dalgoth, thou speakest prophecy;" and Teja swung his sword in
a circle round his head. "Doomed to death!"

BOOK VI.
TEJA

"I have now to describe a most remarkable battle, and the high
heroism of the man who was inferior to none of the heroes--of
Teja."--_Procopius: Gothic War_, iv. 35.

CHAPTER I.

The destiny of the Goths was soon to be fulfilled. The rolling stone
approached the abyss.

When Narses came to his senses and learned what had taken place, he
gave orders at once to arrest Liberius and send him to Byzantium to
answer for his conduct.

"I will not say," he said to his confidant, Basiliskos, "that he has
come to a false decision. I myself could not have done otherwise. But I
should have done it for different reasons. _His_ only wish was to save
his friend and the ten thousand prisoners. That was wrong. Situated as
he was, he ought to have sacrificed them, for he could not overlook the
actual condition of the war. He did not know, as I know, that after
this battle the Gothic kingdom is lost--whether it be completely
destroyed at Rome or Neapolis is indifferent--and that alone would have
been, and is, the reason for which the ten thousand should be saved."

"At Neapolis? But why not at Rome? Do you not remember the formidable
fortifications of the Prefect? Why should not the Goths throw
themselves into Rome and resist for months?"

"Why? Because things are very different with regard to Rome. But the
Goths know this as little as Liberius. And Cethegus--above all--must
know nothing of it yet; therefore be silent. Where is the Prefect of
Rome?"

"He has hastened forward, in order to be the first to conduct the
pursuit as soon as the time of truce has expired."

"Surely you have taken care----"

"Do not doubt it! He would have marched with his Isaurians alone, but
I--that is, Liberius at my order--gave him Alboin and the Longobardians
as companions, and you know----"

"Yes," said Narses, with a smile, "my wolves will not lose sight of
him."

"But how long shall he----"

"As long as he is necessary to me; not an hour longer. So the young and
royal wonder-worker lies upon his shield! Now may Justinian rightly
call himself 'Gothicus,' and again sleep peacefully. But truly--he will
never more sleep peacefully--that disappointed widower----"

So the two generals, Narses and Teja, were of o