“You are right, my Tribune, but Polo of Licio came representing Altinum. He is the only known survivor of the Longobard raid that happened last spring…”
“We know of the raid, and why haven’t you informed us of survivors?”
“We meant to, once the boy had recovered from his wounds, we meant to bring him over to Heraclia, sir…”
The Tribune was visibly upset, as he frowned glaring at the Equilium men for having been so irresponsible. Bruno, usually a man of few words, tried to make it up by divulging everything he knew:
“Polo of Licio is of Istrian nobility. His noble parents were murdered, and he and his brother were brought to these lands as toddlers by Licio. They settled in Altinum about fifteen years ago…”
Everyone gasped and the attention was diverted to this news and away from the Longobard threat. The Patriarch of Grado was especially intrigued and intervened:
“I personally baptized those two boys the year before their parents were tragically murdered while on business in Ravenna. What did you say the boy’s name was?”
“His name is Polo, Polo of Licio,” Bruno replied.
“Paulus Litius… Paulitius…” The Patriarch repeated the name in Latin, and then consulted with Saverio.
“Saverio, come forward,” the Patriarch asked. “Last spring, as part of your land register duties, you ventured to Altinum, and if I recall correctly, you collected taxes from over there before the raid. Am I right?”
“Yes, Your Eminence…” Saverio replied.
“Do you recognize this boy?”
“Yes, Your Eminence, the boy is from Altinum…”
“You have been keeping records for at least twenty years. Are you aware that Licio of Altinum was hiding and protecting two children of Istrian nobility?”
“I am aware of that part, Your Eminence. Just because fifteen years ago Licio arrived in Grado from Istria. He explained his situation and the story of the two noble children he had with him, along with his wife, his son and his mother.”
“So indeed you are confirming that this Paulitius is the legitimate heir of the lands in Istria?”
There was a moment of pause, and Saverio was speechless for a moment, understanding that his public words could have major consequences.
“I am asking you now,” continued the Patriarch, “…because we have here among us Zani of Ruvinium, current ruler of Istria, who has come all the way over here to battle with his many men, alongside us…”
Zani stepped forward from the other side of the raised platform. He looked very serious and menacing. The Patriarch continued:
“It would be delightful if we would witness Zani’s reunification with a long lost relative!”
“It would be a most pleasant surprise, Your Eminence,” replied Zani of Ruvinium. “Provided that this… Paulitius… is not an impostor…”
Saverio was shaken by the presence of Zani and for having to speak in front of such large crowd. He eventually answered the Patriarch’s question:
“Well, unfortunately, last spring I did specifically ask Licio of Altinum if the two boys standing there next to his own son, if they were indeed the two noble children he had smuggled away from Istria that night of fifteen years ago. And his reply was no, that that boy was just his nephew.”
Saverio was pointing at Polo as he dismissed him as a mere farm boy. The Patriarch of Grado continued, and he appeared pleased by Saverio’s account:
“Well, Tribune, I think this matter is closed and we can continue with the more important matter, about the Longobards…”
“Unless the boy, this Paulitius, has any proof,” asked the Tribune, “…like perhaps the imperial medallion that the Emperor personally gives to provincial nobility…”
Everyone turned and looked at Polo, who was staring back at the platform, studying the men standing before him: the Patriarch, the Tribune, Zani of Ruvinium, and Saverio… Why did Saverio lie? Polo did not reply to the Tribune, as he remembered what Uncle Licio had told him and Primo that last afternoon in Altinum. That he was hiding the two of them because someone wanted to kill them. Now he was standing a hallway away from that large man, Zani, who had inherited his own father’s domains…
The Patriarch eventually broke the silence:
“Well, he is speechless. He obviously has no proof. Let’s continue.”
The Tribune continued with the meeting providing military details to everyone. In the meanwhile, Saverio quietly called his son Sabino over to the platform, and whispered something in his ear. A few minutes later Sabino emerged on the other side of the hall next to Polo.
“Polo, it’s me, Sabino. Remember me? Last spring I came to your farm in Altinum with my father Saverio to collect taxes…”
“Yes, I remember you…”
“Listen! Your life is in imminent danger! You must leave before the meeting is over. My father has a place where to hide you. You cannot return to Equilium!”
Polo did not know whom to trust, but he imagined that if Saverio wanted him dead, he could have done it long ago. He decided to sneak out with Sabino. He explained to Bruno and Elio that he was not going back with them, and that he could not tell them, for their own safety, where he was going.
Later that night Polo and Sabino were waiting in a barn in Opterg. It was a barn clearly belonging to a wealthy family, judging by the food supplies and the many farm animals. There was even a horse, suggesting that the owners were no regular peasants. After waiting for a couple of hours, Saverio finally entered.
“Saverio! Why did you lie in front of everyone!?” Polo shouted while advancing toward Saverio.
“To protect you! Zani is the one you should fear, and he is very powerful!”
“But if you would have said in front of everyone who I really am, everyone would have known!”
“Polo, you are very naïve. Opterg is about to be wiped out, and Zani has arrived with a few hundred fighting men from Istria. It was an unexpected surprise, and Opterg needs him. Everyone would have supported Zani over you, given the circumstances.”
