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Chapters (88)
  1. Title Page
  2. Copyright Page
  3. I
  4. I
  5. II
  6. III
  7. IV
  8. V
  9. VI
  10. VII
  11. VIII
  12. IX
  13. X
  14. XI
  15. II
  16. I
  17. II
  18. III
  19. IV
  20. V
  21. VI
  22. VII
  23. VIII
  24. IX
  25. X
  26. XI
  27. XII
  28. XIII
  29. XIV
  30. XV
  31. XVI
  32. XVII
  33. XVIII
  34. XIX
  35. XX
  36. XXI
  37. III
  38. I
  39. II
  40. III
  41. IV
  42. V
  43. VI
  44. VII
  45. VIII
  46. IX
  47. X
  48. XI
  49. XII
  50. XIII
  51. XIV
  52. XV
  53. XVI
  54. XVII
  55. XVIII
  56. XIX
  57. XX
  58. XXI
  59. IV
  60. I
  61. II
  62. III
  63. IV
  64. V
  65. VI
  66. VII
  67. VIII
  68. IX
  69. X
  70. XI
  71. XII
  72. XIII
  73. XIV
  74. XV
  75. XVI
  76. XVII
  77. XVIII
  78. XIX
  79. XX
  80. XXI
  81. XXII
  82. XXIII
  83. XXIV
  84. XXV
  85. XXVI
  86. XXVII
  87. EPILOGUE
  88. Afterword

Belisarius smiled at her. ‘Yes, if you count the way the Romans always did. But I have Saracen acquaintances who have taught me some new tricks. I wish I had my abacus, though ...’

He imagined a table of Saracen numerals, complete with that marvellous invention the zero, and worked through the division in his head. Seventy-six years and nine months. Very well, but what was this talk of ‘midsummer’, and ‘nine of seven’? The words clearly meant the ‘midsummer’ of this Great Year marked out by the comet, and ‘nine of seven’ surely referred to nine times seven months, to be subtracted. Half of 921, less sixty-three, gave 397, rounded down, or thirty-three years and one month. That had to be reckoned from the beginning of the fifth great year; the fourth began in Anno Domini 684, and was 907 months long ...

Boniface sat still, eyes closed, as Belisarius worked this through.

At last Belisarius had his result - and he was stunned. He turned to Aelfric. ‘Tell me today’s date, novice.’

Aelfric said, ‘May the twenty-fourth.’

‘The year! Tell me your Popish year, according to Bede’s calendar.’

‘793, the Year of Our Lord,’ said Aelfric. And her eyes widened when she saw Belisarius’s shock. ‘Is that the date of the fifth stanza?’

Belisarius could not deny it. In fact the prediction was even more specific: the dragon’s claws would be unsheathed in the month of June, in this very year. Next month. Belisarius felt a faint whisper of fear, like a rumble of thunder from far across an ocean. He was a rational man, he liked to believe, in the tradition of Aristotle and others of his forebears. Though a Christian, he preferred to keep angels and demons in a separate corner of his mind, away from the business of real life. But now, in the body of this prophecy, that separateness was breaking down, and some impalpable threat was breaking through.

Boniface’s eyes were closed, as if he were sleeping, but a slight smile lingered on his lips. Belisarius had the feeling that Boniface the computistor had known all along exactly what the prophecy would reveal - and when this threat was due.

He straightened, trying to think. ‘Our safest course is surely to assume this stanza is as true as the earlier verses, that this threat is looming. We must seek protection. Who can help?’

Macson shrugged. ‘The King commands the fighting men. But how could we reach him?’

To Belisarius’s surprise, Aelfric said, ‘I know how.’

XIII

XIII

In the morning Belisarius and Macson rose early - though later than the monks - and impatiently waited out the latest service, after which they hoped to speak to Boniface again.

Macson complained of a growling stomach. ‘These monks might fill up on the word of God, but my belly needs something more.’ He jogged down to the village.