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

"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."
Chrysopolis frowned. "How are you going to enforce the appointment?"
For the first time since the meeting started, Theodora grinned. But there was
not a trace of humor in the expression. "With a combination of the old and the
new. You know of the religious order which Michael of Macedonia has founded?
He's offered to send several thousand of them to Egypt, to counter the
existing monastic orders."
"That's fine against other monks in the streets, armed with cudgels," grunted
Hermogenes. "But the Army of Egypt -- "