months. Lepidus paused, then bowed his head and clasped his hands in front of him.
The courier walked back to him. “The Pontifex is waiting.”
“He can wait two more minutes.”
“Evocatus, he asked—”
“You are a soulless golem, so I don't expect you to understand, but human beings respect the gods.”
The golem closed its mouth and then waited next to Lepidus.
Lepidus knew how to affect a certain tone and a glare that made most people give him what he wanted. Courier golems, however, could not be intimidated. It likely realized Lepidus wouldn’t leave until the ritual ended. Lepidus didn't care, so long as the golem left him in peace to give his respects to Minerva.
Once the hymns and the squeals of the dying pig stopped, Lepidus raised his head. “Lead on, golem.”
The courier turned and took Lepidus to the right, along the balcony that encircled the Temple’s vast hall. They approached the entry to another corridor guarded by two Triad Custudae on either side. While they wore the ceremonial fluff of the Custudae, Lepidus knew they were trained as well as the Custudae on the rooftop. Lepidus and the courier walked past them, and they did not blink. He knew sensors along the way scanned his identicard. If he wasn’t authorized to be here, he never would have made it into the Temple.
The hall they entered was more opulent than the one connecting the Temple to the administrative building. Though Lepidus had never been here, he knew the offices of the Collegia Pontificis were close. He frowned at the statues within the alcoves along the hall. Unlike the Temple hallway, these statues were of previous Pontiffs. Lepidus thought it unseemly for statues of mere humans to have such a prominent place in the Temple of Jupiter Optimus Maximus. He understood they were not in the worship hall proper, but at least a token acknowledgement to the gods should be displayed.
Lepidus calmed his annoyance. The Collegia had been the voice of the gods for a thousand years. The gods spoke to the Collegia and Consul, who gave the wisdom and technology of the gods to the people through divinely inspired Missives. He had to trust in the Collegia, for they would do nothing to anger the gods. He had faith the Collegia knew best.
The courier stopped before a large, polished oak door.
“When you enter, Evocatus, please kneel and—”
“I know how to address the Pontifex, golem.”
The courier nodded, then put his hand on a control pad next to the doors. The lock in the doors clicked, and the courier turned the handle on the right door.
Lepidus entered an office that could have been used by the first Pontifex. Marble shelves filled with scrolls, leather-bound books, and parchments lined three entire walls of the large, rectangular room. The shelves rose from the polished, white marble floor to the ceiling twenty feet above. Ceiling frescoes depicted the gods granting wisdom to the Pontiffs, and then the Pontiffs announcing that wisdom to the Roman people by reading from Missive parchments. On the office’s far end, a large oak desk covered in scrolls stood before the bookshelves. Three cats, a large gray and two whites, lounged on the desk at different corners, their tails swaying back and forth languorously. All three stared at Lepidus through squinted eyes.
Besides the light domes on the ceiling, there was no technology in the room that wasn’t used when Marcus Antonius became Consul.
At the door to an open balcony stood the Pontifex Maximus Decimus Atius Avitus. He surveyed Roma’s skyline, his hands clasped behind his back. The Pontifex wore the dark blue tunic and matching trousers all flamens wore when not performing rituals or speaking to the people. The only physical difference between Avitus and a flamen was the Ring of the Pontifex on his left hand, and the rings of his House on his right.
Lepidus and the golem sank to one knee, bowed their heads, and waited for the Pontifex to notice them.
“You may leave
The courier walked back to him. “The Pontifex is waiting.”
“He can wait two more minutes.”
“Evocatus, he asked—”
“You are a soulless golem, so I don't expect you to understand, but human beings respect the gods.”
The golem closed its mouth and then waited next to Lepidus.
Lepidus knew how to affect a certain tone and a glare that made most people give him what he wanted. Courier golems, however, could not be intimidated. It likely realized Lepidus wouldn’t leave until the ritual ended. Lepidus didn't care, so long as the golem left him in peace to give his respects to Minerva.
Once the hymns and the squeals of the dying pig stopped, Lepidus raised his head. “Lead on, golem.”
The courier turned and took Lepidus to the right, along the balcony that encircled the Temple’s vast hall. They approached the entry to another corridor guarded by two Triad Custudae on either side. While they wore the ceremonial fluff of the Custudae, Lepidus knew they were trained as well as the Custudae on the rooftop. Lepidus and the courier walked past them, and they did not blink. He knew sensors along the way scanned his identicard. If he wasn’t authorized to be here, he never would have made it into the Temple.
The hall they entered was more opulent than the one connecting the Temple to the administrative building. Though Lepidus had never been here, he knew the offices of the Collegia Pontificis were close. He frowned at the statues within the alcoves along the hall. Unlike the Temple hallway, these statues were of previous Pontiffs. Lepidus thought it unseemly for statues of mere humans to have such a prominent place in the Temple of Jupiter Optimus Maximus. He understood they were not in the worship hall proper, but at least a token acknowledgement to the gods should be displayed.
Lepidus calmed his annoyance. The Collegia had been the voice of the gods for a thousand years. The gods spoke to the Collegia and Consul, who gave the wisdom and technology of the gods to the people through divinely inspired Missives. He had to trust in the Collegia, for they would do nothing to anger the gods. He had faith the Collegia knew best.
The courier stopped before a large, polished oak door.
“When you enter, Evocatus, please kneel and—”
“I know how to address the Pontifex, golem.”
The courier nodded, then put his hand on a control pad next to the doors. The lock in the doors clicked, and the courier turned the handle on the right door.
Lepidus entered an office that could have been used by the first Pontifex. Marble shelves filled with scrolls, leather-bound books, and parchments lined three entire walls of the large, rectangular room. The shelves rose from the polished, white marble floor to the ceiling twenty feet above. Ceiling frescoes depicted the gods granting wisdom to the Pontiffs, and then the Pontiffs announcing that wisdom to the Roman people by reading from Missive parchments. On the office’s far end, a large oak desk covered in scrolls stood before the bookshelves. Three cats, a large gray and two whites, lounged on the desk at different corners, their tails swaying back and forth languorously. All three stared at Lepidus through squinted eyes.
Besides the light domes on the ceiling, there was no technology in the room that wasn’t used when Marcus Antonius became Consul.
At the door to an open balcony stood the Pontifex Maximus Decimus Atius Avitus. He surveyed Roma’s skyline, his hands clasped behind his back. The Pontifex wore the dark blue tunic and matching trousers all flamens wore when not performing rituals or speaking to the people. The only physical difference between Avitus and a flamen was the Ring of the Pontifex on his left hand, and the rings of his House on his right.
Lepidus and the golem sank to one knee, bowed their heads, and waited for the Pontifex to notice them.
“You may leave
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