Justinian

MYAKES

Whew! Rest a bit, why don't you, Brother Elpidios? That's hard stuff to take. I knew he was coming apart at the seams while we were marching to Sinope, yes. I think everybody who had anything to do with him knew he was coming apart at the seams. But listening to him, you wouldn't have thought it was as bad as that- not even close. He'd always wanted to pay back the Khersonites, and there's never been an Emperor who was happy about rebels rising up against him. Nobody thought it was anything more than that.

And maybe, if things had worked out different, it wouldn't have been. You may as well go on, Brother. Why not? Can't be much of that left.

Sinope. At last. God be praised. I stand at the end of the land. I spit out into the sea. Almost I can hit Kherson, Phanagoria. Almost. I look across. Nothing but water. The towns? Just below the horizon. So it seems. Ships go back and forth. All the time. Boats, even. One must be in port. Maybe more than one.

Theodora speaks with me again. I let her. Now she knows not to quarrel with the vicegerent of God on earth. She will be better for it. God would not have led me here but to destroy my foes. I will destroy them all. No mercy.

I look to the harbor. There must be a ship in port.

A ship from Kherson! Found!

Sailed for Constantinople. They sailed for Constantinople. While I was marching here. Curse them to hell. Satan fill their bones with molten lead. Demons stab them with red-hot pitchforks. Fiends rip their flesh to pieces. Days ahead of me. Curse them to hell.

Theodora says not a word.