by Simon Rumney
In time darkness fell and the jeweler was still unable to finagle a decision. Julia was in no mood to make one—she was distraught and very drunk. He had even sent out for more wine in order to keep her there because he believed that all would be lost if those bags of money were allowed to leave his shop. As a last resort Calpurnius offered to hold the bags in safekeeping and was bracing himself for the negotiation when much to his amazement Julia walked out without a sideways glance at the money. For her it had only one purpose and that was the possession of her “lions”; she simply cared very little about anything else.
Antonius
Shipments continued to arrive on a regular basis but Julia extracted no pleasure from her success because even though many months had passed she remained in the constant pain of lost love. The amulet dominated her thoughts and those thoughts refused to be ignored, concealed or forgotten.
If she kept herself busy the agony could be pushed to the background but every single thing in Rome seemed to remind her of the “lions” and their faces always found a way back to the forefront of her mind.
By way of an escape Julia returned to the work that kept her busy during Gavius’s tour of Hispania and attempted to drive out the debilitating pain by filling her head with new information. She visited almost every merchant stallholder and trader in the city with the intention of learning everything they knew. Julia talked to people who held information for as long as it took to extract it and in the course of distracting her mind became the foremost authority on every aspect of food distribution in Rome.
Due to her worsening insomnia Julia regularly walked around the wholesale markets which traded during the early hours of each morning and occasionally while watching traders bid for boxes of produce the auctioneers’ babble helped her find momentary peace.
When the sun came up and the auction closed, Julia followed the traders back to their stalls where she compared the meager supplies they had purchased at the market with the food on display. She reasoned that the extra goods must have been purchased from the black-market and comparing the two allowed her to calculate the size of Bromidus’s business.
Her produce from Hispania could now be seen all over the city and comparing what she sold it for with the retail price allowed her to estimate both Bromidus’s and a merchant’s profit margin. Over time Julia used this research to learn everything about how prices and profits were calculated.
At the end of her research Julia concluded that the simplest place to sell any kind of produce was at the legitimate markets. Bromidus controlled all of the black-market and the traders clearly resented dealing with his style of bullyboy salesman. She believed that when the shortages inevitably come to an end the black-market would die and with this conclusion firmly in her mind Julia went looking for struggling wholesalers.
Always hooded she spent hours at the markets just watching for vendors who could not compete with the bigger providers. Julia struck up conversations with these men and in a subtle attempt to ascertain how bad their situation would throw in the odd comment such as “How expensive Rome was these days,” and “How hard it is to make a living.” They all tried to put on a brave face but Julia could tell the ones who were finding life hard.
After a few weeks of continuously probing Julia short-listed four wholesalers who she observed to be extremely able but also the most desperate in the market. She approached her list in the order of their ability and made the same offer to each of them in turn.
“I will provide you with large quantities of the best quality olives, olive oil, wine, grapes, wheat flour and oranges in the short term. I will then deliver other fruits and vegetables within one year. What is more, I will give you best prices and credit terms with which to purchase your first shipment.”
Much to her annoyance the first two simply laughed. The only thing their masculine minds were able to see was a beautiful young woman and in their limited world women ran homes not business. They would live to regret that in time but for now Julia persevered with her short-list.
The response from her next prospect was entirely to her liking. Upon hearing the offer the man called Antonius looked deeply into her eyes and saw such resolve that all he could say was, “How do I win the right to represent you?”
Relieved by such a respectful reply Julia returned his smile saying, “Do nothing for the moment, carry on as normal and I will return with instructions within two months.” Then she turned and walked away. Antonius was shortly to become one of the richest traders at the market simply because he had been open-minded enough to listen to a woman. He would never know it but his respectful reply was going make his descendants one of the richest families in Rome for many, many generations to come.
In a constant state of tired anger Julia was moving to a very important and dangerous stage in her plan but before it was implemented she wanted to tie up some loose ends. She held no doubt that if what she was about to do failed, her life would be over and Julia did not want to die without seeking revenge for some of the wrongs she had endured. It was time for others to share in her debilitating pain so on one chilly morning Julia deliberately bumped into the lad who had just delivered oil to Gavius. He was a cocky young man who seemed fairly intelligent and he knew her only as the lady who had asked a few questions one year before.
