by S. J. Ryan
But then the outer doors opened and an officer entered. He wore on his helmet the purple plume of the imperial guard, and the stripes and eagles to indicate the rank of colonel. He looked Matt over sternly, then locked eyes.
“I presume that you care about the girl,” the colonel said.
Matt had an idea of what was coming. “Yes.”
“If you confess to the crime and cooperate with the investigation, there will be leniency. You and her shall be returned to Britan unharmed. Otherwise you may expect the full force of Roman law without mercy, unto death. Do you understand?”
Matt realized what a tiny thread he and Carrot were hanging by, and looked away.
“I understand.”
The colonel frowned. “Your voice seems somewhat nasal. Is that your accent?”
“I have a cold.”
The colonel promptly exited the room the way he had come. A short time later, Valarion's speech paused and the door to the chamber was opened, and Matt was escorted inside. He stood on the circular floor of the Senate Chamber, beneath a blaze of lanterns, with rows of benches filled with senators in ascending concentric circles amid columns and balustrades whose Greek-style design had found its way across the millennia and light years.
To one side, standing behind a podium, was Valarion, still in his ceremonial uniform from the party.
“And this is the ringleader of the operation,” Valarion said, gesturing to Matt among his guards. “He was apprehended in the palace gardens, attempting to assist the assassin in her escape. His name is allegedly 'Matt,' a hearkening of course to the mythology of the Star Child. He comes of a place called Seattle, claimed to be in Espin but in fact located to the west of Britan and in alliance with the Britanians.”
Matt expected angry glares and cries of rage, but instead the senators merely blinked. He saw how rumpled their robes and tired their faces were, and checked the time. It was after midnight, and they probably didn't appreciate being awakened and summoned at this late hour for this spectacle. More so than even he was, they were probably aware that Valarion's proceedings were a farce and they wished only to be back in bed.
One senator, however, was wide awake and well-groomed. He sat on the first ring of benches and spoke in rumbling tones:
“So General, do you think that Archimedes had knowledge of the plot to assassinate the Emperor Hadron?”
Valarion replied, “Archimedes was host to both the ringleader and the assassin in his home. He provided them with rooming and material needs while they were in Rome. And now he has escaped detainment and refuses to turn himself in for questioning. So I am afraid that it is all appearing as highly suspicious.”
The senator looked down at the papers, and Matt realized that it must a script that had been written by Valarion beforehand. As he had not time to do so after, the 'questions' and 'answers' regarding the details of the assassination must have been written by the general before the assassination.
The senator rumbled on, “What would be the motive of Archimedes to kill Hadron?”
Matt noticed the use of the former emperor's personal name rather than title. Valarion was wearing a robe with purple fringe, as according to Roman Law all generals and admirals were accorded senatorial rank, but it was evident from the body language of the other senators that he was already being given the deference of de facto emperorship.
Valarion had bowed his head, as if in deep contemplation, and now he raised it solemnly.
“I have a theory as to the motive of Archimedes,” he said. He looked across the faces of the senators, feigning an expression of sympathy. “But first let me say that I realize that this accusation may offend many, who may regard Archimedes as an esteemed teacher whose value to Rome is proven both by his public works and his once-untarnished career as a military engineer. But please recall the evidence is overwhelming that he was complicit in a plot to kill Hadron.”
Matt expected then to hear a listing of the 'overwhelming' evidence. It would of course be false, but at least it would have followed the form of the law. Instead, Valarion continued:
“Now, what possible motive could a scientist have in the murder of an emperor? I think first of all we must recognize that Archimedes may not have realized that he was getting himself involved in a murder plot. He is an old man, and sometimes old men are more easily misled and deceived than those of us in our prime. Also, being hardened in his ways, he tended to become disdainful of those who interfered with his work in maintaining the infrastructure of the city, a labor which he had come to think as of supreme importance, taking priority over the needs of statecraft.”
