Nine for the Devil

Chapter Fifty-two

When the surly underling showed John into a room near the back of Germanus’ house, the general and the Cappadocian looked up from a map spread on a table. The long, low table and several chairs were the only furnishings. Surprise was evident on the mens’ faces.

“Lord Chamberlain!” Germanus’ smile showed too many of his large, square teeth. “An honor indeed. May I inquire what brings you here?”

“My investigation,” John replied. “What brings the Cappadocian here?”

“He is my guest,” came the reply. “What other reason could there be?”

“Men who are supposed to be in exile are dangerous guests, Germanus. However, I am fortunate in finding you both here. I have questions and I expect answers.”

Germanus flushed. “By what right?”

The Cappadocian gave a short bark of laughter. “He doesn’t have to give reasons, even if you are Justinian’s cousin. After all, a Lord Chamberlain outranks a mere general!”

Germanus suggested the trio go into the garden to avoid being overheard. “A man is not safe from eavesdroppers even in his own home.”

John indicated his agreement, although he thought it was a poor general who could not secure his own perimeter. “I have spent much of the last week talking to people who don’t want to be overheard,” he said, not adding he had just come from the Augustaion where he had spoken to Anatolius, to avoid surreptitious listeners.

“The garden is better than the top of a column, though not by much,” the Cappadocian remarked. He lightly patted his tonsured scalp, peeling from exposure to the sun. “We go to great lengths to keep our business private, yet the Lord hears every word we speak, no matter where we are.” He gave a wide grin.

John followed the tax collector and powerfully built general into a garden that was almost as stark as the room they had left. Paved with large green marble flagstones, its only decorative features were a statue of Athena leaning on her spear and a fountain to which Germanus led his companions. Long, late afternoon shadows were cast by the western colonnade.

“The splashing helps mask our words,” Germanus explained at the lichen-covered lip of the fountain basin.

Was such caution necessary, John wondered? The bulky, unmistakable figure of the Cappadocian in Germanus’ house was as damning as any words that might be said. “What is the real reason for your playing host to a man the emperor ordered into exile?” John asked.

“You are thinking of the friendly warning I sent you after we met at the baths,” Germanus replied. “You are thinking it was an attempt to persuade you that looking into my affairs was not wise? And that therefore I must be attempting to hide something.”

John tensed. He had sensed movement out of the corner of his eye. His gaze swept the surroundings.

There, under the colonnade at the far end of the garden, partly hidden behind a pillar, stood the brawny guard Germanus had sent after him.

“Hiding something or someone.” John nodded toward the guard. “The messenger you sent after me is standing over there with his sword drawn.”

Germanus slapped his knee in delight. “Do you think I am stupid enough to have you assassinated in my own garden? And there would be no reason anyway. There’s an innocent explanation for my extending hospitality to our friend here.”

“You’ve had long enough to think up a convincing story,” John said. “Let me hear it.”

Germanus looked down into the rippling water in the fountain basin. “Yes. Well, Lord Chamberlain, a wise man plans for all eventualities and that is what we have done. No doubt you recall my friend here was exiled after he was caught at a secret meeting with Antonina, supposedly to hatch a plot against Justinian.”

“Everyone recalls that. Belisarius was never involved. It was a trap set by Antonina and Theodora,” John replied. “Go on.”

“Yes, it was all a deceit cooked up by Antonina to advance Belisarius’ interests and thus her own, since she is married to him, although she often forgets that to be the case. And Theodora supported her slanders because she and Antonina were friends and she wanted to get rid of my guest here because…well, who can say? Because she hated him. You can understand that, Lord Chamberlain.”

The Cappadocian chuckled. “Do you suppose as a child she was abused by someone named John?”

Germanus did not smile. “I find it hard to imagine that Theodora could ever have been abused. She was always the one doing the abusing. At any rate, after those two harpies entrapped my friend here, he was lucky not to lose his head.”

John did not bother to point out that trap or not, the Cappadocian’s intentions had been treasonous.

The Cappadocian took up the story. “Now I have returned to the city with my head still attached. I am convinced since Theodora is gone along with her interference, Germanus here will become Justinian’s leading general in place of that fool Belisarius. I therefore suggested an alliance for mutual benefit. Germanus and I would work well together, wouldn’t you say, Lord Chamberlain? Germanus as conqueror, myself as tax collector helping fund his campaigns. All to the benefit of Justinian. Everyone is aware of how Belisarius has bungled the Italian campaign, and how the present tax authorities have failed to raise sufficient funding for the effort.”

The story was plausible. As Justinian’s cousin, Germanus had a greater claim to Justinian’s affections than Belisarius, as well as a greater claim to succeed him on the throne. In fact, most expected him to rule after Justinian, although nothing could be made official while Theodora lived. But Germanus must also know the Cappadocian could not be trusted as far as the other end of the garden. So why enlist his aid?

The general was known to take bold moves in warfare. He was not averse to taking risks. Perhaps he did not intend to wait to succeed Justinian.

Germanus and the Cappadocian were beaming at John as if he had just announced they were to be awarded high honors, but their smiles were not completely convincing. Germanus’ eyes were narrowed although his back was to the sun, and the Cappadocian’s looked as cold as ever.

Before John could respond, he noticed the general’s eyes widen as he looked over John’s shoulder.

John turned. He half expected to see an armed guard rushing at him, blade drawn.

Instead, he saw Felix, whose expression turned to shock as he spotted John.

“Ah, another old friend joins us,” Germanus remarked. “No doubt you are now wondering why the Captain of the Excubitors would visit?”

“I do not think you are turning your house into a barracks for stray excubitors and exiles,” John replied, fixing his gaze on Felix.

Felix smiled feebly.

“And you are here because…?” John asked.

“A very good reason, John. There is no doubt Germanus will be given a suitable command now Theodora is out of the way. You see I am blunt,” Felix said in a defiant tone. “I am hoping Germanus will give me a command. You know how much I want to return to real fighting, not standing guard to perfumed fops and waiting for Justinian to order the execution of another innocent man.”

So Felix had known where the Cappadocian was hiding, John thought. Was that why he seemed to avoid John in recent days, for fear of being questioned about the lack of information following surveillance of Anatolius’ house?

“You observe Felix has the soul of a soldier and courage to match,” the Cappadocian remarked. “Particularly considering most men his age would prefer to avoid the battlefield.”

Felix glared at the Cappadocian. Clearly his allegiance was to Germanus rather than the former tax collector. He turned to John. “Now, my friend, perhaps it is time we discussed what role you shall play in all this.”