CHAPTER THREE
Marius blinked, and then understanding swept him. “Oh!” he declared. “I am sorry, my emperor, but...I'm afraid I'm not interested.” It was flattering and all to be propositioned by one's emperor, but his interest lay in persons of the female variety, not the male.
“Come now,” the wizard cautioned, “don't be so hasty to reject our offer out of hand; your services will be well rewarded, I assure you.”
Marius turned cold eyes to him. It might be flattering to be approached by the emperor, but it was another thing altogether to have a barbarian soliciting one's charms. “I have no interest in providing any...services to you, sir,” he declared icily.
“But how can you say that?” the emperor demanded. “We have not even told you what we want you to do.”
Marius shook his head, thinking it better to stop his ruler before he delved into any specifics. Emperor Faustus Caesar was a noble man, the noblest in all of Rome, but he was advanced in years and suffering in physique from the excesses of his royal life. The thought of him detailing any plans involving himself and Marius, to say nothing of the ragged barbarian Devin, made the young nobleman a little queasy. “I'm sorry, my lord, but, though I am indeed flattered, my interests lie in ladies. Young ladies.” Then, he paused. “However, if you should happen to have any nieces, or granddaughters that would be interested in my 'services'...” He put the appropriate emphasis on this last word, and smiled beguilingly. “Well, I should be glad to do my duty.”
Faustus stared at him for a moment, a puzzled expression on his brow, then he cringed visibly. Glancing at Devin, who was at the moment expressing the same reaction, he asked, “He doesn't mean...?” The wizard nodded. “Oh dear. No, no, young man, you have it all wrong.”
