CHAPTER NINE
THIS MEANS WAR?
Publius seemed genuinely glad to see him. Too glad, Rick thought. Why? Although the Romans were willing to consider star men as civilized, Rick earned little status as principal advisor to a barbarian king, even a barbarian king married to Publius’ daughter; and to Publius as to many of the Romans, status was all.
“Hail, Heir of Caesar.”
“Hail, Colonel Rick. Hail, Lord Warner. Colonel Rick, I would welcome you, friend to my father,” Publius said. “But that it is your castle, and not mine to make you welcome in. Still, welcome to whatever comforts our Roman camp can provide. Will you and your officer dine with us?”
“Thank you,” Rick said. “I think that would be well. As you say, it is my castle, but with the Queen your daughter present—”
“And acting the great lady,” Publius finished. “Yes. Doubtless on instructions from my son-in-law, who ought to know better. As should she. I am a soldier, I can’t always fathom the ways of royalty.” He sighed and shook his head. “Welcome, then. We have plain soldiers’ fare, but there is plenty of it. And we have much to discuss.”
“Thank you,” Rick said. Publius playing plain soldier and questioning royalty? I wish Tylara were here. She might understand all this.
“Lucius will join us,” Publius said. “He comes on Caesar’s orders, prepared to find you even if that required a journey to Dravan. For his sake I am glad he is spared that.”
Rick nodded. Lucius had been tutor to Publius and if there was one person in the world other than Marselius Caesar that Publius respected, it was his father’s freedman. His concern for the health of the aging scholar would be quite genuine. Actually, when you thought about it, Publius was quite generous with his own people. It was his allies he tended to be suspicious of. Allies and converts from the previous Caesar . . .
“Do you know his message, then?” Rick asked.
“Yes. And we have more to add to it,” Publius said. His voice fell. “Dangerous times, Colonel Galloway. Dangerous times.” Publius nodded to Warner. “As I am sure you both know.”
Rick suppressed a grin at the pronunciation of “colonel.” It was interesting that Publius would use that title, rather than Warlord. Or Caesar’s Friend. Tylara understands these nuances. I don’t.
“Dangerous indeed, Heir of Caesar,” he said.
Two civilian servants entered without knocking. Their status would nominally be slave, Rick supposed. The Church disapproved of slavery, but Roman policy prohibited indiscriminate manumission. If you freed a slave you had to provide for him. By keeping him in slavery, you could at least get some work out of him, although the Church’s deacons were charged with preventing cruelty and overwork, and many were honest enough in carrying out that duty. Publius tended to keep elderly retainers who had been with him a long time. They would probably be miserable if he told them their service was no longer wanted. For all his faults, Publius did have some good qualities. He was certainly loyal to his subordinates.
And of course what some considered faults, others considered a mark of pride. Publius made no more secret of his conquests than had Don Juan, and while he probably didn’t have a book recording so many—Mozart’s Don Juan had a thousand and three in Spain alone!—there had been enough.
Including Gwen? Rick wondered. Why not? The thought disturbed him. But really, why not? Publius was a widower and given the number of his conquests without issue, obviously sterile. For all that Les was the father of Gwen’s first child and was possessive when he was on Tran, the Galactic pilot wasn’t really a husband and didn’t expect fidelity when he wasn’t around. Publius had certainly tried to bed Gwen. He tried with everyone. And Gwen was a modern girl who enjoyed— He pushed the thought and the uneasy feeling away. Gwen’s sex life is none of my business. If she’s managed an assignation with Publius, neither one of them is talking about it, and that’s all that matters. But to be honest it may be the main reason I don’t like him.
“Wine?” Publius asked. “It will not be as good as what my daughter served me from your cellars, but it should serve.”
“Thank you,” Rick said. I suppose I’d better take inventory. Just what do I have left? Fortunately, weapons and medicines were in Elliot’s care. Octavia couldn’t requisition those as easily as his pantry and wine cellar.
“And here’s Lucius,” Publius said.
“Ah. Well met again, Sage,” Rick said.
Lucius limped in slowly. He carried a stout staff which he gave to an attendant when he was seated. He seemed frail, but his manner was energetic.
“Well met, Caesar’s Friend,” he said. “You are well? And the Lady Tylara?”
