“What about the arenas, then?” I asked, angrily. “What about the Coleseo?”
“You know nothing. The Coleseo is for the transgressors — the prisoners and malcontents who cannot follow Imperial law. I do not allow innocents to fight there.”
“What about us?” Anna asked. “What about Makara? We came to your Empire to speak with you, and instead I was enslaved the very day I came here. Something is broken about this place that you say is the best hope for humanity. Forgive us for being a little skeptical.”
“It isn’t perfect, I admit,” Augustus said. “But don’t forget that it was my hand that saved you, and I had every right not to.” Augustus turned back to Samuel. “We can either do this the easy way, or the hard way. You can join with me, and by force of arms have all your Wastelander leaders fall into line. Or, you can go your own way. You will never be able to muster all the armies of the Wasteland quickly enough to resist me — and, I would overwhelm them with great force. They are too disjointed, and I will be there in two months, ready, organized, capable.”
Samuel said nothing, only brooded over what must happen next. Augustus didn’t know we had Gilgamesh and Odin. If he did, that would change the balance of power. It meant that, if we could somehow get out of Nova Roma, we could reach the Wasteland and have the time to mount a defense. But even two months would be cutting it very close.
“I would need to let Ashton know about this arrangement,” Samuel said.
Samuel couldn’t be serious. If he was playing along with the Emperor, then he was playing a dangerous game. I was all too aware of the guards surrounding us, and the fact that we had no weapons.
I could see in Augustus’s eyes that he was very interested in meeting Ashton. Perhaps what he was most interested in. He had to have had great self-control to play it cool for so long. “Yes. Go and speak with Ashton, and bring him here to finalize this arrangement. Until this occurs…Makara stays here. Until I am completely satisfied she has recovered from her injury.”
“You bastard,” Anna said.
Samuel placed a hand on Anna’s arm, silencing her. “You have a deal.”
A shadow passed over the garden in a rush of wind, darkening the room. At first, we all thought it was Gilgamesh, come to our rescue once again. But the shadow passed, and there was no sound of an engine. It must have just been a cloud.
“You will remain free, obviously,” Augustus said. “I consider you dignitaries representing the entire Wasteland. But I hope you will consider joining my Praetorian guards. Perhaps, when all of this over, I can arrange a joint governorship for you all over the entire Wasteland.”
“You would let us rule the Wasteland?” I asked.
Augustus shrugged. “Why not? Nothing is impossible. But this is merely speculative. I just want you to be aware of the benefits of working with me — benefits many cities already in Mexico have accepted.”
Augustus rose from his chair, and we stood with him. “My Praetorians will accompany you to Ashton. I hope we can have an arrangement before the day is over.”
Augustus was not taking any chances, and I didn’t blame him. I wondered what Ashton’s reaction would be when he saw us coming down the road, surrounded by Augustus’s most elite guards. Seeing us hostage, would he have no choice but to land Gilgamesh and be escorted back to the palace, where anything could happen?
“I think you will find that the past can be forgiven if we can all agree now to work together,” Augustus said. “However, I am a terrible enemy.” Augustus smiled bitterly. “Perhaps it was fate that I was left on the surface when Ragnarok fell. Fate often has a funny sense of justice.”
“We will not bring Ashton here if you are only going to hurt him,” Samuel said.
“No,” Augustus said. “I would never do that. I need him to stop the xenovirus, and besides, I am not wantonly cruel — even if Ashton was to me, thirty years ago.”
Augustus gestured toward Maxillo, who had entered the room while we were speaking with Augustus. “Have you found the Wastelanders’ weapons?”
“My men are waiting outside the gates with the weapons,” Maxillo said. “Shall I return them?”
Augustus nodded. “Hand them over there.” He looked at us. “As a sign of my trust, I will let you walk with weapons within Nova Roma, a privilege that is only granted to my legionaries. I hope you will not squander this trust, and that it may be a good sign of our future partnership.”
Trust. Augustus was only giving us those weapons because he knew we couldn’t do anything…not with Makara still in the hospital, and not surrounded by twenty five of his best guards.
“May I see my sister before we leave?” Samuel asked.
Augustus shook his head. “I would like to conclude this arrangement as soon as possible. I am hoping that Ashton can be here, within the hour. Granted that everything proceeds smoothly, then yes, you may visit your sister.”
“Very well.” Samuel looked toward us. “Let’s go.”
The grim-faced guards led us out of the reception room, and back into the glittering entry hall. The bright chandeliers illuminated the pastel colors of the walls, giving sparkling life to the paintings, giving the rich oriental rugs beneath our feet a vibrant hue. I couldn’t help but feel that we were on a death march, and that Augustus had us where he wanted us. How could this have ended any other way? We were stupid for coming here. With Makara hostage, and our lives at stake, we couldn’t just leave. We had to play this out, until the end.
But there still might be a chance to get the better of Augustus. There had to be, or this mission could fail.
The same two attendants from earlier swung the front doors open, letting us out into the cool night. Our footsteps clicked on the marble steps, then crunched on the gravel drive. Anna impulsively reached for her back, where her katana would usually be sheathed. Of course, there was nothing there.
As Augustus had assured us, a group of Praetorians waited on the other side of the gates. I saw that one carried Anna’s katana. Its black sheath glimmered under the light of faded lamps.
The guard by the gate opened it, and we strode outside. I received my Beretta. Feeling it in my hand was good, and made me feel immediately safer. I checked the clip, finding it loaded with nine bullets. It would have to do. I stashed it on my belt. Anna took her katana, strapping it to her black, along with her handgun sidearm. She didn’t look right without that katana, and now that it was back, I could see more confidence in her step. Samuel received his handgun, and strapped it to his belt without a word. Julian also holstered his own handgun.
“I don’t know how,” I said to him. “But we’ll get you home.”
Julian nodded. “I appreciate it. But right now, I’m worried about bigger things.”
Maxillo turned to Samuel. “Lead, and we will follow. But first, tell us where we are going.”
Samuel turned to look at us, his eyes surprisingly calm. It was as if he were saying, “play along.”
“It is a long walk,” Samuel said.
“Where?” Maxillo asked, impatient.
“Outside the north gate. Up a mountain road.”
Maxillo frowned. He was suspicious. “That doesn’t lead anywhere. There aren’t even any farms up there.”
“It might be a trap,” another Praetorian said.
“If it is a trap,” Samuel said, “then it wouldn’t be a very good one. There are only the four of us, and there are twenty five of you. That is simply where Ashton is staying. We thought it was safer if he remained outside the city.”