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

message."
The Macedonian snorted. "Three of them, in fact. Their names are Mark of
Athens, Zeno Symmachus, and Gaiseric. Zeno is an Egyptian, from the Fayum;
Gaiseric, a Goth. Mark, of course, is Greek. Mark is orthodox, Zeno is a
Monophysite, and Gaiseric is an Arian."
"And they get along?" asked Belisarius lightly.
Michael began to smolder, then relaxed. "Yes, Belisarius. They regard the
issue of the Trinity as I do -- a decoy of the Devil's, to distract men while
Satan does his work." He smiled. "Not, mind you, that any room they jointly
inhabit isn't occasionally filled with the sound of disputatious voices. But
there is never any anger in it. They are each other's brothers, as they are
mine."
"And what position do you advance, in these occasional disputes?" queried
Justinian.
"You know perfectly well my position," snapped Michael.
The former emperor smiled. Justinian adored theological discussion. Other than
Theodora's care, it had been the company of Michael and Patriarch Cassian
which, more than anything, had enabled him to find his way through the
darkness of the soul, in the months after his blinding.
"My opinion on the Trinity is orthodox, in the same way as Anthony's," stated
Michael. "Though more plainly put." He snorted. "My friend Anthony Cassian is
Greek, and is therefore not satisfied with simple truth until he can parse it
with clever Greek syllogisms and make it dance to dialectical Greek tunes. But
I am not Greek. I am Macedonian. True, we are a related people. But to the
Greeks God gave his intellect, and to us he gave his common sense."
Here, a wintry smile. "This, of course, is why the great Philip of my ancestry
lost his patience and decided to subdue the whole fractious lot of quarreling
southron. And why his son, the Macedonian Alexander, conquered the world."
"So the Greeks could inherit it," quipped Justinian.
"Place them in charge of the order, then," said Belisarius. "And find women
with similar talents. There must be some."
Michael stroked his great beard. "Yes," he said, after a moment's thought.
"Two, in particular, come immediately to mind. Juliana Syagrius and Helen of
Armenia."
"Juliana Syagrius?" demanded Justinian. "The widow of -- ?"
Michael nodded. "The very same. Not all of my followers are common folk,
Justinian. Any number of them are from the nobility -- although usually from
the equestrian order. Juliana is the only member of the senatorial classes who
has responded to my teachings. She has even offered to place her entire
fortune at my disposal."
"Good Lord!" exclaimed Justinian. "She's one of the richest people in the
empire!"
Michael glared. "I am well aware of that, thank you! And what am I supposed to
do with it? I have lived on alms since I was a youth -- a habit I have no
intention of changing."
The sour look on his face made plain the monk's attitude toward wealth. He
began to mutter various phrases concerning camels and the eye of a needle.
Unkind phrases. Very unkind phrases, in point of fact.
Belisarius interrupted the gathering storm.
"You will use that fortune to buy arms and armor, Michael. And the provisions