“Good point, Augustus,” Aetius responded, to end a pointless conversation. All of Ravenna feared that Gaiseric had probably captured the African fleet and would soon learn how to use it.
“Goths may be loyal to Rome,” Renatus commented, breaking a silence that followed, “but not to the Roman Church. They’re heretics, plain and simple.”
“We have no trouble with them in Ravenna,” Sigisvult objected.
“Yes, Architect,” Renatus scoffed, “they’re good for your profession. Duplicate basilicas, two baptistries—”
“They keep to their quadrant near the harbor,” Sigisvult broke in angrily.
“Then there are the Judeans,” Renatus continued. “An entire colony of Hebrews here and at Classis. And cryptopagans…even a temple to Isis, an Egyptian idol. God only knows what other hidden cults there are.” The archdeacon looked toward Theokritos for support. “What do you think, Librarian?”
“As well as faith, the Goths corrupt language,” Theokritos grumbled. “Who still speaks of pay as salarium? Now it’s Gothic midzo.”
“Sir, don’t you think we share a common language?” Arcadia asked, feeling competent to discuss linguistics, if not legions. “Some words are so similar. Latin rex, and Gothic reiks for ‘king.’”
“A coincidence, young woman.”
Arcadia fortified herself with a quick gulp of wine. “You don’t think there’s a common root, sir?”
“Certainly not with Greek, young woman,” Theokritos replied. “And Latin has its own corrupt origins.”
“But take the present month of November,” Arcadia persisted, feeling a bit giddy. “Goths call it Naubaimar. Surely the similarity is more than a coincidence.”
“They stole it from us, like the land we’re obliged to give them under the new laws. Soon two-thirds of our words will also be Germanic…like those Frankish terms creeping in.”
“Come now, Librarian,” Sigisvult countered, “Franks are a tribe destined to disappear, just as did the Germanic ones that Tacitus mentioned. Isn’t that so Commander?”
Aetius shrugged and swirled the wine in his cup. “I’m not so sure.”
“Nor I,” Placidia agreed.
Eudoxia used the following interval of silence to complain that the room was chilly.
“I’ll tell Heraclius,” Valentinian said looking around, “Where is that eunuch of mine?”
“Magnaric”—Placidia signaled to her steward—“Magnaric, speak to the furnace attendants, and have the second course brought in.”
Servants appeared with platters of cheeses, salt fish, and lentils cooked with mussels. These were followed by wild duck braised in a turnip sauce, roast venison with aromatic date-spikenard gravy, and the carcass of a boar basted with caraway.
Watching Magnaric carve the wild pig evidently reminded Valentinian of the one he had wounded in The Pines. “The boar I probably killed on the day that monk drowned was bigger than this one,” he boasted.
Eudoxia giggled. Placidia let the insensitive remark pass, only commenting, “A pity about the Hibernian, but at least he died in Christ.”
“These Hibernians”—Renatus paused to accept a serving of duck—“these hyperborean islanders are gaining a foothold in Gaul.”
“Whereas,” Aetius quipped, “no Roman legion secured even a toehold on their island.”
“The bishop sent word to the dead monk’s abbot,” Renatus said, missing the connection.
“Who is he, Archdeacon?” Placidia asked.
“Brenos, at Autessiodurum. There’s a monastery there that Germanus built, but Roman bishops hope it won’t attract too many Gallic men.”
“Why is that?”
“Empress Mother,” Renatus explained, “Hibernians differ in some of their practices…private confession, rather than public, for example, a different date to commemorate the Lord’s resurrection. They also favor married clergy, when Rome is rightly trying to suppress this practice.”
Placidia changed back to Behan’s death. “Surgeon, you examined the monk’s body?”
“Yes. Behan was evidently practicing a rather severe form of penance.”
“I found him in the stream,” Valentinian boasted through a mouthful of venison.
“Optila calls monks Shave-heads.”
Getorius ignored the crude remark. “Empress, the cold water proved too much for Behan. He drowned.”
“There was a welt around his neck,” Arcadia blurted out from her couch.
What? Getorius stopped cutting a chunk of boar. Is Arcadia going to tell everyone she thinks Behan was murdered? She does get a little reckless after drinking.
“Of course, there was,” Renatus agreed in a smug tone. “Didn’t you find a leather strap somewhere in his hut?”
“Why…y…yes,” she stammered. “H…how did you know?”
Getorius paled. Yes, how could he have known?
“It’s another penance these Hibernians practice,” Renatus explained. “They wrap a strap around their necks and tighten it until they lose consciousness. I’m told it induces some kind of vision or ecstasy.”
“Archdeacon,” Getorius asked, to save his wife from further embarrassment, “when is this Brenos to arrive?”
“I doubt the abbot will come himself. He’ll send someone with burial authorization. Would he be able to take the body back to Gaul? I mean, its condition—”
“I think it’s been cold enough to preserve it.”
“Archdeacon,” Sigisvult suggested, “perhaps one of the Egyptian priests you mentioned could embalm the body.”
“That’s a thought—”
“Enough talk of Behan’s death,” Placidia interposed, turning to Theokritos. “I understand there were documents brought to you from the holy man’s cell. What were they?”
“Riddles in the triad style of Hibernians. A fantasized prophecy, I would say.”
Valentinian, who had been staring at Arcadia since the meat courses were brought in, took up the unintended cue with a wink at her. “My astrologer predicted that Eros would favor me in November. So far he’s been wrong, but it’s only mid-month.”
“The man’s a fool,” Placidia told her son, glaring at him. “Go on, Librarian. Tell us of this prophecy.”
“It sounds like another one of the predictions so common these days. Yet some of the words are not in the correct form.”
“I noticed that too,” Getorius confirmed, “but wondered if Behan had been careless.”
“Hardly,” Renatus told him. “Discipline is a virtue with Hibernians. Librarian, give us an example of this aberration.”
Theokritos stroked his white beard, reflecting for a moment. “The last verse reads, ‘The testament of this is hidden in the book of John.’”
Renatus continued probing. “Testament of what?”
“The monk was referring to Christ’s discourse on love at his agape meal, and suggesting that its fulfillment would be in our time.”
“What are the improper forms you mentioned?”
“Scribes have begun to initialize—to increase the height of letters that begin a sentence or
