Chapter 1

The pain was almost too much to hold off. My urge to close up the wound and hold in the blood was too strong and my subconscious won. I was still standing but in a moment the two holding me let go and I fell to the ground.

I was busy stopping the flow of blood. The larger vessels had to be constricted until the severed ends got a chance to close up enough. I had done this many times but it was usually on others. This was a killing blow but I was here to stop it if possible.

Work went on and on. Some of the seals suddenly opened again and it had to be somebody moving my body. I could not surface now and just continued to do what was necessary.

The blood loss was minimised then I had to find the thousands of portions of partially digested food and move them to the intestinal wall and try to get them through.

There was not enough time when I worked this way. Some indeterminate time later I started to surface. The woman, who's child I had worked on, was bathing my face with a damp cloth. I let some of the pain return then turned most of this off for I had to know how well I was healing. It felt bad but I had been worse, but only once.

I managed to say in a voice not much stronger than a whisper, "What is happening?"

The woman was shocked but a man came close and I had to repeat myself. It was one of the interpreters. He said, "Celyddon is dead."

"What of my people?"

"They do not know of your wound."

"Send someone there and ask Edana to come here."

I went back to work but now doing only some of the smaller tasks so that I could gain my strength.

Some time later I opened my eyes to see Edana sitting at may side and crying. I croaked, "I am not dead you know."

She opened her eyes quickly and went to embrace me then stopped. "What can I do to help?"

"Tell me what is happening?"

"Celyddon is dead. There were no marks on him. The people know that the gods did this. They are doing their best for you. I told them that you cannot be moved."

"Good girl. If they did I would leak a lot more."

Edana gave me a weak smile and went on. "Your men know what has happened and wanted to attack. I had to go and stop them before they were killed. I know that is what you would have wanted."

"I see that the training stuck. You did a very good job."

I got a better smile this time. "They are waiting but I do not know how long they will stay."

"How long was it since I entered this camp?"

"Three days and it will soon be four."

"That long? Get one of the interpreters for me please."

The man came in within a few minutes and I said to him, "Send someone to my camp." I thought for a moment then amended this. "You and Edana better go."

Edana interjected, "I need to stay here."

"Cadet Edana, you need to follow orders. I do not want those men starting a war now that this one is over."

Edana hung her head and said nothing. I drank some water and then went to sleep.

The next day I was brought outside in a stretcher and I had them put it so I was on an incline and not just horizontal. I talked with the Gauls and to my own men that came into the camp. They had formed a ring to protect me but I got them to let a few Gauls through so I could talk.

My own body was healing fairly well and I did not need to monitor it all the time. The wounded and sick came to me and I took some of my time to heal those that I could until my strength got low.

The next day I was in a chair and the day after I was walking with difficulty. It was good that I was because word got to me that Clovis was coming this way. Four of our men and four of the Gauls rode out to intercept them.

The Gauls were worried now and were preparing for battle. It was a day later that twenty three men came to the camp but none of them had lances or cannon for that matter.

I was there to greet Clovis. He got off his horse to hug me and it was good that my wounds had mostly been healed.

He demanded, "What did you do? You could have been killed."

"I had to get rid of Celyddon. I didn't want the Gauls killed."

"That was a stupid thing to do. We could have surrounded them and they would surrender."

"Have any surrendered when you have done that?"

He didn't answer and said, "You have such great plans and you would throw them away for a few Gauls."

"I am not meant to be a king and I cannot do what you could."

It took a few more days to get most of the wounded healed enough to travel and then we headed back to the school. The Gauls were sent out to hunt and perhaps find their own people and bring them in. They would resort to raiding and that meant that there would be more needless deaths.

We made slow progress and I had a lot of time to talk to the survivors. A lot of those taken from the school had been killed. I could punish the guilty now but they had embraced Wodenism and were not the same. Under their own laws they had done nothing wrong.

