Dark of the Sun (Saint-Germain #17)

Dark of the Sun (Saint-Germain #17) Page 27

Chtavo rushed into the kitchen, his face white with alarm. "The blue roan's come back," he said, panting between each word. He stood in the kitchen door, bits of icy damp clinging to his hair and the collar of his bearskin cloak. "And the weather is turning nasty."

Dasur looked up from his kneading-board, a rough round of dough lying under his hand. "What do you mean?"

"I mean the master's mare is here, and the mule. But he isn't. And it is coming on to sleet." Chtavo went toward the hearth, his hands extended as if for comfort as much as warmth.

"You know what those Jou'an-Jou'an are, and the master will go among those people," said Dasur, not sounding as confident as he would like, and paying no attention to Chtavo's last remark. "The two probably broke away when the barbarians became too wild."

"They never have before," said Chtavo, his frown increasing to a glower.

"But it is starting to blow; and cold rain with high winds can make horses wild," said Dasur.

"The mare wasn't lathered," Chtavo said, mulling this over as he spoke. "Not that the mule would be rushed."

"If there had been real trouble, wouldn't the mule run?" Dasur asked.

Chtavo shrugged. "You can never tell with a mule. Lucky thing they got to the gate before it was closed for the night, or they might have been outside the walls until dawn."

This bothered Dasur; he wiped his hands on a rag and said, "I will inform Rojeh of what has happened: he can decide what is to be done."

"Yes," said Chtavo. "Rojeh will know what is best to do." He looked around. "Is there any wine left?"

"There's ajar of it on the shelf next to the herb chest," said Dasur, trying to decide how to tell Rojeh about the horse and the mule. He gathered his thoughts and started for the corridor to the floor above. "Is the mare in her stall? And the mule?"

"Of course," said Chtavo, offended at such a notion. "Do you think I would leave them standing tacked in the stable?" He had taken his cup from his capacious sleeve and was pouring wine into it.

Dasur nodded and continued on. The more he climbed, the less he liked the news he carried, and the more reluctant he became. Only the certain knowledge that keeping such information to himself might earn him a whipping kept him at his errand-not, he reminded himself, that anyone in this house had ever whipped him, but he had never had to give such worrisome news. He first sought Rojeh in Ragoczy Franciscus' study, but found the room unlit and empty. His second attempt met with more success, for he discovered Rojeh in the room where cloth and clothing were stored. "You should have Aethalric do that," he said to announce his presence.

"Aethalric is busy with the children, and I would not want to take him from them," said Rojeh, making a mark on his wax tablet with his iron stylus. "What is it?"

"I ... I have a word to offer from Chtavo," said Dasur hesitantly.

"Is there some reason Chtavo could not deliver it himself?" Rojeh asked, his austere features showing little more than polite interest.

Dasur avoided answering that question. "I thought you ought to know, so I have come to tell you." He cleared his throat. "Chtavo reports that the master's horse and mule came back to the stable without him."

Rojeh's demeanor changed at once; he put his tablet and stylus aside and confronted Dasur. "When?"

"A short while ago. It had to have been in the hour after sunset, or how would the animals get through the gate?" Dasur was beginning to feel a cold lump of fear settling in his chest.

Not bothering to reply, Rojeh rapped out a brisk order. "Have Chtavo saddle my horse for me and buckle on a scabbard for my long-sword. I am going to change and get my weapon; I will be down very soon." He all but shoved Dasur out of the room, then halted him. "Not a word to the widow or her children. They mustn't know anything about this."

Dasur nodded and bolted for the kitchen, where he found Chtavo on his second cup of wine. "Rojeh says you are to saddle his horse. At once. Oh, and the scabbard for his long-sword."

Chtavo gave Dasur a long, puzzled stare. "Then he thinks something is wrong?"

"Do as he says. Now." Dasur clapped his hands for emphasis. "He won't like being kept waiting."

"Oh, all right," Chtavo grumbled, and set his cup down. "I'll come back as soon as I've done. Don't touch that."

