"No, let her stay," the captain said with an amused smile. "Better still, have her come down. I think I shall accept your offer about the wine later." * * * * * In the evening, the captain came to the headman's house with his two lieutenants as guard. They were received with deference and given wolf-hides to sit on. The wine was brought by the granddaughter and served in horn cups. "What is your name, young lady?" asked the captain politely. "This is excellent wine, by the way." "Thank you, Captain," she said. "We have had a cask taken to your men. I made it myself, three years ago. My name is Boadicea." "_Boadicea?_" said the captain in astonishment. "No, no, Captain!" the headman said hurriedly. "She's joking--her name is Flavia; the other is the name she takes for herself. I apologize for her." "It is not a joke," she said. "Boadicea is my heroine and I have taken her name. I don't like the name Flavia--it's Roman. Do I look like a Roman to you, Captain?" "You look very beautiful," the captain said, laughing, "and there is no need for apology. I admire Boadicea myself; she very nearly drove Caesar's men into the sea. It was a long time ago." He drained his wine cup. "A long, long time ago." "But we have not forgotten her, Captain," the girl said, filling his cup again. "You insult our honored guest, girl!" her grandfather said. "Go to bed!" "No, I beg you--please don't send her to bed," said the captain. "I'm not in the least insulted. After all, it's ancient history now. I don't think people think of us as conquerors any more. We are protectors. While we are here, the Picts stay where they belong, and the Scots, too." "The Picts say they used to live hereabouts," said the girl. "The Picts say, the Picts say! What do you know of what they say?" asked her grandfather. "The cook's mother is a Pict," she replied. "Well, she'd better not come _here_!" said the headman. "We want no Celts!" "But, Grandfather, we _are_ Celts!" "No, girl, we are Romans," he answered, looking sideways at the captain. The captain nodded. "That is true. All members of the Empire are Romans. Not citizens, perhaps, but Romans just the same, and all live by Caesar's law." "But suppose people don't want to live by his law?" said the girl. The two lieutenants looked shocked, but the captain smiled. "That would be most foolish and uncivilized of them. Don't you think it's better for the whole world to live as members of one community and cease all this useless warfare?" "It seems to me," the girl said, "that warfare is the result of somebody trying to take somebody else's land and subject him to a law that is alien to him." * * * * * The captain raised his eyebrows and put his head to one side quizzically. The headman coughed and attempted to change the subject. "The taxes, Captain," he said, "are very much on my mind...."