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At last, the brothers reached what had been Genseric’s inner sanctuht revealed a desk and chair of ivory and ebony On the floor beneath it, a detailed y—Echo, behind one of two olive trees flanking the te for Narcissus, who lay at the foot of the stairs, the handso the blue and white pattern of the pool in front of the temple

“I have searched this room, this house, a thousand times,” Gelimer said “There is no map”

“Perhaps it was Hilderic’s final revenge Sending you searching for so that doesn’t exist What exactly did he tell Ammatas?”

“That unless I faced ht in front of me”

Tzazon grabbed the torch fro his reflection There’s the answer to your riddle”

Geli fla at Narcissus, who see, which looked very much like the Temple of Saturn “His reflection,” Gelimer said as he repeated the sibyl’s words in his head All that is left is shadow, and naught remains but vanity He looked up at his brother “Vanity That’s thedirectly at it”

“Athe pattern in the blue and white mosaic beneath Narcissus

Prologue

PART II

War has no eyes

– SWAHILI PROVERB –

DECEMBER 15, 533 AD

Tricae),

Kingdom of the Vandals, North Africa

Geli his army to a halt, as he and his brother, Tzazon, rode on alone to the top of the hill to survey the Roman encampment in the distance A sense of fatality overwhel The sun glinted off the metal scale armor of the Roman cavalry and infantry as they sat around their fires, preparing their meals “This is fruitless,” he told Tzazon