“Well indeed,” Rick said.
“She is none the worse for her captivity, then?”
Rick hesitated.
“No. Prince Strymon is an honorable man,” Warner said.
Lucius nodded, and nodded to Warner as if seeing him for the first time.
“I had heard such. It is good to know that some of our enemies have honor.” The elderly scholar sighed. “But of course you know I have come to tell you of grave matters.”
“I guessed as much,” Rick said.
“There are matters of immediate concern,” Lucius said. “But first, know that Marselius Caesar has appointed me Principal Scholar of Rome.”
“My congratulations.”
“Thank you. The title is flattering, but the duties have been severe. It has been my task to winnow through the oldest records in the Roman archives, records long sealed by generations of Caesars and bishops.”
“Back to the Time?”
“And beyond, to Times before the last. Lord Rick, we have good reason to believe that the lowlands around the city of Rome will be flooded, to a depth allowing ships to pass between the Empire and Drantos. Rome and the Latin provinces will be an island! Tamaerthan another! Ships will come from the south, ships bearing plague. Rome’s western provinces will be isolated, victims to barbarian migrations, unreachable by land from Rome. All this and more, and what is astonishing is the speed at which it will happen. No more than a year will pass before the only communications between Rome and Drantos will be by ship! Already the roads are mud, and the low valley fields have become salt swamps!”
Rick had never seen the old man so excited. Of course he had reason to be.
“Icecaps melt,” Rick said. “Glaciers flow into the sea. Sea level rises during the Time. I’d heard this, but I never knew by how much or how quickly.” The Shalnuksis had told him almost nothing about their previous visits to the planet. His brief look at Tran from space had revealed extensive ice caps at both poles and extending well north and southward. Enough ice, Rick supposed, to raise the seas if melted, but there was no way to find out. Local records were all he had to go on, and few of those were reliable. Perhaps the Roman records were better.
“This castle is set in a swamp,” he said. “Will it be flooded?”
“The bailey, almost certainly, but I think not the castle itself,” Lucius said. “It remains on the ancient maps. But an arm of the sea will reach far inland, perhaps to the very gates. And the caves below may flood.”
“Jeez,” Warner said.
Interesting that Lucius knew about the caves. That was supposed to be Yatar’s secret. With this move to unify the Roman Christian Church with the worship of Yatar, there would be precious few secrets of that kind for much longer. As to flooding, it would be unlikely, Rick thought. The passage under the castle to the caves would flood, but the caves themselves were largely set in limestone hills a mile south of the castle, and were probably higher than the castle courtyard itself. But without a survey there was no way to know. Something else to do . . .
“The madweed fields,” Warner said. “They’re mostly above the swamps, but how far above? I sure don’t know.”
Rick nodded.
“And the croplands at swamp level will certainly flood. We’ll have to find another base for that operation.” Which I’m doing now, but no need to tell the Romans. Still, it’s another damn thing to worry about. He’d hoped to get another ten years’ crops out of this place. Without a continuous supply of madweed, the Shalnuksis wouldn’t put much value on Tran. Then what?
“We will require a navy,” Lucius said. “We have a small war fleet, but we have always relied on Nikeis to provide most of the shipping in the Great Bay, and our southern provinces provide their own navy. At Rome proper our ships are old. We think little of the sea.”
“And Rome has few forests near the coasts,” Publius said.
“But perhaps near what will become coasts,” Lucius mused. “We would be grateful for any information your University can provide.”
“Of course.” And life here goes on, unless the Shalnuksis decide to finish us off once and for all. We have to be prepared for what happens if they don’t. “Look to your early records, Scholar. On Earth, Rome was a considerable naval power,” Rick continued. “So much so that the Roman navy was largely without a history once the pirates were suppressed. The Mediterranean became mare nostrum, and Roman fleets dominated the seas. Have you no such traditions here?”
“No,” Lucius said. “And it is odd, because I have found designs for ships in the archives. Some match ships we have. Others are for larger craft than any in our present fleet. But no, we have no history of naval power.”
Rick nodded.
“Neither does Drantos. Nor do we have forests near the coasts.” He tried to imagine where the high water would reach. If the stories about flooding between Rome and Drantos were true, then this might be a rise of forty or fifty feet! A lot of water. “Except possibly here. We’ll need to study maps and get some accurate measures of terrain elevations. Warner, that will be your job. You’re going to invent surveying.”
