The War at the Edge of the World Read Online Free PDF

that, since you have some experience of the, ah, the mood of the troops outside the province, we might share it with you, centurion.’
    ‘A matter, dominus?’
    ‘Yes. Some rather momentous news. But we must bind you with the strictest secrecy. What you are about to hear must not leave this room. Soon enough everyone will know about it, but for now we must keep it quiet. Do you understand?’
    ‘I understand,’ Castus said warily. He had no desire to know of any secrets.
    ‘On the first day of next month,’ Arpagius went on, ‘our lords the Augusti Diocletian and Maximian will resign their imperial power at Nicomedia and Milan, and transfer supreme rule to the Caesars, Galerius and Constantius. New Caesars will be appointed to the junior positions. In this way the em­pire will be rejuvenated and stability maintained.’
    Castus opened his mouth, but could not speak. His body felt suddenly rooted to the floor. All his life, Diocletian and Maximian had been the rulers of the Roman world, akin to the gods. A cold sweat spread across his brow. How could men like gods simply resign? How could others replace them? He was dizzy, as if the world had shifted on its axis.
    ‘The new Caesars’, Arpagius said, ‘will be Flavius Severus in the west and Maximinus Daza in the east.’
    The names fell limply across the table. Castus was lost in shock.
    ‘Are these men familiar to you?’ the notary asked.
    ‘No, dominus. I’ve never heard of them.’
    ‘Hah, yes,’ the tribune said, speaking for the first time. ‘Neither have we!’
    ‘Anyway, as you can imagine, we must handle the transfer of allegiance with the utmost care and tact,’ Arpagius said. ‘It may be, you see, that some of the barbarian peoples will see this as evidence of weakness, rather than of strength.’
    ‘Strength?’ Castus spoke without thinking. He noticed Nigrinus’s quiet nod.
    ‘Of course,’ the notary said. ‘To step down from absolute power, and peaceably hand the direction of the state to a chosen successor, surely demonstrates the stability and strength of the imperial system, wouldn’t you say?’
    ‘I suppose so, dominus. It’s just… It’s going to be a shock for the men.’
    ‘Naturally,’ the governor said. ‘Which is why we’re inform­ing certain selected centurions of the legion well in advance. The news will be circulated in good time, so all the men are acquainted with it by the time of the ceremony. There will be, I need not add, an acclamation bonus for every soldier and officer.’
    Castus raised his head. He had not even thought of bonuses.
    ‘I can see you approve of that! Good. But for now, as I said, speak nothing of this to anyone.’
    ‘Not a word, dominus.’
    Along the corridor and down the steps, Castus thought back over what had happened. Already his memory of that short strange interview was becoming blurred. Had he imagined the odd insinuations in the notary’s questions? Why had he asked about the Danube legions, and the tribune Constantine? Halfway down the stairs he paused suddenly. He had already forgotten the names of the two new Caesars. But neither of them was Constantine: the son of the current Caesar was being passed over. So why had the notary asked about the loyalties of the troops?
    Shaking his head, Castus tried to quell the questions in his mind. He was a soldier, a simple man, and matters of politics were far above him. Still, he felt needled, apprehensive. Something had been going on in that room, and he had seen only a part of it, a brief glimpse exposed. Whatever it was, it was surely none of his concern, but he felt implicated anyway.
    In the entrance hall he paused again before the statues of the emperors. Those mighty figures, rulers of his life, seemed different to him now. Sad, somehow, and lost, for all the strength of their mutual embrace. He touched his brow once more in quiet salute, then he marched out into the darkness and the rain.
    A month later, on the first day of