“I want you to take a message to your master,” said Julia with authority.
“Who is my master?” he replied arrogantly in his course accent.
“Bromidus.” As he was about to protest Julia held up her hand saying, “Do not argue just pass on this message.”
The boy could feel her eyes burning into his as she said, “Tell him that I want Joseph the Jewish spice trader cut off from his supply. He trades within the Cuppedenis market and his stock must be reduced slowly over a period of many painful months. No harm is to come to him but he must feel squeezed as he is prevented from trading.”
With her face chillingly free of emotion Julia went on, “If this message is not delivered you will be put to death!”
He had lived his whole life under the shadow of a violent death but that pleasure-less expression and the last unexpected sentence turned his veins to ice. The young urchin had no idea it was just an act which caused Julia terrible emotional damage all he knew was the woman seemed to be pure evil and he was on his way to the tavern to see Bromidus.
A few days later it became clear that the young man had delivered the message correctly as gaps began appearing on Joseph’s stall. Week-by-week he had less to sell and each time Julia walked surreptitiously by another spice would be missing. Joseph could have no idea what provoked his fall from grace he had been selling black-market spices for a long time and he never broke the rules, always paid on time and never told anyone where he purchased his stock.
Every time he asked why his orders were not filled completely the delivery boys would respond abruptly with “shortages” or “not available today” but he was never given an explanation which he could understand. When he pressed them they told him to think himself lucky that he was getting anything at all.
Joseph was in deep trouble and Julia knew that he would be very worried because the money he made in Rome supported his family in Judea, if he failed his whole family would starve. She watched secretly from across the market but annoyingly received no feelings of pleasure from his discomfort, all she felt was sympathy for him and disdain for herself.
Angered by her own pathetically sentimental nature Julia left Joseph to wallow in his pity while hoping that the total destruction of her next victim would provide her longed-for feelings of satisfaction.
The person Julia most wanted to feel her wrath was her treacherous jeweler but when she and Marcus stormed into his shop Calpurnius took the wind out of her sails with a few lucky words.
“There you are,” he smiled. “Look here I have your money and of course your interest.”
Stopping in her tracks Julia enquired angrily, “Interest? What is interest?” Then hol
ding out her arm Julia stopped Marcus as he advanced on Calpurnius and added, “You have seconds to explain how this, interest, affects me.”
When he explained a few of the intricacies of finance Julia asked, “How do you know such things?”
“I am a jeweler as you know but also a money lender.”
“Tell me about money?” she snapped. Then turning to Marcus she added, “Wait outside but don’t go anywhere I may need you yet.”
Pushing the half-removed dagger back into its leather sheath Marcus turned and walked out without speaking.
“Well, go on!” snapped Julia.
With a very worried look on his face and a wary eye on the villain standing outside his doorway Calpurnius explained the complexities of commerce.
Completely intrigued Julia let her temper pass realizing for the first time that money was not just for buying and selling things it could also be used to wield power and influence. With pure innocent luck Calpurnius had saved himself with his extensive understanding of finance.
Wine & Guilt
Julia was out most days buying the household groceries and Cecilia was delighted with the quality and variety of food she returned with. Julia always seemed to find everything they needed and on many occasions left before sunrise to make sure of her purchases.
Although she witnessed many mood swings Cecilia was very proud of Julia’s progress. She felt a personal sense of achievement every time she watched her surrogate daughter behaving in a confident fashion. There was however, one element of Julia’s behavior which raised serious concerns. She had acquired the taste for wine and not just a goblet with her evening meal instead Julia had progressively graduated to a full jug every night. Cecilia knew it was just too much for a young woman and she mentioned it but Julia always became very defensive, vehemently denying that she was drinking too much.
Cecilia had seen her first master drink in great quantity many years before and while Julia was not yet as bad, she was beginning to display similar characteristics. Cecilia could still remember the terrible arguments between him and the mistress of the house while serving as a young house girl. The unhappy couple regularly shouted so loudly that all of the servants heard their fights from their sleeping quarters. The mistress would scream at her husband saying he was a useless, good-for-nothing fool who drank too much wine and could not perform his marital duties.