"I won't," said Dasur, beginning to worry in earnest. Chtavo left the kitchen, the plank door slamming behind him as he went out into the worsening weather; an icy breeze writhed through the kitchen, justifying the shivering that had taken hold of Dasur. He went to pour himself a cup of wine and had just taken a long first sip when Rojeh arrived in riding gear, a vast muffling mababa secured around him, his long-sword in one hand and a small case in the other. "Chtavo is saddling your horse."

"Excellent. If I am not back by midnight, have someone carry a message to Emrach Sarai'af that Ragoczy Franciscus may have met with an accident. If I am back before then, depending upon what I find, I will inform you what must be done. See you remember what I have told you," said Rojeh, not allowing Dasur to dither. "And nothing to the widow."

Dasur blundered on, "Do you really think he could be dead?"

"I hope he is not," said Rojeh with great feeling as he reached the outer door and let in another insidious draft as he went on toward the stable, where he found Chtavo just finishing securing the scabbard to the saddle. The spotted stallion was restive, and Chtavo had to keep one hand on the bridle as he worked, swearing under his breath by all the gods of his Volgamen people.

"He's ready, and then some," said Chtavo as he saw Rojeh approaching.

"Fine." Rojeh handed him his sword. "Put this in the scabbard, will you?" He did not bother to see if Chtavo obeyed; he secured the case to the cantle and tested the metal foot-loop. "A good length."

"The sword's in place," said Chtavo. "I'll open the gate."

"And keep watch for my return," Rojeh ordered. "Dasur has my orders in that regard." Saying this, he swung up into the saddle, gathered the reins, and turned the horse toward the door, pausing only long enough to raise the hood of his mababa before going out into the rising storm.

Chtavo hurried ahead of him to open the gate, hunching as he jogged to keep the sleeting rain from getting down the neck of his cloak. He drew back the bolt and tugged the gate, pulling it back enough to allow Rojeh to ride out into the street. Then he pressed the gate closed, set the bolt, and made his way back to the kitchen, all the while trying to keep from worrying about his employer.

The streets of Sarai were almost empty, and those few people not indoors either scurried along, cloaks drawn close about them, or huddled in doorways, trying to stay out of the stinging sleet. At the gate, the guard accepted a silver coin to open the gate and two more to ensure he would open it again upon Rojeh's return, saying to him as he released the counterweight to open the door, "It must be a very important thing, to take you out at this hour on such a night."

"Yes. A matter of some urgency." Once outside the gate, Rojeh held the stallion to a walk down the long slope to the low-lying islands; the last thing he wanted was for his horse to be injured before he could find Ragoczy Franciscus. Rojeh could feel the constant tug on the reins from the bit, and he could sense the horse's uneasiness in his mincing walk, and the stiffness of his neck; in spite of the cold, the horse was sweating, his head coming up at sudden noises, nostrils flared. It was difficult to find and follow the pathways through the maze of small islands to the one on which the Desert Cats were camped; Rojeh kept the spotted stallion moving forward. Twice he took a wrong turn and had to retrace his way back to the poorly marked trails and bridges.

The Jou'an-Jou'an camp was completely dark, the tents like gigantic mushrooms around the cold fire-pit. Rojeh went into the camp very slowly, peering into the dark. At the fire-pit he dismounted, buckled a long, braided-leather lead to the chin strap of his stallion's bridle, and proceeded on foot, leading the horse. He saw the new cooking pot standing empty next to the fire-pit and knew that Ragoczy Franciscus had reached the camp. As carefully as he could, Rojeh began a methodical search, hoping as he did that Ragoczy Franciscus was not in one of the tents. "Do this first," he whispered to himself. "The camp, and around the camp, then the tents, if it is necessary." Steadied by the sound of his own voice, Rojeh continued his explorations; he began to circle the camp, moving out from the tents to the reeds that marked the boundaries of the island. On his sixth circuit, a startled whicker from his horse alerted him to something at the edge of the water; going forward carefully, he found Ragoczy Franciscus lying facedown, his feet in the water, his body limp and cold. Knowing that the icy, slow-moving water had leached the little strength Ragoczy Franciscus' native earth in his soles might have imparted, Rojeh admitted to himself that Ragoczy Franciscus had almost fallen into the stupor that overcomes badly injured vampires, and that would make moving him a difficult proposition. With an oath to the gods of his youth, Rojeh dropped to his knees beside Ragoczy Franciscus and strove to determine what had been done to him. Working as quickly as he could, he was relieved that Ragoczy Franciscus had no broken bones, but that relief was short-lived, for as soon as he touched the edge of the deep cut in the vampire's neck, he gasped. Sitting back on his heels and staring at Ragoczy Franciscus' body, he tried to decide how to deal with this appalling situation.

