Eight for Eternity

Chapter Twenty-Eight

The rioters in the Augustaion knew nothing of the battle in the alley a few streets distant. They had left the Mese before Belisarius’ arrival, crying out for victory. But the deserted square was not worth conquering. The Great Church had already been burnt as well as the nearby baths. Had there been anything to incite them they might have taken torches to Samsun’s Hospice or the Church of Saint Irene. But there was only desolation and the inhuman moaning of a bitter wind.

Some fell to quarreling with each other, others drifted off in search of taverns which had not yet been ransacked. A few simply went home. A pack of young charioteers had found a girl.

There were ten of them. They surrounded her at the base of the five wide stairs which had once led to the portico of the Great Church but now led to a blackened pit filled with smoldering debris. She had been scanning the ruins so intently, as if searching for something amidst the jagged remnants of walls and upthrust timbers, that she had not noticed them approaching until too late.

They closed in around her. They were outfitted in the leather leggings and helmets they wore for races, as useful in street fights as chariot spills.

Julianna made a dash toward a gap in the tightening circle.

A stocky dark-haired man smacked her across the face and knocked her to the ground. She tried to get to her knees and someone else kicked her back down.

Julianna felt blood running from her nose. “If you harm me Porphyrius is sure to find out,” she said. “And when he does-”

A boot thudded into her side, taking her breath away.

“Why would you know Porphyrius, little girl?” asked the stocky man.

“She’s a new charioteer, can’t you see?”

A boot pushed her tunic up to her waist.

“She’s got a boy’s legs. No meat on her.”

“Stop complaining,” said the stocky charioteer who seemed to be the ringleader. “You want meat, you know where you can pay for it. This one’s free.”

“Let’s get on with it,” came another voice.

“Wipe your face, girl. I hate the sight of blood.” The ringleader bent toward Julianna, then stopped at the sound of a keening voice.

“Halt! The Lord commands you!” A bent figure crouched at the top of the stairs. Its eyes shone like sparks from an ash-blackened face. The strange creature waved a golden cross.

The ringleader looked from the wild-eyed creature to the prone girl and back again. “You’d better be off, whoever you are. We have business to attend to here.”

The creature scuttled part way down the stairs. “Business? You call the blackest of sins business? Woe unto you, I say! The beast walks among us! You will have no time to repent!”

Several of the charioteers drew their knives.

The hunched creature laughed, spread its arms wide and thrust its chest forward. “Strike! Strike if you dare. My father will send a bolt from heaven.”

The ringleader sneered. “You claim your father’s Zeus?”

“Greater than Zeus. Far greater! Strike me. In three days I will rise and dance on your graves.”

“I’ve seen this fellow,” one of the others put in. “He preaches from the roof tops. People say he’s a holy man. A prophet. I’m not sure we should….”

“I saw him yesterday,” said another. “Leaping from building to building as if he was flying. He’s not natural. Not a prophet. A demon!”

“A madman more likely,” said the ringleader.

“They say a madman has the strength of ten.”

The creature on the stairs danced from side to side. “The strength of twelve,” it cackled. “The strength of twelve Apostles.” He brandished his cross threateningly. “Which do you want to have your brains dashed out by? Matthew, Mark, Luke?”

“He’s mad,” someone muttered. “I don’t want any part of a madman. You can’t tell what they’ll do.”

“What if he really is a holy man though?”

The ringleader sheathed his knife. “Madman, holy man, demon…It’s not worth it.” He spit at Julianna. “We can do better than this one. She looks more like a boy than a woman, anyway.”

The charioteers sauntered off slowly, glancing back over their shoulders but trying not to reveal their wish to be gone.

Julianna got to her feet, pushing her tunic back down.

The creature came down off the stairs, straightened up, and wiped ashes from his face.

Julianna snuffled and dabbed at the blood running down past her mouth and onto her chin. She looked up at her tall rescuer. “I suppose I must thank you, chamberlain.”

“You should thank whatever deity made sure I happened to be here just now,” John replied. “You’re not supposed to leave the palace. What were you doing out here?”

“I needed to take a walk. I don’t like being cooped up.”

They turned back toward the palace. John stayed a pace behind, in case she decided to run. “It seemed to me you were looking for something, the way you were peering into the ruins of the church.”

“I thought I saw something moving in there. I was curious. Is that why you were there? Looking for someone? Or was it you I saw?”

“As I was crossing the square I thought I glimpsed that strange creature who’s been seen here and there since the riots began.”

They were approaching an obscure entrance to the palace which had remained untouched by the riots. Realizing that they would not encounter any of Gallio’s guards until they had reached the interior side of the short corridor into the grounds, John was startled to be accosted. “Excellency! Please, excellency! Take mercy on a poor soul who is living in hell though not dead.”

A ragged man sat just inside the arched entrance, his skeletal hand extended. John started to reach for his coin pouch, then remembered he was still holding the cross he’d found in the ruins of the Great Church. He thrust it into the hands of the astonished beggar.

From behind them came a high-pitched titter. He swung around to see Narses.

“John. How good to see you. And your pretty young charge.” He made a slight bow to Julianna then looked at the beggar who was staring at the cross with amazement and sniffed disdainfully. “There are more effective ways to spend gold, believe me.” He jiggled the pouch at his belt. It made no sound. “You really do have some things to learn, young man. But considering how you have failed the emperor so far I fear you’re not going to have enough time.”

He passed under the archway. John waited before following. He didn’t want the eunuch’s company.

When they reached John’s house, John asked “How is it you know Porphyrius?”

“I don’t.”

“I heard you telling your attackers otherwise.”

“I saw they were charioteers and I thought of saying it.”

“You think quickly.”

“Like you.” She gave him a faint smile and went inside.