that’s absurd!”
“Is it?” He looked at me soberly.
“It’s laughable, Hawk! We’ve got three legions stationed in Britannia, not to mention all the auxiliaries, and the navy. And then there are thousands of Roman civilians settled, helping to make something of the province. The Britons couldn’t defeat us fifty years back when old Emperor Claudius invaded, or in Nero’s time when Queen Boudicca rebelled. That was thirty years ago, and we’re even more firmly established these days. They must see they’ll never do it now.”
He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “They’re trying different tactics. Think about it. Your army’s unbeatable in battle, yes, but can it fight secret enemies in the dark? Can it protect all you civilians from small groups who murder at night and melt away in the morning?”
“ All the civilians? Surely we’re just talking about a local band of rebels?”
“Maybe so, at this stage,” he agreed. “But their plan is to succeed in Brigantia, and then encourage other tribes to rise up against you. I pick up rumours, you know, just as you must do here, only my sources of rumour are different. What’s happened here today is meant to be just a beginning, and the situation for Romans will get worse before it gets better. If it gets better.”
We were interrupted by a tap at the door, and Albia looked in. She smiled when she saw Hawk.
“Relia, Councillor Silvanius is here, and he says you’re expecting him.”
“Gods, I forgot he was coming. Is it about his wine order?”
“He didn’t say. He seems a bit agitated. I’ve put him in the garden with some wine and cakes. Felix is with him.”
“That’s a relief. Silvanius can be a shade pompous, but Felix always brings him back to the real world. I’ll be with them in just a little while.”
“And Albia,” Hawk added, “best not to say you saw me here. Our esteemed Chief Councillor doesn’t approve of me.”
“Don’t worry. I told His Pomposity that Aurelia was in a meeting with the oil wholesaler. Just sneak out through our private door, he’ll be none the wiser.”
“I suppose you and Silvanius are like chalk and cheese.” I smiled as I tried to picture Hawk wearing a toga.
“You could say that! It’s not a personal thing, we hardly know each other. But I’m a Briton, and I’m proud of it. I don’t even want to be a Roman.”
I sipped some wine. “Whereas Councillor Publius Silvanius Clarus is determined to be more Roman than the Romans.”
Hawk snorted contemptuously. “He makes himself ridiculous! That vast new villa, and his Greek major-domo, and his Italian chef, and wanting Oak Bridges to be a proper Roman town, and building his very own temple. Yet underneath it all he’s no more a Roman than I am.”
“Well, he’s a citizen, and so was his father. I suppose that does make him more Roman than you are. And if he wants a Roman life, I’m hardly going to criticise him for that, am I? Live and let live, surely?”
Hawk shook his head. “That’s just what he doesn’t do, though. He wants everyone to live exactly like he does. And I refuse to follow his shining example, so he thinks I’m against Roman rule. He can’t see the difference between someone like me, and these Shadow-men. But I’m not against Romans, Aurelia. You’re here, and we should all make the best of it. You came, you saw, you conquered. Isn’t that how it goes?”
I laughed. “Quoting Julius Caesar! Silvanius would be impressed.”
“Astonished, more like. He thinks I’m ignorant because I didn’t have a Roman education. But all I am is just proud of being born and raised in the way my ancestors were. I don’t want to be a Roman citizen, but I don’t think every single thing that comes from Rome is wrong, and I certainly don’t believe everything about Britannia is perfect. I hate Druids, for a start, and I think endless wars between tribes are a futile waste. At least you Romans have brought us peace. Until now,”
“Is it?” He looked at me soberly.
“It’s laughable, Hawk! We’ve got three legions stationed in Britannia, not to mention all the auxiliaries, and the navy. And then there are thousands of Roman civilians settled, helping to make something of the province. The Britons couldn’t defeat us fifty years back when old Emperor Claudius invaded, or in Nero’s time when Queen Boudicca rebelled. That was thirty years ago, and we’re even more firmly established these days. They must see they’ll never do it now.”
He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “They’re trying different tactics. Think about it. Your army’s unbeatable in battle, yes, but can it fight secret enemies in the dark? Can it protect all you civilians from small groups who murder at night and melt away in the morning?”
“ All the civilians? Surely we’re just talking about a local band of rebels?”
“Maybe so, at this stage,” he agreed. “But their plan is to succeed in Brigantia, and then encourage other tribes to rise up against you. I pick up rumours, you know, just as you must do here, only my sources of rumour are different. What’s happened here today is meant to be just a beginning, and the situation for Romans will get worse before it gets better. If it gets better.”
We were interrupted by a tap at the door, and Albia looked in. She smiled when she saw Hawk.
“Relia, Councillor Silvanius is here, and he says you’re expecting him.”
“Gods, I forgot he was coming. Is it about his wine order?”
“He didn’t say. He seems a bit agitated. I’ve put him in the garden with some wine and cakes. Felix is with him.”
“That’s a relief. Silvanius can be a shade pompous, but Felix always brings him back to the real world. I’ll be with them in just a little while.”
“And Albia,” Hawk added, “best not to say you saw me here. Our esteemed Chief Councillor doesn’t approve of me.”
“Don’t worry. I told His Pomposity that Aurelia was in a meeting with the oil wholesaler. Just sneak out through our private door, he’ll be none the wiser.”
“I suppose you and Silvanius are like chalk and cheese.” I smiled as I tried to picture Hawk wearing a toga.
“You could say that! It’s not a personal thing, we hardly know each other. But I’m a Briton, and I’m proud of it. I don’t even want to be a Roman.”
I sipped some wine. “Whereas Councillor Publius Silvanius Clarus is determined to be more Roman than the Romans.”
Hawk snorted contemptuously. “He makes himself ridiculous! That vast new villa, and his Greek major-domo, and his Italian chef, and wanting Oak Bridges to be a proper Roman town, and building his very own temple. Yet underneath it all he’s no more a Roman than I am.”
“Well, he’s a citizen, and so was his father. I suppose that does make him more Roman than you are. And if he wants a Roman life, I’m hardly going to criticise him for that, am I? Live and let live, surely?”
Hawk shook his head. “That’s just what he doesn’t do, though. He wants everyone to live exactly like he does. And I refuse to follow his shining example, so he thinks I’m against Roman rule. He can’t see the difference between someone like me, and these Shadow-men. But I’m not against Romans, Aurelia. You’re here, and we should all make the best of it. You came, you saw, you conquered. Isn’t that how it goes?”
I laughed. “Quoting Julius Caesar! Silvanius would be impressed.”
“Astonished, more like. He thinks I’m ignorant because I didn’t have a Roman education. But all I am is just proud of being born and raised in the way my ancestors were. I don’t want to be a Roman citizen, but I don’t think every single thing that comes from Rome is wrong, and I certainly don’t believe everything about Britannia is perfect. I hate Druids, for a start, and I think endless wars between tribes are a futile waste. At least you Romans have brought us peace. Until now,”
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