Volume Ii Part 77 (2/2)
Cethegus withdrew from the embrace, and went to the door.
”Poor Witichis,” whispered Procopius, as he pa.s.sed; ”he is sacrificed to this masterpiece of truth! Now he is indeed lost.”
”Yes,” said Cethegus, ”he is lost most surely.”
Outside the tent he added, as he threw his mantle over his shoulder:
”But you, Belisarius, more surely still!”
Arrived at his quarters, he found Lucius Licinius in full armour.
”Well, general!” asked Lucius. ”The city has not yet surrendered. When shall we fight?”
”The war is over, my Lucius. Doff your arms and gird yourself for a journey. This very day you must carry some private letters for me.”
”To whom?”
”To the Emperor and Empress.”
”In Byzantium?”
”No. Fortunately they are quite near, at the Baths of Epidaurus.
Hasten! In fifteen days you must be back again. Not half a day later.
The fate of Italy awaits your return.”
As soon as Procopius brought the answer of Belisarius to the Gothic King, the latter summoned to his palace the leaders of the army, the princ.i.p.al Goths, and a number of trustworthy freemen, and communicated to them what had happened, demanding their acquiescence.
At first they were exceedingly surprised, and complete silence followed his words.
At last Duke Guntharis, looking at the King with emotion, said:
”The last of thy royal deeds, Witichis, is as n.o.ble, yea, n.o.bler than all thy former acts. I shall ever regret having once opposed thee.
Long since I swore in my heart to atone by blindly obeying thee. And truly--in this case thou alone canst decide; for thy sacrifice is the greatest--a crown! But if another than thou shalt be King--the Wolfung's can better endure to serve a stranger, a Belisarius, than some other Goth. So I agree to what thou sayest, and tell thee that thou hast acted well and n.o.bly.”
”And I say no! a thousand times no!” cried Hildebad. ”Think what you do. A stranger at the head of the Goths!”
”Have not other Germans done the same before us--Quadians; Herulians, and Markomannians?” said Witichis calmly. ”Even our most glorious Kings--even Theodoric? They served the Emperor and received land in exchange. So runs the treaty with Emperor Zeno, by which Theodoric took possession of Italy. I do not count Belisarius less than Zeno, and myself, truly, not better than Theodoric!”
”Yes, if it were Justinian,” interposed Guntharis.
”Never would I submit to the false and cowardly tyrant!” cried Hildebad.
”But Belisarius is a hero--canst thou deny it? Hast thou forgotten how he thrust thee off thy horse?”
”May the thunder strike me if I forget it! It is the only thing in him which has ever pleased me.”
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