he'd suddenly realised what he'd just said. "You know," he went on, "I'm going to have all sorts of trouble with you. That's not good. The First Citizen shouldn't let himself be shoved around by the military."
Aelius looked at him calmly. "I think that's why you chose me," he said.
"Sorry?" Basso cupped his hand to his left ear. "Didn't quite catch that."
"It must've been tough on you," Aelius went on. "There you were, a kid, barely started shaving, and your father dumps running the Bank on you. But you cope. In ten minutes flat you've got the hang of it, and ten minutes after that you're a merchant prince, beating the best in the Republic."
"I had help."
"I know." Aelius nodded. "Your man Antigonus. Probably the only man in the world you actually respect. Tell me," he went on, "if you wanted to do something and Antigonus said no, would you listen to him?"
Basso frowned, as though the question didn't make sense. "It'd depend."
"On what?"
"Whether he was right."
Aelius laughed. "In other words, no. Even Antigonus." He touched the point of his beard with his left thumb. "I think that's because he was a slave."
"Bullshit."
"It's true," Aelius said quietly. "That's why you can't respect him. You realise he's very clever, very good indeed at what he does. You love him like he was a close relative--uncle or something, maybe even your father--but deep down inside, you can't help despising him because of what he was. Well?"
Basso's scowl flattened out a little. "Your point?"
Aelius nodded. "Me," he said, "I'm a foreigner. 'Barely house-broken Beroean', you once called me."
"How the hell did you know that?"
Aelius shrugged. "Antigonus didn't tell me," he said. "But I'm the man who made you deaf in one ear and got away with it. I was the man who wanted you to hang for killing your wife." He paused, as if issuing a challenge. "Well?"
"Your point?"
"Very well." Aelius seemed to untense a little. "You want to go and take charge of the war, personally. Fine. I'm saying no to you. Well?"
Basso closed his eyes, then opened them again. "Don't you want to know why I'm so keen to do this?"
"I know why," Aelius replied. "Partly, you don't trust anybody else to do a proper job; not me, not anybody, not in anything. You want the war over and done with as soon as possible. Sitting back here and waiting for news will have you biting your nails to the quick."
"True," Basso said. "But that's--"
"Second," Aelius went on, "it's something you haven't tried yet. In fact, it's about the only thing you haven't yet tried to do, done, done brilliantly well. In your mind you can see yourself winning the war in ten minutes flat."
"No false modesty," Basso said quietly. "I believe I probably could."
"You've read a book about it, you mean."
"I read a book about banking. Also, you'd be there to teach me. Like Antigonus taught me about business."
Aelius shook his head. "It's a little different," he said. "Not that I'm saying you couldn't do it. The difference is, if you get it wrong, a lot of men will get killed."
"All right," Basso said. "What's so different about you? You read a better book than me, or what?"
Aelius smiled. "Actually, I've read forty-seven books," he replied. "And attended four courses of lectures at the Academy, and you could say I've been apprenticed to masters of my craft for thirty-five years. Which means nothing," he added. "Biggest defeat in the history of your Republic: the Danzine Forks. General Carus Vetranio and sixty thousand highly trained professional soldiers wiped out by a bunch of farmers led by a blacksmith. Teudel was, of course, a military genius. We spent a term on him, studying his use of mobile reserves and his innovative approach to the support of supply lines, and he couldn't even write his name. When he was Emperor, he had to sign documents with a stencil. You could be another Teudel, I don't know."
Basso nodded. "In other words?" he said.
Aelius dipped his head, conceding the point. "You want
Aelius looked at him calmly. "I think that's why you chose me," he said.
"Sorry?" Basso cupped his hand to his left ear. "Didn't quite catch that."
"It must've been tough on you," Aelius went on. "There you were, a kid, barely started shaving, and your father dumps running the Bank on you. But you cope. In ten minutes flat you've got the hang of it, and ten minutes after that you're a merchant prince, beating the best in the Republic."
"I had help."
"I know." Aelius nodded. "Your man Antigonus. Probably the only man in the world you actually respect. Tell me," he went on, "if you wanted to do something and Antigonus said no, would you listen to him?"
Basso frowned, as though the question didn't make sense. "It'd depend."
"On what?"
"Whether he was right."
Aelius laughed. "In other words, no. Even Antigonus." He touched the point of his beard with his left thumb. "I think that's because he was a slave."
"Bullshit."
"It's true," Aelius said quietly. "That's why you can't respect him. You realise he's very clever, very good indeed at what he does. You love him like he was a close relative--uncle or something, maybe even your father--but deep down inside, you can't help despising him because of what he was. Well?"
Basso's scowl flattened out a little. "Your point?"
Aelius nodded. "Me," he said, "I'm a foreigner. 'Barely house-broken Beroean', you once called me."
"How the hell did you know that?"
Aelius shrugged. "Antigonus didn't tell me," he said. "But I'm the man who made you deaf in one ear and got away with it. I was the man who wanted you to hang for killing your wife." He paused, as if issuing a challenge. "Well?"
"Your point?"
"Very well." Aelius seemed to untense a little. "You want to go and take charge of the war, personally. Fine. I'm saying no to you. Well?"
Basso closed his eyes, then opened them again. "Don't you want to know why I'm so keen to do this?"
"I know why," Aelius replied. "Partly, you don't trust anybody else to do a proper job; not me, not anybody, not in anything. You want the war over and done with as soon as possible. Sitting back here and waiting for news will have you biting your nails to the quick."
"True," Basso said. "But that's--"
"Second," Aelius went on, "it's something you haven't tried yet. In fact, it's about the only thing you haven't yet tried to do, done, done brilliantly well. In your mind you can see yourself winning the war in ten minutes flat."
"No false modesty," Basso said quietly. "I believe I probably could."
"You've read a book about it, you mean."
"I read a book about banking. Also, you'd be there to teach me. Like Antigonus taught me about business."
Aelius shook his head. "It's a little different," he said. "Not that I'm saying you couldn't do it. The difference is, if you get it wrong, a lot of men will get killed."
"All right," Basso said. "What's so different about you? You read a better book than me, or what?"
Aelius smiled. "Actually, I've read forty-seven books," he replied. "And attended four courses of lectures at the Academy, and you could say I've been apprenticed to masters of my craft for thirty-five years. Which means nothing," he added. "Biggest defeat in the history of your Republic: the Danzine Forks. General Carus Vetranio and sixty thousand highly trained professional soldiers wiped out by a bunch of farmers led by a blacksmith. Teudel was, of course, a military genius. We spent a term on him, studying his use of mobile reserves and his innovative approach to the support of supply lines, and he couldn't even write his name. When he was Emperor, he had to sign documents with a stencil. You could be another Teudel, I don't know."
Basso nodded. "In other words?" he said.
Aelius dipped his head, conceding the point. "You want
Similar Books
