One More Duty

           TheonlylightintheEmperor’stentcamefromoillamps.MarcussatwithhisbacktoMaximus.HewaswritinghisdiaryandatfirsthedidnotrealizeMaximushadarrived.

           "Caesar.Yousentforme,"saidMaximus.Marcus,lostinhisthoughts,didnotreply."Caesar?"Maximusrepeated.

           "Tellmeagain,Maximus,"Marcussaid."Whyarewehere?"

           "ForthegloryoftheEmpire,sir."

           AtfirsthethoughtMarcushadnotheardhim.ThenMarcusslowlygotupfromhisdeskandsoftlysaid,"Yes,Iremember..."

           HewalkedovertoalargemapoftheRomanEmpireandwavedahandacrossit."Doyouseeit,Maximus?ThisistheworldIhavemade.FortwentyyearsIhavetriedtobeastudentoflifeandofmen-butwhathaveIreallydone?"Hetouchedthemap."FortwentyyearsIhavefoughtandwonbattles.IhavedefendedtheEmpireandincreasedit.SinceIbecameCaesarIhaveonlyhadfouryearsofpeace.Andforwhat?"

           "Tomakeourborderssafe,"saidMaximus."Tobringteachingandlaw."

           "Ibroughtthesword!Nothingmore!AndwhileIhavefought,Romehasgrownfatanddiseased.Ididthis.AndnothingcanchangethefactthatRomeisfarawayandweshouldn’tbehere."

           "ButCaesar..."Maximusstarted,butMarcusinterruptedhim.

           "Don’tcallmethat,"hesaid."Wehavetotalktogethernow.Verysimply.Justasmen.Canwedothat?"

           "Fortythousandofmymenareouttherenow,freezinginthemud,"saidMaximus."Eightthousandarewoundedandtwothousandwillneverleavethisplace.Iwon’tbelievetheyfoughtanddiedfornothing."