A few weeks later, we find Cethegus in the well-known room containing
the statue of Caesar, together with our new acquaintance, Petros, the
ambassador of the Emperor Justinian, or rather of the Empress.
The two men had shared a simple meal and had emptied a flask of old
Massikian together, exchanging reminiscences of past times--they had
been fellow-students, as we already know--and had just left the
dinner-room for the study of Cethegus, in order, undisturbed by the
attendants, to talk over more confidential affairs.
"As soon as I had convinced myself," said Cethegus, concluding his
account of late events, "that the alarming reports from Ravenna were
only rumours--perhaps inventions, and, at all events, exaggerated--I
opposed the utmost coolness to the excitement and zeal of my friends.
Lucius Lucinius, with his fiery temper and foolish enthusiasm, almost
spoilt everything. He repeatedly demanded that I should accept the
office of Dictator, and literally put his sword to my breast, shouting
that I should be compelled to serve the fatherland. He let out so many
secrets, that it was fortunate the dark Corsican--who seems to stick to
the Goths, no one knows why--took him to be more drunk than he really
was. At last news came that Amalaswintha had returned, and so people
and Senate gradually became more calm."
"And you," said Petros, "have saved Rome for the second time from the
revenge of the barbarians--a service which can never be forgotten, and
for which all the world, but most of all the Queen, must thank you."
"The Queen--poor woman!" answered Cethegus, shrugging his shoulders.
"Who knows how long the Goths, or your imperial master at Byzantium,
will leave her upon her throne?"
"What! You mistake entirely!" interrupted Petros eagerly. "My embassy
was intended, above all other things, to support her government; and I
was just upon the point of asking your advice," he added cunningly, "as
to how this can best be done."
But the Prefect leaned back his head against the marble wall, and
looked with a smile at the ambassador.
"Oh, Petros! oh, Peter!" he said. "Why so secret? I thought we knew
each other better."
"What do you mean?" asked the Byzantine, embarrassed.
"I mean that we have not studied law and history together at Berytus
and Athens in vain. I mean that at that time we already, while working
together and exchanging our wise thoughts, came to the conclusion that
the Emperor must drive out these barbarians, and rule again in Rome as
he does in Byzantium. And as I think now just as I did then, you also
will surely not have become a different man."
"I must subject my views to those of my master; and Justinian----"
"Naturally burns to rule in Italy."
"But certainly," said Petros, much embarrassed, "cases might occur----"
"Peter," said Cethegus, now rising indignantly, "use no phrases and no
lies with me; they do no good. See, Petros, this is your old fault; you
are ever too cunning to be wise. You think that you must always lie,
and are never courageous enough to be truthful. How can you pretend to
me that the Emperor does not mean to have Italy again? Whether he will
uphold or overthrow the Queen depends upon whether he thinks he will
reach his goal more easily with or without her. What his opinion is I
am not to know. But, in spite of all your cunning, the next time we
meet I will tell you to your face what he intends to do."
A wicked and bitter smile played upon the ambassador's thin lips.
"Still as proud as ever you were in the schools of logic at Athens," he
said spitefully.
"Yes; and at Athens, you know, I was always the first, Procopius the
second, and you came third."
Syphax just then entered the room.
"A veiled woman, sir," he said, "awaits you in the Hall of Jupiter."
Glad that the conversation was thus interrupted, for he did not feel
capable of arguing with the Prefect, Petros said, with a grin:
"I wish you joy of such an interruption."
"Yes, for your own sake," answered Cethegus, smiling; and left the
room.
"You shall one day repent your sarcasm, haughty man!" thought the
Byzantine.
In the hall--which received the name of Jupiter from a beautiful
statue, sculptured by Glycon of Athens--Cethegus found a woman, clad
richly in the Gothic costume. On his entrance, she threw back the cowl
of her brown mantle.
"Princess Gothelindis!" cried the Prefect in surprise. "What leads you
to me?"
"Revenge!" she answered, in a hoarse voice, and advanced towards him.
