第39章

"'I do not like lies on an empty stomach," said Pertinax. "I suppose" (he had eyes like an eagle's) - "I suppose that is a trading-station also?" He pointed to a smoke far off on a hill-top, ascending in what we call the Picts' Call: - Puff - double-puff: double-puff - puff! They make it by raising and dropping a wet hide on a fire.

"'No," said Allo, pushing the platter back into the bag.

"That is for you and me. Your fate is fixed. Come."

'We came. When one takes Heather, one must obey one's Pict - but that wretched smoke was twenty miles distant, well over on the East coast, and the day was as hot as a bath.

"'Whatever happens," said Allo, while our ponies grunted along, "I want you to remember me."

"'I shall not forget," said Pertinax. "You have cheated me out of my breakfast."

"What is a handful of crushed oats to a Roman?" he said. Then he laughed his laugh that was not a laugh.

"What would you do if you were a handful of oats being crushed between the upper and lower stones of a mill?"

"'I'm Pertinax, not a riddle-guesser," said Pertinax.

"'You're a fool," said Allo. "Your Gods and my Gods are threatened by strange Gods, and all you can do is to laugh."

"'Threatened men live long," I said.

"'I pray the Gods that may be true," he said. "But I ask you again not to forget me."

'We climbed the last hot hill and looked out on the eastern sea, three or four miles off. There was a small sailing-galley of the North Gaul pattern at anchor, her landing-plank down and her sail half up; and below us, alone in a hollow, holding his pony, sat Maximus, Emperor of Britain! He was dressed like a hunter, and he leaned on his little stick; but I knew that back as far as I could see it, and I told Pertinax.

"'You're madder than Allo!" he said. "It must be the sun!"

'Maximus never stirred till we stood before him. Then he looked me up and down, and said: "Hungry again? It seems to be my destiny to feed you whenever we meet. I have food here. Allo shall cook it."

"'No," said Allo. "A Prince in his own land does not wait on wandering Emperors. I feed my two children without asking your leave." He began to blow up the ashes.

"'I was wrong," said Pertinax. "We are all mad. Speak up, O Madman called Emperor!"

'Maximus smiled his terrible tight-lipped smile, but two years on the Wall do not make a man afraid of mere looks. So I was not afraid.

"'I meant you, Parnesius, to live and die a Centurion of the Wall," said Maximus. "But it seems from these," - he fumbled in his breast - "you can think as well as draw."

He pulled out a roll of letters I had written to my people, full of drawings of Picts, and bears, and men I had met on the Wall. Mother and my sister always liked my pictures.

'He handed me one that I had called "Maximus's Soldiers". It showed a row of fat wine-skins, and our old Doctor of the Hunno hospital snuffing at them. Each time that Maximus had taken troops out of Britain to help him to conquer Gaul, he used to send the garrisons more wine - to keep them quiet, I suppose. On the Wall, we always called a wine-skin a "Maximus". Oh, yes; and I had drawn them in Imperial helmets.

"'Not long since," he went on, "men's names were sent up to Caesar for smaller jokes than this."

"'True, Caesar," said Pertinax; "but you forget that was before I, your friend's friend, became such a good spear-thrower."

'He did not actually point his hunting-spear at Maximus, but balanced it on his palm - so!

"'I was speaking of time past," said Maximus, never fluttering an eyelid. "Nowadays one is only too pleased to find boys who can think for themselves, and their friends." He nodded at Pertinax. "Your Father lent me the letters, Parnesius, so you run no risk from me."

"'None whatever," said Pertinax, and rubbed the spear-point on his sleeve.

"'I have been forced to reduce the garrisons in Britain, because I need troops in Gaul. Now I come to take troops from the Wall itself," said he.

"'I wish you joy of us," said Pertinax. "We're the last sweepings of the Empire - the men without hope.

Myself, I'd sooner trust condemned criminals."

"'You think so?" he said, quite seriously. "But it will only be till I win Gaul. One must always risk one's life, or one's soul, or one's peace - or some little thing."

'Allo passed round the fire with the sizzling deer's meat. He served us two first.

"'Ah!" said Maximus, waiting his turn. "I perceive you are in your own country. Well, you deserve it. They tell me you have quite a following among the Picts, Parnesius."

"'I have hunted with them," I said. "Maybe I have a few friends among the heather."

"'He is the only armoured man of you all who understands us," said Allo, and he began a long speech about our virtues, and how we had saved one of his grandchildren from a wolf the year before.'

'Had you?' said Una.

'Yes; but that was neither here nor there. The little green man orated like a - like Cicero. He made us out to be magnificent fellows. Maximus never took his eyes off our faces.

"'Enough," he said. "I have heard Allo on you. I wish to hear you on the Picts."

'I told him as much as I knew, and Pertinax helped me out. There is never harm in a Pict if you but take the trouble to find out what he wants. Their real grievance against us came from our burning their heather. The whole garrison of the Wall moved out twice a year, and solemnly burned the heather for ten miles North.

Rutilianus, our General, called it clearing the country.

The Picts, of course, scampered away, and all we did was to destroy their bee-bloom in the summer, and ruin their sheep-food in the spring.

"'True, quite true," said Allo. "How can we make our holy heather-wine, if you burn our bee-pasture?"

'We talked long, Maximus asking keen questions that showed he knew much and had thought more about the Picts. He said presently to me: "If I gave you the old Province of Valentia to govern, could you keep the Picts contented till I won Gaul? Stand away, so that you do not see Allo's face; and speak your own thoughts."

"'No," I said. "You cannot remake that Province. The Picts have been free too long."