“There are matters within your proposal which call for further clarification,” said the empress mother to Julian.
The sisters of the emperor seemed little concerned, as did the emperor, busy with the small chromatic globe, with the affairs of state.
The two young women, Otto noted, were regarding him, from within the layered walls, the high, rigid defenses, of those stiff, heavy, brocaded robes of state. He wondered if anything stirred, hot like blood or soft and warm like woman’s flesh, within those high, elaborate fortresses of fabric and gold. He wondered what they might look like, barefoot, in long, sleeveless, white woolen gowns, or less.
“The matter is quite simple,” said Julian. “I am requesting a commission, in the rank of captain, for Ottonius, my colleague, that he may recruit comitates, a company, drawn from various worlds, to function in an auxiliary capacity.”
“There are many units in the auxilia, already, your majesty,” said a man.
The auxilia were largely formed of barbarians, almost always from the same tribal groups. Later barbarians, of diverse tribes, would figure in the regular forces, as well.
“Why, dear Julian,” inquired the empress mother, “do we need yet another unit of such?”
“Since the senate and people of Telnaria,” said Julian, acidly, “have seen fit to extend the citizenship, unearned, gratuitously, to so many worlds, recruitment has dwindled, deplorably, to a trickle. Men of the empire refuse to touch steel, preferring gold, or even free bread and amusements.”
Citizenship in the empire, and its associated benefits, it might be remarked, were at one time, rare and muchly coveted. One route to citizenship was service in the armed forces, a route of which countless men of ambition and intelligence availed themselves. A citizenship earned is, of course, a citizenship respected and prized. When citizenship is regarded as something that is due one, on the basis of having been born, or such, the state suffers. Soon blocks of votes are being sold, in effect, to the highest bidder. Once again, I merely observe this, refraining from comment.
“The winds of what men prize have changed,” said Iaachus.
“Soon,” said Julian, “the armed forces will consist of barbarians!”
“They are hungry,” laughed a man. “They will work cheap.”
“Why should we weary ourselves with martial labors, when there are others who will serve us well, and cheaply.”
“Beware,” cried Julian, turning, pointing upward, back, “there are wolves among the stars!”
“Set wolves to fight wolves,” said a man.
“But they must be wolves as fierce, as terrible, as those who prowl even now at our borders!” said Julian.
“The empire has nothing to fear,” said a man.
“The empire is eternal,” said another.
“Our technology, our weapons, our ships will protect us,” said another.
“And what will you do when the barbarians, too, have such technologies, such weapons, such ships?” asked Julian, “Abrogastes, of the Alemanni, of the Drisriaks, already has lionships, which are the equal of our destroyers, and even faster.”
“I have never heard of Abrogastes,” said a man.
“Let us hope that you never do,” said Julian.
“Pretty,” said the emperor, looking into the small globe.
The empress mother rose from her throne and, with a cloth, wiped the side of the boy’s face, removing the saliva that ran there.
She then resumed her place.
“May I speak, your majesty?” inquired Iaachus.
“Surely,” said the empress mother.
“In what way, beloved Julian, noble scion of the Aurelianii, that family in whose debt we all so consciously and gratefully stand, would the commissioning of this colleague of yours, this Ottonius, serve the empire?”
“Am I requested to supply a justification,” asked Julian, “for what I am entitled to, as the smallest of favors, of considerations, given my lineage and my station?”
“Of course not,” said Iaachus. “Forgive me.”
“It is only a captaincy,” said another man. “It might have been granted without an audience.”
“I want the audience,” said Julian. “I want it clearly understood that the empire is not secure, that it is in grave danger, or will soon be in grave danger.”
“Revenues decrease,” said a man. “Planets grow less arable. It is hard to collect taxes. Men flee. Men leave their occupations.”
“The bindings will stabilize matters,” said a man. “They will guarantee the security of the tax base.”
“I am most regrettably forced to my proposal,” said Julian. “I, more than any, fear barbarians in the service of the empire. I, more than you, understand them. I realize the danger they pose. But these risks must be accepted. There is no choice. Civilization, civilitas itself, is at stake. Patriotism, civic duty, allegiance, are no longer mighty forces in the empire.”
“Nonsense!” cried a man.
“In what unit have you served?” asked Julian.
The man stepped back, and looked downward.
“He is only one man,” said a man, indicating Otto.
“It is the beginning,” said Julian. “It is a new concept. In the past the auxilia have been almost always recruited from particular tribes, allowed to settle within the borders of the empire, as federates, their land granted primarily in exchange for recruitments. These tended to be uniform units, keeping their own tribal structure and leadership. Their allegiance, in the last analysis, was to their own groups.”
“Surely there have been mutinies,” said a man.
“I envision,” said Julian, “barbarian mercenaries, drawn from various worlds, recruited on the basis not of tribal membership but of qualities and skills, however terrible and merciless these may be, men owing their allegiance not to tribes and tribal leaders, but to their own captains.”
“Who will be dependent upon our commissions, and pay,” said a man.
“Yes,” said Julian.
“Landless men, pure fighters, with no worlds,” said a man.
“Dependent on the empire,” said Julian.
“Warriors,” said a man, shuddering.
“Yes!” said Julian.
“Mercenary warriors,” said another.
“Yes, yes!” said Julian.
“What think you, noble Iaachus?” inquired the empress mother.
“An interesting, but dangerous, idea,” said Iaachus.
“It is too dangerous,” said the empress mother.
“There are no viable alternatives,” said Julian.
“Surely the assessment of he of the Aurelianii is overly pessimistic,” said a man.
“Not at all,” said Julian, angrily.
“The empire has always had its problems,” said a man.
“What think you, noble Iaachus?” asked the empress mother.