As said, I have no wish to remain even outside Alexandria longer than I need. You have the gold with you?’
Leontius began one of his blustering speeches. He was allowed to run on a while.
Then the horseman broke in. ‘You have the gold with you?’ he asked again, not bothering now to smother his impatience. ‘If you don’t care to pay what was agreed, I can take myself and all I brought with me back to Canopus.’ That shut up Leontius.
‘You’ll find it all in order,’ he said, trying to sound cheerful. I heard the thump of at least one heavy purse. ‘It was a large sum to gather in cash, and not all of it is the new-minted Imperial coin you specified. But weight and fineness are correct. Would you like me to help you count it?’
‘I don’t think that will be necessary,’ the horseman said. ‘With all my clients, I like to think I deal on trust. Let me give you what is now your property, to do with what you will.’
There was a rustling of smooth leather and then another silence. I was dying for a look at what they were trading. I almost had to hold myself from twisting my head up. Something was crawling on my neck. I hoped it wasn’t one of those yellow bugs. They had a nasty sting.
‘My, but aren’t those big, heavy scrolls,’ Leontius said uncertainly. ‘What am I supposed to do with them?’
‘When I am asked for information,’ he was answered, ‘my practice is to give it in full. If there is a lot here, it is because there was a lot to be gathered.’
‘I will read all this,’ said Leontius. He was still disconcerted. ‘But could you oblige with a verbal summary?’
‘Very well,’ the horseman said. I could hear a little smile. ‘Remember, though, that the written texts are the full report. Those are what you have bought. I hold out no warranties for any verbal summary.’ As if getting back on his horse, he twisted himself astride the column and faced Leontius. His booted left foot swung maybe four inches from my face.
‘Your target is not a natural-born citizen of the Empire,’ he said. ‘He comes from Britain, which I believe is an island to the west of Africa. Though this was in ancient times a province of the Empire, it is now given over, like much of the West, to barbarian occupiers.’
My heart skipped a beat. I’d normally have felt an overpowering urge to brush those bugs off me. There were two others now – brown ones – crawling up one of my arms. But, frozen in my place, I hardly breathed.
‘He is himself of barbarian stock,’ the horseman continued. ‘His claim to be descended from citizens of good quality is as false as the name he uses. His real name is also barbarian, but far less easily pronounced among the civilised. As for his claim to be thirty-five, that too is a lie. So far as I can gather, he is at least twelve and perhaps fifteen years younger.
‘He arrived in Rome just over three years ago. He was secretary to a priest sent back to gather books for the new Church mission established in his country. The priest was murdered in circumstances that neither Church nor Imperial authorities will reveal to any enquirer. It is enough to say that Alaric emerged with credit, and was able to stay on in Rome as main collector of books to the Church mission in a place called Canterbury.
‘He then moved about two years ago to Constantinople, again on Church business. He involved himself in the rather complex intrigues that ended in the replacement of Phocas with Heraclius. Since then, he has moved to a position of increasing importance in the Imperial Council. He is one of the projectors of the new land law. He has overseen its implementation in three provinces so far. And Heraclius is known to be impatient for his return to Constantinople, where he is needed to ensure good relations with the Roman Church.’
‘So, he’s the Emperor’s bumboy?’ Leontius cut in. He laughed unpleasantly. Sex was something anyone could understand. High politics, I’d
Leontius began one of his blustering speeches. He was allowed to run on a while.
Then the horseman broke in. ‘You have the gold with you?’ he asked again, not bothering now to smother his impatience. ‘If you don’t care to pay what was agreed, I can take myself and all I brought with me back to Canopus.’ That shut up Leontius.
‘You’ll find it all in order,’ he said, trying to sound cheerful. I heard the thump of at least one heavy purse. ‘It was a large sum to gather in cash, and not all of it is the new-minted Imperial coin you specified. But weight and fineness are correct. Would you like me to help you count it?’
‘I don’t think that will be necessary,’ the horseman said. ‘With all my clients, I like to think I deal on trust. Let me give you what is now your property, to do with what you will.’
There was a rustling of smooth leather and then another silence. I was dying for a look at what they were trading. I almost had to hold myself from twisting my head up. Something was crawling on my neck. I hoped it wasn’t one of those yellow bugs. They had a nasty sting.
‘My, but aren’t those big, heavy scrolls,’ Leontius said uncertainly. ‘What am I supposed to do with them?’
‘When I am asked for information,’ he was answered, ‘my practice is to give it in full. If there is a lot here, it is because there was a lot to be gathered.’
‘I will read all this,’ said Leontius. He was still disconcerted. ‘But could you oblige with a verbal summary?’
‘Very well,’ the horseman said. I could hear a little smile. ‘Remember, though, that the written texts are the full report. Those are what you have bought. I hold out no warranties for any verbal summary.’ As if getting back on his horse, he twisted himself astride the column and faced Leontius. His booted left foot swung maybe four inches from my face.
‘Your target is not a natural-born citizen of the Empire,’ he said. ‘He comes from Britain, which I believe is an island to the west of Africa. Though this was in ancient times a province of the Empire, it is now given over, like much of the West, to barbarian occupiers.’
My heart skipped a beat. I’d normally have felt an overpowering urge to brush those bugs off me. There were two others now – brown ones – crawling up one of my arms. But, frozen in my place, I hardly breathed.
‘He is himself of barbarian stock,’ the horseman continued. ‘His claim to be descended from citizens of good quality is as false as the name he uses. His real name is also barbarian, but far less easily pronounced among the civilised. As for his claim to be thirty-five, that too is a lie. So far as I can gather, he is at least twelve and perhaps fifteen years younger.
‘He arrived in Rome just over three years ago. He was secretary to a priest sent back to gather books for the new Church mission established in his country. The priest was murdered in circumstances that neither Church nor Imperial authorities will reveal to any enquirer. It is enough to say that Alaric emerged with credit, and was able to stay on in Rome as main collector of books to the Church mission in a place called Canterbury.
‘He then moved about two years ago to Constantinople, again on Church business. He involved himself in the rather complex intrigues that ended in the replacement of Phocas with Heraclius. Since then, he has moved to a position of increasing importance in the Imperial Council. He is one of the projectors of the new land law. He has overseen its implementation in three provinces so far. And Heraclius is known to be impatient for his return to Constantinople, where he is needed to ensure good relations with the Roman Church.’
‘So, he’s the Emperor’s bumboy?’ Leontius cut in. He laughed unpleasantly. Sex was something anyone could understand. High politics, I’d
Similar Books
