Text of a letter from Atta Olivia Clemens at Roma to Ragoczy Sanct' Germain Franciscus at Naissus, carried by Brother Irenaeus and delivered nine weeks after it was written.

To my oldest, dearest, most aggravating friend, Ragoczy Sanct' Germain Franciscus, the heartfelt greetings of Atta Olivia Clemens on this, the Feast of the Epiphany, in the 1291st Year of the City, and the Pope's 538th Year, from my Roman estate, which, I am sorry to say, is much in need of restoration and repair, and not simply because of the hard years we have had to endure of late, but due to the various barbarians who have come to Roma for the purpose of raiding and plundering.

Just at present, we have few attackers, for the bad weather that has been so ruinous to many of those living in and around the city has also kept most of those who would pillage Roma and the country around it at a distance. That is one of the reasons I view the slight improvement in the weather with mixed emotions, for now it is likely that Justinian will renew his assault on all of Italia, with the purpose of bending us to the Byzantine yoke. Even with so well-reputed a General as Belisarius in charge, I cannot believe that the soldiers under him will conduct themselves as penitent pilgrims, showing humility and deference to all who live here. I am going to be at pains to repair as much of my walls and buildings as I can before the Byzantines arrive-as they surely will do-so that I will not have to surrender any more than necessary when Witiges makes another attempt at conquest; his siege took a heavy toll on the surrounding countryside, and I intend to be prepared for more ructions, for assuming Belisarius is determined to keep his hold on the city, the clash of Ostrogoth and Byzantine will not be good for Roma. Because of that, and because you entrusted the place to me, I am also giving orders to have Villa Ragoczy repaired and fortified, as I suppose you would want; Niklos Aulirios is in charge of the project, and he has found reliable workers to do the reconstruction. Your estate has not fared as well as you would want, and I am determined to reestablish it in a manner you would find satisfactory.

You cannot imagine how relieved I was to receive your letter of the Ides of September. I had not thought you were so near, for I have been dispatching my letters to Yang-Chau, which you tell me is three thousand leagues from here, a distance that, if accurate, staggers my mind. To think you have been returning to the West for so long, and that you are closer than I dared to hope. Back in my breathing days, messages moved much more rapidly, but the world has changed, and the times impose upon us all. I will inform Brother Irenaeus, who carries this, to put it into your hands, if he has to pursue you from that town to whatever place you have gone.

At least you have warned me that you intend to move frequently for a time Is this a habit you acquired, coming back from China, or is it an example of your self-proclaimed inclination not to become too caught up in a place, as a means of escaping scrutiny? Have you come to enjoy the rigors of travel, or do you wish to present yourself as a foreigner in all places and at all times? I hope you will explain this to me, for I admit I am baffled by what would seem a reversal of your previous views. I would also like you to take the time to inform me when you plan to move, and whither you are bound. I do not want to have to spend two decades sending letters into the void in the hope that eventually one may reach you. Yes, the Blood Bond has made me aware that you had not died the True Death, but that is hardly sufficient information to satisfy me.

As you are staying in the Eastern Empire, I hope you will inform me if you hear rumors in regard to Pope Vigilius, who has shown himself to be most accommodating to Justinian, making arrangements to attempt to find ways to reunite the Eastern and Western Rites even before Pope Silverinus had officially resigned his office. This Vigilius is willing to remain in Constantinople, debating with the Patriarchs and Metropolitans on the state of the liturgy rather than remain in Roma and actually have to defend the faith he claims to lead. I have little use for the Church in general, but I must say, some of the Popes have been estimable men who had the courage of their positions, which cannot be said of Vigilius. He has actually accepted the title of Elect instead of Holiness, which has caused the Bishops and Archbishops consternation, and typically, they are upset about the form of the thing instead of the substance. We do not often receive timely news on these matters, and that adds to the difficulties these dealings create, which is why I ask you to inform me of any and all developments you may learn of, and that may be significant to us in Roma.

In your letter, you warned me that many eastern clans are on the move, driven by the same catastrophic weather as that which has plagued the Empire. Do you think that these clans will prove to be as dangerous as the Goths and the Huns? If they are of such ferocious character, tell me what you would recommend in regard to facing them, if we must, in battle. The skill and sprit of the Legions has been gone for three centuries, and the discipline was lost before then. I welcome your observations on the danger we may face, and your advice on what might prove to be wise strategies, although I cannot promise to follow your recommendations.

In the midst of all these disruptive events, there has been an odd development in Roma, in the old Forum, where a fellow professing to be a world traveler has set up a display of wonders he has found during his journeys, most of which seem to be nothing more than the efforts of inventive children, not actual marvels that are only encountered in distant lands. He is charging handsomely for a look at his collection, and for the most part I counted it a waste of money, but for one item he had on display, which I cannot explain beyond it being what he says it is-an enormous bone made of stone. I looked at it carefully and it did not have the characteristics of carved stone, and the color of it made me think that it must be authentic. But you cannot imagine the size of it-it is probably an upper leg-bone, and if that is what it is, the creature from which it came had to be much larger than an elephant, and I find such a creature would be more incredible than the idea that the red-feathered bird he has is actually a phoenix and in a century will burst into flames. If you have any knowledge of such animals as might possess such gigantic thighbones, I ask you to tell me of it, and where it is to be found.

Looking over this, I see I have given you much to do on my behalf, and I would apologize, but whomelse am I going to trust as I trust you? I hope you will accept my requests in the manner in which I intended them, as the proof of my half a millennium of devotion to you, and as a demonstration of the high value in which I hold your opinions. You saved me when everyone else deserted me, and you have never failed me in the centuries since, so it must be that my reliance upon you is the result of the love we have shared, and the blood that binds us still and will until the True Death.

Olivia