Julian (Vintage International) by Gore Vidal

Author:Gore Vidal [Vidal, Gore]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group
Published: 2018-08-22T05:00:00+00:00

XIV

I went straight to my wife’s room. She had already been told what had happened. She was sitting up in bed, attended by several women. Her hair had been combed and her sallow face was cruelly mocked by rouge. The women withdrew.

“It is done,” I said.

“Good.” She held my hands and for a moment I felt strength in her fingers. “Now there will be war.”

I nodded. “But not immediately. I shall tell Constantius that this was none of my doing, and it was not. If he is wise, he will accept me as Augustus in the West.”

“He won’t.” She let go my hands.

“I hope he does.”

She was staring at me with eyes half-shut (her vision had never been good and to see things clearly she was forced to squint). At last she murmured, “Julian Augustus.”

I smiled. “By grace of a mob in the main square of a provincial town.”

“By the grace of God,” she corrected me.

“I think so. I believe so.”

She was suddenly practical. “While you were in the square, one of my officers came to tell me there is a plot to murder you. Here. In the palace.”

I did not take this too seriously. “I am well guarded.”

She shook her head. “I trust this man. He is my best officer.” Like all ladies of the imperial house, Helena not only had her own servants and attendants but her own bodyguard.

“I shall look into it.” I rose to go.

“Decentius is behind the plot.”

“Naturally.”

As I crossed to the door, she said in a loud voice, “Hail Augustus!” I turned and laughed, and said, “Hail, Augusta!” Helena smiled. I had never seen her as happy as she was at that moment.

Next I went to the council chamber, where all of my court was assembled, including Decentius.

I came straight to the point. “You are all witnesses that I did not in any way arouse the soldiers. Nor did I ask for this honor they have done me — illegally.” There was a murmur of disappointment in the chamber. Decentius began to look hopeful. I gave him a friendly smile; I continued. “I shall report all of this to the Augustus, describing exactly what happened, and I shall pledge him, as always, my loyalty not only as a colleague but as a kinsman.” Everyone was now quite puzzled. Decentius stepped forward.

“If that is…Caesar’s decision.” He was very bold to call me “Caesar” but I respected his loyalty to his master. “Then Caesar must dicipline his own troops. He must do as the Augustus wants, and send them to the East.”

“My dear Tribune…” I sounded even to myself like the most honey-tongued of lawyers. “I am willing to give my life for the Emperor in any battle against barbarians. But I will not give it in this way. I have no intention of being murdered by an army I have devoted five years to training, an army which loves me perhaps too much and their Emperor too little. No, I shall not take back what they have given me.

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