Antonius had been uncontrollably angry
for three days, and the anger had made him bold. The Lady had sent him back to
Visnea and dropped him, quite gently, on the steps of the Curia (the senatorial
parliament building). Once he had worked out exactly where he was he had gone
straight to the Imperial Palace and demanded an audience with the Emperor.
Pallatian was just
east of the Wall, examining the plans for a new city, Transmuralis, set to be a
major transport centre for his new cross-continental road. He had to cut short
his visit and return to the Capital. On the way he got muddled messages about
what had happened and his fears grew.
He returned to an
exasperated senate and an over-excited populace. Protestors had congregated
round the palace waving banners daubed in red paint – ‘Down with Ortians’ and
‘Crush the Easterners’ were among the more popular slogans. The Emperor hurried
into the city and instantly summoned his chief-of-staff, General Titanius. At
that point he got the full story, but could hardly believe it. After that there
was little choice but to talk to Senator Antonius, the illegally-ousted
proconsul.
They met in a council room in the depths
of the palace – The Emperor, Titanius and Antonius. There wasn’t even time to
find a higher chair for Pallatian so they sat almost as if equals. Then
Antonius told his story. Pallatian
waited until he had recounted everything before he spoke, trying to keep any
edge out of his voice. He did not intend to act precipitously.
‘Are you certain that
this crime of removal was committed by the Lady?’
‘Who else would have
the power?’ asked Antonius, sitting bolt upright on the very edge of his
chair.
‘A witch?’ suggested
Titanius
‘There were no
witches, General, and Aurelian was passing on a direct threat from her’
‘But why would she do
it?’ asked Pallatian, ‘she’s never interfered with a proconsular appointment
before’
‘It was because of the
old proconsul – she’s demanding her back’
‘Back?’ said
Titanius, ‘she has no right to make those sorts of threats’
‘Exactly – I have
been removed without permission and I have been physically assaulted. I must be
reinstated and I will be seeking considerable damages’
Pallatian failed to supress
his grin completely, although he tried very hard.
‘You’re going to sue
a goddess? Is that your plan?’
Antonius’s anger,
which was volatile enough to be directed at anyone, turned on his liege lord.
‘No-one is above the
law, my lord. I demand my senatorial and proconsular rights!’
Pallatian knew that
this was a bad moment but he was always convinced that there was some way out
of every problem. He leant over and grasped Antonius’s shoulder, perhaps a
little too tightly.
‘Of course, my dear
friend, you will have all the recompense that you deserve. However, the Lady of
Ortia is one of the Uchbenoi, an immortal being of great power. I don’t think,
therefore, that the legal route will be very successful. But feel free to try –
my lawyers are at your disposal… ’
Pallatian caught a
look in Titanius’s eye. He had seen it many times before – it said ‘act like an
emperor’. He tried again, struggling to drive the sneer out of his voice.
‘However, the
question of compensation can be readily answered. Would ten thousand imperial
sovereigns cover it?’
Greed and hurt pride
fought inside Antonius, but pride and anger won.
‘The question of
money is only secondary – I am a rich man and any recompense will simply recognise
my loss of earnings and respect…’
‘We are still paying
your stipend, I am sure…’
Antonius glared at
this interruption. The Emperor realised with a shock that this elf, his choice
for proconsul, really was, at times, rather petty and irritating. It was such a
shame that so few of his citizens could see the big picture.
‘Nonetheless, what I
want from you, my lord, is action. You must send an expedition to conquer
Ortia’
‘Conquer?’ murmured Titanius, ‘really?’
‘Of course – this is
a clear breach of Imperial order. Such things cannot be allowed to happen’
Pallatian framed his
response to this as slowly and as clearly as he could.
‘I have no intention
of sending an expeditionary force against an Imperial city. However upset you
may be it cannot justify some sort of retributive strike against our own kin. I
need to know for certain what has happened before I make any decision’
He turned to
Titanius.
‘Have we heard
anything from General Aurelian?’
Titanius passed
Aurelian’s letter to him. He spent some time opening it, as it was a good excuse
to find some thinking space. He then read it just as slowly. He handed it back
to Titanius without offering to show it to the senator. Titanius knew better
than to read it just then, either.
‘And?’ asked Antonius
‘He says that the
Lady has asked him to be Dictator of the city until Marthian returns. He then
says that he has decided to accept the post in lieu of any other effective
government. He awaits my instructions and promises to follow them to the
letter’
‘Then write to him to
tell him to stand down. And tell him that he will be court martialled’
Titanius, who had
been sitting with his head slightly down jerked up suddenly. It took all of his
reserve of patience and judgment not to speak, but somehow he remained silent.
