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Page 56
'Now a ship coming in to land men must furl her sail. If you wait till
you see her men gather up the sail's foot, your catapults can jerk a net
of loose stones (bolts only cut through the cloth) into the bag of it.
Then she turns over, and the sea makes everything clean again. A few men
may come ashore, but very few. ... It was not hard work, except the
waiting on the beach in blowing sand and snow. And that was how we dealt
with the Winged Hats that winter.
'Early in the spring, when the East winds blow like skinning-knives,
they gathered again off Segedunum with many ships. Allo told me they
would never rest till they had taken a tower in open fight. Certainly
they fought in the open. We dealt with them thoroughly through a long
day: and when all was finished, one man dived clear of the wreckage of
his ship, and swam towards shore. I waited, and a wave tumbled him at my
feet.
'As I stooped, I saw he wore such a medal as I wear.' Parnesius raised
his hand to his neck. 'Therefore, when he could speak, I addressed him a
certain Question which can only be answered in a certain manner. He
answered with the necessary Word--the Word that belongs to the Degree of
Gryphons in the science of Mithras my God. I put my shield over him till
he could stand up. You see I am not short, but he was a head taller than
I. He said: "What now?" I said: "At your pleasure, my brother, to stay
or go."
'He looked out across the surf. There remained one ship unhurt, beyond
range of our catapults. I checked the catapults and he waved her in.
She came as a hound comes to a master. When she was yet a hundred paces
from the beach, he flung back his hair, and swam out. They hauled him
in, and went away. I knew that those who worship Mithras are many and of
all races, so I did not think much more upon the matter.
'A month later I saw Allo with his horses--by the Temple of Pan, O
Faun--and he gave me a great necklace of gold studded with coral.
'At first I thought it was a bribe from some tradesman in the
town--meant for old Rutilianus. "Nay," said Allo. "This is a gift from
Amal, that Winged Hat whom you saved on the beach. He says you are a
Man."
'"He is a Man, too. Tell him I can wear his gift," I answered.
'"Oh, Amal is a young fool; but, speaking as sensible men, your Emperor
is doing such great things in Gaul that the Winged Hats are anxious to
be his friends, or, better still, the friends of his servants. They
think you and Pertinax could lead them to victories." Allo looked at me
like a one-eyed raven.
'"Allo," I said, "you are the corn between the two millstones. Be
content if they grind evenly, and don't thrust your hand between them."
'"I?" said Allo. "I hate Rome and the Winged Hats equally; but if the
Winged Hats thought that some day you and Pertinax might join them
against Maximus, they would leave you in peace while you considered.
Time is what we need--you and I and Maximus. Let me carry a pleasant
message back to the Winged Hats--something for them to make a council
over. We barbarians are all alike. We sit up half the night to discuss
anything a Roman says. Eh?"
'"We have no men. We must fight with words," said Pertinax. "Leave it to
Allo and me."
'So Allo carried word back to the Winged Hats that we would not fight
them if they did not fight us; and they (I think they were a little
tired of losing men in the sea) agreed to a sort of truce. I believe
Allo, who being a horse-dealer loved lies, also told them we might some
day rise against Maximus as Maximus had risen against Rome.
'Indeed, they permitted the corn-ships which I sent to the Picts to pass
North that season without harm. Therefore the Picts were well fed that
winter, and since they were in some sort my children, I was glad of it.
We had only two thousand men on the Wall, and I wrote many times to
Maximus and begged--prayed--him to send me only one cohort of my old
North British troops. He could not spare them. He needed them to win
more victories in Gaul.
'Then came news that he had defeated and slain the Emperor Gratian, and
thinking he must now be secure, I wrote again for men. He answered: "You
will learn that I have at last settled accounts with the pup Gratian.
There was no need that he should have died, but he became confused and
lost his head, which is a bad thing to befall any Emperor. Tell your
Father I am content to drive two mules only; for unless my old General's
son thinks himself destined to destroy me, I shall rest Emperor of Gaul
and Britain, and then you, my two children, will presently get all the
men you need. Just now I can spare none."'
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