Volume Ii Part 21 (2/2)
”You before all, the Princeps Senatus.”
”Me?” said Cethegus, smiling.
”I shall leave you here. I know well that you are the soul of Rome.”
Cethegus cast down his eyes, ”I accept the oracle,” he thought.
”But for that very reason I leave you here,” Witichis continued.
”Hundreds who call themselves Romans would like the Byzantines for masters. You--you would not have it.”
Cethegus looked inquiringly at him.
”Do not deceive me. Do not try to deceive me. I am no man of craft or cunning! but my eye penetrates men's natures. You are too proud to serve Justinian, and I know that you hate us. But neither do you love these Greeks, and you will suffer them no longer than is necessary.
Therefore I leave you here; I know you love this city.”
There was something about this man which compelled Cethegus to admiration.
”King of the Goths,” he said, ”you speak plainly and n.o.bly, like a king. I thank you. It shall not be said of Cethegus that he does not understand magnanimous words. It is as you say. I shall keep my Rome Roman with all my might.”
”Good!” said Witichis. ”See, I have been warned against your wiles; I know much of your secret plans; I guess still more; and I know that I have no weapon against deceit. But you are no liar. I knew that a manly word would touch you; and trust disarms every enemy who is worthy of being called a man.”
”You honour me. King of the Goths. That I may deserve your trust, let me warn you. Do you know who are the warmest friends of Belisarius?”
”I know it: Silverius and the priests.”
”Right! And do you know that, as soon as the old Pope, Agapetus, is dead, Silverius will ascend the Bishop's Chair?”
”So I hear. I was advised to take him as a hostage too. I shall not do so. The Italians hate us enough already. I will not meddle with the wasps' nest of the priests. I fear martyrs.”
But Cethegus would gladly have been rid of the priest, ”He will be dangerous in the Chair of Peter,” he said warningly.
”Let him alone! The possession of this country will not be decided by the schemes of the priesthood.”
”Well,” said Cethegus, taking the roll of papyrus, ”I have here, accidentally, the names of his warmest friends; there are men of importance amongst them.”
He would have pressed the list upon Witichis, hoping that then the Goths would take his most dangerous enemies away with them.
But Witichis refused the list.
”'Tis no matter! I shall take no hostages at all. Of what use is it to take off their heads? _You_, shall answer to me for Rome.”
”What do you mean by that? I cannot keep Belisarius away.”
”You shall not. Belisarius is sure to come, but, rely upon it, he will go away again. We Goths will overcome this enemy; perhaps only after a hard fight, but most certainly. And then there will be a second fight for Rome!”
”A second?” asked Cethegus quietly. ”With whom?”
<script>