The Wizard from Earth (25 page)

"Someone you know, Matt?" the old man asked  He was swinging his walking staff as if he had no real need of it. 

"Yes, uh, Carrot, this is Archimedes, and Archimedes, this is Carrot."

The Wizard had side-stepped so that he was interposed between Carrot and Archimedes.  Carrot suspected that he was trying to protect the old man from her. 

"Interesting name," Archimedes said, bowing.  "So Carrot, are you a friend of Matt's from Seattle?"

"She's from the other side of Britan," Matt said.  "And, uh, we're just acquaintances."

"I – I best be going," Carrot said.

"Nice to see you again," said Matt in a monotone. 

Archimedes stamped his staff hard on the pavement, several times.  Carrot froze in mid-step and turned.  The old man smiled innocently.

"Carrot," Archimedes said.  "Would you like to come along with us?"

"I don't wish to disrupt.  You seem very busy."

"Not at all.  We're just going down to the north shore of the bay, to inspect the catapults."

"Catapults?"

28.

While Archimedes and Carrot chatted, Matt walked a step behind and subvocaled, “Be ready to go into hypermode.”

"You have not yet received any practical training in hypermode," Ivan replied.  "If you were to engage in hypermode now, you would be likely to sustain serious injuries."

“Yeah, well, I'm not going to let her harm him.”

“I have a question, Matt.  Why do you think she would harm him?”

“Because she hates Rome, and sooner or later she'll find out that Archimedes is what keeps Rome running.  I wouldn't be surprised if she doesn't know that already.  It's a little too coincidental, her bumping into us like that.  It's like she's been following me.  What is she doing in Rome in the first place?”

“Four of her friends were taken prisoner.  She hopes to find them and purchase their freedom.”

“And how do you know that?”

Ivan replayed the audio and video of the conversation between Archimedes and Carrot that had occurred while Matt had been preoccupied with his thoughts. 

"So why have you come to Rome?" Archimedes-in-replay asked.

"Four of my friends were taken prisoner," Carrot-in-replay replied.  "I hope to find them and purchase their freedom."

“Oh,” subvocaled Matt.  “I guess she means Dran and Geth and . . . uh . . . . “

“Croin and Jran,” supplied Ivan. 

“What kind of names are those, anyway?  Anyhow, she says she came to rescue her friends.  Well, it makes for a good cover story.”

Ivan was silent for a moment, then said, “To answer your question, many of the names we have encountered on Ne'arth have no equivalent in any terrestrial culture.  This uniqueness occurs so often that I believe it is – ”

“Shhhh.”

Matt willed the video replay window shut and listened to Archimedes and Carrot talk in real time.

Archimedes stroked his beard and said,  "I can't offer you much hope.  But from time to time, one hears of a prisoner of war who became a slave and then a freedman.  It used to be more common than it is."

"I see."  Carrot stared at the pavement.

Their travels had taken them to the north of the bay, where the shore was enclosed by a high wall.  Archimedes presented himself at the gate and the guards let them pass.  From the presence of so many soldiers, Matt judged them to be on a military base. 

Barges were tied to the docks.  On each barge was a neatly stacked pile of bricks next to a man-high framework covered with a sheet.

"In the event of a naval attack," Archimedes said, "these barges are to be towed and anchored at the entry to the bay, where their catapults will be able to bombard the enemy fleet."

"Bombard?" Carrot asked.  "How?"

“Well, I am told that doing is more fun that watching . . . .“

They walked onto a barge.  Archimedes threw off the sheet, revealing a catapult with a wooden frame and a throwing arm as long as Matt was tall.  Archimedes hefted a brick into the sling of the throwing arm.  He inserted a wooden pole into a slot at the side of the catapult.  He pushed the pole again and again, working a ratchet, tightening the torsion spring.  Grunting with satisfaction, he nodded to Carrot. 

"And now pull that cord – sharply."

Carrot hesitated, then yanked the cord.  The cord pulled back a hook, which released the arm, which snapped from horizontal to vertical and flung the brick in a high arc.  The projectile splashed almost a hundred meters into the bay.

