anner.bloodandgold(v2)-第31节

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　　　〃Take　my　blood；〃　said　Avicus　and　he　moved　to　bite　into　his　wrist　to　give　me　to　drink。　〃We　can't　leave　you　behind。〃
　　　〃No；〃　I　said。　〃Let　me　rise　of　my　own　accord。〃　I　wondered　if　they　could　hear　my　words；　so　softly　were　they　spoken。　I　rose　slowly　on　my　elbows；　and　then　I　realized　I　was　sitting　up；　and　then　I　rose　to　my　knees　and　to　my　feet。　I　was　dizzy。
　　　My　radiant　Akasha；　so　erect　on　her　throne；　stared　blindly　past　me。　My　King　was　unchanged。　However　both　were　covered　with　a　layer　of　dust；　and　it　seemed　a　crime　unimaginable　that　they　had　been　so　neglected。　The　withered　flowers　were　like　so　much　hay　in　their　dried　vases。　But　for　this　who　was　to　blame？
　　　Hesitantly　I　made　my　way　to　the　dais。　And　then　I　closed　my　eyes。　I　felt　Avicus　catch　me　as　obviously　I'd　been　about　to　fall。
　　　〃Leave　me；　please；〃　I　said　quietly。　〃Just　for　a　little　while。　I　must　say　my　prayers　for　the　forts　I've　received　while　sleeping。　I'll　join　you　soon。〃　And　vowing　to　stand　more　firmly　I　closed　my　eyes　again。
　　　At　once　there　came　into　my　mind　the　vision　of　myself　on　the　opulent　bed　within　the　extraordinary　palace　and　Akasha；　my　Queen；　embracing　me。
　　　I　saw　the　silk　hangings　wavering　in　the　breeze。　It　was　not　my　vision。　That　is；　it　had　not　e　from　me。　Rather　it　had　been　given；　and　I　knew　it　could　only　have　e　from　her。
　　　I　opened　my　eyes　again　and　stared　at　her　hard　perfect　face。　Surely　a　woman　less　beautiful　could　never　have　endured　so　long。　No　blood　drinker　had　ever　had　the　courage　to　really　destroy　her。　No　blood　drinker　ever　would。
　　　But　my　thoughts　were　confused　suddenly。　Avicus　and　Mael　were　still　there。
　　　〃I'll　e　with　you；〃　I　said　to　them；　〃but　for　now；　you　must　leave　me　here。　You　must　wait　for　me　above。〃
　　　At　last　they　obeyed。　I　heard　their　steps　as　they　went　up　the　stairs。　And　then　I　mounted　the　steps　of　the　dais　and　bent　over　my　seated　Queen　once　more；　as　reverently　as　ever；　as　bravely　as　ever；　and　I　gave　the　kiss　that　might　soon　mean　my　death。
　　　Nothing　stirred　in　the　sanctuary。　The　Blessed　Pair　remained　quiet。　Enkil　did　not　raise　his　arm　to　strike。　I　felt　no　motion　in　Akasha's　body。　I　sank　my　teeth　quickly。　I　drank　deep　draughts　of　the　thick　blood　as　fast　as　I　could；　and　there　came　the　vision　of　the　sunlit　garden　again；　lovely；　full　of　flowering　trees　and　roses；　something　made　for　a　palace；　where　every　plant　is　a　part　of　an　imperial　design。　I　saw　the　bedchamber。　I　saw　the　golden　columns。　It　seemed　I　heard　a　whisper：　Marius。　My　soul　expanded。
　　　
　　　
　　　I　heard　it　again　as　if　it　were　echoing　through　the　silk…hung　palace。　The　light　in　the　garden　brightened。
　　　Then；　with　a　violent　throb　I　realized　I　could　take　no　more。　I　drew　back。　I　saw　the　tiny　puncture　wounds　contract　and　vanish。　I　pressed　my　lips　to　them　and　held　the　kiss　for　a　long　moment。
　　　On　my　knees　I　thanked　her　with　my　whole　heart。　I　had　not　the　slightest　doubt　that　she　had　protected　me　in　my　sleep。　I　knew　that　she　had。　I　knew　also　that　she　had　caused　me　to　wake。　Avicus　and　Mael　could　have　never　done　it　without　her　divine　intervention。　She　belonged　to　me　more　surely　than　when　we　had　left　Egypt。　She　was　my　Queen。
