Smiler went round the table filling up goblets with a thick red liquid. The men peered at it and sniffed suspiciously.

Ugo raised his drink.

‘It is the blood of a bull,’ he said, and there were a few sounds of disgust from the men. ‘We will drink it and it will unite us, under the protection of Mithras. We will become a brotherhood so powerful that nobody will be able to stand against us.’

‘Is this black magic really necessary?’ said someone.

‘It shows that we are not ordinary men,’ said Ugo. ‘This blood represents the blood of the ordinary people. The people of Europe. We will grow strong on their blood. Now, show me that you are men and drink… to the Millenaria!’

Ugo gulped down the contents of his goblet and then turned it upside down to show that it was empty. Reluctantly the other men copied him. There were groans, and one or two of them choked and spluttered.

‘The trick is to drink it quickly,’ lisped Ugo, with a wet smile. ‘Otherwise it congeals in your throat…’

18

18

A Face at the Window

UCMM. The letters painted on the frame of the portrait of Ugo in Eton.

Ugo Carnifex and the symbol for the Millenaria.

It had been so obvious. Why hadn’t he seen it before?

But what did it mean?

What was Ugo up to?

The men round the table put down their goblets and there was a low murmur of conversation. Ugo had to raise his voice to be heard above them.

‘I already have a network of spies, criminals, revolutionaries, people who can spread lies and terror, but with you men here I can create something truly extraordinary. All I require is that you put in a certain sum of money each, to show your commitment and to create a war chest on which we can build our empire.’

‘It is certainly an interesting idea,’ said a man with a heavy German accent. ‘But I hardly think you have the manpower to take on a real army and fight a war.’

‘I do not need to fight a war,’ said Ugo. ‘I will let others do that for me. After all, how did the ancient Romans defeat you Germans?’

‘What has that to do with anything?’

‘How did Caesar conquer Gaul?’ Ugo went on, ignoring the German. ‘I will tell you. He made sure that the different tribes were so busy fighting each other they would not be able to fight him. Well, nothing has changed in Europe in the last two thousand years. The tribes have simply got bigger. The English hate the Germans, the Germans hate the Russians, the Russians hate the Italians, the Italians hate the French and the French hate everyone.’

There was scattered laughter around the table.