Foreign Devils Read Online Free PDF Page A

throwing our military two hundred years into the past.”’
    Secundus paused, cleared his throat, glancing at his father.
    ‘Go on, son,’ Cornelius said. ‘It gets worse.’
    Secundus swallowed, thickly. He took a sip of whiskey and then resumed reading.
    ‘“I am quite vexed with you. I half-way considered issuing an edict demanding your nuts on a platter, Snuffy. However, I am willing to give you another chance to redeem yourself. I advise you to do your utmost to accede to my wishes.
    ‘“By the way, congratulations on your daughter’s nuptials – yes, I have other eyes and ears there in the Hardscrabble Territories. And I even have learned some of her new husband. The son of that bastard Fiscelion Cantalan Iulii, is he not? My wedding gift to them both is that I will not have him – or the lovely Livia – crucified. While I was tempted to do so, word reaches me that there’s a new Cornelian on the way. I’m sure you must be very proud, Snuffy, swelling the ranks of your brood. My great weakness is that I am a romantic; too kind-hearted, and I still believe in love. Why I did not crucify his father instead of exiling him, I shall never know. A passing malaise, perhaps. The influence of malevolent household gods? Nevertheless, I issued the exile edict and he absconded with three hundred talents of silver. But tell me. Is this Fisk ostentatious?
    ‘“I require some things from you. You, your son Secundus, your daughters Livia and Carnelia, will present yourselves here, in Rume, at my court for Ia Terminalia, to present me with gifts due my exalted station – that’s right, Snuffy, exalted – and make obeisance for your failures in the west. Rutilius will act as governor in your stead. We must prepare for war and I need your counsels here, for the time being, so that we can take stock of the resources of the Protectorate and the Hardscrabble Territories. In time – sooner, rather than later – you will have to return there and take command of our legions in the west. I trust Rutilius but he is a peacetime commander, wonderful at training and building legions, but not in commanding them on the field. And Marcellus, while a fine commander, has low blood. So it falls to you. Congratulations. Had you not been such a pedigreed and able commander, your testicles might be adorning one of my altars to Ia.
    ‘“After Terminalia, Secundus and Livia will travel on east, and bear a message to the Autumn Lords for me, becoming my emissaries to Kithai in hopes of finding an avenue toward peace and prosperous trade.
    ‘“Your son-in-law – who I hear is quite able – will remain there in the west and track down Beleth and return him to Ruman custody – or failing that, kill him and preserve his head – appended to this message will be his orders. There will be no more defections from the Ruman Collegium of Engineers. And yet. This must be done quietly and in secret. A blatant and obvious traitor can do more damage to the empire than any loss of knowledge. My heart is heavy that Livia and this Fiscelion must be separated so soon after their wedding but the needs of the Empire are tantamount. And I want traitor Beleth’s head. He cannot leave those territories.
    ‘“It is only fitting, is it not? A traitor’s son shall hunt a traitor.
    ‘“That is all. I shall expect you at Terminalia. Do not fail me. Your old friend, Tamberlaine.”’
    When Secundus finished, the tent remained silent for a long while, each of the Cornelians lost in their own thoughts.
    ‘What does it mean?’ Carnelia asked, breaking the silence.
    ‘It means exactly what it says,’ Cornelius said, outrage pouring off him. ‘He’s pulling me back to Rume! The venomous old sot! He knows how it will appear to the other benchers – it will weaken my position in senate! It’s a public humiliation! As if I wasn’t competent enough to govern! And while I’m gone, all of the skim of taxes will go to Rutilius.’ He quivered in anger, or