Then he saw Ragoczy Franciscus' hand move.

That single, small motion ended his doubts. He bent forward. "Holy Jermen Franzic Ragosh-ski," he said, using Ragoczy Franciscus' name from his breathing years. "You have been badly hurt. You are lying at the edge of a marsh stream. This is Rogerian. I am going to take you back to your house here in Sarai."

The hand moved again, not much, but enough to confirm he had heard.

"I may cause you some pain when I move you," Rojeh went on, as much to explain to himself as to Ragoczy Franciscus. "I will bind your neck when I have you on my horse."

This time the hand was more emphatic, the fingers closing into a loose fist.

"Do you think you can hold on, or should I put you up before me?" As he asked, he realized there was no way for Ragoczy Franciscus to answer. "If you should be in front, move one finger. If you can ride behind-" He broke off, knowing that Ragoczy Franciscus would not yet know how much his strength had been compromised. "I'll put you ahead of me, in the saddle."

One finger tapped.

"Then make yourself ready and I will lift you," said Rojeh, "after I turn you over."

The finger tapped again, twice.

At that, Rojeh faltered. "I know you are badly hurt, but your spine is intact. You would have died the True Death if it were not. If you want me to stop at any point, open your hand wide and I will."

The finger tapped a single time.

"I'll take that for agreement," said Rojeh, and crouched next to Ragoczy Franciscus, trying to determine how best to roll him onto his back; Ragoczy Franciscus could not endure much more harm to his neck without risking far greater damage. At last, Rojeh put one hand on his shoulder and the other on his head. "I'll start with the top; I'll try to move your head and shoulder at the same time. Once your shoulders are squarely on the ground, your legs will follow, and I can turn them when this first part is done. If something seems wrong, wave your hand and I'll stop at once." Taking a deep breath, he began a careful, deliberate turn of Ragoczy Franciscus' head and shoulders toward him, making a point not to look at the wound in his neck, for fear of shaking his resolve. He managed to get Ragoczy Franciscus onto his back, and then tugged at his hip to bring his legs over as well.

The spotted horse snorted, startled by the sudden odor of old blood. He pawed uneasily and tried to toss his head to show his distress.

Rojeh pulled sharply on the lead, forcing the animal to stand still. "You have to carry him," he said firmly. He straddled Ragoczy Franciscus, leaning over him to try to determine how much he could take from the travel ahead of them. "I'd best do your neck now," he decided aloud, and without waiting for a signal from his employer, he went to unstrap the small wooden case from the cantle. Opening it as he walked, he took out cotton bandages, three times the length of the height of a tall man, and a handbreadth wide, thinking of how best to employ them. As he reached Ragoczy Franciscus' side, he said, "I will wrap these around your throat and over your head. That should give you a little support and keep your head from lolling." He knelt down again, and working quickly but with as little disruption as he could manage, he swathed Ragoczy Franciscus' neck and then his head in the bandages. "This is the best I can do until we are indoors again." He set the little case down, knowing he would have to leave it. "I am going to help you sit up now," he said to Ragoczy Franciscus, and saw his hand clench. Doing as much as he could to brace his employer's head from behind, he levered him to a sitting position, then stopped as the sleet increased on a sudden gust of wind. "We'll be moving shortly." He prepared to help Ragoczy Franciscus to get to his feet. "I will take you under your arms and stand up with you; if you can assist me, so much the better," he said, wanting Ragoczy Franciscus to know what was coming. "If you will stay balanced, I should be able to get you up."

The hand tightened.

"All right," said Rojeh, positioning himself to lift Ragoczy Franciscus. "Let's try." It took a steady effort, but there was a little strength still left in Ragoczy Franciscus, and he was able to get to his feet with less effort than Rojeh had anticipated. "Can you stand?"

Ragoczy Franciscus swayed a little but he moved a clenched hand.

