Magnus and the Crossroads Brotherhood

by Robert Fabbri

  ‘All of them.’

  ‘I feel we have no choice in the matter,’ Seneca said. ‘We’re … how should I put it? We’re being coerced, yes, I think that does it admirably; coerced is what we are.’

  Saturninus took the single scroll from Senator Pollo. ‘I wouldn’t put it so strongly, Seneca; after all, we’re all getting something we want. Centurion!’

  The Urban Cohort centurion stepped forward at his direct superior’s bidding.

  Saturninus gave him the scroll. ‘Centurion, take that case from the Praetorian prefect and then pass it to me. If I’m satisfied with the contents, give him the scroll.’

  ‘And what if I’m not satisfied with the scroll?’ Burrus demanded.

  Saturninus gave a weary smile. ‘Oh, you will be, prefect, believe me; and you’ll be very pleased that you had something to buy it with. With that little thing I could have brought you and all your faction down; all of it, do you understand? The end to all your ambitions concerning the succession.’

  Burrus’ and Seneca’s faces registered the truth of those words as the centurion passed the case to Saturninus, who inspected the contents. Satisfied, he nodded to the centurion and handed the case and the charts to Senator Pollo.

  Snatching the chart, Burrus quickly unrolled it and breathed a sigh of relief.

  ‘Our business here is done, I believe, prefect,’ Saturninus stated. ‘Centurion, take your men back to their barracks; it’s all over and there’s no need to detain anyone. Just a little misunderstanding, nothing more than that.’

  The centurion saluted and went about his duty with barked commands and swipes of his vine-stick, leaving the former combatants to get to their feet and dust themselves off.

  ‘You haven’t heard the last of this, prefect,’ Burrus said, handing the scroll to Seneca.

  ‘I think I have, prefect; after all, who would believe that such a thing existed and that I had seen it?’

  Burrus went to contradict the statement and, realising that Saturninus had a valid point, turned on his heel and pushed his way through the cordon of Urban Cohort soldiery.

  Seneca shrugged, gesturing helplessly. ‘We’re in one another’s confidence, Saturninus. I think that is the best way to express the situation. Yes, that will do nicely.’

  ‘It will indeed, Seneca. And we both know what happens if one side should break that confidence?’ Saturninus did not bother waiting for a response and turned to go.

  ‘Prefect?’ Sempronius said, catching up with him as Senator Pollo helped him away. ‘I have lost a great deal of money out of this deal.’

  With a force that belied his age and surprised Magnus, Saturninus rounded on Sempronius. ‘You’re lucky that you’re not being taken to a cell in the Circus Maximus to wait for the next batch of hungry lions. Do you know what trouble you’ve put me to? Do you?’

  Sempronius mouthed a reply but it did not vocalise.

  ‘If it wasn’t for certain arrangements that we have had in the past and are still current, that’s exactly where you would be going now; so get out of my sight before I change my mind.’

  ‘I’d take his advice if I were you,’ Magnus said in a helpful and friendly manner.

  Sempronius looked at him with loathing. ‘Fuck off, Magnus.’

  ‘That’s exactly what I plan on doing, Sempronius. By the way, you owe me for covering up your part in Tuscus’ murder.’

  Sempronius looked confused. ‘Why would you want to do that?’

  ‘Because it suited me to conclude that someone else had done it in order to secure my position. And besides, I thought I had already got you with the chart I planted in your desk when I brought Pansa in. Never mind, next time.’

  Sempronius’ jaw slacked in disbelief. ‘It was you that brought Pansa in!’

  ‘Yes, it was. And a very nice place you’ve got too.’ Leaving Sempronius spitting invective, Magnus signalled to Tigran and the rest of his brothers to come with him and turned to follow the Urban Prefect and Senator Pollo across the Forum Boarium.

  ‘I felt myself to be a little too conspicuous there, I don’t mind telling you, Magnus,’ Senator Pollo said as Magnus and Tigran fell into step next to him.

  Magnus looked down at the case. ‘Not as conspicuous as you would have been had those got into the wrong hands, as they very nearly did.’

  The senator shuddered at the thought. ‘I can rely on your discretion, of course, Magnus.’

  ‘That goes without saying.’

  ‘What about the cause of all this?’ Saturninus asked. ‘The woman?’

  ‘Tacita?’

  ‘Yes,’ Senator Pollo said. ‘Can we rely on her discretion?’

  Magnus knew that he had a duty of honesty with his patron. ‘She started this for revenge and money; those are her two driving forces.’

  The senator nodded. ‘I see. Where is she?’

  ‘In the Quirinal Vigiles depot,’ Barbatus informed him.

  Saturninus winced. ‘That’s no good. Let her go, Barbatus. Then, Magnus, you know what to do.’

  Magnus knew only too well what was required. ‘Tigran will do it, won’t you, Tigran?’

  Tigran grinned; it was not a nice sight. ‘It will be my pleasure; she insulted me deeply.’

  ‘As to the outstanding issue with Tigran,’ Magnus asked, innocence in his tone, ‘I believe the aedile still thinks he’s guilty of murder.’

  Barbatus shot Magnus a glance. ‘Of course he is.’

  ‘But surely, if he’s about to do you all such a service by removing someone who may try to go to the Emperor telling all sorts of tales for money, then some accommodation could be reached?’

  Barbatus looked at the Urban Prefect, who nodded his agreement.

  ‘Very well,’ Barbatus conceded, ‘I’m sure we can overlook it, this time.’

  Magnus glanced at Tigran, who grunted and shrugged a shoulder, and then turned back to Barbatus. ‘That’s most kind, aedile. There’s just one more thing: you promised me a favour should I get the charts back. Now, clearly, you have them and it was from my hand that the Urban Prefect took them.’

  Barbatus was unable to deny the fact. ‘What do you want, Magnus?’

  ‘Oh, nothing much, sir. Just this: obviously you’ll keep their evidence that incriminates Tigran in Tuscus’ murder.’

  The aedile agreed. ‘Of course I will.’

  ‘The favour I would like is that, should something untoward happen to me before I move aside for Tigran, I would very much like you to find it again.’

  Barbatus gave a half-smile with cold eyes looking at the easterner. ‘I’m sure I will, Magnus. And I’ll hand the evidence on to my successor next year.’

  ‘That’s very reassuring, aedile.’ Magnus hunched his shoulders, raising his hands, palms up, giving Tigran, whose feelings towards the deal were very apparent, his best ‘there’s nothing I can do about it’ face. ‘I’m sorry, Brother, but it seems that if you want to succeed me as patronus then first you need to succeed in keeping me alive, if you take my meaning?’