Carrot burst into a laugh, jumped and shrieked,  "I've never seen anything like that!"

"Not surprising," Archimedes replied.  "You wouldn't see catapults in Britan, because Valarion personally shuns the use of catapults.  Valarion, by the way, is the general in charge of the Roman occupation of Britan."

Carrot's smile was gone.  “I know.”

Matt remembered the satellite view of the ridges overlooking the valley where the rebel army had almost been trapped.  “I saw catapults in Britan.”

Archimedes stroked his beard again.  “You did?  Oh, that's right.  He managed to wrangle control of the Eleventh Legion for his latest venture up there, and the Eleventh specializes in catapults.  So I suppose he changed his mind on catapults.  But then, despite the official claims otherwise, his operation apparently came to naught, so perhaps he has changed his mind back again.”

“He doesn't seem very consistent,” Carrot said.

“Oh, he's very consistent.  The rule is:  'Whatever Archimedes says or does, I'll claim it's got to be wrong – even if I know damn well otherwise.'  He's been like that since he was a child.”

“You knew him when he was a child?”

“I was his tutor.”

“I can see you as a teacher.  Did you teach many students, then?”

“Yes, and many belonged to prominent families and they've since gone on to rule Rome.  And I've since gone on to question the utility of tutoring the children of the Roman leadership class.”  He smiled.  “That is an indirect way of informing you both that I am disgusted with their policies of conquest.”

“Yet you maintain these catapults for them.”

“These are for defense.  The legions maintain their own catapults.  I have very little contact with the legions these days.”

Carrot bowed to the machine.  "Could – could you fire the catapult again?"

Archimedes rubbed his shoulder.  "Perhaps this time Matt could tighten the spring for you."

"If it's all right, I'd like to do it myself."

Archimedes consented, and Carrot loaded the sling with a brick, repositioned the ratchet gear, and worked the lever.  The catapult was mounted on a swivel base, and Archimedes directed Carrot to swivel toward a target tied to a pole in the bay.  Her shot flew well past.

"I'm no good at this!" she said.

"Nonsense," Archimedes replied.  "The range was impressive and the accuracy was quite good for a first shot.  You do need to get the feel for the relationship between spring tension and distance, and then take into account the wind.  It requires practice."

She tried a second shot, and a third, landing closer each time. 

Archimedes observed, "You're improving quite rapidly.  Also, you don't seem to be tiring from working the spring."

"It's nothing compared to plowing a field."

"Ah, I know what you mean." 

"You were a farmer once?"

"I grew up on a farm."

Carrot smiled.

Archimedes continued,  "By the way, Matt, I know almost nothing of your past.  Did you grow up on a farm or in a town?"

"In a town," Matt replied.

"Seattle, I take it.  So what did your family do for a living?"

"They worked on . . . a system of . . . public transportation."

“'They?' Both your parents?  Your mother as well?”

“Yes, she was an engineer.”

“To allow women to be engineers – why, Seattle must be quite progressive!”

“It has that reputation.” 

Carrot was looking at Matt and frowning.  He ignored her and gestured to the catapult and said,  “I'd like to try that too.”

With a nod from Archimedes, Matt loaded the sling.  Tightening the spring was harder than Carrot made it look. 

Ivan said,  "I can calculate the required tension and angle for the identified target."

"No, I'd rather – " Then Matt saw Carrot with her arms folded, still frowning.  "All right.  Tell me what to do."

He adjusted the catapult accordingly and yanked the cord.  The brick splashed within a meter of the target pole.

"Amazing!" Archimedes said.  "And on a first try!  Let's see if it was luck."

Matt loaded, levered, aimed, and released.  The brick hit the target squarely.

"Amazing!  Can you do that again?"

Matt rubbed his arm, mimicking Archimedes of a moment earlier.  "I'm kind of sore."

"Well, we do need to inspect the other catapults."

Matt was pleased to detect just a trace of uncertainty in Carrot's scowl after his demonstration. 
For a change, let her wonder what she's up against
, he thought. 