　　　And　then　I　withdrew；　powerful；　clear…eyed；　and　ready　for　the　long　journey　overseas　to　Byzantium。　After　all；　I　had　Mael　and　Avicus　to　help　me　with　the　Divine　Parents　who　must　be　secured　in　stone　sarcophagi；　and　there　would　be　many　a　long　night　at　sea　ahead　of　us　during　which　I　could　weep　for　my　beautiful　Italy；　my　Italy　which　was　lost。
　　　
　　　
　　　
　　　9
　　　
　　　IN　THE　NIGHTS　that　followed　I　could　not　resist　visiting　Rome；　though　Avicus　and　Mael　both　advised　me　not　to　do　it。　They　feared　that　I　did　not　know　how　long　I　had　slept；　but　I　knew。　Almost　a　hundred　years　had　passed。
　　　I　found　the　grand　buildings　of　Imperial　glory　fallen　to　ruin；　overrun　with　animals；　and　being　used　as　quarries　for　those　who　came　to　take　the　stone。　Huge　statues　had　been　toppled　over　and　lay　in　the　weeds。　My　old　street　was　unrecognizable。
　　　And　the　population　had　dwindled　to　no　more　than　a　few　thousand　souls。
　　　Yet；　the　Christians　ministered　to　their　own；　and　their　virtue　was　most　inspiring。　And　because　the　invaders　had　been　in　some　cases　Christians；　many　of　the　churches　had　gone　unharmed。　The　Bishop　of　Rome　sought　to　defend　them　against　their　overlords；　and　maintained　strong　ties　with　Constantinople；　the　city　that　ruled　both　East　and　West。
　　　But　for　the　few　old　families　who　remained；　there　was　only　humiliation　as　they　sought　to　serve　their　new　barbarian　masters；　and　to　tell　themselves　that　somehow　the　crude　Goths　and　Vandals　could　acquire　some　polish　and　love　of　literature　and　some　appreciation　of　Roman　law。
　　　Once　again　I　marveled　at　the　pure　resistance　of　Christianity；　that　it　seemed　to　feed　upon　disaster　as　it　had　fed　upon　persecution；　and　as　it　prospered　during　interludes　of　peace。
　　　I　also　marveled　at　the　resilience　of　the　old　Patricians；　who　as　I　said；　did　not　withdraw　from　public　life；　but　strove　to　inculcate　the　old　values　as　best　they　could。
　　　
　　　Everywhere　one　saw　barbarians　with　mustaches；　wearing　crude　trousers；　their　hair　greasy　and　unkempt。　Many　were　Arian　Christians；　holding　different　ceremonies　from　their　〃orthodox〃　Catholic　brothers　and　sisters。　What　were　they？　Goths；　Visigoths；　Alemmani；　Huns？　Some　I　couldn't　recognize　at　all。　And　the　ruler　of　this　great　state　lived　not　at　Rome　but　at　Ravenna　in　the　North。
　　　I　was　also　to　discover　that　a　new　nest　of　the　Satanic　vampires　had　settled　in　a　forgotten　catab　of　the　city；　where　they　held　ceremonies　to　their　Serpent　Devil　before　going　out　to　prey　upon　the　innocent　and　the　guilty　alike。
　　　Avicus　and　Mael；　puzzled　as　to　the　origins　of　these　new　zealots；　and　most　weary　of　them；　had　resolved　to　leave　them　alone。
　　　As　I　walked　through　ruined　streets　and　through　empty　houses；　these　zealot　creatures　spied　upon　me。　I　loathed　them。　But　I　hardly　considered　them　a　danger。　In　my　starvation　I　had　grown　strong。　Akasha's　blood　was　in　my　veins。
　　　But　how　wrong　I　was　in　my　judgment　upon　the　Satanic　vampires；　oh；　how　very　wrong　indeed。　But　I　will　e　to　that　in　time。
　　　Let　me　return　to　those　nights　when　I　wandered　the　broken　fragments　of　classical　civilization。
