“I cried out then: ‘I do not know what to do? I should have died out there with my men. Oh, Mithras, God of the Sun, why did you not let me die?’
“The Bishop held out his hand, and in it was a sword that I recognised.
“‘It is yours.’ he said. ‘It was left for you by the man who brought you to my house. Do what you wish, Maximus. Stay here; I shall not ask questions. I have neither thanked you nor cursed you for what you did. It is not for me to judge, and I shall not do so.’
“I looked at him in despair; but even I could see that he looked ill. He, too, had suffered through my failure.
“I stayed. What else was there to do?
“He was more sick than I realised and, before the winter came, Mauritius, Bishop of Treverorum was dead; and I was more lonely than ever.
“In the spring, a new Praefectus Praetorio arrived, sent by Honorius to investigate the damage that had been done. It was a difficult time. There was war in the south; Constantinus was manœuvering against the imperial troops; and the land was still full of plundering bands who had deserted the main body of their tribe.” Maximus paused. He said, contemptuously, “But the first thing they asked the council for—was chariot races to amuse the people. Nothing had changed, you see.
“Later, I heard that Stilicho had fallen. The intrigues of a court eunuch succeeded where barbarian soldiers had failed. He could have fought back, but he did not wish for civil war. Unjustly condemned by the emperor he had served so faithfully, he walked to his execution with free hands.
“Then I grew restless, and I thought, why not? I have nothing to lose? I will go to Rome. I am an old man. No-one will harm me. That, at least, is one ambition I can fulfil without hurt to any man. I took a little of the money that the Bishop had left me, and I went; but I was too late. The country-side was filled with waggons and people, fleeing as though before an invading army. I knew the signs so well.”
Maximus paused, and laughed quietly. “I stood on the road, a mile away—think of that—only a mile from the Aurelian gate, and I watched Rome burn as Alaric and his Goths sacked the city after their fashion. I watched his hordes straggle up the road with their booty, and I saw a frightened woman upon a horse, her ankles tied beneath its belly, who was their prisoner. It was Galla Placidia, but I did not help her. Honorius would not have cared; and I had no wish to be a slave.
“I turned and made my way back to Gaul, and on my way I met a courier in the imperial service, taking a rescript to the government of my old island. It was a long and hazardous journey, and he had little stomach for the task. He offered me gold to take it for him. I agreed. I carried the letter in the end of my sleeve, pinned over my damaged wrist, for safety, you understand.
“So I came back, and I went to Londinium, and I found a man who called himself governor of that city. ‘Well,’ I said. ‘You may choose as many emperors as you please. Honorius has freed you at last. You must look to yourselves now—if you can.’ Then I went north and found Saturninus, and I broke his heart with the news of his son. He asked me to stay and, if Fabianus had been alive, I would have done so. But he is dead, and I could not. So—I came back here to Segontium where it all began.”
Maximus stood up. “I have kept you awake when you should have slept. You are safe enough here in your cold mountains.”
The chief of his listeners rose and faced him. He was a tall man with cold eyes and a beaked nose. He said, “We do not always sleep. Somewhere we shall find others who are like ourselves. And somewhere there will be a man with a sword, who has a purpose as you had.”
“He may be hard to find.”
“We shall find him.”
“You are quite certain.”
“Yes,” said the tall man. “Quite certain.”
Maximus said, “They have no tombstones. Not one man in Treverorum wept for their passing.” He looked at his audience in turn and smiled. “In the name of Mithras, my Master, may the Gods be kind to you on your journey.”
“And you?” asked the tall man.
“I, also, have a journey to make.”
“Where do you go?”
“To the Gods of the Shades.”
The tall man nodded. He said, formally, “Then may you live in God.”
Maximus bent down and then straightened up, the sword resting in the crook of his arm. He raised his head and turned his eyes upwards to the sun. He said, “What is the end of it all? Smoke and ashes, a handful of bones, and a legend. Perhaps not even a legend.”
They watched him go through the broken gate, heard his feet, heavy on the flint strewn path. “He is going to his temple in the woods,” said the tall man. “Listen.”
There was a long silence, and then a deep voice cried, “Mithras!” and the cry echoed back across the hill. And after that the silence went on for ever.
DIS MANIBUS
P GAIO MAXIMO FILIO CLAUDII ARELATIS
PRAEFECTUS I COH TUNG LEG XX VAL VIC
DUX MOGUNTIACENSIS COMES GALLIARUM
ANN LVII CCCCX ET Q VERONIO PRAEFECTUS
ALAE PETRIAE PRAEFECTUS II COH ASTUR
MAGISTER EQUITUM GERMANIAE SUPER ANN
LVI CECIDIT BELLO RHENO CCCCVII
SATURNINUS AMICUS FECIT
LIST OF PRINCIPAL CHARACTERS
Those marked with an asterisk are known to history.
Aelia
wife to P. G. Maximus
Agilio
post commander. Thirtieth Milestone.
*Alaric
Prince of the Visigoths
Aquila
Chief Centurion, 20th Legion
Artorius
Curator of Augusta Treverorum
Barbatio
Praefectus of auxiliaries at Moguntiacum
*Chariobaudes
C. in C. the Army of Gaul.
*Constans
son to Constantinus
*Constantinus
Chief of Staff at Eburacum; later self-styled emperor
Didius
squadron commander, 20th Legion
Fabianus
son to Saturninus
Flavius
garrison commander at Augusta Treverorum
Fredbal
a prisoner of war
Fredegar
sword-brother to Marcomir
*Fullofaudes
C. in C. the Army of Britain
Gaius
2 i/c the Tungrian cohort
Gallus
tribune of the Rhenus fleet
*Goar
Prince of the Alans; cousin to Respendial
*Godigisel
King of the Siling Vandals
*Gunderic
King of the Asding Vandals
*Guntiarus
King of the Burgundians
Hermeric
King of the Marcomanni
*Honorius
Emperor of Rome
Julian
cousin to P. G. Maximus
Lucillius
senior tribune, 20th Legion
Marcomir
Prince of the Franks
Marius
a tribune of the 20th Legion
*Mauritius
Bishop of Augusta Treverorum
*Maximus (Magnus)
Chief of Staff to Theodosius in Britain; later self-styled emperor
Maximus (Paulinus Gaius)
a Roman soldier
Optatus (Julius)
Quartermaster, 20th Legion
*Placidia (Galla)
sister to Honorius
*Rando
King of the Alemanni
*Respendial
King of the Alans
*Saturninus
Chief Centurion, Tungrian cohort
Scudilio
commander of auxiliaries at Bingium
Septimus (Julianus)
retired Curator of Augusta Treverorum
Severus (Marcus)
a tribune of the 20th Legion
*Stilicho
Military Master of the Western Empire
Sunno
son to Rando; later King of the Alemanni
Talien