"Do you think you can walk?"

The hand did not move.

"No, I didn't suppose you could," said Rojeh, tugging on the lead to bring the horse up to them. "I am going to mount first and then haul you into the saddle, if I can."

Ragoczy Franciscus closed his hand.

Rojeh positioned the spotted stallion carefully so that the horse could give Ragoczy Franciscus something to lean upon. Then he mounted behind the saddle and reached down to take Ragoczy Franciscus by the hands and began the struggle to haul him aboard the restive horse. Ragoczy Franciscus was a considerable weight to lift, and Rojeh lacked his preternatural strength, so the effort this required was great, demanding his full concentration and force; gradually he raised Ragoczy Franciscus off the ground without unbalancing his own seat and finally lugged him into place, panting with the exertion this feat demanded.

Ragoczy Franciscus' hand closed on Rojeh's wrist in a gesture of thanks.

"We'll return to Sarai, my master," Rojeh said quietly, and tapped his heels to start the horse moving.

The journey back to the town gate seemed interminable, with the roaring wind blowing sleet in their faces; the cold cut through their clothes and sank into their bones. Even Ragoczy Franciscus, who was rarely bothered by cold, began to shiver, which made his seat less steadied than Rojeh would have liked, and that slowed their progress even more, for Rojeh had to continue to hold Ragoczy Franciscus upright while he also guided the horse. By the time they reached the long ascent to the town, Rojeh was as fatigued as he was cold, and as he summoned the guard, he had to hang on to the saddle as well as the reins to remain in place on the horse's croup.

"You are back after all," said the guard as he opened the gate.

"Close the gate. I am taking my employer back to the Foreigners' Quarter. He has sustained a bad wound and I must dress it properly."

"Judging by that bandage, he must have been waylaid by thieves," said the guard as he worked the device that closed the gate.

"I will know when he is able to speak again," said Rojeh, and continued away from the gate to the far side of the town. As he passed the rubble from the most recent fire, he felt Ragoczy Franciscus twist in the saddle, and he had to halt in order to seat him properly once more. "We are nearly there. You haven't long to wait."

A small lamp burned fitfully beside the gate to Ragoczy Franciscus' house, a sign that encouraged Rojeh as he caught sight of it. He dismounted and took the lead, going up to the gate and tugging once on the bell-pull. He hoped that Chtavo was still awake and sober enough to help him with the horse. He rang a second time and heard the bolt slide back almost as the second toll sounded; the gate swung open, and Rojeh led his horse into the entry court, halting the stallion so that he could drag Ragoczy Franciscus out of the saddle.

Chtavo was beside him, bleary-eyed and a little drunk. He peered at Ragoczy Franciscus. "Been hurt?"

"I'm afraid so. I am taking him to his apartment, and I will need Aethalric to join me promptly. I trust he hasn't gone to bed?" He was keeping Ragoczy Franciscus on his feet by shoving him against the stallion's shoulder.

"Aethalric and Dasur are in the kitchen, drinking hot wine and telling each other what may have happened to the master; their tales are becoming preposterous." He kicked at a loose paving stone as if to underscore his point.

Rojeh nodded. "If you will tend to the horse. Is there enough grain to give him some warm mash when he's cooled down and been groomed?"

"I can find a handful for him," said Chtavo, taking the lead from Rojeh. "Have you any need of me once the horse is stalled?"

"No. You have done well, Chtavo. Ragoczy Franciscus will be grateful." Rojeh wedged his shoulder under Ragoczy Franciscus' arm and started toward the kitchen door, supporting Ragoczy Franciscus' feeble efforts with his own tired body. He gave the kitchen door a single blow, then waited for it to be opened, occupying himself with determining how much of Ragoczy Franciscus' remaining vitality had been vitiated during their ride back; that process left him uneasy, so he was pleased when Dasur opened the door, staring into the darkness and clearly anticipating the worst.

"The master!" he exclaimed. "Is he-"

"He is not truly dead. As you see, he is attempting to stand," said Rojeh, pushing past Dasur into the house.

"By the Djinns," said Dasur, fumbling to close the door even as he strove to lend a hand to Rojeh's struggles. "You have wrapped his head!"