Her features were sharp, but not plain; she would even have been called
beautiful, but that her left eye was utterly destroyed, and the whole
of her left cheek disfigured by a long scar. The wound seemed to bleed
afresh as her cheeks flushed while pronouncing the angry word. Such
deadly hatred shone from her grey eye, that Cethegus involuntarily
retreated.
"Revenge?" he asked. "On whom?"
"On--of that later. Forgive that I disturb you," she added, composing
herself. "Your friend Petros of Byzantium is with you, is he not?"
"Yes; but how do you know?"
"Oh! I saw him enter your door before supper," she answered, with
assumed indifference.
"That is not true," said Cethegus to himself; "for he was brought in by
the garden-gate. So they have made an appointment here, and I was not
to know it. What can they want with me?"
"I will not keep you long," continued Gothelindis. "I have only one
question to ask of you. Answer briefly, 'yes' or 'no.' I have the power
to ruin that woman--the daughter of Theodoric--and I have the will. Are
you for me in this, or against me?"
"Oh! friend Petros," thought the Prefect. "Now I already know what you
intend to do with Amalaswintha. But we will see how far you have
gone.--Gothelindis," he said aloud, "I readily believe that you wish to
ruin the Gothic Queen; but I doubt if you can do so."
"Listen to me, and then decide whether I can or no. The woman has
caused the three dukes to be murdered."
Cethegus shrugged his shoulders. "Many people think that."
"But I can prove it."
"You don't say so?" exclaimed Cethegus incredulously.
"Duke Thulun, as you know, did not die immediately. He was attacked on
the AEmilian Way, near my villa at Tannetum. My husbandmen found him and
brought him into my house. You know that he was my cousin--I belong to
the Balthe family. He died in my arms."
"Well, and what said the sick man in his fever?"
"Fever! Nothing of the sort! As Duke Thulun fell, he wounded his
murderer, who was not able to fly far. My husbandmen sought for him,
and found him dying in the nearest wood. He confessed everything to
me."
Cethegus imperceptibly compressed his lips.
"Well? What was he? What did he say?"
"He was an Isaurian mercenary," said Gothelindis sharply, "an
overlooker of the works on the ramparts at Rome, and he said,
'Cethegus, the Prefect, sent me to the Queen, and the Queen sent me to
Duke Thulun!'"
"Who heard his confession besides you?" asked Cethegus.
"No one. And no one shall know of this, if you stand by me. But if not,
then----"
"Gothelindis," interrupted the Prefect, "no threats! They are of no
use. You must comprehend that they can only aggravate, but not control
me. In case of need, I would allow it to come to an open accusation.
You are known as the bitter enemy of Amalaswintha, and your evidence
alone--you were imprudent enough to confess that no one else heard the
declaration of the dying man--would ruin neither her nor me. You cannot
force me to act against the Queen; at the most, you could persuade me,
if you can show that it would be to my advantage. And to do this, I
myself will propose an ally to you. You certainly know Petros, my
friend?"
"Very well; long since."
"Permit me to fetch him to this conference."
He returned to his study.
"Petros, my visitor is the Princess Gothelindis, the wife of Theodahad.
She wishes to speak to both of us. Do you know her?"
"I? oh no. I have never seen her," answered Petros quickly.
"'Tis well; follow me."
As soon as they entered the hall, Gothelindis cried out:
"Welcome, old friend! What a surprising meeting!"
Petros was dumb. Cethegus, his hands clasped behind his back, enjoyed
the confusion of the Byzantine.
"Do you see, Petros? always too cunning, always unnecessary subtleties!
But come, do not be so cast down by the discovery of a trick. So you
two have combined together for the Queen's ruin. You wish to persuade
me to help you. But before doing so, I must know your intentions
exactly. Whom will you place upon Amalaswintha's throne? For the way is
not yet open for Justinian."
Both were silent for some moments. His clear perception of the
situation surprised them. At last Gothelindis spoke:
"Theodahad, my husband, the last of the Amelungs."