I too was overcoming some of my losses. Oriana had died when she took a knife and tried to take the life of her attacker. This was done after she had been raped. The man though was now dead and I doubted if I could have stopped from killing him.

There were a lot of orphans, in fact there were three hundred and fourteen of them. The Gauls took care of their own but I took all the slaves but especially the children. They needed protection but it was going to be difficult for the Gauls, because the slaves did much of the work.

There was time to talk to Clovis too. He was angry at the Gauls too and would like to put all the men to death but he did hold off. I had to promise to make them work at the school to make up for what they had done but in fact I was going to do that for other reasons than punishment.

I got him off the subject by talking of what was happening with Julian. He had been casting his own bronze cannon and making powder at the old location with very few men. Fálki was in sole charge of this operation.

The thoughts of helping the Romans defeat the Persians didn't bother him much. The gold he was going to charge rose by the hour. We discussed those men going and what they knew about the manufacture of the powder. Clovis was ahead of me and was already picking out the right men to send.

We didn't recover any of the wagons so we just left the broken sawmill in the gully and finished the rest of our journey.

Gnaeus and Flavius came out to meet us. They had already been appraised of the situation. The Romans didn't like the Gauls here and they too wanted them killed. I had many of the children near and I knew both men had a soft spot for them no matter what their parents had done.

Gnaeus was favouring his arm and I looked at it. A growth was forming at the end and I concentrated on it a bit more to keep it working. He asked, "Is everything alright?"

"It should be itchy but don't scratch it."

I just smiled at him and he said, "What is wrong?"

"You are growing a new arm."

Gnaeus pulled his arm around and looked at the end and then at me.

Rufus was back already and I could hear the sawmill working in the distance. I didn't know who was operating it because it looked like everyone was here to see what was happening.

There was a lot of crying for the people that had returned and for those that never would.

It took a few hours to get people settled in then I had services for those that had died. I covered the tenets the same as what other religions had with everlasting life. This was how religion helped people deal with their losses. I wished that those children that had died, did find a better place but I had to castigate myself for just wishful thinking.

Again I had to rely on translators but I went slow enough that they had a chance to get the words across.

When the sermon was over I continued with how this greater community was going to function. The school had to be rebuilt and this had to be done before winter set in.

The next two weeks were hectic. Work groups of Gauls had to be formed with Gauls leading but translators on hand to convey orders. The new group did not readily fit in. Those same people had come not long ago and killed men and families.

The damaged sawmill was recovered and put into the barge so it could be repaired or at least used for scrap. It was probably the latter because the new one worked so much better.

Clovis left a company of cannoneers here with the fort and worked with the Romans at my insistence so they would know what to expect. There was no parapet but we made heavily fortified openings where the cannon could stick out and fire.

I left the school with Gnaeus in over all charge. The Frisians didn't like taking orders from Romans, especially one they had just been to war with. Clovis had stayed until this time and he made sure his men knew the rules. There was not that much powder in any case but I hoped it would be enough to dissuade any attacker.

The seven original cadets saluted me along with five more. They alone got the two dozen remaining stingers. I had so much riding on them and I knew that they suspected some of my thoughts. They were in charge of distilling the water for the boilers and for setting up the heating system if they could.

We sailed off with a lot of reluctance because I knew how hard it was going to be in my absence. I also knew that Julian had to prosecute his war with the Alemmani and without trickery to sully his name. The Romans may not mind this but I wanted his word to be taken as gospel.

We stopped at Minden and picked up more salt and I had a chance to talk to the city to tell them what had happened. The sermon was conducted with a lot more somberness. Some of the citizens had suffered in the attacks. My white tunic now had a red section over my abdomen to let people know that I was stabbed there.

We skipped the search for fish because we were late. Our speed was so slow that we got some in passing. On the trip down the Rhine I gave the news as I saw it and had only a few sermons. Normally I would have passed by but it was now important to keep in the minds of the people.