　　　I　was　not　as　embittered　by　it　as　one　might　think。　Indeed　Akasha's　blood　had　not　only　given　me　great　new　physical　power；　it　had　enhanced　the　clarity　of　my　mind；　my　ability　to　concentrate；　to　take　to　myself　what　I　prized；　and　to　dismiss　what　was　no　longer　good。
　　　Nevertheless　the　state　of　Rome　was　demoralizing；　and　it　was　only　likely　to　get　worse。　I　looked　to　Constantinople　to　preserve　what　I　called　civilization　and　I　was　all　too　ready　for　the　voyage　ahead。
　　　Well；　it　was　time　to　help　Avicus　and　Mael　with　the　last　preparations。　And　they　assisted　me　in　carefully　wrapping　the　Divine　Pair　as　mummies；　with　all　reverence；　and　placing　them　in　granite　sarcophagi　which　no　team　of　men　could　open；　as　had　been　done　in　the　past　by　me；　and　would　be　done　in　the　future　every　time　that　the　Divine　Parents　had　to　be　moved。
　　　This　was　most　frightening　for　Avicus　and　Mael…to　see　the　pair　moved　and　then　so　pletely　covered　with　the　white　strips　of　linen。　They　knew　nothing　of　the　old　prayers　in　Egyptian　which　I　recited；　which　were　charms　for　the　safety　of　the　journey　scavenged　from　my　years　of　reading；　and　I　don't　think　this　forted　them。　But　the　Divine　Couple　were　my　concern。
　　　
　　　
　　　As　I　moved　to　wrap　the　eyes　of　Akasha；　she　closed　them；　and　with　Enkil　there　occurred　the　same　thing。　What　a　strange　and　momentary　indication　of　consciousness。　It　sent　a　chill　through　me。　Yet　still　I　went　about　my　duty；　as　if　I　were　an　old　Egyptian　wrapping　a　deceased　Pharaoh　in　the　Sacred　House　of　the　Dead。
　　　At　last　Mael　and　Avicus　acpanied　me　down　to　Ostia；　the　port　from　which　we　would　sail；　and　we　boarded　the　vessel；　having　the　Divine　Parents　placed　below　deck。
　　　As　for　the　slaves　that　Avicus　and　Mael　had　purchased　I　found　them　most　impressive；　all　handpicked　and　excellent　even　to　the　galley　slaves　who　knew　that　they　worked　for　future　freedom　in　the　East　and　rich　rewards。
　　　A　strong　band　of　soldiers　were　to　sail　with　us；　each　heavily　armed；　highly　skilled　and　quite　convinced　of　the　same　promise；　and　I　was　particularly　impressed　by　the　captain　of　this　vessel；　a　Christian　Roman　by　the　name　of　Clement；　a　man　of　cleverness　and　wit；　who　would　maintain　the　faith　of　the　others　in　the　final　rewards　as　we　made　the　long　voyage。
　　　The　ship　itself　was　the　largest　galley　I　had　ever　beheld；　with　an　immense　and　colorful　sail；　and　it　contained　a　massive　and　impregnable　cabin　containing　three　long　chests　modestly　made　of　bronze　and　iron　in　which　Mael；　Avicus　and　I　would　sleep　by　day。　These　chests；　like　the　sarcophagi；　were　impossible　for　mortals　to　open　without　enormous　difficulty　and　also　they　were　far　too　heavy　for　even　a　gang　of　men　to　lift。
　　　At　last　everything　was　in　readiness；　and　armed　to　the　teeth　against　pirates；　we　set　out　by　night；　guiding　the　ship　with　our　supernatural　eyes　from　floundering　on　any　rocks　as　we　moved　swiftly　along　the　coast。
　　　This　frightened　our　crew　and　our　soldiery　somewhat　as　can　be　imagined；　for　in　those　times　ships　almost　invariably　proceeded　only　by　day。　It　was　too　dangerous　for　them　to　do　otherwise；　for　they　co