Bedrock of Empire

by Thomas M D Brooke

  Aulus nodded forcefully. ‘Yes, dangerous gold mines, corrupt families, a half-mad dying governor, not to mention being attacked by bandits.’

  Marcus chuckled. ‘Still, at least we got you home safely.’

  Aulus looked at Marcus and squeezed his muscular shoulder. ‘You did indeed, young man, you did indeed.’

  A thought occurred to me. ‘How do you feel about returning home?’

  Marcus shrugged. ‘To be honest, my feelings are mixed. On the one side, I am pleased to be seeing Julia, and I am relieved to at least be returning half the men to their homes – too many have been left behind on this trip.’

  I shook my head sorrowfully. ‘No one could have done more, Marcus. The only reason any of us are still alive was because you led them so well.’

  Marcus looked at me askance. ‘Well, you certainly helped. But that’s not the reason my feelings are mixed.’

  Aulus frowned. ‘Then what is it?’

  Marcus leant on the prow of the ship. ‘Once we return to Rome, I will need to relinquish my command of these men. They will be incorporated back into the other cohorts of the Praetorian Guard.’

  I grunted. ‘That’s true, I guess. But we always knew this would happen.’

  Marcus nodded and sighed. ‘Yes, I know. And I am grateful for being given the opportunity to lead them.’

  I rubbed my chin. ‘Then what’s the problem?’

  His eyes took on a faraway look. ‘Because, as hard as the last few months have been, the deaths, the heartache, I’ve never felt so alive. I know what my role in life should be now. I need to lead men. It’s all I’m good at, and I can’t give it up.’

  I knew Julia wouldn’t be happy to hear that. ‘What do you intend to do, ask to join the Praetorians?’

  He shook his head. ‘I doubt Augustus would take me, not after the Teutoburg.’

  I gave a small non-committal shrug. ‘Maybe Germanicus can help? Find you some unit to serve in.’

  Marcus turned to me. ‘I hope you’re right, Cassius. The prospect of returning to shopping for dresses with Julia, however pleasant, is enough to drive me insane. I need more to my life.’

  I sighed. ‘I think you’re right, Marcus. You’re too active to ever be happy in Rome. I’m sure you’ll find something.’

  Aulus looked at me shrewdly. ‘And how about you, Cassius? Are you pleased to be returning to Rome?’

  I gave a brief laugh. ‘I definitely am. I don’t want to be a hero. A quiet life in Rome suits me.’

  Aulus gave a slow shake of his head. ‘I find that very hard to believe. I’m sure you’ll find a way to be leaving this city soon enough.’

  I blew my cheeks out in denial. ‘Not likely. Besides, before we can even think on leaving for anywhere else we need to come up with a defence for Flavus.’

  Aulus looked down at the ship’s ram cutting through the water. ‘You know, it won’t be easy. I’ve been looking through past cases where family members were accused of the crimes of their relatives.’

  This piqued my interest. ‘Did you have any luck?’

  Aulus shrugged. ‘Well, I did come across a past formula where a lawyer successfully managed to get his client to accept a lesser charge of guilt.’

  I rubbed my chin. ‘Could we do that with Flavus?’

  Aulus gave a slow nod of agreement. ‘Possibly. I could argue that he is only culpable of a charge of deceit by omission, rather than one of treason.’

  ‘Well then, let’s do that,’ I said brightly.

  Aulus flattened the few remaining strands of hair over his bald head. ‘Unfortunately, the maximum sentence for such a crime is to be tied up in a bag with a poisonous snake, a dog, and a monkey, and dumped overboard at sea.’

  My face fell. ‘You cannot be serious?’

  Aulus gave an embarrassed nod. ‘I’m afraid so. A lot of the lesser known crimes have quite archaic sentences. Unfortunately, the Twelve Tables of Roman law were written a long time ago, and the further you go back, the more imaginative the punishments. As his brother’s treason was so great, their lawyer is certain to insist on the harshest sentence.’

  Marcus shook his head. ‘Why the monkey?’

  Aulus sighed. ‘I have absolutely no idea.’

  I grumbled, ‘That’s not going to work then. We’ll have to come up with something better.’

