Barry Sadler: The War lord

Though the concepts were alien to the Roman, they seemed here not out of place. Watching the two rocks with their tattered rope, it made sense to him and was oddly pleasing and comforting.

The two sat silently until the first light of day cast a glow over the wall. Rising, the young man bowed low to the barbarian, "We will meet again, Lord Casca," and he turned to leave.

"Please, young sir, you know my name, may I ask yours? I wish to thank you properly for what you have shown me tonight."

The young man smiled again and bowed gently, "I am Tzin."

Before Casca could find his voice, he was gone.

"The Emperor… I have spent a whole night with the Emperor watching a couple of rocks!"

Confused, he returned to his rooms and lay on his pallet, letting sleep take him. "The Emperor.” That day he dreamed again, faces haunting him… Glam… the barbarian… Neta, his first love.. ships and battles and then a distant aching in his wrist and the Elder Dacort's face leering from a cross saying…'You are the road that leads to Jesus and we shall be there with you.'

The following day, Casca was instructed in the manner in which to present himself to the Emperor. He would enter the imperial chambers on his knees and bow three times, crawl forward three paces and bow three more times, keeping his eyes averted from the Son of Heaven until he was permitted to sit up, but not to stand as no one must hover over the royal person.

The reception hall of the Peacock Throne was quite simple in comparison to the courts of Rome and other kingdoms he had seen. Ostentation was not to be found here. Wealth, yes, in the few objects present, but the lack of any vulgar display seemed somehow to give those items present an even greater value. Vases of alabaster so thin that light glowed from them as if there were candles inside, one statuette of a flying dove carved of luminescent rose jade placed on a piece of twisted teak, spoke more of wealth and power than all the jewels on the fingers of Gaius Nero.

Performing the prescribed ritual, Casca bowed his way into the presence of the royal person. His face remained to the mat floo'r until the words of the major-domo permitted him to rise and look upon the face of the Father of the World, conqueror of the Hsuing-nu, overlord of the mongol tribes and the Son of Heaven, in whom all wisdom resides.

Tzin sat in the only chair present, on a raised dais so that even sitting, he would be taller than any man present. In his hands, he held a wand of gold and ivory, beautifully engraved with twisting four-toed dragons winding about it. Four toes on a dragon were permitted only for those of the royal household and only they were permitted to carry them or their likenesses about.

A small brazier glowed nearby the Emperor's right hand, a thin spiral of incense rising and giving the delicate fragrance of roses. The Emperor had more wealth on him than the treasuries of Rome could purchase in three years of taxes from all provinces, but it was considered vulgar to complement each other in this place. On his head was a soft two-cornered cap with red and gold tassels, his robes and hat were both of the imperial green shade that only nobility could wear.

The Emperor spoke, holding the packet of letters which Casca had brought from Kushan. "Lord Casca, we thank you for bringing us this welcome message from his highness, the. King of Kushan. We are pleased to note that our countryman, Tsin-ta'i, still has our interests at heart and is loyal to the throne. Kushan has prospered and an alliance to drive the Hsuing-nu back into the wastes from which they came, shall please us."

Holding up another letter, the Emperor continued, "Here is a letter from our servant, Tsin-ta'i, in which he tells the remarkable story set down by an ancient sage who died long ago, Shin Lao Tze. It is indeed remarkable. None other than myself has seen this letter." Tzin dropped the paper onto the incense brazier where the flames hungrily consumed the paper, leaving only a small pile of ashes.

"Lord Casca, is it your wish to remain with us and serve the House of Tzin for such time as you wish to depart, as I know you must one day?"

Casca looked the young king in the eyes and felt again the drawing power of this young man. "It is, Lord."

Pleased, Tzin nodded and motioned for a scribe to crawl nearer. "Take these words. It is my pleasure that the one known as Casca shall henceforth be honored as the Baron of Chung Wei, which guards the Jade Gate from which he came to us. There all shall obey and honor him." Pointing his ivory rod, the Emperor said, "Lord Casca, you shall await my pleasure and prepare the men I shall send to do battle against the Hsuing-nu. From our mutual friend in Kushan, I know much of you and that you will be of assistance in ridding the earth of the lice who call themselves men." Tzin clapped his hands and had a lacquered box brought to him. Opening the container, he withdrew the new lord's seal, presenting it to Casca with his own hands. The Chu hou wang of a noble, made of yellow gold with a knob of polished tortoise shell. With this Casca would make his mark, sign his orders and all documents sent to the Lord of Heaven. The Lord Tzin himself signed and stamped documents of ennoblement with his own hand and the seal of the kingdom made of rare jade engraved with a li, a one-horned dragon knob with four toes bearing the inscription that had come down to the Kings of Han from the past: Shou t'ien chih ming huang ti shou ch'ang (By the command of heaven, long-lived and glorious the emperor).

Honor was shown to the new lord, responsibility was given and none could dispute it. The word of the Emperor was law and the law would be obeyed, for such is the order of things in civilized countries.

"You have my permission to go to your province now," said the Emperor and, with the wave of his sceptor, informed Casca that the audience was over. Repeating the same procedure used on entering, Casca backed out, averting his eyes from the Presence and not rising until the chamber doors closed behind him.

"A Baron! He's made me a Baron of Tzin. Well, why not, I was a god once."

Casca left the Capitol a noble with a retinue of men-at-arms and knights, along with servants and carts to carry his possessions-enough to outfit a Persian palace. He departed riding a bay stallion with white stocking, a brave flash on his forehead. He cut a dashing figure on the beautiful and high spirited animal and the brass rings which held his feet made the ride much easier. Casca stared at the brass rings thinking, "Why didn't we ever think of them? These people have had them for centuries and can make the most ungainly foot soldier into a horseman. Shit, it took me years to learn how to ride without them and not fall off every time that damned horse shied at a bush or snake."

Behind, faithful, tough old Clam was being led on a tether by a slave. Casca looked at him fondly. "If there is fighting in the deserts and hills, I would rather have him than ten of these thin-blooded race horses."

Behind shaggy Glam came Mei Cho giggling to herself as she recalled how the hair on the ugly one's chest had felt the first time. But he was naive. She was his first girl and as such had seniority over any others he might take. She lounged in her palanquin stretched between horses and thought how she would make life miserable for the other girls if they didn't jump at her commands. Her only regret about her appearance was that her feet were too large. She had been born to slaves and was unlucky enough not to have had them bound as a baby, for the tiny feet that came with binding made them slow when it came to following orders, but the big nosed one didn't even seem to notice.

"He is really kind not to hurt my feelings by commenting on how ugly my feet are."