“So you are not suggesting that he was intentionally . . . a traitor?” read the senator.
Having noticed the focus of Matt's eyes on the papers, Ivan had used the compound camera lenses in Matt's face to zoom in on the top page and invert so that Matt could read the line as it was printed: 'So you are not suggesting that he was intentionally [BEAT] a traitor?'
“No, no, not at first,” Valarion said. “But we all know that he had disagreements with Hadron, and he was often heard to complain of how inefficiently the city is run under the care of the imperial government. It is not hard to imagine that over the years, he came to believe that he himself would make a better emperor than all of us – as if knowing how to construct an aqueduct or fix the sewers is all there is to the affairs of state.”
Matt read the next question: 'You are suggesting then [BEAT] that he actively plotted [BEAT] to become emperor?”
“You are suggesting then . . . that he actively plotted . . . to become emperor?”
Valarion replied, “Only in his dreams could Archimedes become emperor of Rome. He had of course no base of popular support. But then came two young people into his life – going by the names of Arcadia of Britain, and Matt of Seattle. They promised him that if he gave them access to the Emperor via his personal friendship, they would provide him with the material support necessary to wage a political campaign against the Emperor.”
In spite of his circumstances, Matt inwardly smiled at the irony. Archimedes may or may not have fantasized himself as emperor but he would certainly never imagine that a political campaign could topple an emperor. Archimedes knew full well that both 'democracy' and 'republic' were empty words in Rome.
“How do you know this conspiracy to be fact?”
“We have sworn affidavits from several witnesses to conversations which occurred at the house of Archimedes.”
“Sworn affidavits from witnesses to conversations that never happened,” Matt subvocaled.
There might have come raised voices and muttered conversations in reaction to Valarion's assertions, but there was only silence. Matt looked at the faces of the senators again. He sensed that they weren't necessarily bored – after all, Valarion was maneuvering for power over the Empire and could soon have swords to their throats too – but they were drained of spontaneous emotion.
Senator 'Prompter' continued mechanically, "Did these culprits from Britan and Seattle act alone, or are they part of a larger conspiracy?"
Valarion replied, "Just as Archimedes was only a tool, these two young people were unlikely to have contrived so intricate a conspiracy on their own. Instead, the leaders of Britan and Seattle sent them as part of a team. Their assassination of the Emperor was nothing less than the first step in plunging our city into chaos and discord in prelude to military attack.”
Valarion went on to describe what his spies had discerned about the malicious alliance between Seattle and Britan. A soldier brought out a stand and set up a map, and with pointer in hand, Valarion indicated the location of a large island to the west of Britan, emblazoned with the designation, SEATTLE.
“Heretofore, we have not been aware of the existence of Seattle, as it lies well beyond our frontiers and they have the practice of destroying any ship of ours that has ventured into their realm. But they have been well aware of the existence of Rome, and have been preparing for some time to mou
nt an invasion.”
The series of charts that followed showed the relative naval strength of Seattle versus Rome. Instead of the ferries and kayaks that Matt had long watched dotting Puget Sound on Earth, 'Seattle of Ne'arth' possessed a formidable array of triremes and even quadremes (i.e., three-level and four-level galleys, according to Ivan) bristling with catapults, grappling hooks, and mounted crossbows capable of launching – said Valarion – two meter long arrows of 'flaming death.'
Out of curiosity, Matt checked the archived satellite photos of the region of the planet immediately west of Britan. The seas were island-less.
But that didn't stop Valarion from describing the heinous barbarity of the rulers of the Seattlean Empire. As reported by his 'vast' intelligence network, the Seattleans had enslaved nation after nation. They had razed peaceful cities and eradicated proud cultures. They had reduced countless peoples to slavery. Their soldiers were known to laugh maniacally as they threw babies into the air to be skewered with spears and cooked alive over fires, after which the freshly-roasted carcasses of the innocents were feasted upon.
