" 'You've made me think back to my history lessons when I was a boy. Marius, who saved Rome from the Cimbri, meant to do well by the people but undermined the Republic - which Caesar demolished in all but name, meaning to repair the state - Am I sapping the wall of Ys?' " (p. 95)
We have all heard of Caesar. We might have heard that he was good for the Empire but did we know either that he was bad for the Republic or that another general called Marius was there before him? Gratillonius fears that he himself is becoming another Marius. Caesar was assassinated in an attempt to preserve the Republic. In "Marius," a character is assassinated to prevent him from becoming another Marius.
Strangely, the narrative in Dahut Chapter V, section 1, begins from Gratillonius' point of view but continues after he has left the room and describes three characters plotting against him without transferring the point of view to any of them. In the last paragraph, after a dash, thus " -," the narrative returns to Gratillonius' point of view and tells us what he did next. The spacing of the paragraphs should maybe have been different.
The Roman governor and procurator, helped by a disaffected Ysan, plot because they see Gratillonius' strengthening of Ys as weakening the Empire whereas he sees a re-engaged Ys as strengthening a province that is being let down by the Empire.
We also see what might have been. A document records that Ysans sailed west and found land. That land is described - vast, rich, inhabited. Gratillonius envisages, "...a new world...colonies free...civilization...reborn...a palace worthy of elves might arise for Queen Dahut!" (p. 131)
That might have happened if he, Gratillonius, had been able to accept his daughter Dahut as one of his Queens.
Of the western continent, he says:
" '...surely...the truth will dwarf any imaginings of ours.' " (p. 130)
Too right.
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