"To protect his wound. It is such that he cannot speak." Rojeh was pleased that Dasur had noticed that instead of the heavy swathing of Ragoczy Franciscus' throat. He looked over his shoulder to be sure the door was fully closed. "He is going to need careful nursing to recover. I want the fire in the master's rooms built up. Now, Dasur."

Dasur was wringing his hands in distress. "This is dreadful. This is terrible. He'll die, and then we'll be cast out into-"

"He is not dead yet, and if we are quick about it, he will not die," said Rojeh, and saw Aethalric coming toward them, his face stark with dismay. "Will you help me carry him?"

"Oh, yes. I will," said Aethalric in the slightly thickened voice of one suddenly struck sober. "How do you want it done?"

"I will carry his shoulders, and you will take his legs. We must go slowly-I will take the lead up the stairs, walking backward. You will have to guide me." He glanced at Dasur. "The fire? In his rooms?"

Dasur nodded repeatedly and hastened to load up a large basket with lengths of wood. "Right away, right away," he kept repeating as he worked.

The warmth of the kitchen finally penetrated Ragoczy Franciscus' daze; he half-opened his eyes and stared at the hearth. His lips moved but no sound came from them, and Rojeh saw anguish in his face.

"That will come, in time," Rojeh said, and watched Dasur scurry from the kitchen with his basket of logs. He looked at Aethalric. "If you will help me?" He turned to Ragoczy Franciscus. "We are going to carry you upstairs. We'll go slowly, but if you are pained too much, signal with your hand."

Ragoczy Franciscus closed both his hands to fists; Aethalric saw this and gasped.

"Very good," said Rojeh, preparing himself as he went on, "If you will lean back against me, I will take your shoulders, and Aethalric will take your feet. We will make this as easy a climb as we can, but I fear there may be some problems."

Ragoczy Franciscus complied, and after a brief jostling, Rojeh and Aethalric were bearing him out of the kitchen and toward the stairs, which were steep, and they curved in unexpected places. By the time they reached the main floor, Aethalric was sweating, and Rojeh ordered a brief halt. As they resumed the upward climb, Ragoczy Franciscus kept lapsing into unconsciousness, which made carrying him trickier, for not only was he dead weight, he could communicate nothing about his state.

Dasur admitted them to Ragoczy Franciscus' room. His hands were sooty from building up the fire, but he seemed relieved to be able to do something useful. "What more do you want?"

"There is a chest of rosewood in his study, banded with brass. Would you fetch that, please," Rojeh said, doing his best to keep his tone level and his manner confident.

"Where do you want him?" Aethalric asked, his cheeks flushed from his exertions.

"On his bed. Just put him on top." He backed in that direction. "Lift him carefully." He hefted Ragoczy Franciscus' shoulders, taking care not to let his head go unsupported.

Aethalric took an awkward step back and almost collided with a low, brass-topped table. He opened his hands to show apology and said, "I had better get back to my quarters. The children will rise at dawn, and Herakles has been feeling ill, so dealing with them falls to me."

"You seem to enjoy that task," said Rojeh, making sure Ragoczy Franciscus was lying squarely on the bed. "If you will spare a little more time and help me remove his boots?"

Nodding, Aethalric stepped up to the foot of the bed and took hold of the left boot. "If you hold his shoulders again, this should be simple."

Rojeh agreed. "Pull by the heel; they'll come off more easily."

Following these instructions, Aethalric tugged off the left boot and then the right, letting them drop to the floor. "There. Is that enough?"

"Yes. Thank you for your help. And don't let the children overwhelm you," Rojeh advised. "I had a family, many years ago. I know how children can require more than we anticipate."

Aethalric gave Rojeh a startled look. "You had children?"

"And a wife. But they have been lost to me many, many years and were far away from here." He changed the subject, not wanting to divulge much more information. "In the morning, neither my master nor I should be disturbed."

"And the widow? She'll want to see him, I'm sure," said Aethalric.

"No doubt," said Rojeh. "Tell her she may talk to me when I rise, but that Ragoczy Franciscus is to remain undisturbed until he himself says that he is ready to receive company." Rojeh motioned to the door. "That goes for all the household."

