"David Drake - Belisarius 2 - In The Heart Of Darkness" - читать интересную книгу автора (Drake David)

provisions. Each of those barges weighed three to six hundred tons -- the size
of the average sea-going craft of the Mediterranean world. They were hauling
food and provisions from the whole of northern India, produced by the toil of
the uncountable multitude of Malwa subject peoples.
In addition to the freight barges there were a number of equal-sized, but
vastly more luxurious, barges moored to the south bank of the Jamuna. These
were the accommodations for the Malwa nobility and high officials. And, here
and there, Menander could see slim oared craft, as well, moving much more
rapidly. The galleys were powered by fifty or so rowers, with additional
troops aboard. The Malwa maintained a careful patrol of the river, closing
Ranapur's access to water traffic.
Most of all, Menander's gaze was drawn by the huge bronze cannons which were
bombarding Ranapur. He could see eight of them from the slight rise in the
landscape where he and the other Romans were watching the siege. Each of the
cannons was positioned on a stone surface, surrounded by a low berm, and
tended by a small horde of soldiers and laborers.
"Magical, almost," he concluded softly.
Belisarius shook his head. "There's nothing magical about them, lad. It's just
metalworking and chemistry, that's all. And, as I said, crude and primitive
metalworking and chemistry."
The general cast his eyes about. Their large Rajput escort was not far away,
but still out of hearing range.
Belisarius leaned forward in his saddle. When he spoke, his voice was low and
intent. He spoke loud enough for all three of his cataphracts to hear him, but
his principal audience was Menander. Out of all the hundreds of cataphracts
who constituted Belisarius' bucellarii, his personal retinue of elite
soldiers, there were none so deadly as Valentinian and Anastasius. That was
why he had selected them to accompany him on his dangerous mission to India.
But, for all their battle skills, neither of the veterans was really suited
for the task of assessing a radically new situation. Young Menander, even with
more experience, would never be Anastasius or Valentinian's equal as a
warrior. But he was proving to be much quicker to absorb the new realities
which the Malwa were introducing into warfare.
"Listen to me, all of you. I may not survive this journey. Whatever happens,
it is essential that at least one of us return to Rome with what we've
learned, and get the information to Antonina and John of Rhodes."
Valentinian began to make some little protest, but Belisarius waved him down.
"That's stupid, Valentinian, and you know it better than anyone. A thousand
things can kill you on the field of battle -- or off it -- and I'm no more
immune to them than anyone. What is important is the information."
He glanced again in the direction of the Rajputs, but the cavalrymen were
still maintaining a polite distance.
"I've already explained to you how the cannons work," he said. He cocked an
eye at Menander. The young Thracian immediately recited the formula for
gunpowder and the complex series of steps by which it was properly prepared.
His words had the singsong character of one repeating oft-memorized data.
Belisarius nodded. "It's the wetting and the grinding that's key. Remember
that." He made a small nodding gesture toward the distant cannons. "The Malwa
gunpowder is really pretty poor stuff, compared to what's possible. And so is
their metalworking."