Warner looked thoughtful.
“If I ever get back to the University, Sir, I can set some gadgetry students to making a surveyor’s transit. I think I can do that all right. Then we can send some teams out . . . ”
“Do that, Mr. Warner. As a high priority job. If the seas are rising we need to know where they’ll go.”
“Sir.”
“Indeed, I have begun mapping,” Lucius said. “Drantos has few seacoast forests and no tradition of shipbuilding. Tamaerthan has few forests, but does build coastal and fishing boats, much as Rome does. The Five Kingdoms have extensive forest in the eastern provinces. They have ships, and their fleets have raided south far enough that we have fortified most of our ports. There is one place that has always been active on the seas, however. Nikeis. They have always had shipyards, and the coasts around their island city are covered with hardwood forests.”
“Ah. Nominal allies of Drantos,” Rick said.
“Perhaps,” Publius said.
Perhaps. That word said volumes.
“You know something?”
“Their council has expelled or imprisoned all foreigners and ambassadors. Including the star lords. Shortly thereafter the city was sealed. No word comes in or out. I do not believe this bodes well for your future relations.”
“Expelled? Or imprisoned? My people?” Rick slammed his fist on the table. “Why wasn’t I told? We can’t have this!”
“First I’ve heard of it, Boss,” Warner said.
“Lucius?” Rick demanded.
“Gently, Friend of Caesar,” Lucius said. “I have known of this only a few days, and I did not know where to find you. It is not news to be given out lightly! And we know only that Nikeis is sealed, and Romans expelled. We know nothing of your people.”
“Warner.”
“Sir?”
“Warner, I sent messages weeks ago asking for reports from our people in Nikeis. Have we heard anything?”
“Nothing, Sir,” Warner said. “With your permission I’ll ask Elliot to look into it. There’s been long enough for a message to get there and back. Of course the reply might be chasing you down, since you told Bisso you wanted it personal.”
Rick nodded.
“Make it so. Maybe we should have heard from Nikeis and maybe not. Would they harm ambassadors? Star lords?” he asked.
“It is unlikely, I think, but I cannot say for certain,” Lucius responded. “They have long been our trading partners, effectively allies, but they keep their own counsel. They are a nation of traders, mostly, and they share little knowledge—none that they think might give them an advantage. As to this latest matter, we have no full reports. One messenger, with what he was told. We believe some of our agents were forewarned and escaped. We have heard no more about yours, but we await news.”
“Clavell and Harrison were in Nikeis,” Warner said. “Part of the medicine shows and the whole seagull guano experiments. I know they took their sidearms and battle rifles, but I don’t remember them having any other equipment. Colonel, this could mean war.”
“Yeah,” Rick said. One more bloody thing to worry about! “But why would they do that?”
“The records show they have been a great power in the past,” Publius said. “A naval power, mostly, but a great power. Perhaps they feel they can do as they like. Perhaps they believe your star weapons will not reach to their city. It is certain you have shown no inclinations to build a navy.”
“And their captain left the Ottarn battlefield angry with Drantos,” Warner said.
“We have heard that it was with reason,” Lucius said.
“You’ve heard about that? Sheesh, what else have you heard?” Rick asked.
“Much,” Publius said. “Much that I do not care to discuss anywhere we can be overheard. Come to dinner. There is much we must tell you.”
* * *
Rick had never got used to dining in the Roman manner, guests reclining on couches. Not only did it seem decadent, but it was hard to eat properly unless you encouraged one of the many retainers to feed you. Warner seemed to have no trouble with that. For a moment, Rick envied Warner’s easy rapport with the serving girl he would undoubtedly meet later in the evening. Then he remembered Tylara.
Strange to feel married again, he thought. But good. But good . . .
Over dinner Warner told them about the departure of the Nikeis captain.
“And he shook the dust off his feet at us,” he finished.
“Certainly a curse,” Publius said. “One I’ve used myself. The bishops tell me the original apostles could call fire down on people that way. Never saw that happen myself, but you never know.”
Warner nodded sagely.
“What’s the status of the Nikeisian Church, then?” Rick asked.
Publius looked to Lucius.
