"David Drake - Belisarius 3 - Destiny's Shield" - читать интересную книгу автора (Drake David)

Sittas grunted. "That means the northern expedition isn't something we need to
worry about. Not for some time, at least. That'll be up to the Persians to
deal with."
He eyed Irene. "How big is the Malwa army in Mesopotamia?"
She hesitated, knowing that her next words would be met with disbelief. "At
least two hundred thousand men. Probably more."
"That's nonsense!" exclaimed Germanicus.
Belisarius overrode him. "It is not nonsense. Believe it, Germanicus. The
Malwa Empire is the one power in the world which can field that big an army.
And keep it supplied, so long as they hold Charax. When I was in Bharakuccha,
India's great western seaport, I saw with my own eyes the huge fleet of supply
ships they were constructing."
Germanicus' face was pale. "Two hundred thousand," he whispered.
"At least," emphasized Belisarius. "And they'll have the bulk of their
gunpowder units, too. About their only weakness will be in cavalry."
Irene shook her head. "Not even that, Belisarius. Not light cavalry, at least.
I just got word yesterday that the Lakhmite dynasty has transferred its
allegiance from Persia to the Malwa. That gives the Malwa a large force of
Arab cavalry -- and a camel force that can operate in the desert regions on
the right bank of the Euphrates. Which, by the way, seems to be the river
which the Malwa are using as their invasion route."
"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.