"I will tell Dasur and Chtavo," said Aethalric.

"If you like. Inform Sinu as well. The widow may want to assign her to my master, but that would not be wise." Rojeh heard Dasur approaching. "Go along now, and know that you have Ragoczy Franciscus' gratitude." Aethalric bolted from the room, and as soon as he was gone, Dasur brought the rosewood chest into the chamber; Rojeh pointed to the brass-topped table. "If you would put it down?"

"May I go bank the kitchen fire and prepare to sleep?" Dasur's cot was in the little pantry, to guard the food from any thieves that might sneak into the house.

"Yes. I appreciate what you have done," said Rojeh, as he knew Ragoczy Franciscus expected him to. "When I wake in the morning, I will provide proof of gratitude." He had decided that all three servants would be given a gold Byzantine Apostle for their extra service this night. "A formal report hasn't been made yet, and until it is, gossip could have unpleasant ramifications."

"Nothing leaves this house. I will see to it," said Dasur just before he left the room, closing the door firmly behind him.

Rojeh went to the rosewood chest and unfastened its locks and took from the upper compartment a pair of shears made of fabulously valuable steel. He used these to cut the clothes of Ragoczy Franciscus, and then to sever the knot on the bandages. Putting the ruined clothes aside, he drew a silk-stuffed blanket over Ragoczy Franciscus, then went to the chest and took out the first compartment, revealing two more beneath. From the second compartment, he took one of the three needles he found there, threaded it with fine silk from a reel of the shiny strands, then went to begin the exacting work on Ragoczy Franciscus' throat. He had seen his master do repairs on appalling injuries and had assisted him more than once to reunite vessels and muscles and skin; he had never had to do it on his own, and with Ragoczy Franciscus for a patient. He began the painstaking work of stitching the severed tissues together again.

It was nearly dawn when Rojeh finished. The snow was falling heavily but the wind had slacked off, and sunrise promised only a slight diminishing of darkness, but for Rojeh, it was as splendid a morning as any he had known, for he was sure that as horribly as Ragoczy Franciscus had been hurt, he would recover.

Text of a letter from Atta Olivia Clemens in Roma to Abbot Helieri at Santus Spiritu in Gaul, carried by the merchant Voramalch of Vindobon, journeying north from Roma, and delivered three months after it was written.

To the esteemed Abbot of Santus Spiritu monastery in Gaul, the greetings of Atta Olivia Clemens in Roma, on this the tenth day of January in the 1290th Year of the City, and the 537th Year of the Christian faith, in the hope that this finds you and your monks in better circumstances than prevailed a year ago.

In answer to your question, I have very little news of the world beyond the region we both inhabit; you in Gaul, and I now in Roma. With the restrictions placed on me as a widow, I have to depend on Niklos Aulirios to obtain gossip and reports circulating in the city; he is diligent in procuring all the latest intelligence, but there are a few things I know for myself: trade with foreign ports has remained inactive, and the weather continues to be to blame. And I have had no word from my blood relative, who is in China, at a place called Yang-Chau, or was the last time I heard from him, a decade ago. Lacking news of him, I can find no one whose opinion I consider reliable who can provide accurate information regarding what has transpired in those remote parts of the world, so I cannot advise you on any points of your inquiry. The merchant who bears the letter, Voramalch of Vindobon, claims that he has heard that there are orchards and fields in the East that are flourishing, protected by mighty sorcerers whose spells have brought the people of those places rich harvests and fecund herds, but I must tell you, I put no stock in such tales. What little I have heard suggests that the East has been as hard-hit as the West in regard to the weakened sun and the lingering cold. I apologize for not having anything more definite or more optimistic than this to report, but to tell you otherwise would be to bear false witness.

The Church continues to gain converts, and in such a time as this, it is hardly a wonder, for with so much uncertainty in the world, and with conditions that may appear to be the end of the world-as many of the Bishops here preach-many people believe that the promise of the life after death is more dependable than this life. Daily Roma is filled with funeral processions, and the incense from the churches all but blots out the sun. Those who venture to the old temples do so circumspectly, for there are bands of Christian youths who go about the streets with cudgels, attacking any who seek to worship at places other than their churches. Already they have appropriated some of the old temples for their own use, changing the dedications to those of Christian Saints instead of the older gods of Roma. For many Romans, the changing of the Pantheon to Santa Maria ad Martyres was a final blow to the old ways of Roma, when many faiths were practiced and many gods were welcome. I have seen the temple of the Bona Dea usurped in the name of the Virgin Mary, and surely the statue of a pregnant woman is suitable both to Mary and the Magna Mater.

