The Baby and the Battlefield

Chapter Eight: Petro's Dream

That night, Petro had a dream. He did not entirely remember it upon awakening, but it left him with a strange, uneasy feeling that lasted until noon. What he could remember was disturbing to him, and not only because he rarely remembered his dreams at all.

He had been sitting, alone, in an abyss of darkness. Nothingness extended all around: total, black darkness, up to the highest heavens and as far as the eye could see in all directions. Suddenly, unexpectedly, a letter had appeared before him. It was a piece of papyrus, folded over twice, and sealed with wax. On the wax was the imprint of the imperial seal, the dragon and eagle surmounted by a rose. It must be orders, he had thought feverishly, his mind working poorly in this odd dream state. He had reached for the letter, picked it up, and tried to open it. Somehow, the wax was hard as steel, and Petro could not pry it off the paper. Nor could he tear the papyrus – it was soft, but very strong. It suddenly occurred to him that the letter wasn’t meant for him.. It was for Marcus, and only Marcus should open it. And whatever was in the letter, it was bad. The letter, even the darkness, reeked of wrongness, of evil. There was something bad there, so bad, that Petro was grateful that the letter was for his best friend, and not for himself.