"Somtow Sucharitkul - Aquila" - читать интересную книгу автора (Sucharitkul Somtom)

"Oh, we tortured him. Didn't get anything, though; it seems
that his 'visions from the future' have ceased. At least we got all
the shipbuilding secrets from him before he passed on, or else
we'd lose all contact with the New World. But you're changing
the subject," he said warningly.
"Of course, my lord. The spectacle."
"Do you remember... Marcus Ulpius Trajanus?"
"How could I forget? Brilliant strategist. Taught me
everything I know, Trajan did. Very clever of him to lead the
Dacians up the wrong way on the Danube...."
"A little too brilliant," said Domitian. "Oh, he had plans—big
plans. Subjugate the Parthians. Blah blah blah. Well, we got
Cappadocia out of it, but after that he went a bit far—wanted to
march on up the Tigris and push the Parthians into India or some
other such grandiose notion. Fortunately, I was able to send him
off to subdue the Seminolii, an absolutely frightful tribe of Terra
Novan savages. Maybe I should recall him, but you know how it
is. These ships—even with Epaminondas's improvements—I
mean the revelations of Jupiter Optimus Maximus—take a year
to get here. And as it happens, the Parthians are attacking now."
"Which Parthians, Sire? I thought they were all wrangling
over the throne since old Vologesus died."
"God knows. Some petty king of theirs, fancies himself
Vologesus's successor, busy reuniting the place. Just a few
thousand of them, Titus old chap, I'm sure they'll easily be
defeated by one of our matchless legions, eh, what? I wouldn't
even bother with it much, except that ...the point is, my precious
aurochs herds are in danger."
 "Excuse me, Sire, but... I've been on campaign so long..."
"The aurochs herds, you fool! You know, bison. I've been
breeding them in Cappadocia for the arena. Good grazing, you
know. You've no idea what trouble it is to capture the damned
creatures, to send good legionaries up through Dacia and into the
forests of Sarmatia north of the Black Sea... and every one of the
soldiers itching to slaughter barbarians! And since the aurochs
have been rendered virtually extinct by the demands of the
games—you remember Vespasian and his hundred-day opening
celebration of the Coliseum, don't you?—these Imperial aurochs
are the only ones to be had on short notice. I understand that
gigantic ones roam the Great Plains of Lacotia in Terra Nova, but
shipping costs are prohibitive. I'd have to impose some capricious
tax on adultery or theatergoers or pumpkins."
"I see."
"You'll do more than see! You'll lead the expeditionary force,
that's what you'll do!"
"Yes, my Lord," I said, my heart sinking. At least I would
miss the reign of terror which, rumor had it, Domitian was about
to instigate. I had no desire to end up being devoured by
lions—or crocodiles, I reflected grimly as I saw them being
released into the flooded arena to mop up the survivors of the