Attila Page #3

to have a picnic.

See if you can find out who he is.

He carries my mother's seal.

How is that possible?

She invited me here...to be killed.

No. Your own mother?

I should have known!

All this talk

of teaching me to be emperor

was just to keep me off guard!

I'll have that b*tch boiled alive.

No, no, no. Sire.

- You have no proof.

- Her seal!

She'll say it was stolen

or she loaned it someone.

She'll have an explanation.

Trust me. I know how she works.

Yes.

You've been

her victim too, haven't you?

- All those years in prison.

- I am not important.

Rome is, and you are Rome.

Act wisely.

- What must I do?

- For now, nothing.

When she finds out her scheme

has failed, she'll lay low.

We'll take care of her

when the time is right.

I put myself in your hands.

Attila, walk with Galen

in the woods.

I'm tired.

A short walk with your friend.

You won't regret it.

(Attila ) Woman...

Where are you?

Don't be afraid.

I'm not afraid.

Go back.

If my brother misses you,

you'll be punished.

I don't care.

Go back.

(Aetius ) Valentinian,

tell me what Rome is.

A great city, a great country.

Rome is a fire...

a golden flame of power,

of majesty, beauty, knowledge.

For a thousand years,

she has been the light of the world.

Go outside.

Look around you.

The Colosseum, the Senate,

Forum, theaters, markets, aqueducts,

that bring water from 100 miles away

so we can live like civilized

men instead of animals.

Of course, you're saying

that Rome is rich,

and we have to keep it that way.

That's right.

Tomorrow, I'll go to Ravenna and

take command of the Third Legion.

It's two weeks' march

to the Hun border.

I'll need Senate approval tonight.

- Tonight? They're all asleep.

- You are the emperor.

Wake them up.

Yes!

I will enjoy that.

Darling, I haven't seen you all day.

Valentinian?

Thank you. It's proved very useful.

I'm finished with it now.

Attila, you still want to go to Rome?

If you're serious, yes.

I'm serious. Then again, perhaps you

won't need to go to Rome after all.

I received a message.

It seems that Rome

is coming here, tomorrow.

We know of your incursion

into our territory.

Officially, I protest.

But that's not my true purpose.

Our spies bring word that

the Goths plan to move against us.

- Which tribe?

- The Visigoths west of the Rhine.

Why not march your legion there?

For your sake, Rua,

and the sake of our friendship.

Our spies tell us the Visigoths

plan to move against you as well.

They've been paying tribute

to us for, uh...

- Ten years.

- Ten years.

(Aetius ) And they hate you for it.

Just as they hate us. They'll attack

you first to secure their rear,

then us while we sit here

quibbling over a few border villages.

He is of your tribe?

The Visigoths tortured him.

My spies saw it.

Knowing the horse

is sacred to the Hun,

they carved ten horses into his body

with heated knives,

one for each year of tribute.

It took him three days to die!

(Attila ) There should be more blood.

These wounds were made after death.

Perhaps not by the Visigoths.

A Roman general has better things

to do than mutilate corpses.

You've grown soft.

The Huns I knew

would avenge such an insult.

I came to offer an alliance.

I'll march

against the Visigoths alone.

Flavius!

We, uh, divide the spoils equally?

Of course.

We'll join you.

(Men laugh)

Make preparations, now!

Who was the outspoken one?

My nephew, Attila.

Attila? I've heard of him.

Yes. He's very ambitious.

Why, the other day,

he spoke of invading Rome.

Did he?

I raised him and his brother

since they were children.

They hated each other

from the first.

There is the source

of their latest conflict.

(Aetius ) A slave girl?

(Rua ) Bleda claimed her

just to spite Attila.

If they don't fight over her,

they'll find some other reason.

Why not put Attila under my command?

You'd have peace for a time,

at any rate.

They march well, but can they fight?

I sense you'd rather fight

against us than with us.

I've seen much Roman arrogance

but little Roman power.

(Man ) Sentries are set, General. The

enemy is a league west of the Rhine.

(Aetius ) Wake the camp

after the third watch, quietly.

We'll occupy the rise at dawn.

- The Huns will cut off any retreat.

- Yes, General.

The dead man in Rua's tent...

The Visigoths

had nothing to do with it.

And you handled it very badly.

You should have waited

till I was gone,

and you should have seemed puzzled.

"If he were tortured while alive,

why isn't there more blood?"

Rua realizes the answer for himself

and is more likely to believe it.

Trickery and deceit...

That's the way of the Romans,

not of the Huns.

Which way rules the world?

A Frankish tribe must have

joined the Visigoths overnight.

- We've just seen their standards.

- How many?

Their numbers have doubled.

- Everything is ready?

- Yes, Father.

- They have the high ground.

- Yes.

But have they realized yet

what they're up against?

At the first trumpet, the center

falls back, feigns a retreat.

The second, they turn and fight.

The third,

the Huns attack the enemy flank.

Yes, General.

Take the message to Attila.

He attacks at the third trumpet.

Yes, General.

Prepare for the charge.

(All shouting)

Sound the first trumpet.

(Trumpets blaring)

They're retreating.

Roman cowards.

No. It's a trick.

Sound the second trumpet.

(Trumpets blaring)

(All yelling)

The courier was killed.

- His body was found a furlong away.

- Send another.

I did. But he

won't get there in time.

He'll expect us to attack the flank.

He sent no orders.

Attack on my signal.

Go! Go!

(All yelling)

With a few more like him, Rome could

conquer the world all over again.

Theodoric.

It's been a long time,

Flavius Aetius.

But the same result -

a Roman victory.

- Your terms?

- A third of your men sold as slaves,

one half your fall harvest.

Do you mean to starve us?

Would you prefer my legions

burn the entire harvest?

You would never dare

without the Huns at your back.

Do you accept the terms,

or shall hostilities continue?

I accept the terms.

Aetius. The girl is well?

I told you before.

Lydia is no concern

of yours and never will be.

You knew each other from before?

Theodoric?

Yes, our paths have crossed.

(Muttering)

You hate each other.

Strange as it may seem, we

were once married to the same woman.

She died years ago. He blames me.

So this fight was for Rome...

and to settle a grudge of your own.

I strive for efficiency.

You Romans play with kings and

nations as a child plays with toys.

(Aetius chuckles )

I go back to Rome soon.

Come with me.

Learn how the world is ruled.

See if Rome really does play with

nations as though they were toys.

There's no one like you in Rome

and no one like me here.

Today was just the beginning.

We could do great things

together, you and I.

If we don't kill each other first.

What do you say, Attila?

Will you come?

(Crowd cheering)

Aetius, we congratulate you

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