  Aulus rubbed the top of his forehead. ‘Yes, yes, I will keep at it. We’ll come up with something. How about you? Are you worried that Germanicus will be disappointed with you for not returning with his monoceros?’

  I looked at the vast warships that protected Rome’s principal harbour. ‘I have no idea. But I have returned his gold at least. I’m just sorry so many men had to die protecting it. Surely, in the great scheme of things, Germanicus can’t be concerned by one animal?’

  Marcus shrugged. ‘Let’s hope so.’

  Chapter Forty-one

  After we disembarked from the Severitas, Marcus started making preparations to return my honour guard to the Praetorian camp. I thanked Maris personally, and then gave a last address to the men, telling them how proud I was to have fought by their sides. They’d be returning to their camp without many of their number, including their centurion, Iovis. No words could make up for that loss, so I kept my speech short and forthright. As soon as I’d finished, and Marcus turned to more practical matters, I took my brother-in-law aside and asked him one final favour. ‘I need to borrow your horse, Aulus.’

  Aulus frowned. ‘My horse? Whatever for?’

  Now I was so close to Rome, I needed to see Numeria. I burned with desire to see her again, and I couldn’t bear the thought of any further delays. ‘That stallion will get me to Rome in less than half a day, please let me borrow him.’

  Aulus put his hands on his hips in disapproval. ‘Cassius, to ensure his welfare I have slept by that horse’s side the entire trip home to Rome. I will not countenance you laming him just before I have him safely in my own stables.’

  I shook my head. ‘I’ll be careful, I promise. I’ll leave him in the stables of the inn just outside Rome where we met Salah on our trip here.’

  Aulus pursed his lips and his forehead furrowed. ‘Very well. If it were anyone else the answer would be no, but as you gave me the stallion in the first place, it would seem churlish of me to deny you this last ride.’

  I thanked him profusely and rode the former steed of Aleixo back along the salt road to Rome. I was mindful of not laming him or damaging his hooves, so I rode by the side of the road, rather than risk the stone flagstones of the ancient thoroughfare. The days of forced captivity on board the ship had left the stallion eager to run, so I galloped him along the soft verges by the side of the road, making excellent time. ‘Come on boy, just one last run,’ I whispered in his ear as we tore through the Italian countryside.

  We made it back to Rome by late afternoon. I stabled the horse where I told Aulus I’d leave him, and then I made my way through the busy Roman capital as fast as I could manage. I went to the home used by my lover, owned by her father Numerius. There a slave told me I could find Numeria in the small theatre below the Aventine. I knew it well; it was where she often spent her days, her love of the theatre finding like-minded souls in this little-known playhouse.

  I hurried over there and slipped in past the screen that they used to prevent passers-by from the street observing their performances without paying. There was no show on this day, but I saw that the troupe were in rehearsal for a Greek tragedy that was being performed in the form of dance. A chorus of dancers were singing in accompaniment to flute music that lilted gently through the warm early evening air. I sat down in a shadowy corner of the theatre on one of the wooden benches that lined the stage. All the dancers wore Greek masks, but as they turned and counter-turned, I recognised that one was Numeria. I knew how she moved, how her body flexed and twisted, and I felt a longing to hold her once more.

  I recognised the play they were re-enacting. It was a section from the Oresteia
, the trilogy written by the ancient playwright Aeschylus; it was one I had studied at my Augustan school in my youth. The scene concerned the death of Agamemnon and the lament of his concubine Cassandra, who was being played by Numeria. She sang in a low contralto voice that sent my spine tingling at its perfection, as she spun and turned, beseeching the god Apollo to hear her, as she knew she was destined to share her lover’s fate.

  I sat there in awe of her performance, a tear rolling down my cheek as I watched her perform the beautifully choreographed dance. Suddenly, she stopped and looked over at me, pulling away her mask. ‘Gaius, is that you?’

  I stood up and smiled, wiping away a tear as the flute players slowly broke off their music, confused by the disruption. ‘I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to interrupt you.’

  ‘Oh, Gaius,’ she said, between sobs, dropping her Greek mask to the stage and running over to me. ‘How I’ve missed you.’