‘And what is your
charge, senator? Have you any proof that the general is in league with the
Lady? From what you have said he served you well enough, even if he wasn’t
pleased about it, and that he was simply passing on a threat. His behaviour
appears to have been exemplary’
‘Maybe, but those two
are lovers you know…’ said Antonius, only to realise that this was a bit of a
blunder in the present company. The relationship between the imperial commander-in-chief
and his chief military officer was an open secret, tolerated by most but
excoriated by a few.
‘Meaning what?’ asked
the Emperor. Antonius shook his head
vaguely but didn’t reply. Instead he
forged on with his main point.
‘The main point is that you need to send some
sort of force to sort everything out – I insist on it’
Pallatian’s eyes
blazed with irritation, but he resisted the temptation to throw this annoying
creature into the dungeons below the sewers, those dank prisons specifically designed
for those who dared to insult the Emperor. He knew that politics sometimes
demanded forbearance.
‘Thank you for your
advice, Antonius, but I think a more careful approach is needed here. Let me
think about our options for a little longer and consult more widely’
Antonius’s anger
remained his strongest impulse and it drove him to insolence.
‘No’ he said, ‘that’s
not acceptable. As I said, I insist’
‘Senator’ said
Titanius, getting up from his chair, ‘show some respect!’
Antonius stood up to
face the general; he was a short, round elf, at least four inches shorter than
Titanius, but just for that moment it looked like an equal match.
‘My family is already
scandalised by my treatment, as are my fellow senators – I demand satisfaction!’
Titanius’s hand went
to the hilt of his sword – it was a dress sword and it would have taken him
about twenty minutes to extract its blunt edge from its scabbard, but the
intent was clearly there. Pallatian realised that this was escalating into
something very worrying.
‘And you will have it, old friend – but this
is not the elven way, as you know. We should not hurry things that cannot bear
the hurrying’
Antonius laughed.
‘Well, that will make
a change for you…’
Titanius was still
fumbling with his sword. Pallatian nodded savagely at him to stop.
‘I’m sorry, senator,
I cannot authorise any action against Ortia at present. You will be reinstated
as proconsul in time, of course, but I cannot afford to risk the integrity of
Ortia – it is central to my strategic plans’
Antonius smiled.
‘I know’ he said,
‘and that is why you will do exactly as I ask…’
Pallatian wasn’t sure
of the nature of the trap but it was clear that the jaws of one were opening.
‘What do you mean?’ he
asked
‘Well, let me see.
For a start, I can muster the conservative votes in the senate to block funding
for your beloved ‘big road’. You won’t be able to afford it unless the
patrician families pay up for it. I know that a lot of the ‘strict moralists’
would be only too happy to put obstacles in your way’
Pallatian smiled a cold smile of recognition
– here was the political beast at bay.
‘Go on, proconsul,
I’m fascinated…’
‘In addition, can I
remind you that the principle of adoption pioneered by your illustrious, but
not consanguineous, father has never been ratified by the senate and that opening up the
question to a debate and a vote might prove embarrassing, particularly as at
least three of the senators are in the direct line of imperial succession.’
The Emperor stood up
and lifted his hand. It was time for this to stop.
‘That is enough’ he
said, ‘I will give you what you want. I will send you back to Ortia with a
military force led by General Titanius’
Antonius looked as if
he was going to say something else, but his anger had finally transformed into
caution. He knew that he had gone far too far.
‘Thank you, my lord’
he mumbled, retreating rapidly. Pallatian’s gaze followed him all the way out
and then lingered on the door as if wishing it were see-through. He was as angry as he had even been, but knew
that he couldn’t afford to show it.
They waited until they were sure that
the senator was long gone, and then Titanius came over and squeezed Pallatian’s
hand. He looked worried. Pallatian absentmindedly kissed him on the forehead.
‘Really?’ said
Titanius, ‘You’re sending me to Ortia?’
‘Yes, my love, I’m
afraid that I am’
‘But what will you
have me do when I get there?’
‘Nothing at all – I
want you take as long as possible to get there and then do nothing. Surround
the city if you must, but no bloodshed. Spend as long as possible parleying
with Aurelian and wait. Don’t talk to the Lady unless you really have to…’
Titanius looked
concerned.
‘Will you write all
this down?’
‘Of course, I will
spell it all out in my orders – but don’t show any of them to Antonius – keep
him in the dark as much as possible’
‘Understood– but what
are you going to do?’
‘I’m going to find out what all the fuss is
about’
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