Jack Whyte: The Skystone

"Drink and make merry all you want tonight. But I want to be on the road before daylight! Thyrrwygg, it is your duty tonight. See to the sentries!" He waved and quit the fireside, beckoning to Caius and me to join him.

"Caius." I said, shaking my head in wondering admiration, "that was inspired, burning the toga! How does your mind work? I could never plan something like that. "

He just smiled at me and squeezed my shoulder. It was years later that he told me the gesture had been totally unpremeditated. He enjoyed inspiring awe as well as the next man.

Within the hour, I was sound asleep.

XXXII

It often used to seem to me that Bishop Alaric had a God-given, almost mystical ability to anticipate our celebrations in the Colony and then to pre-empt them with other news of greater moment. He did it again on this occasion, arriving at the Colony before us so that he was there on our return and bringing news that quite eclipsed our own. Magnus Maximus, self-styled Emperor of Britain, Gaul and Iberia, was dead. The revolt was over. Theodosius was in command again.

To give him his due, Alaric restrained himself until dinner time, keeping his momentous news to himself until we had had an opportunity to exult over our own. When he did deliver his information, after our meal was complete, the news stunned me.

"How did he die?" I asked Alaric. "Was it the Frankish horsemen?" He shook his head. "No, Publius. Theodosius himself had him executed. The news has just arrived. What did you last hear of him? Maximus, I mean. "

"That he was installed in the Germanic lands and hoping to claim Illyricum. That must have been two years ago." Caius answered.

"At least." Alaric nodded a head that was noticeably whiter than it had been the last time I saw him. '"Last year he invaded Italy, and Valentinian fled to Thessalonica to escape him. He had lived in dread of Magnus since Magnus killed Gratian, the other silly co-emperor, in Gaul. With Valentinian gone, Magnus crowned his own son co-emperor, to rule with him, making four emperors again. Folly! But he was a real threat, and they took him seriously. Not only Valentinian but Theodosius, too, recognized the boy. "

"Four emperors again. " Caius's disgust was palpable. "God! This is obscene!"

"Aye. Anyway, Magnus divided his armies and struck back into Illyricum again. Both armies met defeat. Magnus was taken. They killed him out of hand. "

Caius's face was suddenly filled with concern. "Both of Magnus's armies beaten? What about his son? Does he still live?" I knew Caius was thinking of Picus, who might have died with either one.

Alaric shrugged his shoulders. "No one seems to know. It is presumed he fell. But I do have news of your son, Picus. "

"Picus!" Caius's voice was avid. "What of him? Is he alive?" Alaric laughed. "Aye, Caius, he is alive and well. He rides with Stilicho. " Caius's sudden frown matched my own. "Stilicho? Who is he?" Alaric shook his head ruefully. "What, do you people hear nothing here?

Stilicho is the brightest star remaining in the Empire's battered crown. A brilliant young general. Picus is one of his protégés, it seems. I heard their names linked together only a week ago, up in Glevum, though no one present tied Picus's name to yours. "

Caius grunted. "No, they would not — not now. I am too long gone to think of. Yesterday's soldier. " I saw pain in his eyes. "Tell me more about this Stilicho. My son is his friend, you say?"

"One of his best cavalry commanders is what I heard. " Caius was mystified. "But how can that be?" he asked, frowning, "Picus was with Magnus. He left with Magnus. "

"Aye, but he also left Magnus. " Alaric's smile was kind. "Picus is his father's son, Caius. It did not take him long to see through Magnus and his posturing hypocrisy. We can only assume that, having seen the error of his ways, he surrendered to Stilicho and was pardoned. Stilicho is a very clever man, or he would not be where he is today. He would recognize Picus immediately for what he is, and he would want to retain the services and the loyalty of such a man. "

Now, belatedly, the rest of what Alaric had said registered in Caius's mind.

"Cavalry?" he asked. "Did you say cavalry?"

"Yes, Caius, I said cavalry. " The Bishop was smiling widely now. "You asked me earlier if Rome was training horsemen. Well, she is. Legions of them. Heavy cavalry. Heavily armed and heavily disciplined. Your son, according to the talk I heard, is one of the key figures in the new techniques of horsemanship. "

"Picus? He's but a boy!"

I heard the paternal pride in that statement, and smiled to myself as Alaric asked, "How old is he?"

"He must be twenty-three, or twenty-four. "

"Then he is no boy, Caius. Stilicho is only twenty-four and already he commands the Household Troops of the Imperial Court in Constantinople. The word is that he will be named Commander in Chief of the armies within the year. "

"Commander in Chief? At twenty-five? Has Theodosius lost his mind?"

"No, only his favourite niece, Serena. She is wed to Stilicho. "

"Oh God!" I groaned. "Imperial patronage!"

"No, Varrus, not so — not quite. " Alaric held up his hand to prevent my next outburst. "The troops who serve with Stilicho say he is the finest military mind since Alexander. "

"Huh!" I reserved judgment. "Stilicho. That's a strange name. "

"He is half Vandal. "

Caius's interruption was explosive. "Half Vandal? Another barbarian!

Being half Vandal seems to me much like being half with child. " His relief at knowing Picus to be well was making him sound most unlike himself, and Alaric's next words were gently chiding.

"Caius, I have never known you so querulous before. Do you feel well?"

"Quite well, thank you. The Commander in Chief a Vandal. I'll be damned!"

Alaric smiled at me. "If you die in this mood, my friend, you might be. " I was grinning broadly, hearing Caius reproached, even thus mildly, at his own table.

"Thank all the Saints that Picus is doing well, Caius, " I said, "and don't be such a critic. If he's as good as they say, he might recall our talks of Alexander and teach some decent tactics to his chief, Stilicho. " Stilicho. The name stuck in my mind. I felt excited by it, but not threatened. Somehow, I felt, this was a name to conjure with. The news of Magnus's defeat and death was timely. I imagined the demoralizing effect it would have on Seneca when I told him of it. Now the status quo in Britain would revert to what it had been before the revolt, and the Imperial Procurator of South Britain would be hard pressed to explain his long absence in the light of the evidence I intended to furnish to the returning imperial forces of Theodosius. I had to wrestle with myself to resist the temptation to tell Caius what I had decided to do about Seneca, but I knew that there was nothing to gain by doing so except argument and opposition. I held my peace and immersed myself that evening and most of the following day in the excitement caused by the outcome of our journey to Stonehenge.

It was clear that all our lives would be changed from the moment of that meeting, and there was a spirit of wild optimism among the Colonists for days after our return. For the first time, we had genuine allies who were prepared to protect our interests in return for our support in their own affairs.

I rose early on the morning of the second day after our return and slipped out of the villa before anyone was awake, having told Luceiia the night before that I was riding to Aquae Sulis that day. It was not a complete lie, for my destination lay only five miles south of that town. By the time dawn broke in the morning sky, I had covered more than ten miles, and my horse was eating up the remaining distance on the straight, solid road that ran for miles without a bend.