‘Juno! What a question!’
‘Your choice.’ She shrugged her shoulders.
It was my choice, as ever, and I remembered the intense emotion of that last night.
‘I don’t think Daniel Stern will ever speak to me again.’
‘And the problem is?’
I laughed, but only for a second or two. We talked a bit more. She’d taken Nov and Treb out on a simulation exercise in the backwoods and they’d camped overnight. Tension was the main flavour in the general office at the moment. All ranks had been requested to evaluate their behaviour and performance during the recent crisis. That would be an interesting set of reports.
Somna came out and signalled I was to go in. Conrad was standing looking out of the window, arms folded across his chest. His head was flexed downwards, but fractionally more than the angle of view required; the cords on his neck stood out as they disappeared up into his blond hair; his shoulders were hunched.
I took up position in the centre of the room and waited. I looked around, taking in nothing in particular, but I noticed his books were all out of order as if stuffed back on the shelves in a hurry. A few things were missing, including a small gold eagle I’d bought for him at Christie’s in London and the silver-framed photo of Allegra with a tiny butterfly of diamonds. That bastard Superbus! I’d bet he had them. Something else to sweat out of him. I looked forward to it.
‘Do you love him?’
I was startled back into the present.
I went up to him, laid my hand on his left hand half hidden in the crook of his right elbow. I rested my fingers on the gold betrothal ring I’d given him seven years ago. His face was still, he looked indifferent even, but I could see muscles trembling lightly under his skin. The tilted eyes were half-shut now, squeezed with pain.
‘I’m not asking if you slept with him. Your choice,’ his voice rasped. I could see he hated saying that. Like he was eating funeral ash straight from the pyre. In a society that put the procreation of the tribe first and sexual fidelity low, we were an unusual pairing – we had contracted for life. But he was Roma Novan enough to concede my freedom of choice.
‘I have only truly loved one man, body, soul, heart and mind, in my life,’ I said. ‘And you know you are that man.’
He opened his eyes a fraction and swung them down to stare at me.
‘But if you ask if he has a place in my heart, then, yes. It’s a small place, locked up now, but I can’t say it doesn’t exist.’
XXXI
After he’d let me go, Conrad had my report circulated later that afternoon. I’d escaped to my room for the rest of the evening, not wanting to face anybody. Cowardly, I knew.
With the pre-trial security hung on me, it was easier to sleep at the barracks. Besides, at home, they were making ready for a week in the country. It would have been the opposite of restful with all the packing and fussing that entailed. Or so I convinced myself.
I’d stared myself dizzy at the wall of my lonely room last night trying to forget how the green in Conrad’s eyes had been flushed out by a hard agate brown. His face had closed down and he’d withdrawn into neutral professional. I’d winced as he’d said, ‘Very well,’ in a cold, clipped tone and effectively dismissed me from our meeting. I hoped, with all my heart and being, not from his life.
So, after a night empty of sleep, I was first to arrive in the morning for the senior staff meeting. I sat on the bench outside, forcing myself to read my el-pad, glancing occasionally at my bodyguard.
Somna was next. As I stood up, she greeted me, smiling. Perhaps Daniel was right and I had crossed to the dark side. I nodded curtly in reply to Julia Sella’s half-smile, when she appeared. Very rude of me, but I was still smarting from the disappointment of our meeting. She looked taken aback but went to talk to Sepunia. Lucius merely nodded to Somna and said nothing. Daniel stood as far away as possible and ignored me.
Rusonia, the legate’s EO, ushered us in, and sat at the back to record the meeting; the electronic and vid recorders had been switched off. I hoped she’d put on protective clothing. And could duck quickly. Unusually, the chairs were arranged in a circle. What was this: a séance?
‘Thank you for attending at short notice,’ Conrad began. ‘There’s only one item on this morning’s agenda – Captain Mitela’s report.’
Except for Somna and Lucius, they all avoided looking in my direction.
‘You’ve all read it. Firstly, does any participant in the action wish to comment on the factual content relating to their own part?’
Not a peep.
‘Or relating to any other participant?’