Polo calmed down realizing that Saverio was much wiser.
“Listen, you are not safe anywhere,” Saverio continued. “You definitely cannot go back to Equilium, and you cannot stay in Opterg either. Tomorrow a ship will leave Heraclia for Constantinople. It is your only chance. I can talk to the captain and have you welcomed onboard.”
“And what do I do in Constantinople?” Polo asked.
“There you ask for Father Leontio. He was your family’s priest. He was the one that warned Licio to escape that night and take you and your brother to safety. He now lives in Constantinople as one of the Emperor’s advisors for western matters… All you have to do is be safe until tomorrow afternoon when the ship leaves.”
“There is a place where I need to go before, and I think I will be safer there than sleeping in this barn tonight… but I need your horse…” Said Polo, pointing to the horse.
“But this is not my horse to give, Polo!” Saverio replied. “This belongs to the wealthy family of Opterg. They have been kind enough to host Sabino and me for the night!”
“I am taking the horse.” Polo insisted. “You will meet me in Heraclia by the ship tomorrow afternoon, and over there I will return the horse. It’s dark enough now for me to leave.”
Polo quietly took the horse out of the barn, and once outside he mounted and galloped away.
It was late afternoon in Patavium, and Primo and Livia were strolling in a semi crowded square chatting. A loud screaming voice interrupted their walk. It was Fabia:
“Primo!”
“Fabia! You are alive!”
Primo knelt down and little Fabia ran toward him and hugged him.
“I am so glad to see you are well…” Primo told his little cousin.
“Primo, they killed everyone. I saw everything…
It was horrible. First, Grandma, then Father, then Mother, then in the morning they dragged over Tulio’s body… it was awful!”
Fabia started crying uncontrollably.
“How about Polo, did you see his body?”
“No, I did not see him. I thought you were both dead too. Now that I see you, I hope he made it too!”
They did not have much time to embrace when a large Longobard warrior interrupted them. It was Warin, who, together with Castald, had chased Primo all the way up the mountains.
“Well, well, well… look who is talking to Adalulf’s little slave girl… the bastard farm boy!”
Warin placed his sword over Primo’s neck and ordered him stand up.
“Don’t worry. I won’t kill you on the spot. I will bring you to Castald and we will finish you off slowly…”
Warin pushed Primo to make him walk, as he walked behind poking his large sword onto Primo’s neck. Livia had to think quickly. It was not just Primo’s life that was at stake. They would torture him and have him confess about how he sneaked into town. Under torture, he would have to reveal it was with the aid of her father Tiberio. All her family would be executed without a doubt. She grabbed a large ceramic pot from a stand in the square, and slammed it with all her might on the back of Warin’s head. Warin screamed in pain, lowered his sword, but did not fall down. He was now eyeing Livia, but Primo turned around, grabbed a knife from Warin’s belt and finished the Longobard for good right there in the middle of the square. As the crowd in the square gasped, Primo went to Fabia and said:
“Fabia, I have to run now, but you will be safer here. I promise I will be back for you. Stay strong!”
Primo hugged Fabia and then ran with Livia away toward Tiberio’s house.
Primo and Livia barged in, and the abrupt entrance startled Tiberio and his wife, Lucilla.
“Father! Primo was recognized by a Longobard warrior!”
“And what happened?” Asked a worried Tiberio.
“Primo killed him and then we ran!”
“Did anybody see it?”
“Everyone saw it! We were in the middle of the square!”
“This is bad…” Tiberio thought out loud. “Now they will associate that death with Livia… You two must leave town… Lucilla, you get ready too!”
“Why?” asked Lucilla.
“To take them to safety in Ateste, to your relatives. If you go too, it will appear as your yearly visit. I will stay back and play dumb. Now quick, get the mule ready and hide Primo underneath some provisions as you exit town.”
Saverio and Sabino were sleeping in the barn in Opterg. Zani and his men abruptly awakened them.
“Hello, Saverio…” Zani said with a menacing voice. “…so I find out that you helped the two noble children escape that crucial night, fifteen years ago…”
“Zani… I did not know you were behind it, I just thought to help a poor servant fleeing an unfortunate occurrence,” Saverio defended himself. “Anyway, earlier this evening, in the hall, I defended your rights to Istria!”
“That’s because you are shrewder than you look… Anyway, I’ll spare your life, as long as you tell me immediately where you hid that so called Paulitius.”
“I have no idea… he is probably back in Equilium by now!”
“We already intercepted the two fishermen who came from Equilium. Polo Licio was not with them. We roughed them up, and all they could tell me was that Policio had left the hall before everyone with… this boy!”
Zani grabbed Sabino by the neck and pointed a large dagger at the boy’s pulsing jugular.
“You had your chance to tell me the truth, you bastard taxman, now you watch your son die…”
“Wait! I’ll tell you everything! Don’t hurt my son, please…”
Zani stopped, but kept his grasp tight around Sabino’s neck, with his dagger still scratching Sabino’s skin.
“I did see him after the hall meeting…” Saverio confessed. “He said he knew where to hide safely.”
“Where!?” Zani screamed.
