"There is not much to be made of this," observed Cethegus, shrugging his shoulders.
"No; but the mercenary Sutas--they were all in the same tent--heard a few words spoken by my dying brother to Corbulo, which may give us the key to the letter."
"Well?" asked Cethegus, with concealed anxiety.
"Severinus said: 'I suspect it. He knew of the ambush--he sent us to meet certain death.'"
"Who?" asked Cethegus quietly.
"That is just what I want to find out."
"You have no suspicion?"
"No; but it cannot be impossible to discover the man who is meant."
"How will you manage it?"
"'Sent us to meet certain death,' that can only mean some leader or general who was the cause of my brother's sharing that fatal morning ride out of the Tiburtinian Gate. For Severinus did not at that time belong to the suite of Belisarius. He was a tribune of your legions. If you, Belisarius, and Procopius will earnestly try to find out the man who sent Severinus with Belisarius, you must succeed. For he did not go with other legionaries--none of your legionaries or horsemen accompanied Belisarius."