Some coughing and shifting.
‘Well?’
Nothing. My reports were normally accepted as accurate. This one had been painful to write in places, though. But we were only in the opening skirmishes stage of this meeting, so I waited.
‘Very well, open forum,’ he said.
To my surprise, Julia Sella started. ‘How do we stand from a legal point of view, Legate? Weren’t the vast majority of these actions illegal or, at the least, entrapment?’
‘You’ll be relieved to hear, Julia, that the first operation was fully sanctioned by the Minister of Justice herself, acting on Imperial Order.’ Quite a few gasps and raised eyebrows at this stage. Lucius half-smiled to himself. ‘The second falls under the Emergency Order umbrella, although there are some minor infractions which will be dealt with under military disciplinary codes.’
Somna went next, telling them about her early Saturnalia presents. Sepunia supported her on the intelligence, but was meticulous in not mentioning me by name. You’d think it’d dropped out of the air like a miracle instead of Apollodorus’s organisation pulling out all the stops.
Daniel crouched, tight-lipped, and volunteered nothing, so Conrad forced him.
‘Operations? I’m sure you have some comments.’
‘Sir, I have several points to make, but I would like to formally record my disappointment that Operations was kept completely in the dark both times. How anybody thought this deceit would help, I can’t imagine. I shudder to think of the resources wasted when the agent in place was supposed to be one of ours. It’s a mercy there were no fatal casualties on our side.’
Everybody stared at me now, not all in a friendly way.
‘I understand your point of view,’ Conrad replied, ‘but, if it helps, neither was I aware of the first operation until the end.’ He smiled wryly at the memory. ‘Two factors here: firstly, you were very new at the time, only five weeks into your period of detachment, so while you took part in the standard surveillance and arrest operations, you were held out of the intelligence loop.’
‘Yes, I understand that, sir, good security and so on. But I fail to understand why the then Head of Operations wasn’t informed and why there’s no report included in the file.’
‘Need to know, and Operations didn’t qualify.’ Conrad’s voice became clipped. ‘It was a sensitive time with considerable internal security problems. And the operation was led by our colleagues in the DJ.’
Daniel didn’t look at all mollified, but he couldn’t dispute Conrad’s authority.
‘Secondly,’ Conrad said, ‘I agreed that we should save the Pulcheria legend, so the decision was mine.’
He didn’t look at me as he spoke the deliberate lie. Was he trying to protect me?
‘I’m sorry if that was uncomfortable for you, Daniel,’ he continued, ‘but I am sure you understand operational necessity. Unfortunately, it turns out that we won’t be able to keep the legend this time as we must prioritise prosecution of these traitors over operational assets.’
‘Legate, if I may?’ Lucius spoke up. ‘I think some of us in this room have missed a crucial point. Both operations were spectacular successes. The first prevented the drug trade penetrating the Imperium. And, of course, it brought us the charming company of Carina Mitela to swell our ranks.’ He nodded in my direction.
Juno! Shut up,
Lucius.
‘The second, not to put it too finely, saved all our skins, stopped a rebellion, and secured the imperial family. I may be a traditionalist, but I count these as positive outcomes. At least, Colonel Somna appreciates the value of the information Mitela has brought in. Perhaps Sepunia will think the same when she’s had time to reflect, and act in a more collegiate way.’
Sepunia squirmed in her seat.
He gave Julia Sella an almost brutal look. ‘I’m convinced there are enough training lessons to learn to keep your department busy until the next millennium, Colonel. I suggest you concentrate on them rather than on matters outside your competence.’
She blenched, flushed and looked down at the floor. Despite her lack of support for me earlier, I felt sorry for her.
‘As for Operations, that’s what you’re there for, Major: to operate – to carry out the orders given to you. Period.’
Daniel didn’t have a cardiac arrest, but I figured he was pretty close.
‘Thank you, Adjutant,’ Conrad said, poker-faced. ‘Anybody else?’ He turned to me. ‘Carina?’
I shook my head violently.
