Attila Page #4

on a great victory.

The glory is yours, Caesar.

I present Attila,

whose courage and skill contributed

greatly to our conquest.

Attila, we welcome you

as an ally and a friend.

Let me introduce you

to some of our leading statesmen.

Gentlemen, this is Attila.

He's quite striking,

in a primitive way.

His clothes are made of animal skins.

He'll have them off soon enough.

Was it wise to bring him here?

(Aetius ) One day he'll be king

of the Huns' most powerful tribe.

Then we should kill him.

Then we'd be at war with the Huns,

just what we're trying to avoid.

- Won't his elder brother be king?

- Attila will be king.

Therefore, we'll seduce him with

wealth and treat him as a friend.

And at the end

of all your scheming,

- if he turns against us...

- He will not.

It will be on your head, Aetius.

Grachia, congratulations

on your latest victory.

Kind of Your Grace to take note.

And this must be Attila.

Grachia is the current champion

of the Circus Maximus.

- Finest charioteer in the empire.

- Come and watch me race.

I'll make sure you have

the finest seat.

A chariot driver at a royal banquet?

It's shameful how this city

fawns over athletes.

Some of them

have more money than I do.

It suits you nicely.

I wear it tonight only.

- I have another present.

- It's not necessary.

I insist.

What is this place?

A bath.

Go on, step in.

You've never seen one?

Aetius has only shown you

fortresses and aqueducts,

but I think the bath

is Rome's greatest achievement.

It's hot.

Yes.

That's the point.

How's it done?

A furnace, a few pipes.

It doesn't matter.

It's very soothing

once you get used to the heat.

I had a feeling you might like it.

I'm not as stupid as people think...

as you probably think.

It's just that brains don't

do a woman much good in Rome.

Mummy's an exception.

She had real power.

But she's made sure

that I never will.

She favors my brother and has done

since the day he was born.

He's a hopeless ninny,

but he's a man.

So that's that.

I say, if a woman can only

have power through a man,

then let it be with the most

powerful man she can find.

- (Sighs ) Rua grows old.

- What do you want me to do?

He likes to drink ale

in the mid morning.

Put this in the bowl

next to his bed.

He will die peacefully,

and you will live well.

I was afraid you weren't coming.

I have other things

to tend to besides you.

I need mushrooms for my potions.

Besides, Bleda hardly

touches you any more, anyway.

Galen, wait.

He's planning to have Rua murdered.

Be quiet!

You could be killed

for saying that, and I for hearing.

Bleda bribed a guard to poison him.

I heard them.

You have to do something.

- What can I do?

- Warn Rua.

- He wouldn't listen to me.

- Then use your powers.

It may be best for us if Rua dies.

And Bleda becomes king?

- Where is Attila?

- Rome.

- How long has he been there?

- Weeks.

Why does he tarry?

I don't know.

If there's one thing

that will bring him back,

it's news of Rua's death.

Attila must return.

You love him.

A woman who does not is blind.

But he would never love a toadstool.

- Why do you help me?

- You're in my visions.

I must be true to them,

and my visions tell me

Attila is in danger.

He must return. Therefore,

let today's king die

that tomorrow's may live.

When you said Rome would seduce him,

I didn't know you meant my daughter.

- I had nothing to do with it.

- It cannot continue.

A marriage

would formalize the alliance.

Married to a barbarian?

She'd be a laughing stock.

I doubt it. But at least there'd be

a Rome to do the laughing.

Spare me your speech

about sacrifices for the empire.

- Like it or not, we must make them.

- She's not yours to barter with.

An alliance with the Huns

will secure our borders,

and buy us time to make

ourselves great again.

If he'll have her, they will marry.

Over my dead body.

Well, if you insist.

He puts too much faith

in his influence over Attila.

Even if this marriage occurred

the Huns might think it

a great joke to attack us anyway.

- It must not occur.

- The girl is obsessed.

It may require drastic measures.

Then take them.

And Aetius

has outlived his usefulness.

I understand.

I never believed in destiny before,

but I do now.

It was destiny

that brought us together.

Do you believe in destiny, Attila?

- Perhaps.

- Good.

So many people

are so boringly virtuous.

"The will of God" this

and "the will of God" that.

Actually, I only know

one other person

who really takes destiny seriously.

Flavius Aetius.

Strange, isn't it?

I despise him but adore you.

- What's his destiny?

- To save Rome, he says.

And what's yours?

A soothsayer in my village

says I'll find a sword.

And when you find it?

I'll rule the world.

How sad for Aetius.

Aetius can take care of himself.

If you'll excuse me.

- What do you think of her?

- She's pleasing.

That's all?

What else is there to say of a woman?

(Chuckles ) You've never loved, then.

Once. Perhaps.

The slave girl, the red-haired one.

A man in your position

can have as many women as you wish.

Those that you love...

and those that are merely...

useful.

And if your destiny

is to conquer the world,

you could do worse

than ally yourself with Rome.

What if Rome is part of the world

I'm meant to conquer?

Well, there are many ways to conquer.

You captured Honoria

without striking a blow,

and she may be the key

to your next conquest.

To conquest, however achieved.

Father, this message

was brought to the villa.

Rua is dead.

- I must leave at once.

- It's a bad season for travel.

Bleda will be plotting against me.

Get a fresh start in the morning.

I'll send an escort.

Send a messenger

to announce your return,

but take a different route

to make assassination difficult.

Challenge him quickly,

and have a reason besides ambition.

- A pretext.

- Exactly.

For example, you might

accuse him of murdering Rua.

- The fact is, he probably did.

- I have no proof.

It's no matter. It's good politics.

It'll put him on the defensive.

Attila...

if things go badly, you know

you may always seek shelter here.

I will live or die among the Huns.

Then rest.

You have a long journey ahead of you.

Have you been eavesdropping?

No, learning.

You'll miss him, won't you?

Yes, I'll miss him.

Rome produces

few such men these days.

This Bleda,

will he really try to kill him?

Of course.

I'll say a prayer for him

before I go to sleep.

Yes.

Say one for Rome as well.

Oh, I beg pardon, master.

I thought you were leaving.

(Coughs )

(Gasping)

Take him!

Take him! Your king commands it!

You are not yet king.

Bring me my crown! Quickly!

You see how he wants to steal

the crown, as he stole Rua's life?

You lie.

Rua should have died as he lived.

A warrior, not in his sleep.

No man can choose

the manner of his own death.

- No, not if he's murdered.

- Rua died without issue,

and I am the elder son

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