Volume Iii Part 33 (1/2)
CHAPTER VII.
The Emperor ordered the Empress and Na.r.s.es to follow him to his room.
When they reached it, he embraced his wife with great tenderness, unembarra.s.sed by the presence of a witness.
”How your enthusiasm rejoices and exalts me!” he exclaimed. ”I am proud of such a wife. How beautiful you were, O Theodora, in your n.o.ble indignation. How can I reward you! Choose any favour, any sign of my grat.i.tude, my best and truest councillor and co-ruler?”
”If I, a weak woman, dare indeed believe that I may share your thoughts and plans in this war, then confide in me, and tell me how you intend to conduct it.”
”I am resolved to send Belisarius again to Italy. But not alone. His trifling with a crown has made me wary.”
”Then I beg the favour of being allowed to propose a second general.--Na.r.s.es,” she continued, before Justinian could speak, ”will you be the other?”
She wished to make it impossible for him to go.
”No, I thank you,” Na.r.s.es answered bitterly. ”You know that I am a stubborn and ill-tempered horse; I cannot endure to draw together with another. A marshal's staff and a wife, Justinian, should be kept on the same condition.”
”How?”
”Alone, or not at all.”
”Then _you_ not at all,” answered Justinian with vexation. ”You must not imagine that you are indispensable, magister militum.”
”No one on earth is so, Justinian. With all my heart! Send great Belisarius again! He may try his luck for the third time in that country, where laurels grow so thickly. My turn will come later. I am no doubt unnecessary here as a witness of your domestic felicity, and at home, opposite to my sickbed, stands a map of the Italian roads.
Allow me to continue my study of it. It is more interesting than the map of our Persian frontier. One piece of advice. You will ultimately be obliged to send Na.r.s.es to Italy. The sooner you send him the more you will spare yourself defeat, vexation, and money. And if gout or that wretched epilepsy should carry Na.r.s.es off before King Totila lies upon his s.h.i.+eld, who then will conquer Italy for you? You believe in prophecy. In Italy there runs a saying: 'T beats B, N beats T.'”
”Does that mean, perhaps, that Theodora beat Belisarius, and Na.r.s.es beats Theodora?” asked the Empress mockingly.
”That is not _my_ interpretation of the riddle; it is yours. But I accept it. Do you know which was the wisest of your many laws, O Justinian?”
”Well?”
”That which made death the punishment of all accusations against the Empress, for it was the only way in which you could keep her.” And he left the room.
”The insolent fellow!” cried Theodora, sending a venomous look after him. ”He dares to threaten! When Belisarius has once been rendered harmless, Na.r.s.es must quickly follow.”
”But meanwhile we need them both,” said Justinian. ”Do you really propose, as the second general to be sent to Italy, the man who persuaded us to reject the proposals of Ca.s.siodorus?”
”The same.”
”But my distrust of that ambitious man has since then become stronger.”
”Have you then forgotten,” retorted Theodora, ”who revealed the intentions of Silverius? Who was the first to warn you of Belisarius's dangerous game?”
”But he now frequents the company of the men who are conspiring against me!”
”Yes; but, O Justinian, it is by my order, as their destroyer.”