council in the audience chamber of Leo's Palace."
"I know which one it is," said Belisarius. He began trotting in that direction.
"Hermogenes!" he shouted. The infantry general, a few yards away, looked at him. Belisarius, still trotting, pointed toward the building.
"Half of your men—send them with me! You take the other half and secure the Gynaeceum!"
Sittas came galloping up, followed by his mounted cataphracts. Still trotting, Belisarius waved his hand in a circle.
"Sittas—clear the palace grounds!"
Sittas grinned. The burly general reined his horse around.
"You heard the man!" he bellowed. He jumped his horse over a low hedge and began galloping toward the center of the complex. His cavalrymen followed, pounding through gardens, courtyards and porticoes. Vegetation was trampled underfoot, statuary was shattered or upended. The fountains survived, more or less intact. So, of course, did the columns upholding the porticoes—although many of the beautiful floor tiles were shattered into pieces, and a few of the wall mosaics suffered in passing from casual contact with the armored shoulders and lance butts of cataphracts.
At the very center of the palace complex, Sittas encountered two hundred of John's bucellarii. Most of them were mounted. The ones who weren't were in the process of doing so—a laborious process, for armored cataphracts. All of them seemed confused
"I know which one it is," said Belisarius. He began trotting in that direction.
"Hermogenes!" he shouted. The infantry general, a few yards away, looked at him. Belisarius, still trotting, pointed toward the building.
"Half of your men—send them with me! You take the other half and secure the Gynaeceum!"
Sittas came galloping up, followed by his mounted cataphracts. Still trotting, Belisarius waved his hand in a circle.
"Sittas—clear the palace grounds!"
Sittas grinned. The burly general reined his horse around.
"You heard the man!" he bellowed. He jumped his horse over a low hedge and began galloping toward the center of the complex. His cavalrymen followed, pounding through gardens, courtyards and porticoes. Vegetation was trampled underfoot, statuary was shattered or upended. The fountains survived, more or less intact. So, of course, did the columns upholding the porticoes—although many of the beautiful floor tiles were shattered into pieces, and a few of the wall mosaics suffered in passing from casual contact with the armored shoulders and lance butts of cataphracts.
At the very center of the palace complex, Sittas encountered two hundred of John's bucellarii. Most of them were mounted. The ones who weren't were in the process of doing so—a laborious process, for armored cataphracts. All of them seemed confused