Heather Terrell - Brigid of Kildare

ALSO BY HEATHER TERRELL

The Chrysalis

The Map Thief

For Jim, Jack, and Ben

A new order of life has been found out by Mary alone.

The Gospel of Pseudo-Matthew

Brother,

I write you in the utmost haste, trusting in God that I will find a safe way to deliver this letter unto your hands. For this very eve, I must leave Rome for an island so far outside the bounds of civilization it has never merited the attention of our dear Republic: the land of the Gaels.

That the Lord has summoned me to this mission, I have no doubt. Yet, as dawn broke and I finished my prayers this morning, I would have sworn on the cross that the day would progress like every other.

I settled at my desk in the chambers of the papal secretary just as the suns rays began their full celebration of Gods good day. Capturing the clarity of the earliest light is as critical to my work as a scrivener for the Lord as it is to your work overseeing the family land; thus I was alone in the study. I was preparing to record the edicts emanating from a recent council meeting when I heard my name.

I turned toward the sound and, to my surprise, saw a papal page in the doorway. He said, Brother Decius, you are to follow me to an audience in the chambers of His Holiness Pope Simplicius, bishop of Rome.

The page started off down the long and winding corridors that lead to His Holinesss inner sanctum. I raced after him, wary of losing him in the labyrinthine route connecting the churchs official buildings to the palace. I kept his pace, and he left me at the entryway to the popes own chambers.

A crimson tapestry separated the sacred inner sanctum from the bustle of the rest of the palace. I approached it, and though I pulled the heavy fabric aside with reverence and care, my fingers caught on the pearls and rubies sewn into the silken embroidery. In that moment of disentanglement, I know not why, I hesitated before crossing the threshold.

My body began shaking, as it had never trembled before. Yet I knew I could show no fear. Courage is necessarynay, mandatedfor selection to one of Christs missions. And somehow I knew that this was the purpose of my summoning.

To expel the devils own trepidation from my heart and soul, I steeled myself with the image, oft described by you, of our father and mother stoic in the face of the barbarians. If our parents could suffer at their hands and never flinch before the final swing of the crude battle-axe, then, I told myself, I could take the simple step of entering the private chamber of Saint Peters own representative on this earth.

Peace descended upon me, almost as though our mother and father spoke from heaven. I left the tapestry to swing in my wake and immediately knelt before His Holiness. Or so I believed.

Rise, Brother Decius, the order sounded out.

I readied myself to confront the intimidating phalanx of aristocratic councillors that accompany His Holinesss every movement, which I had witnessed during my three prior papal audiences. Yet as I rose from my deep genuflection and lifted my eyes, a single figure greeted me. I knew the man only by sight and rumor, as he would never deign to enter the secretarys study: it was Gallienus, a priest and the most senior of the popes councillors.

I bowed my head in respect, yet could not help but note the comfortable, nearly languorous, manner in which he leaned against the empty papal throne. Your Eminence, I said.

The twelfth eagle will soon fly, Gallienus said.

I did not answer at once, uncertain as to his meaning and even more unsure as to the safest response.

Are you not familiar with the Prophecy of the Twelve Eagles, Brother Decius? Gallienus asked.

I am, Your Eminence. Indeed, I guess nearly every Roman citizen has heard the divination that the Republics supremacy will last twelve centuries only, each one represented by an eagle. Even the masses must have heard it bandied about in the bars and streets of the bustling Aventine Quarter in recent times, as the Visigoths rule Rome in all but name and other hordes conquer more and more of the Roman provinces every day. Oh, but this is old, sad news to us true Romans.

Then you know that twelve centuries of the Roman Empires rule as foretold by the twelve eagles are nearly at an end?

I paused before answering. I hate to speak ill of a fellow Christian, but the elite Gallienus is known for his wiles and I feared that the question was a trap. If I admitted to an awareness of the prophecy and the few years remaining on it, I could well be confessing to giving credence to pagan lorea punishable confession, since Christianity was proclaimed the state religion almost one hundred years ago, as you know well.

I delivered a measured response. I do, Your Eminence. Yet I also know that such prophecy is but heretical conjecture spoken by the masses.

Gallienus stared long at me, never blinking but keeping his eyes hooded in shadow such that I could not read his reaction. Then he nodded slowly and said, That is true, Brother Decius. Still, we must be prepared.

Of course, Your Eminence. Wary of this man, I was apprehensive of accusations that I had discounted the empires military might with my answer. So I said, Though the empire maintains a vast army.

We cannot leave the fate of the Roman Christian Church to Emperor Anthemiuss troops, can we, Brother Decius?

Understanding that Gallienuss question brooked no response other than agreement, I said, No, Your Eminence. We cannot leave the fate of the Roman Christian Church to the Roman army.

I am glad we are of like mind, Brother Decius. Heartily glad.

I watched Gallienus saunter around the popes chamber as if it belonged to him, pausing to touch the gilt arms of the papal throne and the intricate wall mosaic of birds in flight. As he gazed out between columns to the surging metropolis below, still crowded with marble temples and colonnaded forums dedicated to the pagan gods, despite the edict banning their worship, I waited for my mission.

We must secure the land of the Gaels, Brother Decius, Gallienus pronounced without turning back toward me.

The desolate isle beyond Britannia, Your Eminence? My brother, I regretted the question the moment it slipped from my tongue. I knew, of course, where the Gaelic land lay, but I could not believe that the church would trouble itself with the unimportant, rocky outcropping on the precipice of the known world, an island so inconsequential that Rome did not bother to colonize it even in the Republics prime. Not to mention that with Gaels lack of a central ruler, subduing its countless chieftains would have required more than fifty thousand troops, which Rome could ill afford due to mounting pressures on nearly all other frontiers. But I did not want the man to think I was a fool or, worse, an insubordinate in need of punishment.

The very same, Gallenius answered, without rebuke or surprise at my response. He faced me. Rumors are surfacing that its chieftains are uniting in power under the newly formed Christian monasteries. This news would be hailedindeed, we always embrace new sheep in our flockbut for the reports that the Gaelic brand of Christianity is rife with heresy. We would not want Gael to unify under a Pelagian Christianity, now, would we? We must determine whether these reports bear truth.