“Then the emperor isn’t likely to order anyone to Mehenopolis to seize whatever is in the maze, even if he guesses there’s more to it than Dedi’s performance suggests,” Thomas observed. “Mind you, I wager Melios will go after it while Dedi is here, and then that’ll be the end of Dedi’s livelihood.”
“I doubt if Melios has enough servants to fight his way through the pilgrims who’d rush to defend the maze,” John said. “Besides, by destroying the relic he’d deprive himself and the settlement of a good source of income. For that matter, once Dedi gets a taste of performing at court he might not care to return to Egypt.”
“It’s enough to make my head hurt,” growled Thomas. “I’m a fighter, not a plotter. Give me a fair contest, blade against blade, any day and none of this creeping around and skulking in shadows. Why, even the emperor’s at it now! He needs a few good swordsmen, I’d say! They’d settle things a lot more simply, if not as daintily as some might like.”
“Ruling an empire isn’t so simple as it seems,” John pointed out. “The imperial couple often hold themselves out in public as disagreeing on certain matters. It may be these are attempts to flush out hitherto unsuspected enemies foolish enough to declare themselves to one camp or another. Not to mention it keeps people off balance, always a good advantage to have.”
Thomas frowned. “You mean Theodora wasn’t really championing those heretics, or Justinian isn’t as orthodox as he likes to appear?”
“All I can say is that Justinian requires the support of the orthodox, but he also needs the resources of Egypt, which is not entirely orthodox,” John replied. “The emperor does not confide everything in me. Even a Lord Chamberlain can be trusted only so far.”
“I’ll wager the emperor and empress don’t even trust each other,” Thomas observed with a grin.
“That could be. Whatever the understanding or quarrel between Justinian and Theodora might be on this occasion, I believe they both keep secrets from each other. The real reason for my journey to Egypt is quite possibly one of them.”
“We ought to get on our way,” Anatolius interrupted. “Francio’s expecting a good number of guests. I think he will get them, because according to Hypatia in the last few days-in fact, ever since Dedi’s performance for Justinian and Theodora-they have admitted no further plague patients to the hospice.”
“Strange indeed,” John admitted as they crossed the cobbled square. “And yet, as followers of Mithra, should we not consider that as nothing more than coincidence?”