The Vizier giggles behind an embroidered sleeve at the evident misunderstanding.

No sir, by 'far-off' I meant from Istanbul, not from Baghdad (although I am told it is still some prodigious walk from here to the Dome on the Rock!).

But nevermind, at any rate I trust our 'ambitions' as you put it will be hardly relevant to the Caesar, Basileos or whomever is currently running our great trading partner the Roman Empire.....at the very least while you deal with the immediate challenges posed by your surprising invasion of your Latin ally's heartlands....