“They are accepted as Christian, but uneasily,” Lucius said. “We do not share clergy, but Rome recognizes their sacraments as valid. Certainly as valid as the new Unified Church.”
“You don’t accept the validity of the Unified Church?” Warner asked.
“I am a scholar, perhaps a philosopher,” Lucius said. “But certainly not a theologian. If Polycarp can accept the new and unified religion, I will certainly find no quarrel with it. There is much to recommend it.”
He’s an agnostic. Stoic, probably. Weaseling just like I am, Rick thought.
“So the Nikeisian Church is valid. Orthodox,” Warner said, and Lucius frowned.
“It is not a word we use, but I divine its meaning, and perhaps it is applicable here. Like Publius I have never seen a curse call down fire on an enemy, but if it can be done, the Nikeisian clergy might have as much power as any Roman clergy.”
Skyfire, Rick thought. They know it’s possible, so why not as a result of a curse? Being absolutely certain that miracles can and do happen will change your religious views a whole bunch.
“Yeah, well these weren’t clergy exactly,” he said aloud. “That I know of. They were soldiers. Pretty good ones, I was told.”
“Nikeis has warrior orders,” Lucius said. “Their officers may be ordained.”
“Maybe these were, then,” Rick said. “I never asked before. I didn’t see much of their fight myself, but by all accounts their company gave a good account of itself in the battle. So Nikeis is likely to be important now?”
“They have a long tradition as seafarers,” Lucius said. “And a reputation for importance greater than the reality. But as you can see from the maps, they are bottled up in the Great Bay. They have holdings along the west coast of the bay. They call that Terra Firma, and there is much dispute over those. City-states, Drantos, the Five Kingdoms, the Grand Duchy, the Ganvin pirate nation—”
“Pirate nation?” Warner asked.
“As good a name for the Ganvin as any. They inhabit a chain of islands and a strip of the mainland along the northern tip of the Great Bay, and they raid the coasts for slaves. It is because of the Ganvin that Rome maintains an alliance with Nikeis.”
“An expensive alliance,” Publius said. “We have twice in my lifetime sent a legion to their aid against the Five Kingdoms. Legions are expensive.”
Lucius nodded.
“So is a navy, Heir of Caesar. And now, I fear, we will need both in the Time ahead.”
“So you’ve sent troops to help Nikeis,” Rick said.
“Mostly to maintain their hold on the coastal forest strips. They have great need of those forests. For ships, but also for charcoal for their foundries. Nikeis has excellent foundries, as good as any in Rome. We buy from them.”
“Bronze or iron?” Warner asked.
“Both, Lord Warner.”
“Guns,” Warner said. “May not be why they sent that company to join Ganton, but no soldier in his right mind could see Ganton’s Great Guns and musketeers without realizing the significance.” Warner suppressed a grin. “I’m certain the Roman officers didn’t.”
Lucius said nothing.
“I’d be astonished if Rome doesn’t have foundries as good as any in Nikeis by now,” Warner said. “Bronze and iron. And most of the students at the University know the formula for gunpowder.”
Rick frowned.
“You never said anything about that—”
“It’s not the kind of thing you can keep secret,” Warner said defensively. “Colonel, you made barrels and barrels of the stuff! There must be four hundred craftsmen who’ve worked in powder mills. Hundreds more were out harvesting saltpeter from manure piles. Two squadrons of dragoons guarded sulfur mines. Charcoal is easy to make. Colonel, probably a quarter of the students at the University want to learn how to make proper gunpowder. They already know the formula. They make songs about it.”
“And Roman frumentarii are very efficient,” Rick finished. “Yeah. I’ve been expecting this.” Just not so soon. And I’ve been running around pissing on fires, no time to think about any of this. Wonder if Lucius has figured out that his new navy is going to need guns and powder and lots of both? If he hasn’t, somebody has. But Lucius will certainly understand, and Marselius probably has foundries building cannon in Rome right now.
Which means there’s no way to hide widespread technology advances from the Shalnuksis. Not with ships carrying cannons all over the planet . . . What comes after gunpowder? Smokeless powder. Strong water. Nitric acid and guncotton. And I don’t know how to make them. Maybe Warner does?
Lucius resumed his rambling account.