You have asked about the Pope, and I regret to tell you that I have very little knowledge about the current state of Silverius, except to say that the Pope is at odds with the Emperor Justinian in Constantinople. Now that the Ostrogoths no longer have the strong leadership and their so-called nobles contend for power, the Emperor in Constantinople can act almost with impunity here, for the Ostrogoths will not agree to unite long enough to throw back so powerful an opponent as Justinian's General Belisarius. In this disarray the Church is left to flounder. For all the prestige that was gained when Pope Leo bribed the Huns to save Roma, the Church has assumed a position that it cannot fulfill with the support of the Ostrogothic army, which is not theirs to command. Because the Church is without military champions in Roma, the Eastern Church has increased its pressure on the Pope, attempting to reunify all Christians, under their leadership, of course. There is a convocation of churchmen ordered to take place in Constantinople, but it is not at all certain that Pope Silverius may attend. It is said he is in poor health and that such a journey may be enough to bring about his death. I have no direct information to confirm this; I am only repeating what has been propounded by Senators and other officials. Since the Eastern and Roman Churches broke apart, each has tried to gain ascendancy over the other, and that is detrimental to both, for it means that conflicts within the Churches become more important than what is transpiring in the world. Those prestigious Archbishops would gain more support and assistance if they were to leave spiritual politics to God and extend themselves to their people with charity and succor. I am sorry if this distresses you, but if you think I say this to cast aspersions on the Church, come to Roma and see for yourself. I have no reason to deceive you, but, of course, as I am a woman, I am not privy to the inner workings of the Papal court and must tell you only what I have gleaned from knowledgeable sources.

As part of Justinian's plan, his army is still in the south, not very active at present because of the weather. Some of the companies of soldiers have been recalled to help contain the increasing troubles on the eastern borders of the Byzantine Empire, but many still remain, and it has been the sad lot of the peasants of the south to have to house and feed these interlopers. Some have taken this much to heart and have appealed to the Senate to provide some relief for what they have endured. But the Senate has little to give and even less authority to give it, and so the people in the south languish under a double yoke-that of Roma and Constantinople. With food so scarce, I have been hearing stories of peasants capturing Byzantine soldiers and slaughtering them. I know of no one who has actually witnessed such a meal, but the tales are everywhere, and they are increasing. I have no doubt that men on the edge of starvation have eaten other men, but in this case, the stories have an air of convenience about them-peasants not only getting a meal, but striking back against an enemy-that makes them less plausible than if the peasants were said to have devoured their neighbors.

They say that bears and wolves have been coming down out of the hills to the north of Roma and attacking villages for food. If this is so, and not some often-repeated rumor, it does not augur well for the year to come. I cannot put full credence in it, for I know that bears sleep in the winter and do not venture out until spring. But it may be that in the fall there were instances of lone farms being attacked, for such has happened before after a hard year. I would not put too much stock in such reports, but I would not go abroad alone, either, and not just because of wolves and bears: there are many desperate men who have turned to outlawry and who prey upon the unprotected. You may dislike the notion, but I would advise you to take at least six men, properly armed, as escort when you go abroad in the country, for I fear you are far more likely to fall to a brigand's arrow or spear than to the jaws of a wolf. I would also require your monks to travel in groups of at least ten, for much the same reason. I know they may carry knives and staves, both of which are useful weapons.

I will look forward to your next letter. If I learn anything that may be useful to you, I will send a message to you as soon as I may, if the roads are not still so muddy that the courier would risk ending up in a quagmire. I will hope that the spring is kind to us all, and that you and your monks are spared more tragedies than you have suffered already, that our crops become bountiful once again, and our livestock flourish. I thank you for the good service you have rendered me, and I trust that in time, the service I render you will prove of equal worth.

Atta Olivia Clemens