He conquered the world with a sword. Now he must survive it with a ledger. In the history we know, Alexander died in Babylon planning new conquests. In this novel, he stops. Alexander of Macedon has done the impossible: he has reached the edge of the known world. But looking out at the endless horizon of India, he grasps a terrifying truth — conquest is easy; order is hard. Defying his generals, his instincts and history itself, he orders his army to sheathe their swords and pick up shovels. Instead of burning cities, he protects their trade networks. Instead of barracks, he builds schools and libraries. Plunder — the foundation of every warrior empire — is forbidden. But peace has a price. For Cleon of Pella, his most brilliant and loyal general, this "Empire of Order" is a betrayal of Macedonian blood. As the King replaces warriors with accountants, Cleon issues his warning: a soldier who thinks is a soldier who hesitates. In a world suddenly tamed, the enemy is no longer an invading army — it is peace itself. Can an empire endure with no one left to fight? Or is bureaucracy the grave of heroes? For readers of Mary Renault and Harry Turtledove. A standalone novel in the Alternate Histories series.
