boy in a classroom when he mocked the youngsters.
With about the same success. True, Ashot had the grace to press his lips together. But he still looked like the proverbial cat who swallowed a canary.
Ashot commanded the five hundred cataphracts whom Belisarius had sent along with Antonina on her expedition. Her husband had selected the Armenian officer for the assignment because Belisarius thought Ashot—after Maurice, of course—was the best field commander among his bucellarii. For the most part, Belisarius’ decision had been due to Ashot’s innate ability. But he had also been influenced by the man’s experience. Even though Ashot was only in his mid-thirties, the Armenian was a veteran of more battles and campaigns than any other officer in Belisarius’ household troops. (Again, of course, leaving aside Maurice.)
From her own experience over the past year, Antonina had come to understand why Belisarius had counted that so heavily in his decision. She was still herself something of a novice in the art of war. Time and again, Ashot’s steadying hand had been there, when Antonina’s assumptions proved incorrect.
The enemy didn’t do what you expected them to do? Yeah, well, they usually don’t. No problem. We’ll deal with it.
Euphronius and Menander turned away from the entrance. With the absolute surety possessed only by young men, they made their pronouncements.
“Tonight,” predicted Menander.
“Right after the moon goes down,” decreed Euphronius.
“The main attack will come from the east,” ruled Menander.
Euphronius nodded his head. Solon approving a judgement by Hammurabi. “Only possible direction. They’ll be able to use the setting moon to guide them in the approach. And they won’t get tangled up in the oasis.”
Antonina squared her shoulders. “Very well, then. See to the preparations.”
The two young officers swept out of the tent, brushing aside the flap as if they were the trade winds. When they were gone, Antonina eyed Ashot. The Armenian’s grin was back in full force.
“All right,” she growled, “now tell me what you think.”
Still grinning, the Armenian shrugged. “I don’t know. And for that matter, I don’t care. The attack might come tonight—although I’m skeptical—so we need to be prepared anyway. It’ll be good drill, if nothing else.”
Ashot pulled up a chair and lounged in it. His grin faded into a smile of approval. “I like cocky young officers,” he said. “As long as they’re men of substance—which those two certainly are.” He shrugged again. “They’ll get the silly crap knocked out of them soon enough. In the meantime, I can count on them to stand straight in the storm. Whenever it comes, from whatever direction.”
Antonina lifted a cup from the table next to her chair and took a sip. The vessel was filled with water from the nearby oasis, flavored with just a dash of wine.
“Why don’t you think it’ll be tonight?” she asked.
Ashot stroked his cheek, running fingers through his stiff and bristly beard. “It just doesn’t seem likely to me, that’s all. We’ll be facing bedouin nomads. They’re quite capable of moving fast, once they’ve made their decision. Fast enough, even through the desert, that they could be in position by tonight.”