“The Nikeis influence to the south has been limited by the long sailing times around Rome’s Latin provinces. They have leased bases along the Roman eastern coast, but we maintain Roman garrisons in those fortresses. With a water passage separating Rome and Drantos opening a direct route to the south—” He shrugged “I would expect that to make a great difference.”
“Even as it is, they have factoring posts all over the south,” Rick said. “We got some of our information about southern conditions from Nikeis. Shame to lose them as allies over some battlefield slight.”
“What happened?”
“I never really understood it,” Rick said. “I got to the battle, found out Ganton was in the thick of it rather than directing all his forces—”
Publius nodded.
“My son-in-law has always been wont to command more like a centurion than a legate. It is good for morale, but a dangerous practice.”
Rick paused, expecting a remark about barbarians, but Publius said nothing more.
“But Julius Caesar himself fought in the ranks when he had to,” Warner said, and Lucius nodded.
“So it is recorded. A great inspiration to the Legions.”
“Yeah.” Rick leapt in before they could begin a new conversation that left him out. “Anyway, I got there to find there wasn’t really anyone in charge of the battle, and half our forces were standing their ground waiting to be told what to do. With Ganton holding like a rock in the center and everyone eager to pound at him it was no great trick to swing around and take the enemy from behind. Visibility was bad so we were able to surprise them. I don’t know where the Nikeisian contingent was during all this. Certainly not in my force. But come the next day, they were unhappy, about the division of the spoils, and how they were used, and everything else, and they didn’t even want to discuss it. Seemed a pretty trivial thing, but they shook the dust off their feet in our direction and went on their way. Now you tell me the city has imprisoned my ambassadors?”
“Imprisoned or expelled yours and everyone else’s,” Publius said. “And closed the city for good measure.” He frowned and shook his head. “And that is all we know until more detailed reports arrive.”
“All that over one regiment of troops getting shorted on the loot?” Rick said, and Publius smiled thinly.
“Friend of Caesar, I doubt much that anything done at the Ottarn had one whit to do with this. Indeed, I think it the other way. The Nikeisian commander may have been ordered to find cause to leave you and found it simpler to simulate anger than contrive a better story. Much that happened in Nikeis was done before the battle of the Ottarn. It is difficult to determine times precisely, but we believe a week before that battle. Perhaps longer.”
Week, Rick thought. Rome used weeks, like most Christian nations, so Nikeis probably did. In Drantos they used ten-days. The seven-day week wasn’t much used, although with an increasing number converting to the new Unified Church of Yatar and Christ they probably would take to it. Hard to worship on Sunday using a ten-day week.
“They closed the city before the Ottarn battle?”
Publius nodded confirmation.
“I believe so.”
Lucius was more certain.
“The time cannot be fixed exactly, but yes, I believe these events took place shortly before that battle.”
“What events? And do we know why?”
Lucius sucked his teeth.
“Possibly. Understand, Lord Rick, we had more agents in Nikeis than you, but no great number, and few have returned to us. But from what we discern, there was some great discovery made in a forest on the mainland facing the island city. There were rumors. Lights in the sky. Great men of the city taking a ship to the mainland, while cavalry patrols swept the area for spies. There were rumors of strangers, a courtesan from the stars, and of a black man. Our frumentarii spent freely but this was all they could learn before all foreigners were expelled from both the city and the neighboring Terra Firma, and the city sealed to traffic.
“Caesar’s swiftest messengers came to Rome to report, and it was then I appreciated the importance of the references to the rising sea.” Lucius was very serious now. “We have sent additional frumentarii to investigate, but there are few reports as yet. The last thing we know of internal matters in Nikeis is that they have opened the Arsenale, their great shipyard, and they are sending agents to recruit every shipbuilder they can locate. They offer wealth and status to master shipwrights, and good pay to journeymen. My agents on the mainland report they are logging great trees. They know their coming destiny, Lord Rick. The intriguing question is, how did they find it out? For certainly they did not act as if they knew prior to the lights in the sky.”
Publius had been watching carefully.
“It appears this is as great a surprise to you as to us,” he said.
“Indeed,” Rick said.
“You will understand, we had hoped you had some explanation,” Publius continued.