Zani raised the dagger as if ready to thrust the blade through Sabino’s neck.
“He went back to his farm in Altinum! Go there, and if you don’t find him you can take my life. I beg you! Spare my son!”
It was the middle of the night in Patavium, and Tiberio was abruptly awakened, as the front door to his house was forced open. Tiberio lit a candle and the faint glow revealed the angry face of Castald and two longboard guards.
“Castald, what is happening!?”
“You know exactly what is happening! You smuggled that bastard farm boy into Patavium, didn’t you!?”
“What? No! What are you talking about!? Not at all!”
“Listen, you lying Latin… My right hand man Warin has been killed this afternoon, and the killer ran away with your daughter Livia! And guess what, the slave girl we took on that day recognized the farm boy!”
“My daughter!? That’s impossible, she left with her mother for Ateste in the early morning. The witnesses must be mistaken, it must have been some other girl, and probably some other farm boy…”
“I don’t believe you, I never believed you. You are a shrewd and sly conniving liar!”
Castald ordered the two Longobard guards to throw everything upside down, search for the daughter, and confiscate anything of value.
“The reason I don’t kill you on the spot is because you have King Rothari’s protection. But I have a case and enough witnesses to execute you…”
Tiberio remained silent. He knew Castald had enough proof to convince the King of his guilt, but at least he was safe for the moment, as he would not be executed that very night in his own house.
“And I don’t believe your daughter left this morning,” Castald continued. “She was there this afternoon, and if she left after Warin’s murder she is still on the road… probably not much past the hot springs in Aponus. I will personally go there now and execute them all. Know this!”
Castald barged out, leaving the two Longobard guards to destroy the house.
Polo had been galloping for most of the night. It was early dawn and he was finally back where he grew up, that little farm near Altinum. The hut was burned down and the farm was now a desolate sight, as no one took care of it throughout spring and summer.
He dismounted and entered what remained of the burned down hut. The only structure left were the few stones around the fireplace. It took some effort but he managed to push them over. He then started digging underneath. He kept on digging until he felt a hard regular structure. ‘It’s the strongbox!’ he thought. He took it out and opened it. There were some leather parchments, some gold coins and chains, and one gold medallion with Greek writing that stood out. He put coins, chains and parchments in his pouch, keeping out only the gold medallion. He walked out of the hut trying to get more morning light shining on it and read what it said. ‘This must be it’ he thought.
As Polo walked out he was startled by four horsemen standing there. They must have approached while Polo was busy digging. It was Zani and three of his braves.
“Polo, Policio… I finally find you. It has been fifteen years, but I am finally going to finish you off just like I did with your father…”
Zani took out his sword, and his three braves did so as well. Polo was blinded by the morning light that was shining right behind Zani. Polo held up his medallion and shouted:
“You see! I am no farm boy. I am the legitimate heir to the Istrian domains! You are a murderer and I shall have my justice!”
Polo looked over, and Zani and the three braves had stopped advancing toward him and were staring in fear. Without saying anything, they turned their horses around and scattered away eastward.
Polo was incredulous. He looked admiringly at the gold medallion, smiled and puffed his chest out.
“Yes! Run, Zani, run! But mark my words! I will come and reclaim my land!”
Polo felt almighty with that gold medallion now illuminated by the golden morning light. Polo slowly turned around and realized why Zani ran away. On top of the opposite hill, there were thousands of Longobard soldiers. It was King Rothari’s army on its way to Opterg. It was not because of the medallion after all! A few Longobard horsemen were riding toward the farm ahead of the army, so he had to think quickly.
Polo could not escape east, as Zani was there, and he also feared that the Longobards would catch him. He hopped on his horse and started galloping south toward the marshland. It had worked once before, so he was going to try it again. He was partially hidden by the tall reeds, but he knew the hard part was still to come. The horsemen chasing him were led, once again, by Adalulf, who recognized the same farm boy that had escaped him the first time last spring when he had raided that same farm.
The horse approached the area where the ground was soft and wet, and Polo was now having trouble making a fast escape. This was the risk Polo was taking. He had no clue how a horse would behave in that amphibious terrain. He chose to hop off the horse, and he held the reins as he and the steed proceeded side by side. The Longobards were heavier, and once again, they found themselves stuck in mud, with water up to their horses’ underbellies.
Polo instead was in deep water. He could not touch the muddy bottom, and soon his horse could not either and it began to swim ahead of him. He decided to grab the horse’s tail and he found a surprising and peculiar mode of transportation: being dragged by a horse’s tail in the middle of the lagoon. The horse naturally tried to turn around toward the mainland, but the reins were floating on each side all the way to the back, and Polo could still steer the horse with gentle pulls to correct the horse’s direction.
It was early morning, and Livia and her mother Lucilla were riding a four-wheel cart pulled by a mule. They were south of Patavium riding by the Roman ruins of Aponus, now essentially a ghost town, but once frequented for its hot springs. A wide white cloth covered the cargo on the back of the cart. Further north, in the distance, a horseman was advancing at full speed. It was Castald and he was alone. He finally reached the two Patavium women and made the mule stop.
Venetians Page 6
