The haruspex tossed and turned. He had always been such a good sleeper; but Memor had not rested for more than a few hours at a time since the butchery at Germanus’s villa. Deep down, he knew that he could have stopped it; could have warned the General of the impending attack; could have told Segovax, his own son, what was going to happen. But he chose not to: rather, he let the raping and burning and looting and killing proceed because all that horror had to take place; and it had to occur for one simple reason, and one reason alone: the redemption of Germanus.

Memor rose from his bed and went to pee. Upon his return, he decided there was no point in going back to bed; better to get up and do something rather than worrying about his charge. He laughed out loud as he realis...

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