"Theodahad, the last of the Amelungs," Cethegus repeated slowly.
Meanwhile, he considered all the advantages and disadvantages of this
plan. He reflected that Theodahad, unloved by the Goths, and raised to
the throne by Petros, would soon be entirely in the power of the
Byzantines, and that the catastrophe would be brought about in a
different manner and earlier than he intended. He reflected that he
must at all events keep the armies of the East Romans at a distance for
the longest possible time, and he decided to keep up the present state
of things and support Amalaswintha, because thus he would gain time for
his preparations. All this he had thought over, weighed, and decided
upon, in a few moments.
"And how will you commence proceedings?" he asked gravely.
"We shall desire the Queen to abdicate in favour of my husband,
threatening, in case of refusal, to accuse her of murder."
"And if she runs the risk?"
"We will carry out our threat," said Petros, "and raise a storm amongst
the Goths, which will----"
"Cost her her life!" cried Gothelindis.
"Perhaps cost her her throne," said Cethegus, "but hardly give it to
Theodahad. No, if the Goths are allowed to _choose_ a king, he will not
bear the name of 'Theodahad.'"
"That is too true," said Gothelindis angrily.
"Then there might easily come a king who would be much less welcome to
us all than Amalaswintha. And therefore I tell you openly, I am not on
your side; I will uphold the Queen."
"Then there is war between us," cried Gothelindis grimly, and turned
towards the door. "Come, Petros."
"Softly, friends," said the Byzantine. "Perhaps Cethegus will change
his mind when he has read this paper," and he gave the Prefect the
letter which Alexandros had brought from Amalaswintha to Justinian.
Cethegus read; his features darkened.
"Well," said Petros sarcastically, "will you still support the Queen,
who has vowed your ruin? Where would you be if she carried out her
plan, and your friends did not watch over you?"
Cethegus scarcely listened to him.
"Pitiful fellow," he thought, "as if it were that! as if the Queen were
not quite right! as if I could blame her for it! But the imprudent
woman has already done what I only feared from Theodahad. She has
ruined herself, and frustrated all my plans; she has already called the
Byzantines into the country, and now they will come, whether she will
or no. As long as Amalaswintha reigns, Justinian will play the part of
her protector." And now he turned, in seeming consternation, to the
ambassador, and, giving him the letter back, asked: "And if she carries
out her intention, when could your troops land?"
"Belisarius is already on the way to Sicily," said Petros, proud of
having abashed the Prefect; "in a week he can anchor before Portus."
"Unheard of!" cried Cethegus, this time in real dismay.
"You see," said Gothelindis, who had meanwhile read the letter, "those
whom you would uphold wish to ruin you. Be beforehand with them."
"In the name of my Emperor," said Petros, "I summon you to help me to
destroy this kingdom of the Goths, and to restore to Italy her freedom.
You and your talent are valued as they ought to be at the Emperor's
court, and, after the victory, Justinian promises you--the dignity of a
senator at Byzantium."
"Is it possible?" cried Cethegus. "But not even this highest; of
honours drives me with such eagerness into your plans as my indignation
against the ungrateful Queen, who in reward for all my services,
threatens my life.--But are you sure?" he asked anxiously, "that
Belisarius will not land at once?"
"Do not be uneasy," answered Petros; "it is my hand that will beckon,
when it is time. First, Amalaswintha must be replaced by Theodahad."
"That is well," thought Cethegus; "with time all is won, and the
Byzantines shall not land until I can receive them at the head of Italy
in arms.--I am yours," he added aloud, turning to Gothelindis, "and I
think I can bring Amalaswintha to set the crown upon your husband's
head with her own hands. She shall resign the sceptre."
"The Queen will never do that!" cried Gothelindis.
"Perhaps! Her generosity is still greater than her ambition. It is
possible to ruin one's enemies through their virtues," said Cethegus
thoughtfully. "I am now sure of the thing, and I greet you, Queen of
the Goths!" he concluded, with a slight bow.