'He said nothing for some time, only looked, with his eyes puckered. Then he crooked his forefinger, and my men walked—crawled, I mean—to one side.
'"Stand in the sun, children," he said, and they formed up on the hard road.
'"What would you have done," he said to me, "if I had not been here?"
'"I should have killed that man," I answered.
'"Kill him now," he said. "He will not move a limb."
'"No," I said. "You've taken my men out of my command. I should only be your butcher if I killed him now." Do you see what I meant?' Parnesius turned to Dan.
'Yes,' said Dan. 'It wouldn't have been fair, somehow.'
'That was what I thought,' said Parnesius. 'But Maximus frowned. "You'll never be an Emperor," he said. "Not even a General will you be."
'I was silent, but my Father seemed pleased.
'"I came here to see the last of you," he said.