“No,” Rick said. “I’m worried about my agents in Nikeis. They should have reported by now. But I’m as concerned as you are about lights in the sky.” Maybe more, Rick thought. Maybe more. “I will have to do something about this. We cannot allow mistreatment of Drantos ambassadors. Particularly not star men! But what are we up against?”
“Jeez, Colonel,” Warner said. “Shalnuksis bringing in a new force?”
“Shalnuksis,” Publius said. “That is the name you give to the starfarers who brought you here.”
“Yes, how did you know?”
Publius looked to Lucius.
“We learn when and where we can, Lord Rick,” Lucius said. “As needs must. In this case I believe we learned from our agents in Nikeis.”
“Clavell,” Warner said. “He always was a blabbermouth when he had too much wine.”
“Which means Nikeis knows at least that much?” Rick asked, and Lucius nodded again.
“And more. Lord Rick, it seems to us there is great dissension among the star kings, the kings and great lords of the stars who in power are to you as you are to us. Is this so?”
Blunt question. Sudden. No time to think, and no point in lying. I wish Tylara were here.
“Actually,” Rick said, “dissension is a mild term for it. There are factions among the stars and some hate each other. As to power, I believe they have weapons that can kill every soul on this world.”
“Skyfire,” Lucius said firmly.
“And worse. Much worse.”
“Theomachy. Wars among the gods,” Lucius said. “In such wars humans are always harmed. Even if these are no true gods.”
“One thing,” Warner said.
“Yes?”
“Whatever these new star lords brought—”
“It’s not clear these are star lords,” Rick said.
“No, Sir, but it’s likely. Assume it for a moment. Whatever they brought, it’s not decisive in itself. They need local assistance, why else would Nikeis open up the Arsenale and start cutting trees?”
“Good point, Mr. Warner,” Rick said.
“Another thing, Sir. We’re going to need ships, too. If Nikeis is recruiting the master shipwrights who could build them for us, we need to stop that, and now.”
“Just so,” Rick said. “Make it so, Mr. Warner.”
“Sir.”
Publius stood.
“Duty Tribune!” he shouted.
A young Roman officer wearing two gold rings and gilded muscled armor came in.
“Aye, Heir of Caesar!”
“No shipwright master or journeyman is to leave Roman lands without permission from Rome,” Publius said. “Send word to my father. There will be a detailed message from Scholar Lucius soon, but send messengers immediately to Rome and to the frontier posts. Have the border guards stand by for other such orders. What forces have we available here?”
“Two cohorts of cataphracts, Heir of Caesar. Two centuries of cohortes equitates.”
“Have them make ready to march. We may need them shortly. Lucius, have you further orders?”
“Not at present. I will write my letter to Caesar before lunchtime tomorrow.”
Publius nodded.
“Dismissed,” he told the tribune.
“Aye, Caesar.” The officer hurried out and Publius turned back to Rick.
“Our course is plain,” he said. “We must build a navy. Romans have done that before.”
“My course is plain also,” Rick said. “I’ll have to organize a punitive expedition to demand the return of my men.”
“Your honor is no more precious to you than the honor of Rome is to Caesar,” Publius said. “We will aid you. I will send those cataphracts to aid you.”
“And alert our ships and marines,” Lucius said. “We are not entirely without maritime resources in the Great Bay. We have a small fleet. In itself it is no threat to Nikeis, but with your star weapons it might be more formidable than they imagine. But we must know who we face.”
“It would be well to know,” Publius agreed. “But gods or men, we will face them like Romans.”
Lucius nodded assent.
“Organize your force, Son of Caesar. Send your cohorts to Taranto. Send word to have all available ships and marines meet them there. But it would be ill advised to march against an ally on the strength of rumor. You do not know what has happened to Rome’s citizens, any more than Lord Rick knows the fate of his ambassador. Prepare to march, yes, but wait until we know more. That is my advice.”
“Mine too, Colonel,” Warner said.
“Harrison and Clavell,” Rick said. “If they were expelled, what would they do?”
“We’d know it by now,” Warner said. “Clavell’s a pretty good man, drunk or sober. If he could get word to you, he would.”
“That was my thought,” Rick said. “So we’ll have to rescue them. Only we haven’t got anyone to send. We’ll have to go ourselves. Heir of Caesar, I ask that you tell your cohorts I will meet them in Taranto. Perhaps by then we’ll know more.”