The Empress and her daughter came out just then and Constantine went to call the litter bearers. But from then on, he assigned to Dacius the task of guarding them, for somehow the things he had heard in the Christian church at Antioch and also at Drepanum, and his strange experience in the ruins at DuraEuropos, disturbed him by raising questions for which he could not find the answer.

Having been given a second chance, and realizing that he would most certainly not be given a third, should he fail in the war against the Persians, Galerius prepared carefully. When finally he was ready to leave Antioch some six months after his arrival there in disgrace, he rode at the head of a large and welldisciplined army that headed northeastward toward Armenia. Before leaving King Tir idates came to tell Constantine goodbye.

“I’m sorry you chose not to take command of my forces, once my kingdom is free again,” he said. “But I can understand the son of Constantius Chlorus having higher ambitions.”

“They may do me no good,” Constantine admitted, “but a caravan master who guided us across the desert to Palmyra told me that a man can find his way anywhere in the world if he chooses a particular star and follows it.”

Tiridates agreed

“No one can do less than fulfill his destiny,” Tiridates agreed. “Years ago a nobleman named Mamgo and his people left the Empire of China and settled in Armenia. I remember listening many times to tales of the yellow people of the East, the vastness of their domain, and the many things they possessed that we do not have. We may still fight together against these yellow men, friend Constantine. And you may live to rule an empire greater than the world has ever known.”

From the door, Tiridates turned for a final word. “Beware of Galerius. He will seek to destroy you at the first opportunity.”

“But I have done him no harm.”

“He blames you for the humiliation he was subjected to by the Emperor.”

“I had nothing to do with that.”

“The way Galerius sees it, you did, by stopping the Persian army while his rabble were still fleeing.”

“Narses would never have been such a fool as to approach Antioch, with our army from Egypt only a few days’ march away. What we stopped were scavengers; the main Persian advance never crossed the Euphrates.”

“Don’t let Galerius learn how much you know, then. Scavengers or not, his men were still running.”

“Except you.”

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