(Without any regard for table manners, Matt thought. But the rest of the audience seemed not to find it as ridiculous as he did.)
And now the Seattleans had targeted Rome for conquest. With its formidable navy, it was entirely possible that Seattle could prevail against Rome on the seas. As almost solely a maritime power, however, Seattle lacked the sizable army necessary to successfully control the land of even the island of Italia, let alone the provincial territories of Rome. Hence, the Seattleans had allied with the Britanians.
Valarion continued, “As you all well know, for years I have expounded on the lowness of the Britanian character. They are cruel barbarians with no concepts of decency, mercy, or honor. They make truces to break them. Being incapable of successfully cultivating their own lands, they have taken to brigandage and thuggery to rob from innocent, peaceful Roman settlers. Our one great advantage in the conflict has been their utter lack of intelligence to match their lack of morality. So it is only natural that Seattle would turn to Britan in order to recruit a mercenary army of barbarians sufficient to conquer Rome. What we saw in this assassination was a microcosm of that division of labor – a Seattlean directing the operation, a Britanian carrying it out.”
“Wow,” Matt subvocaled. “He's managed to tie it all together.”
Indeed, Valarion's story-telling abilities seemed to have roused even the jaded senators. No longer glancing at the exits, they leaned forward on the benches and listened raptly as Valarion detailed the strike plan of perfidious Seattle – complete with full-color maps and diagrams.
“Even now the initial phases could be in motion. Even now the Seattlean fleets could be loading with Britanian mercenaries, our peaceful provincial town of Londa under their brutal occupation if not burned to ashes. Even now, their ships laden with barbarian warriors could be coursing toward Italia. For you see, they expect the assassination of Hadron to set off a power struggle that will descend into civil war and destroy Rome's ability to defend itself. We have intercepted their plans and know that they intend to land forces here, here, and here – “ he pointed along the shoreline of a map of Italia “– which will then march on Rome and capture our unwalled city without a fight. For we will be too busy fighting ourselves to fight them. Or so they believe.”
Matt was impressed with Valarion's ability to speak extemporaneously – until Ivan pointed out the meter-high housing that protruded out the floor, its opening facing toward the center of the circle and away from the senators. Hand-painted letters on a large board were held in full view of Valarion: NOW IS A TIME FOR UNITY. WE MUST NOT ALLOW OUR CITY TO BE OVERCOME BY SUBVERSION.
“I saw a documentary about television shows in the twentieth century,” Matt subvocaled. “He's using what were called 'cute cards.'”
“Cue cards,” Ivan corrected.
Senator 'Prompter' read from his script, “So what must we do to meet the combined threat of Seattle and Britan?”
“Now is a time for unity,” Valarion replied. “We must not allow our city to be overcome by subversion. Instead, this is a time for leaders to stand together and take swift action. I propose therefore that we agree now upon a temporary leader who can deal effectively with the crisis. It must be someone who has military experience, especially with barbarian warriors such as the Britanians. Someone whose reputation is without blemish and is well known and held in high regard by all. Someone who can be trusted with the all-too-fragile constitutional freedoms of our republic during these times when the security of our very nation may be in contest. Someone who – “
Matt had an idea who the 'someone' was going to be, and sure enough, when Valarion finally ceased enumerating the qualities of the hypothetical paragon, Senator Prompter stood and addressed the gathering, “I can think of no other man who encompasses all these qualities better than the speaker, who additionally has the quality of being too modest to recognize that he is speaking of himself. Therefore, I will speak on his behalf. I nominate that we confirm by acclamation, General Mardu Valarion as Emperor of Rome for the duration of this crisis.”
A few hands timidly started to go up, but it was Valarion himself who waved them down.
“My fellow Romans,” he said, “I appreciate this vote of confidence and affirmation that my service for Rome has been deemed of value. But I must caution you, I have saved the worst revelations for last. You must fully understand what you are getting yourselves into. For as Emperor of Duration, I will be forced to take severe measures to ensure the public safety and will request the granting of emergency powers. As the danger is so shocking that you would not believe it if I were to tell you on my own, I have brought this Seattlean, Matt of Seattle, to confirm that my words are true.”
