“Yes. Maybe I’ve finally decided to believe you.”
“Have you?” Mirrane’s voice remained reflective, but something subtle changed in it: “I suppose Constantinople has its share of fire-temples.”
She was, the magistrianos thought, a master of the oblique thrust, murmuring in one breath how alike they were and then hammering home a fundamental difference. He said stiffly, “I would never give up hope that you might come to see that the truth lies in Christ.” Seeing her nostrils flare, he made haste to add, “Those who follow the teachings of Zoroaster may worship in the city and the Empire, however, in return for the King of Kings not persecuting the Christians under his control … as I am sure you know perfectly well.”
That last little jab won a smile from her. “Fair enough,” she said, “though how you Christians can fail to see that evil is a live force of its own rather than a mere absence of good has always been beyond me.” Her smile grew wider, more teasing. “I expect we will have time to argue it out.”
He took a moment to find her meaning. When at last he did, his breath caught as he asked, “You’ll come with me, then?”
“Well, why not? Didn’t the two of us—not forgetting your men, of course—just put paid to a threat to both our countries? What better sets the stage for a more, ah, personal alliance?” Now she was wearing an impish grin.
Argyros felt a similar expression stretch his face in unfamiliar ways. He looked again at the blast that had ruined the hopes of the Kirghiz and of Goarios. His eye lit on the miraculously unbroken bottle of yperoinos. Suddenly it seemed a very good omen. He pointed it out to Mirrane. “Shall we pledge ourselves with it?”
“Well, why not?” she said.
About the Author
Harry Turtledove is an American novelist of science fiction, historical fiction, and fantasy. Publishers Weekly has called him the “master of alternate history,” and he is best known for his work in that genre. Some of his most popular titles include The Guns of the South, the novels of the World war series, and the books in the Great War trilogy. In addition to many other honors and nominations, Turtledove has received the Hugo Award, the Sidewise Award for Alternate History, and the Prometheus Award. He attended the University of California, Los Angeles, earning a PhD in Byzantine history. Turtledove is married to mystery writer Laura Frankos, and together they have three daughters. The family lives in Southern California.
All rights reserved, including without limitation the right to reproduce this ebook or any portion thereof in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of the publisher.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, events, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, companies, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
Sections of this book have appeared in different form in the July 1985, and January 1986 issues of Amazing Science Fiction Stories, and in the August 1986, March 1987, April 1987, and December 1989 issues of Isaac Asimov’s Science Fiction Magazine.
Copyright © 1994 by Harry Turtledove
Cover design by Mauricio Díaz
ISBN: 978-1-5040-0944-7
This edition published in 2015 by Open Road Integrated Media, Inc.
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HARRY TURTLEDOVE
FROM OPEN ROAD MEDIA
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