As they went from barge to barge, Archimedes inspected the catapults, and Carrot questioned him in detail about catapults.  At last, Archimedes sighed and said, “I'm afraid my failing memory prevents me from answering all your questions.  However, back home I do have a number of books in my library on the subject – “

"You have your own library?” Carrot asked.  “In your home?"

"It makes it easier to reach the shelves that way.  Now, Carrot, I forgot to ask, are you able to read?”

"Of course I can read.  Can't everyone?"

"I didn't mean to offend, but it seems to be a rare quality among Roman women.  Roman tradition tends to rhetorically revere women while in practice restricting them to domestic and ornamental roles.  Quite different from Kresidala, where I grew up."

“I have heard of Kresidala.  Isn't it outside the Empire?”

“It is, though the Empire has tried to correct that.”

"So you are not Roman yourself."

"I am often reminded of that these days."

"Then why do you serve the Empire?"

He sighed.  "When I came here, it was a different time.  The Empire once meant an end to tribal conflict and piracy.  Now, sadly, the Empire has replaced tribal wars with wars among nations, and the worst pirates this world has ever seen are wearing the purple fringe."

"Purple fringe?  What is that?"

"A silly rule, but it sets apart the rulers from the ruled, and so violations are punishable by death.  You see, the fringe of Roman robes are restricted in terms of color.  Only high-ranking officials in the imperial bureaucracy, for example, may wear a robe with a red fringe.  Only those of senatorial rank may wear a robe with purple fringe.”

“What of the Emperor then?”

“The Emperor is considered 'Of Senatorial Rank and Above.'  He wears a robe with purple fringe, and can also have the pattern of his robe employ purple throughout.  Even a senator dares not wear Full Purple.”

"Would it be possible . . . that I could see a book on catapults?"

"You're welcome to come to my house and read in my library.  In fact, we're done here, so why don't you come to dinner?"

"I really couldn't impose – "

"Nonsense!  In fact, I know well how poor accommodations are in Rome for a visitor from the provinces, so why don't you stay at my house?  There are plenty of rooms."

"I couldn't – "

"Don't they practice hospitality in Britan?"

Carrot closed her eyes and bowed deeply.

Archimedes motioned for Carrot to go first down the dock, then touched Matt's shoulder and whispered, "Some day you'll thank me."

“If she lets us live,” Matt subvocaled.  “Seriously, Ivan, is he trying to play matchmaker?”

“I lack sufficient data to make a conclusion,” Ivan said. 

“With her of all people!” 

They departed the base and headed toward the center of the city.  Along the way, Carrot said, "If I am to stay with you, I have some things that I should collect from where I am staying now.  It's just down that street, I'll be back in an instant."

"You intend to go unescorted?" Archimedes asked.  "This is a rather unsavory part of town.  Thieves everywhere."

"I will be fine."  Carrot dashed off.

Matt waited a moment, and said to Archimedes, "I'd like to follow . . . to make sure she's all right."

Archimedes stamped his staff.  "I was about to suggest that myself.  So by all means."

Matt trotted down the street and around the corner.  He passed windowless, doorless alleys.  He saw the hole in the wall.

He stood a few meters away and subvocaled, "Infrared.  Zoom.  Audio amplify."

She was taking a pair of dresses that were hanging from the slumping, cracked ceiling.  She unrolled her scarf and broke a brick-sized object into pieces.  She faced toward a wall and Matt saw a tiny spot of infrared twitch and scurry toward her.  She tossed the pieces at it. 

"See, I came back," she said.  "Now leave some for the mice."

Then she returned to the hole and encountered Matt. 

Carrot said harshly,  "You left him all alone
on the street?"

"He's safe enough on a main thoroughfare.  But is he going to be safe with you?"

"What do you mean?"

"The last time I saw you, you were on your way to kill Romans."

"You think that I would kill an old man?  And he's not even a Roman!"

"You know that he serves the Romans."

"I am not an assassin."

Matt stood almost half a head taller than her and thought, 
She seems so small and harmless. 
But he knew that wasn't what Ivan's DNA analysis said. 

She added coolly,  “I have a dinner appointment that I must keep.”

She stepped around him and headed toward the street.  Matt followed, a safe few paces behind.