Lost in thought, the Prefect left the tent, and went round the camp to
the rather distant outwork, where he had entrenched himself and his
Isaurians before the Gate of Honorius.
It was situated on the south side of the city, near the harbour wall of
Classis, and the way led partly along the sea-shore.
Although the lonely wanderer was at this moment preoccupied by the
great thought which had become the pulse of his life, although he was
oppressed by anxiety as to how Belisarius--that man of impulse--would
act, and worried with impatience for the arrival of the answer from the
Franks, his attention was yet involuntarily attracted by the singular
appearance of the landscape, the sky, and the sea.
It was October; but the season had seemed for weeks to have altered its
laws. For almost two months it had never rained. Not a cloud, not a
stripe of mist had been seen in this usually so humid part of the
country. But now, quite suddenly--it was towards sunset--Cethegus
remarked in the east, above the sea horizon, a single, dense, and
coal-black cloud.
The setting sun, although free from mist, shed no rays.
Not a breath of air rippled the leaden surface of the sea; not the
smallest wavelet played upon the strand.
Not an olive-leaf moved in all the wide plain; not even the
easily-shaken reeds in the marshy ditches trembled.
No cry of an animal, no flight of a bird could be heard or perceived;
and a strange choking smell, as if of sulphur, seemed to lie
oppressively over land and sea, and to check respiration. The mules and
horses in the camp kicked uneasily against the posts to which they were
tied. A few camels and dromedaries, which Belisarius had brought with
him from Africa, buried their heads in the sand.
The wanderer heaved a deep breath, and looked about him in surprise.
"How sultry! Just as it is before the 'wind of death' arises in the
deserts of Egypt," he said to himself. "Sultry everywhere--outside and
inside. Upon whose head will the long-withheld fury of Nature and
Passion be let loose?"
He entered his tent.
Syphax accosted him.
"Sir, if I were at home, I should think that the poisonous breath of
the God of the Desert was coming over us." And he handed a letter to
the Prefect.
It was the answer of the King of the Franks. Hastily Cethegus tore open
the great shining seal.
"Who brought it?"
"An ambassador, who, as he did not find you, immediately asked to be
conducted to Belisarius. He desired to go the shortest way--through the
camp."
So thus Cethegus had missed him.
He read eagerly:
"'Theudebald, King of the Franks, to Cethegus, the Prefect of Rome.
"'You have addressed to us wise words, and still wiser words you have
not trusted to the letter, but have sent to us through our Major Domus.
We are not disinclined to act accordingly. We accept your advice, and
the gifts which accompany it. Their misfortunes have dissolved our
treaty with the Goths. They may blame their evil fate and not our
withdrawal. Whom Heaven forsakes, men, if they be pious and wise,
should forsake also. It is true that the Goths have paid beforehand the
price for the army of alliance. But, in our eyes, that is no hindrance.
We will keep the treasure as a pledge, until such time as they shall
cede to us the towns in South Gaul, which lie within the frontier
formed by God and nature for the kingdom of the Franks. But, as we have
prepared for a campaign, and our brave soldiers, who already scent the
battle, would but impatiently bear the tedium of peace and might become
dangerous, we are inclined, notwithstanding, to send our valiant troops
over the Alps. Only, instead of fighting _for_ the Goths, they will
fight against them. However, we do not wish to serve the Emperor
Justinian, who continually denies us the title of King, and inscribes
himself on his coins, 'Master of Gaul;' who will not allow us to
impress our own image on our own coins; and has offered other
unbearable affronts to our dignity. We rather think of extending our
own power in Italy. Now, as we well know that the whole strength of the
Emperor in that country is embodied in his commander-in-chief,
Belisarius, and that the latter has a great number of old and new
injuries to complain of, inflicted by his ungrateful master, we shall
propose to the hero, Belisarius, to set himself up as Emperor of the
West, to which end we will send him an army of a hundred thousand
Frankish heroes. In return, we desire the cession of only a small part
of Italy, extending from our frontier to Genoa. We hold it to be
impossible that any mortal can refuse such an offer. In case you will
co-operate with us, we promise you a sum of twelve centenari of gold;
and, upon a return payment of two centenari, we shall place your name
on the list of our messmates. The ambassador who brings you this
letter--Duke Lintharis--has our order to communicate with Belisarius.'"
Cethegus had read to the end with difficulty. He now broke out:
"Such an offer at such a moment! In such a humour! He will accept it!
Emperor of the West, with a hundred thousand Prankish warriors! He must
not live!"
And he hurried to the door of his tent; but he suddenly checked
himself.
"Fool that I am!" he laughed, "Still so hot-blooded? He is Belisarius,
and not Cethegus! He will not accept. He can rebel as little as the
moon can rebel against the earth, or a tame house-dog suddenly become a
raging wolf. He will not accept! But now let us see to what purpose we
can put the cupidity and falsity of this Merovingian. No, King of the
Franks!" and he looked bitterly at the crumpled letter. "As long as
Cethegus lives, not a foot of Italian soil shall you have!"
He paced rapidly through his tent.
Another turn--with a slower step.
And a third--then he stood still, and over his mighty brow came a flash
of light.
"I have it!" he joyously cried. "Syphax," he called, "go and fetch
Procopius."
As he again paced the tent, his eyes fell upon the fallen letter of the
Merovingian.
"No," he laughed triumphantly, as he took it up from the ground. "No,
King of the Franks, you shall not win as much of Italy's holy soil as
is covered by this letter."
Procopius soon appeared. The two men sat talking earnestly through the
whole night.
Procopius was startled at the bold and daring plans of the Prefect, and
for some time refused to enter into them. But the genius of the man
held him fast, overcame every objection before it was expressed, and at
last he was so entangled in an inextricable network of argument, that
he lost all power of resistance.
The stars were pale, and the dawn illumined the east with a grey stripe
of light, when Procopius took leave of his friend.
"Cethegus," he said, rising, "I admire you. If I were not the historian
of Belisarius, I should like to be yours."
"It would be more interesting," said the Prefect quietly, "but more
difficult."
"But," continued Procopius, "I cannot help shuddering at the biting
acrimony of your spirit. It is a sign of the times in which we live. It
is like a poisonous but brilliant flower in a swamp. When I recollect
how you have ruined the Gothic King by means of his own wife----"
"I have something to tell you about that. Lately I have heard very
little from my fair ally----"
"Your ally? Your ways are----"
"Always practical."
"But not always---- But never mind. I am with you--for yet a little
while, for I wish to get my hero out of Italy as soon as possible. He
shall gather laurels in Persia instead of thorns here. But I will only
go with you as far----"
"As it suits you, of course."
"Enough! I will at once speak with Antonina. I do not doubt of success.
She is tired to death here. She burns with desire, not only to see many
an old friend in Byzantium, but also to ruin the enemies of her
husband."
"A good bad wife!"
"But Witichis? Do you think he will believe a rebellion on the part of
Belisarius possible?"
"King Witichis is a good soldier, but a poor psychologist. I know a
much cleverer man, who yet, for a moment, believed it possible.
Besides, you will bring proofs in writings and just now, forsaken as he
is by the Franks--the water is up to his neck--he will snatch at any
straw. Therefore I, also, do not doubt of success. Only make sure of
Antonina----"
"That shall be my care. At mid-day I hope to enter Ravenna as an
ambassador."
"Good--and do not forget to speak to the lovely Queen."