The Dark Lord

brand. Even in the south, where Mount Aetna smokes and fumes, the earth has been restless, crying out with the voices of the uneasy dead.'

As Gregorius spoke, he moved across the surface of the map, indicating each place in turn.

'Our Legions have been defeated before Constantinople, tens of thousands of our citizens have perished in ash and fire, entire cities in Campania are tenanted only by corpses! Men have reported to me, swearing by the twelve tablets and by the great gods themselves, that a two-headed serpent of no less than eighty feet in length has lately appeared in Etruria and caused great harm, ere lightning struck it down. The serpent's husk now journeys to Rome, so all may look upon the omen for themselves.

'Now, Egypt is threatened by our enemy and with it the corn supply for Rome. Yes! I see your doubting faces—I speak truly, my friends—we are faced with a powerful enemy and one wielding inhuman powers.'

There was another murmuring and many of the senators looked at each other in disbelief. A few scattered shouts of 'lies!' and 'impossible' were heard.

'This the truth!' Gregorius barked sharply, widening the eyes of many senators. They had not seen him so animated or so grim in years. 'Rome has slept for a long time, ignorant of the malefic power Persia has harnessed. The nature of our enemy, my friends, has changed and not for the better. For a very long time, the Persian mobehedan served a power they call Ahura-Madza, a deity of light! I assure you they no longer turn their faces to the sun in worship. No, our great victories two years past have made them desperate.'

Gregorius paused, catching his breath. A disbelieving murmur rose in the quiet, then fell away again as the old senator glared at his fellows. It was clear to Maxian many of the older men were beginning to wonder what the point of all this was. The younger senators simply did not believe the warning. Why should they? Maxian realized. They've not seen these things for themselves.

Gregorius began to pace along the length of the hall, glaring at individual senators as he moved. Few men met his gaze and none could hold it.

'We have all heard rumors—as children or as adults—of demonic powers who oppose the great gods, Jupiter and Minerva and Juno. Over the centuries our philosophers have claimed these gods do not exist, that they are the superstitions of a credulous, ignorant people. Some men point to the abilities of wizards and sorcerers and say; 'there are your gods of old, the men who first wielded such power.' We have been blind, my friends.'

The walking cane rapped sharply, punctuating his words. The senators did not stir, bending all their attention upon the old man.

'There are dark powers, things that should remain nameless, deities desiring only destruction and the enslavement of all human life. I do not know if the great gods exist, or if they will help us, but I do know we are locked in a struggle to the death with the servants of darkness. Rome has never—I say never—faced a more terrible enemy, even in the war against the Egyptian Queen.'

Gregorius turned to the Emperor, face filled with foreboding. 'Augustus Galen, you are the protector of the state and the Senate and the people. Above all, you are the bulwark of civilization, both against the barbarian tribes and against impious darkness. We are embattled, matching our mortal strength against this supernal power—I beg you, in the name of the people, to raise a shield, an aegis, against these enemies.'

Galen stirred, sharp eyes flickering across the crowd. 'What more would you have me do, Senator? The Legions and the Thaumaturges are already upon the field of battle, striving to turn back the Persian tide. There are no more men to call up, no more armies to raise...'

'There is an Imperial post, princeps, which has never been filled. I beg you to fill it now.'

Maxian was surprised—he knew full well what Gregorius had in mind—yet now he felt his throat constrict. A complete silence fell upon the assembly, and many of the senators tensed, staring at Gregorius as if the old man had become a monster himself. Maxian's eyes drifted over them and he saw calculation and ambition alike shining in their faces. For a moment, he felt sick, filled with revulsion at their reaction.

Where is your love for Rome, the wise city who nurtured you? he cried to himself, heartsick. You see only opportunity and a chance for greater wealth, power, fame... Is this the Rome of my fathers?

'It is,' a cultured voice said in his ear. Maxian started, but he did not turn. Instead he berated himself for speaking aloud, or wearing his thought so openly on his face. 'These are only men, not gods,' whispered the voice.

'What is this post?' Galen leaned forward, intent upon Gregorius, and Maxian swallowed a laugh. Both the old senator and the Emperor had gone over their little speeches to the Senate in past days, yet now, in this electric atmosphere, it seemed each word was new, wrung from circumstance for the first time. 'How may a single man aid us in this desperate strait?'

'Princeps, in the first days of the principate, the Divine Augustus in his wisdom established the sacred and honorable post of custos magus imperium, intending for the greatest of the Thaumaturges to not only defend Rome on the battlefield, but to serve as a protection for the Empire as a whole. The magus was to defend the Empire from those threats that come unseen, as the Legions defend the frontier, and the Emperor oversees all, guiding the people as a wise father. My lord, I beg you to fill this post now, for we have great need of such a man, and such a bulwark against the sorcery of the Persians.'

In the silence that followed, eager voices began to rise, but Galen raised a hand sharply and everyone subsided. The Emperor remained sitting in the chair, seemingly deep in thought. The moment stretched and Maxian began to fidget, but again the men on either side of him held him in place. Finally, Galen raised his head and looked upon the Senate with a grim expression.

'I am loath to fill such a post,' he said, frowning, 'for Rome has never placed its faith in wizards or anything but our strong arm, iron will and the blessing of the gods. In this way Rome brought civilization to many benighted countries and raised up a great Empire. The men and women of Rome have always placed their faith in things that can be seen and done by eye and hand.' Galen stood up, his face severe, and stepped down onto the open floor.

Maxian suddenly felt a foreboding chill, fearing Galen had decided against the plan without informing his brother or Gregorius or anyone. But we must take this step!

'Fellow senators,' Galen's voice was low, but it carried to every ear. 'If a wizard is raised to the magus imperium then we will have changed Rome forever. We will turn down a path traveled by the nations of the east—where long ago god-kings and sorcerers ruled over men. This is dangerous, for who can say what a man will do, if given such power?'

Galen turned, seemingly staring right at Maxian. The prince stiffened, but the Emperor's eyes traveled over him without stopping. 'This is a desperate measure, but the esteemed Gregorius has spoken truthfully. We are overmatched in the east. Our Thaumaturges cannot stand against the dark powers the Persians have unleashed. We must consider new weapons if we are to defeat them. I fear Rome has slept too long, ignorant of these matters, relying on our Thaumaturges, yet not giving them rein enough to develop the strength we are now desperate for.'

'Understand!' Galen reached the far end of the hall, by the entry doors, and his voice boomed loud from the ceiling as he turned to face the distant chair. 'We must find a man, a wizard of great strength. We must give him more power if he is to repel this foe. Many old traditions will be overturned and our Thaumaturgic Legion will be vastly changed. We cannot know where this path will lead, but...' The Emperor paused and Maxian perceived enormous weariness in the line of his body, in his face, in the tenor of his voice. A great rush of fear threatened the prince and again he nearly leapt up to run to his brother, who suddenly seemed so old. Galen shook his head, throwing off the fatigue with a visible effort and stood up straight. '...we must do something. This path, perhaps, offers a hope of victory.'

'Is there such a man?' A voice called out from the crowd of senators, though Maxian could not see who spoke.

'If there is,' Galen responded, drawing the cloak over his chest. 'I will not name him. This is a critical matter, and one that I lay at your feet, Senators.' The Emperor looked around again, then walked slowly to the outer doors of the hall. 'I will abide by your wishes in this matter. I pray you choose wisely.'

Galen stepped up into the threshold of the bronze doors and they opened, flooding the chamber with brilliant