If the Romans did not voluntarily admit
us, your seven thousand men were too weak to storm the city. This
seemed to convince him. He only required our promise that, if we were
not admitted voluntarily, we would at once return here."

"And we thought we might well venture to promise this in your name,"
concluded Julianus.

"You were right," said Cethegus, with a smile.

"Narses then said that he would not hinder us if the Romans liked to
have us. And he is so completely harmless," Licinius went on, "that he
does not seem to wish to detain you, even as a hostage; for he inquired
when the Prefect would start. Therefore he must have taken it for
granted that you would lead the Isaurians to Rome yourself. And he has
nothing to say against that either. He was evidently surprised when I
answered that you preferred to witness here the destruction of the
Goths."

"Well," said Cethegus, "where, then, is this terrible Narses, the great
statesman! Even my friend Procopius sadly over-rated him, when he once
named him to me as the greatest man of the time."

"The greatest man of the time is--some one else," cried Licinius.

"It was natural that Procopius should give the palm to the superior
enemy of his Belisarius. But one almost ought to take advantage of the
clumsy blunder made by the 'greatest man,'" continued Cethegus
reflectively. "The gods might be angry if we did not make use of the
miracle of infatuation which they have accomplished for us. I alter my
resolution; I long to get to the Capitol; I will go with you to Rome.
Syphax, we will start--at once! Saddle my horse!"

But Syphax gave his master a warning look.

"Leave me, tribunes!" said Cethegus, "I will recall you directly."

"O sir!" cried Syphax eagerly, as soon as they were alone, "do not go
to-day! Send the others on in advance. To-morrow early I shall fish two
great secrets out of the sea. Diving under his boat, I have already
spoken to the fisherman I mentioned. He is no fisher, he is a slave, a
post-slave belonging to Procopius."

"What do you say?" asked Cethegus hastily and in a low tone.

"We could only exchange a few words in a whisper. The Longobardians
stood on the shore watching us. Seven letters from Procopius, sent
either openly or secretly, have never reached you. He therefore chose
this clever messenger, who will fish to-night by moonlight and give me
the letter. He had not brought it with him to-day. And to-morrow
early--to-day he was too i