CHAPTER IX.
It was with most joyful surprise that the two tribunes, Licinius andJulianus, entered the tent of the Prefect after their interview withNarses.
"Once again you have conquered, O Cethegus!" cried Licinius.
"You have got the upper hand, Prefect of Rome," said Salvius Julianus."I do not understand it, but Narses really abandons Rome to you."
"Ha!" cried Piso, who had entered with the others, "that is your oldCaesarian luck, Cethegus! Your star, which has seemed to wane since thisfamous cripple's arrival, shines anew. It seems to me that sometimeshis _mind_ suffers from attacks of epilepsy. For, with a sound mind,how could he quietly let you enter Rome? No! Quem deus vult perderedementat! Now will Quintus Piso again wander through the Forum, andlook into the book-stalls to see if the Goths have assiduously boughthis 'Epistolas ad amabilissimum, carissimum pastorem Adalgothum et ejuspedum'--(Letters to the very amiable and greatly beloved shepherd-boy,Adalgoth, and his bludgeon)."
"So you have composed in exile, like Ovidius?" asked Cethegus, smiling.
"Yes," answered Piso. "The six-footed verses come more readily, sincethey no longer need to fear the Goths, who are a foot longer. And amidthe noise of Gothic banquetings it would not be easy to compose, evenin time of peace."
"He has composed some merry verses, intermixed with Gothic words, onthat subject too," said Salvius Julianus. "How does it begin, 'Interhails Gothicum skapja'----"
"Do not wrong my words! It is not permitted to quote falsely what isimmortal."
"Well, how go the verses?" asked Cethegus.
"Thus," said Piso:
"De conviviis barbarorum. Inter: 'Hails Gothicum! skapja matjan jah drinkan!' Non audet quisquam dignos educere versus: Calliope madido trepidat se jungere Baccho, Ne pedibus non stet ebria Musa suis."
"Horrible poetry!" exclaimed Salvius Julianus.
"Who knows," said Piso, laughing, "whether the thirst of the Goths willnot become immortal through these verses?"
"But now tell me exactly what Narses answered?" said Cethegus.
"First he listened to us with great incredulity," replied Licinius, "Heasked suspiciously, 'Is it possible that the prudent Romans can againbeg for an Isaurian garrison and the Prefect, whom they have to thankfor so much famine and unwilling valour?' But I answered that heunder-rated the patriotism of the Romans, and that it was your affairif you had deceived yourself. If the Romans did not voluntarily admitus, your seven thousand men were too weak to storm the city. Thisseemed to convince him. He only required our promise that, if we werenot admitted voluntarily, we would at once return here."
"And we thought we might well venture to promise this in your name,"concluded Julianus.
"You were right," said Cethegus, with a smile.
"Narses then said that he would not hinder us if the Romans liked tohave us. And he is so completely harmless," Licinius went on, "that hedoes not seem to wish to detain you, even as a hostage; for he inquiredwhen the Prefect would start. Therefore he must have taken it forgranted that you would lead the Isaurians to Rome yourself. And he hasnothing to say against that either. He was evidently surprised when Ianswered that you preferred to witness here the destruction of theGoths."
"Well," said Cethegus, "where, then, is this terrible Narses, the greatstatesman! Even my friend Procopius sadly over-rated him, when he oncenamed him to me as the greatest man of the time."
"The greatest man of the time is--some one else," cried Licinius.
"It was natural that Procopius should give the palm to the superiorenemy of his Belisarius. But one almost ought to take advantage of theclumsy blunder made by the 'greatest man,'" continued Cethegusreflectively. "The gods might be angry if we did not make use of themiracle of infatuation which they have accomplished for us. I alter myresolution; I long to get to the Capitol; I will go with you to Rome.Syphax, we will start--at once! Saddle my horse!"
But Syphax gave his master a warning look.
"Leave me, tribunes!" said Cethegus, "I will recall you directly."
"O sir!" cried Syphax eagerly, as soon as they were alone, "do not goto-day! Send the others on in advance. To-morrow early I shall fish twogreat secrets out of the sea. Diving under his boat, I have alreadyspoken to the fisherman I mentioned. He is no fisher, he is a slave, apost-slave belonging to Procopius."
"What do you say?" asked Cethegus hastily and in a low tone.
"We could only exchange a few words in a whisper. The Longobardiansstood on the shore watching us. Seven letters from Procopius, senteither openly or secretly, have never reached you. He therefore chosethis clever messenger, who will fish to-night by moonlight and give methe letter. He had not brought it with him to-day. And to-morrowearly--to-day he was too ill--Narses will again bathe in the sea. Ihave found a hiding-place among the weeds; quite close. And should theychance to see bubbles rising from the water, I can whistle like anotter. I saw the imperial post arrive with well-filled mail-bags.Basiliskos took them. Do but wait until to-morrow early; Narses will besure to talk over the latest secrets from Byzantium with Basiliskos andAlboin. Or at least leave me here alone----"
"No, that would be at once to betray you as a spy. You are worth morethan ten times your weight in gold, Syphax!--I shall remain here tillto-morrow," he continued, as the tribunes again entered.
"Oh, come with us!" begged Licinius.
"Away from the oppressive influence of this Narses!" added Julianus.
But Cethegus frowned.
"Does he still over-top me in your eyes, this fool, who allows Cethegusto escape from his well-guarded camp to Rome; who throws the fish outof his net into the water? Verily, he has too much intimidated you!To-morrow evening I will follow you. I have still some business totransact here, which no one but myself can complete. Meanwhile, if Romedoes not resist, you can occupy it without me. But I shall surelyovertake you at Terracina. If not, march into Rome. You, Licinius, willkeep the Capitol for me."
With sparkling eyes Licinius exclaimed: "You honour me highly, mygeneral! I will answer for the Capitol with my life! May I venture apetition?"
"Well?"
"Do not expose yourself foolhardily to the spear of the Gothic King!The day before yesterday he hurled two spears at once at you; one ineach hand. If I had not caught the one from his left hand upon myshield----"
"Then, Licinius, the Jupiter of the Capitol would have blown it asidebefore it struck me. For the god still needs me. But you mean well."
"Do not widow Roma!" persisted Lucius.
Cethegus looked at him with the irresistible look of admiring lovewhich was so winning on _his_ face; and continued, turning to SalviusJulianus:
"You, Salvius, will occupy the Mausoleum. And you, Piso, the rest ofthe city on the left bank of the Tiber. Particularly the Porta Latina;through that gate I shall follow you. You will not open to Narses_alone_, any more than you formerly did to Belisarius alone. Farewell;salute my Roma for me. Tell her, that the last contest for herpossession, that between Narses and Cethegus, has ended with victoryfor Cethegus. We shall meet again in Rome! Roma eterna!"
"Roma eterna!" repeated the tribunes with enthusiasm, and hurried out.
"Oh, why was not this Licinius the son of Manilia!" cried Cethegus,looking after the young men as they departed. "Folly of my heart, whyart thou so obstinate? Licinius, you shall take the place of Julius asmy heir! Oh, would that you were indeed Julius!"