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Honour had been preserved because the visiting delegation of the
emperor's pacifiers had managed to leave Scythia before the rebels
damaged the main port. But before departing, the pacifiers had suggested in
the interest of regional security, that the newly appointed Etruscan
ambassador should bring forward his planned visit, and keep an eye on
things, just in case more help was needed.
Relations between Scythia and Etruria had only just started to thaw due to
trading necessities following their recent war which had ended eight years
earlier. Julian was having to downplay the gladiator uprising and simultaneously
keep his guest amused, which was proving to be difficult. Just yesterday
afternoon they had been forced to watch the sorry spectacle of some low level
domestic slaves impressed as gladiators, running around not sure what they were
really doing.
"I think most of them would be better employed at baking cakes rather
than running around waving cake knives" the bored ambassador had commented
after that farce. Subsequently most of them were slowly baking, which was one of
the prescribed punishments for lack of enthusiasm in the arena.
With most of the army out in the hills chasing after Spartak, or watching
the approaches to the city to make sure that the "loyal" gladiators
didn't come back, Julian's options were limited. He had sent out requests to the
provinces, but large ships couldn't land near the capital until the docking
facilities were restored. The ambassador, had arrived in a small runabout which
didn't need sophisticated landing facilities. All the navy's working transports
had been ferrying troops around to make sure they cordoned off the rebels. There
was no spare capacity left for moving entertainers half way around the world. So
the quality of the games in the last few days had been abysmal. Scythia was
famed for its traditional rustic charms, and although there was plenty of fine
food, that couldn't make up for the lack of lively amusements.
Julian's nursemaid role was aggravated because he knew that every negative
aspect of this week would get back to the emperor via the ambassador's reports
to the pacifiers. And every weak point would be pushed on hard when the time
came for real trade negotiations. Scythia needed Etruscan technology, and
Etruria needed Scythian luxury goods. In the last eight years they had both
realised that shipping these goods at great expense some ten times the necessary
distance channelled through third parties was not an option they could
affordably sustain.
This morning the ambassador had put an additional strain on resources by
insisting that he wanted to go for a ride in the woods outide the city. "It's
so charming riding through real trees" - he had commented. "Everyone
will be jealous when I get home and tell them."
Half the governor's personal bodyguard had to ride out with him just to make
sure he didn't fall off his horse or otherwise get into trouble. He hoped that
his equerry's plan to finish off the rebels worked soon. Then they could go and
visit some of the provinces to show off Scythia's natural resources.
Visitors from the empire were always impressed by seeing hills covered in
vineyards, and orchards of fruit trees. In most of the empire such things were
usually kept as specimens in a strongly guarded green house or a walled garden.
Scythia had remained a technological backwater, but there were advantages in
having streams which had real fish, and farms which grew real food. They could
be traded as luxuries to those who had destroyed their own resources. Even
gladiators were traded and exported at exorbitant prices. Scythian gladiators
were generally considered to be "purer", and better fighters than
their industrially raised street fighting counterparts. When the uprising was
over, that trade would suffer from a shortage of supply, until new ones
could be trained, but that it would be more than offset by an increase in price.
And maybe news of the suppressed uprising would create a novelty factor in
Scythian gladiators for a time.
A servant brought news. Glotrix had returned and was waiting outside.
"Come in. How did it go?" the two embraced. "I see you've
already got a drink."
Julian held out his own hand into which a silver goblet was immediately
placed, by a servant, and filled with red wine.
"Good news and bad news. The good part is that our loyal gladiators are
probably meeting up with Spartak sometime today. I met them en route when I was
coming back here. They shouldn't find it too difficult. Spirax had almost
finished them off anyway. There were only about three of four of the rebels left
when I was there. They were fighting like demons, but I think that side of
things should soon be over."
"I'm sure your nephew did a commendable job. Let's hope he left some
rebels for our gladiators to finish off otherwise all these plans of ours will
have been in vain. Anyway what's the bad news?"
"I think you already know that. It's your visitor, who I bumped into
while he was having a ride in the woods. It was hard to pretend he wasn't there,
as he and his bodyguard, well, your bodyguard I suppose, were blocking most of
the road leading back to the city. So I had to be sociable and introduce
myself..."
"It's difficult isn't it?"
"Yes. I'm sure he's a nice enough fellow when he's in his own element
in Etruria. I think they're all like that. It's when they leave Etruria and
start getting ideas about other places that they cause problems... Anyway he
delayed me for the best part of an hour telling me how wonderful it was to see
birds singing outside cages and trees which weren't fenced in, and suchlike.
Then we got onto horses... Which he's interested in by the way. But we already
guessed they would be keen on some new blood lines. Etruria must be a dismal
place."
"But they are very good at building ships..."
"No argument about that. Well, after discussing the joys of nature and
all that stuff, we got onto the subject of the rebels. He's got it into his
head, that as there's no need to rush into killing off the loyal gladiators. We
should send a messenger to delay it. Then he'd like to go along and watch it all
happen. He also told me about the entertainments you've been having here. So
it's a good thing really that we have had an army shielding us, because if the
gladiators were to hear about it, that would seriously mess up our plans."
"You don't need to worry on that score. There were no
survivors. And I don't think any of our brave citizens will feel much like
having a jaunt in the remote countryside while there are still rebels roaming
around. So who's going to tell them?"
"What do you think of this idea then?"
"In the current circumstances a request from our ambassador, has almost
the same force as an order from the emperor's own pacifiers. So we have to
humour him. Can we get a rider to the army in time?"
"I think so. They were going to hold back for a day or so to be on the
safe side. If we send a fast rider and tell him to ride through the night, we
should be able to stop them until we arrive."
"Do you think there will be any difficulties?"
Glotrix was thinking the thing through aloud for the governor's benefit.
"There were about sixty of them to start with, and let's not forget
they weren't the most aggressive gladiators in the bunch because they never
joined the rebellion in the first place. Even if they try killing Spartak in his
sleep, or whatever other method they use, quite a lot of them are going to get
killed. Then they're going to have a celebration lasting maybe a few days to
celebrate their freedom. With a bit of luck, we might even be able to disarm
them, because we can suggest that as newly made citizens they should swap their
old functional swords, for shiny new replacements which are more fashionable."
"That sounds good. We'll take a supply of these citizen side arms along
with us. It won't be too expensive, because we can sell most of them afterwards.
Talk to our storeman to arrange it. We might have to get some in from the
market, if there aren't enough in the armoury. You know, for once, I think our
guest might have suggested something interesting. It's a long time since we've
had any decent entertainment. We can round the gladiators up because they won't
suspect anything and then arrange something suitable on the spot. Maybe include
a manhunt or something. The ambassador is quite good with a spear. We had some
mock hunts in the arena. He's got good coordination. I don't see where he gets a
chance to practise on Etruria, unless it's in the streets. But, yes, go ahead
with a despatch rider. I'm looking forward to it already. A little party in the
woods... It could be quite good fun." |