‘Very well. I’m sure I don’t need to remind you, but I’m going to anyway. Absolutely not a word outside this room. You’ll wish to work together on matters relating to the two operations, but select your additional personnel judiciously and work discreetly. Dismissed.’
They all filed out, except Rusonia, but Conrad grabbed my arm, holding me back. ‘Have you had any breakfast?’
I shook my head.
‘Can you bring us a selection, please, Rusonia? And some coffee.’
She was the perfect EO, quiet and efficient. People were often deceived by her slight frame and pretty good looks, but she was a tigress at protecting her principal. She must have known more secrets than anybody else, probably including Conrad.
She slid out and we were alone. I didn’t know what to say. After yesterday, I was too scared to touch on the personal. I was going to stay in my uniform, in my head as well as my body.
‘Did you put Lucius up to that?’ I asked suspiciously.
‘Absolutely not! He said he had some strong opinions on what people thought of you, but that’s all. And Somna has taken quite a shine to you. You seem a lot more relaxed with her.’
‘Oh, didn’t you know? Daniel says I’ve gone over to the dark side. That is, when he was speaking to me.’
I was more than dismayed by the loss of Daniel’s friendship. I not only felt grief at having killed our bond, but also guilt. Sometimes I hated my job.
‘I think Lucius was too severe on Daniel,’ I said.
‘Perhaps, but Daniel was being self-indulgent. I love him like a brother. He’s a first-class operations officer, but I can’t quite work out why he was so…so petulant. Any idea why he took it so personally?’
‘I did give him a bad time whenever he encountered me as Pulcheria. Not very comradely, I know, but I was in deep cover. I thought we’d be able to laugh about it together, but was I ever wrong!’
‘Time to arrange a major training exercise, I think,’ Conrad said. ‘A winter warmer, up in the eastern hills.’
A week of numb fingers and waking up in the morning with frozen eyelashes. Sometimes I forgot what a tough nut Conrad was.
‘But let’s headline your strategy training first. We have to give them something mentally intensive to distract minds from recent events.’
A tray of breakfast arrived which we attacked with enthusiasm. I was starving. We ate in silence. It was almost a relief when my commset bleeped with a message from the security guard announcing Lucilla Mitela had arrived – please attend.
‘What’s that about?’
‘Oh, I fixed three weeks’ clerical work here for her.’
‘Dalina’s daughter?’ He smiled, an appreciative look in his eyes. Few of the Mitelae were homely, some not bad-looking and many handsome, but Dalina was magnificent. The male members of the Mitela tribe – and I used that term advisedly – were one hundred per cent struck. Dalina was very tall, with long, wavy chestnut hair, the usual Mitela blue eyes, flawless skin and figure, but the stunner was her plentiful sexual charm. She’d just passed forty, but had men of all generations drooling over her. Ironically, only one of her children had inherited the same beauty and attractiveness, but he was only twelve. Lucilla, her eldest at eighteen, was a clever cookie, currently on the advanced list at the Central University, but she was pretty normal in the looks department.
‘Well, I think Lucy will learn a lot and she’s bright enough to be discreet about anything she does or sees here.’
He raised an eyebrow. ‘Is this another of your clever schemes?’
That stung. I said nothing.
‘Well? The truth, please.’
I explained exactly why she was there.
He shrugged. ‘It could work, I suppose.’
‘The only tricky part is having a recorder here on the day,’ I said, hurrying on. In previous ages, recording family events was a full-time, prestigious post. Now it was symbolic. ‘I know we have three in the family, plus some assistants but, besides old Publius Mitelus, I can’t remember who any of them are. And they’re all bound to find some excuse saying they’re too busy. I’ll have to ask Nonna for their names and pressure one of them.’
He smiled at me. At last.
‘What?’
‘Have you forgotten?’
‘Forgotten what?’
‘You have,’ he said. ‘I’m one of the assistants.’
I hurried down to the vestibule, trailing my bodyguard, and found my young cousin standing by the reception counter with a scruffy backpack.
‘Salve, Countess Carina,’ she said formally, sounding apprehensive.
