Erlan nodded at Leo. ‘And what do you Christians believe? You speak of a life beyond this one.’

‘We do,’ Leo admitted, turning the stem of his glass in his fingers. ‘Ours is. . . less clear. One thing only we can be certain of. That Christ will be there.’

‘Who is this Christ that you worship? His face is everywhere.’ It was a question no one had yet answered him. One he had not been troubled enough to ask till now.

‘He is God.’

Erlan frowned. ‘How can a man be a god?

‘How can God be a man?’ Leo suddenly laughed. ‘You tell me! It’s a riddle that has kept the greatest minds of the empire busy – and at odds – for hundreds of years. Even now, I don’t know that the question is settled. Alas, I am no scholar. And yet. . . I believe it is true.’

‘Is that why you fight?’

‘Hah! I’m no fanatic, Erlan. No doubt the Christian faith would survive even if the city fell. But. . . I do feel in my heart that the empire must survive. It must. It’s given too much to the world to be wiped away like scratches in the sand when the wave falls. I believe it has still more to give.’

‘Then why do you hesitate?’

‘Eh?’ Leo looked at Erlan with curiosity. ‘What do you mean?’

‘Do you want this siege to end?’

‘Of course I do.’

‘So why hold back?’

‘What can we do but hold out till the Arabs grow tired of breaking themselves against our walls?’

‘Use your cunning like you said. Go on the attack. There is an army greater even than Maslama’s host yet you have not sought to harness its strength.’

‘Oh.’ The emperor nodded, now understanding. ‘You mean the Bulgars.’

‘Yes! If you sent word to them, you could form an alliance, you could pay them, you have enough gold, you could. . .’ His eagerness outran his tongue.

‘Listen, Erlan. It is not so simple. We have relations with the Bulgars. Or we have history, I should say. There was a treaty made with them. And not long ago.’

‘Then call on it,’ Erlan urged. ‘Why haven’t you already?’

Leo gave a wry chuckle. ‘It was not I who made the treaty but my predecessor. The man I deposed.’

Erlan’s enthusiasm wilted for a moment. ‘And so. . . the alliance was between tribes, wasn’t it? Between Byzantine and Bulgar?’