Rome Burning Read Online Free Page A

Wall. Did you authorise that or not?’
    ‘Our soldiers are authorised at all times to respond to Rome’s persistent incursions into Tokogane,’ replied the Prince. To Faustus’ ears the sudden, soft foreign syllables, spoken so naturally, sounded bizarre, resting incongruously on the familiar frame of his own language. There was no established Latin interpretation or taming of the Nionian name for the land north of the Wall. Romans would only speak, grudgingly, of ‘Nionian Terranova’, But he still remembered – Tokogane, the Land of Gold. That was what the Nionian name meant.
    ‘Yes, and you’ve sent in more. Even aside from what happened today, they are in violation of Mixigana simply by being there.’
    ‘We see Rome violate the treaty daily. We see infringement on Nionian territory, kidnappings, murders, rapes committed by your soldiers, or by your citizens with their protection.’
    ‘All that’s rubbish.’
    ‘It is possible,’ suggested the Prince, with pointed, forbearing courtesy, ‘that your subordinates prefer to keep these things from you, in which case your reaction is understandable. But I can give you specific instances.’
    ‘If I’m not supposed to believe my people, why should I believe yours? Look, the point is that explosives were used on the Wall, I assume you don’t dispute that much? Did this happen spontaneously, in which case we will expect the men concerned to be punished, or was this an intentional act of war?’
    ‘They were repelling your army’s assault. They were responding to the destruction of a village. The murders of children. Did
you
authorise
that
?’
    Faustus hesitated. His head beat. He began, ‘Deaths in a battle provoked by your troops—’
    ‘A village
ten miles
away,’ cried the Prince.
    Faustus was silent, blinking, thinking first, ‘I don’t have to believe that.’ Then: ‘but
he
believes it, that much is obvious.’ He pulled at his neck-cloth, which had begun to feel smothering, finally unpinned it and took it off altogether. He said quietly, ‘Tell me what your intentions are.’
    ‘The Emperor’s intentions have always been to protect and uphold Nionia’s side of the Mixigana treaty, despite Rome’s evident contempt for it; after today, of course, he may be forced to reconsider,’ said the Prince, performing the sentence with a restrained, hostile flourish, and so beautifully that he was almost singing.
    ‘This isn’t helping anyone,’ snapped Faustus. ‘My generals are fully prepared to respond. I thought you would appreciate the chance to give me your side of it.’ He glowered, angry with himself, and with the Prince for goading him into this. He had not meant to sound so schoolmasterly. It would not have come out so if the Prince had been older.
    There was a silence, which he thought he could hear ringing with both rage and satisfaction. The Prince said finally, politely, ‘Thank you. I
have
appreciated it. Goodbye.’
    ‘Sir, are you all right?’ asked Glycon, watching him.
    ‘Yes,’ said Faustus thickly. Shouldn’t have drunk so much, he thought. But what was that supposed to mean? He hadn’t had a drink since the night before – he shouldn’t still be feeling that, should he? How much had it been? He couldn’t remember. ‘Get Salvius in here again.’
    Salvius listened impassively while Faustus told him what the Prince had said. ‘I think it’s a good sign he felt the need to justify it. It shows they know they’re in the weaker position.’ Talking with Falx had made him calmer, more confident that the right thing would be done.
    ‘You don’t think there’s any truth in the story about the village?’
    ‘Well,’ Salvius did lower his eyes briefly, ‘I might not go as far as that, but you can’t trust his account of it.’
    ‘No, I suppose not,’ said Faustus bleakly.
    ‘In any case it hardly makes a difference. However todaybegan, the fact is that the Nionians have proved themselves a threat, and neither