Valarion turned to Matt. With a stern expression, he said, “Matt of Seattle, do you confess of the conspiracy to kill the Emperor Hadron in alliance with the alleged Princess Arcadia of Britan and Larkin of Kresidala, also known as Archimedes, Chief Scientist of Rome?”
The colonel of the imperial guard was watching. Matt thought of Carrot, and said, “Yes.”
“Do you confess further of knowledge that Seattle and Britan intend to launch a joint attack against Rome and the Provinces under her protection?”
“Yes.”
Valarion turned to the Senate. “Now here is the part which all of you must pay close attention toward.” He faced Matt once again. “Matt of Seattle, do you also confess knowledge of a plan to incite imminent mayhem and anarchy in the streets of Rome, through agents of Seattle and Britan infiltrated within our city?”
Matt paused, wondering what Valarion's angle was. But again he thought of Carrot, and said, “Yes.”
Valarion turned solemnly to the assembled senators.
“Gentlemen, you see the danger before us. Even before Seattlean ships arrive to disperse their Britanian barbarian troops, Rome could be aflame with insurrection, instigated by foreign agents. This alas is a time when we cannot follow the constitutional protocols with undue strictness in our interpretation. The very foundation of our republic is under threat, and there will be no rights at all unless we act decisively. Whoever you therefore appoint as Emperor for the duration of the crisis must have emergency powers such as to act decisively, lest our homes become aflame and our streets run with blood.”
“Ah,” Matt subvocaled. “Now I see. He's going for dictatorship.”
The prompting-senator was about to speak, but just then an elderly senator arose from the back row.
“Hear me!” the old man cried, his voice cracking as it echoed against the chamber walls with surprising force. “When you say that you must suppress foreign insurrectionists upon our streets, are you suggesting the use of the legions within the municipality of Rome?”
Valarion looked severely regretful and he bowed his head and replied, “I wish it could be otherwise. I know it looks unseemly to have soldiers marching amid a peaceful city
– “
“What matters is not that it looks unseemly but that it is unseemly!” the elderly senator boomed. “The one thing that's checked Rome from becoming an absolute tyranny is that legions are kept from the city. Granted, Hadron swelled the size of his palace guard until it was almost a legion unto itself, but – you're talking martial law!”
Valarion sighed as if crestfallen. “It may well come to that. I can only promise to the best of my ability that the presence of the legions within the city will be limited and discreet. You have my word on that.”
“You – you – you – “
The elderly senator stopped speaking. He was looking around the room. Matt saw that none of the other senators were meeting his gaze or even looking back at him. It wasn't just that they weren't hearing. It was as if he didn't exist.
The elderly senator sat down. Senator Prompter raised his voice and said:
“If there are no objections, be it resolved that the Senate herewith acclaim General Mardu Valarion as Emperor of Duration.”
And by voice and hands, Valarion was unanimously anointed Emperor of Rome.
Out of an aged cabinet came a threadbare purple robe which was draped around his shoulders as he was handed a crudely-made signature seal. He raised the seal and the senators arose and applauded. Even the elderly senator who had protested martial law was on his feet, though his clapping was limp and his expression clearly disdainful. He was mumbling and Ivan read from his lips: “This is the doing of the witches.”
Without further ceremony, Matt was rough-handled back into the side room. The colonel was there speaking with subordinates, and Matt called over, “When can I see my friend?” The colonel ignored him.
Matt was dragged out of the chamber and loaded into the rickshaw. A few blocks later, he was taken out, inside a courtyard surrounded by high walls which predawn light revealed were made of dark red bricks. He knew of only one building in Rome with that shade of brick, which Archimedes had pointed out to him as Bloodbrick Prison.