Circumstances had not changed much when I returned. I got the barge cleaned out and then loaded as soon as possible. Sermons here were very important and so was the news. Celyddon's death and my stabbing were important events too and I showed that the death was at the hands of the gods themselves. I rationalised my being in that position as trying to save the Gauls.

I secluded myself in my lab and made more explosives. I had the feeling that I was already too late but knew that what I was doing was necessary. So many tasks had to be done and there was always so little time.

It was a quick turn around and I was back on the Rhine once more. Rufus and his crew only had a short time with their families. My own family and that of Lucius came to see us off. Licinia was a lot more apprehensive but so were the rest.

We got another courier but there was no problem this time. Fishing was not as good but it was enough to keep the men happy. Again I sailed at night and Rufus was feeling better about this if we stayed away from land.

There was a lot more military traffic on the Seine and some of it was carried on the Patricia. There was enough gossip to find out that the Alemmani were fighting again. This was nothing new because all the German tribes fought each other and the Romans at the least provocation. It may be true that King Vadomar was behind this and abetted by Constantius.

The family was there to greet me and so was Julian's. I had eyes for Patricia but had to talk to others first. She got even more of my attention because she had many of the children standing around her.

When I finally got to Patricia I kissed her like a wife should be kissed and she smiled like Mona Lisa. "Did you have an interesting trip Jón?"

"It had its good points and its bad. Did your father leave me a message?"

"Yes he did. How did you know?"

"I didn't know for sure but he would know that I would see you as soon as possible." She smiled at this and I went to talk to her mother Claudia.

"How have you been keeping Claudia? I think of you often."

"You think of Patricia's mother perhaps."

"That is true too but I care for you too."

She hugged me to her and gave me a kiss on the cheek. With a smile she said, "I know you do."

Postuma was holding her mother's hand and I got close and kissed her like a sister. "Have you broken any more hearts since I was here last?"

I got a shy look and then she looked at me boldly. "Perhaps only a few."

"I have to introduce you to Hirtius. If you remember, he is the son of Lucius. He has been asking a few questions about you."

"What does he ask?"

"Hirtius is not the usual young man. He is not going to be a soldier like his father but he will be a competent engineer one day. He takes the ideas I have. I put some images in his mind and he is able to make things for me. He will help hold the empire together with a great many others when he gets older. As for questions he asks how smart you are as well as your beauty. I made sure he knows that a woman and a man work together as a unit and are much stronger than just one."

"Will he come here one day?"

"He just may but it may be you that goes to meet him."

"But I am just a wa..."

I interrupted and said, "You are an intelligent woman just like your mother and sister. That is what counts. Now I have to talk to your brother before he starts jumping up and down."

Aulus smiled at me too and said, "We have sold a lot of wood. People even bring their own logs to us so that we can cut them."

"This sounds like you are going to be a fine businessman."

The boy liked this. I talked to a few more before taking their family and mine to my house to see what was to eat.

When we got to my home I talked about what had happened on the Weser. They would hear this in time and I wanted them to get an idea first so when the gristly details came out they would not feel as bad.

I had to show my abdomen and everybody had to come over and see the fine scar that I had left there for this purpose. Their faith was further reinforced when they were told how the gods struck down Celyddon for stabbing me.

I managed to get Patricia alone for a few minutes because she was crying again. She considered me her husband and was worried about me dying especially without leaving any sons for her. I said, "What about daughters? They are just as smart and usually think first before doing something."

"Alright, I do not have any of your daughters either to carry on."

"The gods are not going to let me die yet. I am still too young and there are some important events coming up that will shake the empire. I need to be involved with them."

She did act like a good wife and didn't ask.

"Now, will you tell me the message from your father?"

She gave me a long report about the various German tribes that called themselves Alemmani. Julian had been gone for eleven days and his course was mentioned but I knew this could change with any new intelligence he received.

