Read Online The Gay Icon Classics of the World by Robert Joseph Greene - Free Book Online
Authors: Robert Joseph Greene
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Falleron was never mentioned without Laudius. Falleron saw Laudius, despite his lack of beauty, for what freedom and grandeur he had brought to Falleron's life. Laudius was given the honor of preferred merchant.
All this came to a sad end upon Laudiusâ sudden death. Falleron had fallen into a deep, deep, sorrowful mourning, unheard of by anyone. At the entombment of Laudius next to his wife in the valley of nobles, Falleronâ wailing and crying echoed from the burial chamber throughout the city. When the crowds had parted and the burial ceremony had ended, Falleron stayed at the foot of the tomb inconsolable. Servants from the home would bring food, but Falleron refused to eat. He refused to wash. He fell into a delirium for days. At the top of the Valley of Nobles, Roman soldiers were making nooses to hang several Christians. They heard the wailing below, but continued with their duties. The Christians were hung without ceremony; however, the footmen were under orders to leave the corpses to hang and rot. The juries knew that their Christian victims would become Martyrs to other followers, and therefore wanted to deny these bodies a burial. Soldiers were to guard the hanging corpses day and night from those who would try to recover the bodies for burial.
The guards worked in rotation and one night, a guard heard a feeble, ghostly voice from below. At first, the guard was able to ignore it but something in the voice seemed so familiar. Keeping an eye on his duties, the guard scaled down the wall to the valley ofNobles to see a semi-conscious, filthy boy near death. The guard cleared away the dirt with a rag and spit and saw it to be Falleron. The guard was Ibsen. Ibsen stared into the glazed eyes of Falleron as he poured him wine from his travel sac. Throughout the night, he brought Falleron to consciousness with words from their past. Falleron asked for some food, and Ibsen, obedient as before, scaled the tall wall back to his post to retrieve some.
He returned to see Falleron wailing once again at his lost love. Ibsen fed Falleron and held him until daylight came upon them. They reconnected in a way that previously evaded them in their youths, with equal respect and understanding. Ibsen had spent all his life serving the army but made no great name for himself. He was still quite simple minded, but he was happy.
As the time passed, and unbeknownst to Ibsen, the Christians were attempting to take down their hanging brethren, but Falleron was noticed one of their shadows in the sunlight and screamed out. Ibsen scrambled up the hill but it was too late. One of the three corpses was cut from the noose. Ibsen fell like a baby onto the floor and cried, knowing that he would be put to death once his relief captain found out that Ibsen had failed him. To his astonishment, he felt the hand of Falleron. Ibsen explained his failure to Falleron and that he would surely be put to death. Ibsen returned to crying on the floor in the fetal position. Falleron sat next to Ibsen and thought a minute. Ibsen called out to Falleron, breaking his thought and angering him. âWhat is it?â Ibsen said. âFalleron, allmy life I have obeyed you, but my one final request is for once, you obey me.â Ibsen asked for a kiss. The request was so out of context and so childlike that Falleron knew that Ibsenâ love was pure unchanged and unaltered after all these years. Falleron refused. Falleron did have a plan, but he knew Ibsen wasnât smart enough to think of it. He and Ibsen scaled down the hillside back to Laudiusâ tomb. Together, they pushed the heavy tomb cover open to reveal the rotting corpse of Laudius. They dragged the body to the hilltop and strung it up to replace the missing Christian corpse.
The replacement guard knew nothing of the switch and relieved Ibsen of his watch duty. Ibsen followed Falleron back to this villa. Ibsen was amazed at such grandeur. Falleron upon entry, turned to Ibsen and said
All this came to a sad end upon Laudiusâ sudden death. Falleron had fallen into a deep, deep, sorrowful mourning, unheard of by anyone. At the entombment of Laudius next to his wife in the valley of nobles, Falleronâ wailing and crying echoed from the burial chamber throughout the city. When the crowds had parted and the burial ceremony had ended, Falleron stayed at the foot of the tomb inconsolable. Servants from the home would bring food, but Falleron refused to eat. He refused to wash. He fell into a delirium for days. At the top of the Valley of Nobles, Roman soldiers were making nooses to hang several Christians. They heard the wailing below, but continued with their duties. The Christians were hung without ceremony; however, the footmen were under orders to leave the corpses to hang and rot. The juries knew that their Christian victims would become Martyrs to other followers, and therefore wanted to deny these bodies a burial. Soldiers were to guard the hanging corpses day and night from those who would try to recover the bodies for burial.
The guards worked in rotation and one night, a guard heard a feeble, ghostly voice from below. At first, the guard was able to ignore it but something in the voice seemed so familiar. Keeping an eye on his duties, the guard scaled down the wall to the valley ofNobles to see a semi-conscious, filthy boy near death. The guard cleared away the dirt with a rag and spit and saw it to be Falleron. The guard was Ibsen. Ibsen stared into the glazed eyes of Falleron as he poured him wine from his travel sac. Throughout the night, he brought Falleron to consciousness with words from their past. Falleron asked for some food, and Ibsen, obedient as before, scaled the tall wall back to his post to retrieve some.
He returned to see Falleron wailing once again at his lost love. Ibsen fed Falleron and held him until daylight came upon them. They reconnected in a way that previously evaded them in their youths, with equal respect and understanding. Ibsen had spent all his life serving the army but made no great name for himself. He was still quite simple minded, but he was happy.
As the time passed, and unbeknownst to Ibsen, the Christians were attempting to take down their hanging brethren, but Falleron was noticed one of their shadows in the sunlight and screamed out. Ibsen scrambled up the hill but it was too late. One of the three corpses was cut from the noose. Ibsen fell like a baby onto the floor and cried, knowing that he would be put to death once his relief captain found out that Ibsen had failed him. To his astonishment, he felt the hand of Falleron. Ibsen explained his failure to Falleron and that he would surely be put to death. Ibsen returned to crying on the floor in the fetal position. Falleron sat next to Ibsen and thought a minute. Ibsen called out to Falleron, breaking his thought and angering him. âWhat is it?â Ibsen said. âFalleron, allmy life I have obeyed you, but my one final request is for once, you obey me.â Ibsen asked for a kiss. The request was so out of context and so childlike that Falleron knew that Ibsenâ love was pure unchanged and unaltered after all these years. Falleron refused. Falleron did have a plan, but he knew Ibsen wasnât smart enough to think of it. He and Ibsen scaled down the hillside back to Laudiusâ tomb. Together, they pushed the heavy tomb cover open to reveal the rotting corpse of Laudius. They dragged the body to the hilltop and strung it up to replace the missing Christian corpse.
The replacement guard knew nothing of the switch and relieved Ibsen of his watch duty. Ibsen followed Falleron back to this villa. Ibsen was amazed at such grandeur. Falleron upon entry, turned to Ibsen and said
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