‘Hello, Lucy, how are you?’ Lucilla Mitela had my red-gold hair, but frizzier, and the blue eyes. She also had that half-starved student look, but I’d put my money on her having a good appetite. All teenagers did.
I signed her in and took her to the quaestor’s officer for a civilian uniform, pass, and commset. As we walked along the polished wood floors, she stared at the yellowy-cream walls, relieved only by a few action pictures, flags and insignia display cupboards.
‘I’ve never been in an army barracks – it’s very businesslike, isn’t it, Countess Carina?’
‘Lucy, you should call me “Captain” or “Carina Mitela”, whichever is easier for you, but not Countess Carina, unless I ask you to.’
‘Okay,’ she replied laconically.
Gnaeus put her on the system and tried out his charm on her. ‘I expect you get up to all sorts of wild stuff at the university.’ He half-leered at her. He thought he was the young maiden’s dream.
She looked him up and down, fished the gum out of her mouth, threw it in the bin and said, ‘Well, I guess it’s too long ago for you to remember.’
Gnaeus was so taken aback he didn’t attempt anything else. When she was trying on her uniform, he remarked she was a true Mitela and he’d know next time. We dropped her bag in the room she’d be sharing with three other young clerks, and I took her up to the strategy room to introduce her to Drusus and Fausta. They gave her a drink – another water drinker, I noticed. Drusus had her set up at a terminal within minutes. I left them to it.
Back at the IS, I saw Flavius in the general office, looking a bit lost. Of course, he had to report here for the duration.
‘Hi, Flav, welcome to the dark side.’
Longina looked at me as if I’d stepped on her cat, but Flavius grinned back. His shadow looked as bored as mine.
‘Sergeant Flavius?’
He turned round. ‘Yes?’
A petite brunette wearing silver-rimmed spectacles had appeared at his side, holding a file under her arm.
‘I’m Staff Zenia from the legal branch. You’ve been assigned to me. I’m going to brief you for the arraignments. Come with me.’ As they walked off, I heard her say, ‘Have you ever been to a court hearing before?’
<
br /> I smiled to myself. Yeah, juvenile court, but he’d always got off…
Longina reported that they were nearly there with Caeco. Somna had moved him on considerably: Caeco was now confessing in sporadic chunks. But Superbus refused to say anything without his lawyer. Even then, he was mostly saying no, or remaining silent. When I outlined my plan to Somna, it put a smile on her face.
That afternoon at the infirmary, I had my tracker reinserted. The wound was a little sore but the plus point was that, unless I went outside the building, I could lose my bodyguard. The sling went, at last, but the medics scheduled me for half an hour’s physical therapy each day for the next week. The dentist reinserted my tooth mic which gave me a sore gum. I awarded myself the afternoon off.
Back in my little room in the officers’ mess wing, I pulled the drapes halfway across to reduce the sunlight, then stretched out on the bed and closed my eyes. I couldn’t stop the thoughts rushing in. Since Conrad had asked me about my feelings for Apollo, he’d closed me out and retreated into professional, treating me like a colleague and nothing else. Was this the future?
Letting Pulcheria go and parting from Apollodorus had torn a hole out of me. I’d deliberately kept myself busy since then. I hated the quiet moments now.
Worse, although the operation was finished and the mop-up going well, something was still unresolved. It gnawed away at me, but I couldn’t identify it. It was like that nagging buzz that had haunted my head after interviewing Mossia all those weeks ago. Was I overtired or was there something else I’d missed?
XXXII
I spent two days trying to figure out what was bothering me but gave up in the end. There was too much other stuff to deal with. The following night, at home, I asked if Daniel had been back, but Macro said he hadn’t seen him. Daniel had slipped out of both my professional and private lives.
Back at the IS office, Flavius and I had an awkward session with the legal team. They thought operations guards were strong-arm thief-takers; we thought they were legalistic bureaucrats. New Roman law was complex despite the clean outs and reforms over the centuries; even the big one in the 1700s. Like members of most law enforcement and intelligence organisations around the world, I wondered whose side the lawyers were on. But we promised to behave during the arraignment hearings.
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