There were some reports of what towns that were sacked as well as where crops were burnt and cities attacked. At least Julian had some time to reinforce some of the towns but he was always fighting. Gaul was not a civilised province because the Alemmani and other barbarians went through it with impunity most of the time.

I didn't want to kill the natives but just let them find out what civilisation can bring both them and the Romans.

We had an early lunch and then all of Julian's family but Patricia left for other duties. We didn't just go to bed but talked about her duties in educating the people of Lutetia that were under our care.

She talked about the crude organ that was made here and of wood too. Brass would be used later after the bugs were worked out. I had to go through the books to see if I were getting into trouble but everything looked fine. A large pile of maps that I had commission, were on a table. Some were of Roman military origin but the vast majority were new. I could not take chances when the railway was eventually put in.

We went out after our talk and went to see those that needed me while encouraging them to continue working on their education or their projects. We saw the glassworks and found they were making demijohns. Wicker baskets would be made to protect them in the spring.

The cork used for the bottles and the barrels had also gone into more life preservers that would add to the few now on the Patricia and the barge.

I was going to be chasing after Julian tomorrow so I started to get people to get ready for the expedition. Not only armour, weapons, food, horses and a lot of other supplies an expeditionary force needed had to be acquired. I knew this was going to happen but not the exact date.

Aulus met us when we inspected the sawmill. We watched as the engine controlled a long reciprocating saw blade to cut a large tree. A large rotary blade may be better but we were having more problems with them. They had too many parts that wore out when we tried to get the high speeds and torque.

The retail outlet had grown very large and it actually required many more shipments like I had on the barge each year. That meant more ships like the Patricia or some powered barges. They all required far larger engines too because we were much too slow.

I could not see all the farms I owned or even visit more than two. I didn't have to own the land though to get the crops I wanted planted. I had to feed a great many hungry mouths as well as supply the great amounts of hemp I required. Paper and books were made in great quantities on the Rhine but the books went out just as quickly as they were made.

The hemp was also made into rope, bags and even fine cloth here. Looms were very inefficient and what little help I had given didn't amount to much. I had to find others to try to find better ways of doing this job.

We got home for lunch and we ate with a lot of children even if some were older than me. I spared some time to talk to each to find out how they were doing but the sheer numbers told me that I was not being a very good parent.

This was my quality time too and I encouraged the children to sing. Patricia too did her part. Her voice was good in my opinion. Later I talked about my story I was fabricating. Bera the goddess was put out for the first time and I listened to the comments after the story so they could be answered in the book I had to make.

It was getting late and I sent the children off to their beds. They didn't sleep in this house but the one just beside it. I figured if I were ever targeted, I didn't want the children in the same building with me.

When Patricia and I were finally alone, she came into my arms and we were soon upstairs and our bed. Patricia acted unusual. She was very demanding and acted the aggressor. She was not fertile but she acted this way. I had to attribute her actions to her fear that I would die.

I stayed with her until nearly three in the morning and then subtly made her sleep. I was able to get some rest too but it was not going to be enough. I had to leave early. When dawn came, I awoke Patricia with a kiss and her arms immediately went around me to hold me in place.

"Don't go yet, Jón. You have barely had a chance to say hello."

"Sweetheart, in a year of so you will be able to come with me. I have to go now and help your father. I don't want him killing a lot of Alemmani and I don't want the Romans killed either. I have to see if we can find a sort of peace."

"They will always fight. There is nothing you can do."

"They will fight but I do not want wholesale slaughter. Rome will try to hold back the barbarians and then fail after a while. I have to help them now when they are strong enough to make use of this assistance. I am doing this for all of us and this includes our children if they get a chance to be born."

"Our children?"

"I am not going to commit myself but I have to say that you are the one I think of almost all the time. We still have to grow and learn. I do not want the mother of my children to find out she has made a mistake. I too may change as I grow older. At the moment I cannot see how I could change but it could happen. We both need time."

Patricia started to cry and I was not sure if this was just her using her feminine persuasion or not but it was working.