  She ran into my arms, and I enveloped her with my own, squeezing her tightly as I held onto her. ‘By the gods, how I’ve missed you too, Numeria,’ I whispered into her ear.

  She pulled back, wiping her own tears from one eye. ‘You should have warned me you were coming.’

  I smiled. ‘I expected to find you watching a play, not taking part yourself. You were amazing.’

  She waved away my praise. ‘It is just something we are trying out. The edicts of Augustus and his wife prevent me and the other women performing this particular play in Rome, but that can’t prevent us from practising behind closed doors. Sometimes the performance itself is worth the effort.’

  I held her close again, enjoying the feel of her strong yet supple body. ‘Well, I thought you were wonderful. It was worth travelling back from Spain for that alone. But don’t let me stop you, please continue with your friends.’

  She gave me that half-smile I knew so well. ‘Don’t be a fool, Gaius. I won’t be able to concentrate now I know you’re back. I’ll tell the others we are finished for the day, they won’t mind. We’ve been working on this for quite some time now.’

  ‘Well, if you’re sure.’ I was secretly delighted. I couldn’t wait to get her home.

  ‘Yes, I won’t be long. We’ll just need to pack up the masks and the costumes.’ She rushed off to make her excuses to her friends. None seemed to object, and a few lay back on the stage in relief. The theatre was clearly harder work than I’d given it credit for.

  When they were done clearing up, we walked through Rome back to my home. She was full of questions about my trip, and I gave her a rundown on all that had transpired – although I missed out the parts about the battle with Aleixo and my impromptu appearance in the arena. I explained how I’d returned with Flavus, as we’d originally planned. ‘I’m to meet Aulus tomorrow morning near the Palatine. We’ll both report to Germanicus and Livia and tell them my settlement of the case involving the Paulus brothers.’

  ‘Do you think they will be pleased?’ she asked.

  I held onto her waist as we walked through the narrow winding streets of Rome. ‘I should hope so. The gold trade is secured and, with any luck, revenue will increase.’

  She held onto my arm. ‘But then you will need to address the issue of Flavus?’

  I frowned. ‘Yes, that will prove more difficult. I am now convinced of his innocence, but I can’t see them being easily persuaded.’

  She sighed. ‘You can only try your best, Gaius. Flavus knew what he was getting into when he agreed to come back to Rome, and you’re not responsible for his brother’s actions. It is Julius who has put Flavus in jeopardy, not you.’

  I touched the hand that was holding onto my arm, not believing I was finally back with her. ‘I know. I’m just glad that Aulus will be with me. If anyone can convince them of his innocence, it’ll be him.’

  We arrived back at my home and were greeted by all my household slaves. Patrellis beamed a great smile in greeting, and his wife Prisca ran off to prepare us a meal. Silo was full of questions as I ate, asking about the cities I’d visited and the warships I’d seen on my journey there. Eventually Badriyah took him off to bed, something that was a great relief to me. Not because I resented the young boy’s questions, but because my mind had turned to other matters, and having Numeria so close was intoxicating.

  We made love late into the night. My hands trembled with desire as I removed the light tunic that covered her perfectly sculpted naked body and leant her down over the bed. I released all my pent-up desire, letting go of everything else that had been swirling around my mind these last few months. I immersed myself in her completely, her alluring body sending raptures of desire through me as I delved deeper into her.

  If I had lost myself to the passion, it was nothing compared to Numeria. She held onto me with an unfamiliar urgency and grappled with my muscular form, willing me to hold on to her ever more tightly and make love to her all the more ardently. I complied willingly as she screamed with release.

  The next morning, I awoke groggily. I looked around my bedroom and noticed the room was covered in paintings of brightly covered birds. I hadn’t noticed them the night before, I’d been so preoccupied. I felt Numeria stirring next to me and remarked, ‘Look, Badriyah and Silo must have been painting the rest of my house in my absence. Don’t they look wonderful?’

  She mumbled something in reply, but nothing clearly intelligible. I looked over and noticed she was weeping. ‘What is it, Numeria? Why are you upset?’

  ‘It’s nothing, Cassius. Please ignore me, I must look a sight.’ She wiped the tears from her face, but another sob broke through her.

  ‘It doesn’t seem like nothing. Come on, what is it?’ I reached my hand over to her face.

