Arouetto nodded. “He rose up among the ruins of the empire, as it were, and forged an empire anew.”
“That certainly minimized the Dark Ages.” Saul was looking dazzled. “How did the Caesars keep the proletariat from tearing Reme apart?”
“Why, by conscripting them into the army and navy,” Arouetto replied. “Didn’t the patricians object?” Matt asked. “What did they do for clients?”
“Oh, there were always a few old soldiers who wished to return to Reme to raise their families, rather than settling down in the provinces they had defended.”
“But the sons of the senators?” Matt asked. “How did Caesar prevent them from hanging around Reme and getting into trouble?”
Saul gave a bark of laughter. “Who do you think were the officers?”
Arouetto nodded. “Even so-and the sons of the plebians became centurions, if they did not wish to go on trading voyages.”
“Yeah.” Saul smiled sourly. “The merchants did as much to spread the empire as the soldiers, didn’t they?”
“Oh, more! For first the merchants would begin trading with a country and let them see the benefits of Reman civilization-”
“Which means they got them hooked on Reman goods and gave them a glimpse of central heating and public baths,” Matt interpreted.
Saul nodded. “And filled the teenagers’ heads with dazzling visions of the wonders of Reme, Carthage, and the cities of the Levant. Sure they’d want to join the empire-especially since the emperor always sent in a legion to protect his merchants. Right?”
Arouetto frowned. “Are you sure you have not read the books?”
“Your Holiness!” A monk broke in, the white showing all around his eyes. “The condottieri attack!”
“To the chapel, quickly!” the pope cried, then turned to his guests. “Come with us, for every prayer is needed, to beseech the Saints’ protection!”
Matt had a vision of an invisible wall of prayer surrounding the Vatican. He could see Saul working himself up to a scathing reply and was just about to try to stop him when the monk burst out, “There are sorcerers with them, your Holiness! They have already thrown fireballs at the Holy City! The Saints protected us, and the fireballs fell back among the condottieri-but Heaven knows what they will try next!”
“Heaven does know, and will forestall them, Brother Athenius,” the pope reassured him, then to his guests, “Follow us!”
They hurried after him, Matt catching up and saying, “With all respect, your Holiness, it might be a bit more practical for Wizard Saul and myself to stay here and fight magic with magic.”
The pope screeched to a halt and stared. “But there will be danger!”
“We’re used to it,” Saul snapped, and Matt shrugged. “There will be danger even in the cathedral, your Holiness. We have taken such risks before.”
“Then I shall accept your kind offer, and gratefully! But at least climb to the top of St. Peter’s steeple! You can see all of the enemy from there, and the power of prayer may assist you!”
“The power of prayer!” Saul grumbled as they climbed the steeple. “What good is that going to be?”
“More man you know, here,” Matt said. They came out into a small cupola above the belfry and looked out over the city of Reme. For a few moments both men stood speechless. Then Saul said, “Looks just like Rome to me, man. I can see the Colosseum, and the Forum, or what’s left of it.”
“No Trevi Fountain yet,” Matt noted, “but it looks like the Aqueduct is still working.”
“Give the bandits time, they’ll get to it.” Saul shivered. “Never thought I’d see the Eternal City in the Middle Ages!”
“Never thought I’d be standing on top of St. Peter’s.” Matt looked down a bit and saw a troop of horsemen riding up the slope toward the cathedral. “No wall, not even afence! This place is wide open! What’s been keeping them out?”
“If you dare say ‘the power of prayer…’ ”
Matt shrugged. “Why should I say it? Just try a verse that stops them, and see what happens.”
Saul grinned. “Why not?”
He broke off, staring. “What the hey is that?”
Matt had felt it, too-a sudden surge of energy that left him almost giddy with a feeling of power, as if he could pick up the world and use it for a racquetball. “What do you think it is?”
As one, the horses turned and started back down the hill. The horsemen swore and yanked at the reins, and horses tossed their heads and whinnied protest, but they kept on going-and not just the ones on the road, either. As far and wide as they could see, a countercurrent struck the ranks of the condottieri cavalry. The horses had all turned and started back. Saul ran over to the other side of the cupola and stared down. “They’re doing it over here, too!”
“Never knew ‘Whoopi-ti-yi-yo’ qualified as magic words,” Matt said conversationally. Saul turned to glare at him. “I hate it when you’re right.”
“Only this time. Look! The sorcerers are fighting back!”
“If you can call this fighting,” Saul grumbled, but he came to look. There was a blue glow in the middle of the condottieri army, and greenish smoke trailed up. The horses suddenly answered to the bit, turning and heading back uphill again. “So. They know they’ve got some resistance.” Saul nodded. “Why do I get the feeling we’re not even needed here?”
“Maybe because those fireballs curved back on the army that threw them,” Matt said. “On the other hand, those riders are halfway to the cathedral, and no one’s stopping them. Do you suppose the Saints are waiting for us to do the job?”
“You mean we shouldn’t have volunteered?”
“No, I mean that Heaven helps those who help themselves.”
Saul grunted. “Those condottieri are helping themselves. They’re all set to help themselves to everything that’s not nailed down.”
“So we have to help the clergy in a way they haven’t been able to do,” Matt summarized, “although it does seem kind of strange that they don’t have even one clerical wizard on hand.”
“In corporate headquarters?” Saul challenged. “All they’d have here are bureaucrats!”
“You might have a point. Okay, what do we do to push the bandits back out of here?”
“Well” Saul said slowly, “they’re presumably all working for Evil, and I’ve heard a lot about the Aroma of Sanctity With a soft burping sound, something exploded in the center of the cupola.
Chapter 23
Greasy smoke poured outward and upward, enveloping the whole top of the steeple. “Gas attack!” Saul managed before he broke off into a bout of coughing that racked his lungs. He stumbled to the side and leaned over the railing, trying to get away from the smoke-but it followed him. Matt stumbled toward the opposite railing, and the smoke tried to follow him, but there was just enough of a breeze to blow it back. A few tendrils did reach him, and the stench was only the precursor-he could feel his innards heaving. He suddenly realized that a person could actually die just from a bad smell-if it was vile enough… He stuck his head over the rail as far as he could and chanted,