Unburning Alexandria by Paul Levinson Page B

could have saved the brothers."
    Synesius slowly nodded. Then said, "I knew about this – what would happen today – nearly three months ago."
    "I do not understand."
    "I thought that the scroll might contain some knowledge that could help me save Hypatia – I read it almost the moment Jonah left."
    "Three months ago?"
    Synesius nodded.
    "You no doubt thought it was nonsense at the time – Marcellinus imprisoned by his own general? Nonsense. You cannot be blamed. You did not believe a word of it."
    "I believed it," Synesius said.
    Augustine looked at him.
    "It was illogical, totally contrary to the facts that were before me, but I believed it. I cannot tell you why. I just knew in my soul that it was a true prediction."
    Augustine turned his head and looked out the window. "You owe me no explanations. But . . . you did not say anything about this – not to Marcellinus, not to Apringius, not to anyone – not even to me. And you left their fate in my poor hands . . . which, as you saw, earlier today, were insufficient for the task."
    Synesius nodded and marveled at Augustine's self-control. The great Bishop of Hippo had been nearly in tears, at the execution, four hours ago, pleading in vain for Marcellinus. And now there was barely a trace of anger in his voice. "I was warned by Jonah," Synesius said, "not to act on what I read, lest it damage history, and invalidate the very proof from the future. Forgive me–"
    "I am not hearing your confession."
    "I know," Synesius said. "I am not here to confess."
    "Oh?"
    "I am here to inquire why you sent Jonah to me – and what you know about him. He clearly possesses powerful capacities."
    Augustine returned his gaze to Synesius. "It is not just Jonah. There are others who possess this power. It could change the whole nature of this world – the very relationship between God and Man."
    "For better or for worse?"
    "Most changes are for worse," Augustine replied. "But I cannot be sure."
    "And you sent Jonah to me?" Synesius repeated his question, fully aware that it had not been answered.
    "To learn more about Jonah, and–"
    "To learn more about me?"
    "Yes," Augustine answered.
    Synesius was silent.
    "You showed great courage, strength, and loyalty in your response to the scroll that Jonah left with you. You opened it to help save someone you love. But you kept silent about its contents, did not act upon them, because you understood the danger that could pose for humanity. I think we can work together, for our Church, more closely now."
    [coast of Gaul, 413 AD]
    I am once again on a ship , Synesius said to himself, but it moves not in the short direction of Alexandria . Whatever else he may have told himself and Augustine, Synesius knew he was on this ship because he hoped it might have the best chance of bringing him closer to Hypatia – who, as far as he knew, was no longer in Alexandria. Or at least, that was the most important reason for him.
    But Synesius also knew that Augustine realized this as clearly as did Synesius, who was fully aware that the two of them often put on the pretense of serving only the Church. This was certainly pretense in part for Synesius. But he suspected Augustine might have similarly conflicting claims on his destiny. Not from Hypatia, but from someone, something, in addition to the Holy See in Rome.
    Augustine believed there were three specific locations of the temporal power Jonah had wielded, three places on this Earth. One was somewhere far across the sea, to the west – unreachable via any vessel Synesius or Augustine could easily obtain. A second was in Athens – quite reachable, but not reliable. "Men have died there, many times, in defense and attack of this location in Athens," Augustine had told him.
    This left Augusta to the distant north – or Londinium, as it still was often called. It was no bed of roses, either. The Emperor had all but abandoned the city three years ago, in 410, informing the local inhabitants that they would