  She brushed it away. ‘Oh, I’m just being silly, Gaius. I’m just so pleased to have you home. It’s just the shock of having you back, that’s all.’ She stood up from the bed and threw her tunic over her body.

  I inwardly groaned in disappointment, seeing her beautiful body once again clothed. ‘You’re sure that’s all?’

  She turned around and smiled at me, wiping away the last of her tears. ‘Yes, of course. I told you, I’m just being silly. You need to be off. You have to meet Aulus.’

  She was right. Aulus was always very punctual, and bearing in mind who we were meeting this morning, that was a wise course of action. ‘I don’t want to leave you if you’re upset.’

  She leant over and kissed me on the forehead. ‘I’m fine. I told you, I’m just happy you’re home. I need to get going myself. I have plenty to do today. The world doesn’t stop just because you’ve returned to Rome, you know.’

  I gave a light laugh. ‘Of course not, but can I see you again tonight?’

  She frowned and thought for a moment. ‘Tonight may be difficult, as we have another rehearsal, but send Silo over with a message and I’ll see what I can do.’

  I looked at her with a contented smile on my face. ‘I can’t wait to see you again.’

  Numeria picked up her sandals and scoffed, ‘You’ll do fine without me. You’ve managed in Spain for the last few months.’

  ‘I thought of you every day,’ I told her, only lying slightly.

  She turned round to me and smiled. ‘And I you. Truly. But I must go.’

  I let her leave, feeling a pang of loss as soon as she left the house. Patrellis greeted me by the door and asked me whether he could be of any assistance. I gave myself a mental shake and decided now wasn’t the time to be worrying about Numeria. ‘Prepare my finest toga, Patrellis, and ask Silo to be ready to accompany me. I’ll be visiting the Palatine today, and someone’s life might well hang in the balance.’

  Germanicus was angry. He spun on me in fury. ‘You mean to say, that as well as losing half the men I lent you on this peaceful mission, you didn’t even return with the monoceros?’

  It had started off so well. Both Livia and Germanicus had received Aulus and me in Augustus’ palace and been pleased with my resolution of the Paulus brothers’ case. Livia had even clappe
d her hands in delight when I said that her husband now owned a few mines in the Gallaecian mountains – ‘What a clever man you are,’ had been her exact words.

  It started to go wrong as soon as the subject turned to the monoceros. I tried to explain. ‘I’m sorry, Germanicus, but it couldn’t be helped. We were ambushed by a Spanish outlaw and we were completely surrounded.’

  Germanicus put his hands on his hips and blasted at me, ‘You made it back alright. You made sure to look after your own hide.’

  I didn’t dare tell him that the only reason I got away was by letting his prized animal out of the cage myself. ‘I have all the gold you gave me, not a coin is missing. You will be fully reimbursed.’

  Germanicus laughed. ‘You think I give a damn about the gold?’

  I ground my teeth in frustration; so many men had died protecting that gold. ‘The situation turned out to be more complicated than I’d thought,’ was all I managed in my defence.

  Germanicus strode back and forth, his anger filling the colonnaded room. Livia reclined on one of the divans and looked on, amused. ‘I’m sure Cassius didn’t lose your animal on purpose. Surely it can’t be so important?’

  I was thankful the imperator’s wife was taking my side, but it didn’t seem to placate my old school friend’s temper. He still fumed. ‘I have agents travelling the length and breadth of the world trying to find wild animals for my games. Cassius’ mission was by far the easiest as his animal was already captured. How, by Mercury and Ceres, do you expect me to find another of these rare beasts at such short notice? My games are in less than four months.’

  Aulus had kept himself quiet throughout proceedings, no doubt taken aback by the anger of Rome’s current praetor urbanus. But on hearing me so roundly criticised, he finally found his voice. ‘I must protest, my lord Germanicus. My brother-in-law Cassius worked tirelessly throughout the last few months to fulfil the mission you set him. He has represented your interests with integrity and honour. Not once has he shirked from any aspect of his duty, putting his own life in peril many times in the process. I am sorry that you never received your animal as you’d hoped, but no one could have done more. He has returned your gold, and therefore no stain should remain attached to his name.’