He would shout back, “It is because of those onerous marital duties that I drink in the first place.” But then he would always add almost as an afterthought, “Anyway I don’t drink too much I just enjoy a libation with my meal!” Sometimes he would repeat that same sentence as he lay on his back unable to stand. Cecilia had observed this strangely obvious form of denial in others who drank. She could see that Julia was beginning her journey down that sad road but felt powerless to stop her.
Julia was obviously using wine as a stimulant to mask deeply held insecurities which a simple appraisal of her enormous potential should have dispelled but a mind as damaged as Julia’s seemed always to favor a quick fix over a proper remedy. The perceptions at the center of her decline were completely false but like everyone in her condition, Julia’s pain chose a disguise rather than a cure.
The only time Julia moderated her drinking was during her performances at the home of Gaius Marius where she would abstain from taking wine with her meal because she felt he may disapprove. Even though Julia felt very uncomfortable without wine, Marius was an important part of her future and she had to keep up appearances. He clearly enjoyed his evenings with his wonderful daughter-in-law, as he called her, and his condition would visibly improve as they talked openly on any topic.
Nothing was too difficult for Julia to understand, if Marius spoke about the Senate Julia would ask intelligent questions about legislation and democracy. If he spoke of war Julia immediately understood the intricacies of the maneuvers that his armies had performed.
At one dinner in particular Julia felt a little embarrassed when Marius said, “Your uncle Gavius and my son hit it off in Hispania. Young Gaius spoke very highly of him in his letters.”
“My uncle also tells me that Gaius was a wonderful companion,” replied Julia. Then adding for effect, “I am so proud of him.”
Seeing the feigned yearning on her face Marius changed the subject by saying, “I am having trouble understanding why Sulla extended my son’s tour of duty, I think it was to irritate me.”
“Why would that be?” asked Julia with an innocent tone to disguise a very guilty conscience. “I thought that you and he were companions of old.”
“We once made up a great partnership. He is a brilliant military leader probably the best who ever served under me but now he has changed. Sulla has become dishonest and greedy; it maybe that he always was and I did not see it before but I can see it now.” Marius went on to say, “I have antagonized him by preventing his election to Consul. I swung the vote against him in the Senate and that must be the reason for Young Gaius remaining in Hispania.”
As Marius spoke Julia remembered the moment Sulla returned home on the day of the vote in the Senate and a little ripple of pleasure passed through her body as she thought of his pain. “Is there nothing you can do to rescind Sulla’s order and bring Gaius home?” she asked. And this time she was actually as concerned as she sounded because although Julia had not wanted to raise the subject, the last thing she needed was to provoke Marius into campaigning for his son’s early return. On the other hand, she knew it would have been out of place not to ask the question.
“I am so sorry my dear,” said Marius, “I realize how difficult his absence must be for you but Sulla is head of the armed forces and he must be obeyed. Besides Young Gaius is a dedicated Roman soldier and must perform his duty.”
Julia was relieved by his response. She had appeared to care and Marius felt sympathetic towards her. It was the perfect outcome and to make things even better a house slave walked in and said quietly to Julia: “There is a stonemason here to see you Madam.”
Standing Julia walked from the dining room beaming with a broad smile. Within a few moments three slaves followed Julia into the dining room struggling under the weight of a tall marble plinth carved in the style of a Greek column. While Marius watched them set it down at the head of the table one of Rome’s most renowned stonemasons walked into the room.
While he exchanged greetings his slaves returned with a cloth-covered object which they placed on the plinth. Tugging the red velvet covering with one sharp movement, Julia dramatically uncovered a marble head and shoulders bust of Young Gaius.
Everyone gasped with surprise and pleasure. It was a beautiful work of art which captured both the likeness and spirit of the young man completely. Gaius Marius and Cecilia spontaneously applauded the craftsman’s work and he bowed his head while brimming with pride.
“My dear this is a wonderful surprise,” smiled Marius.
“I commissioned the work from drawings Gaius sent some time ago. You will notice the crown of olive leaves and look here, the clasp for his cloak is carved with ears of wheat and grape vines. The statue celebrates his time in Hispania and it is my gift to you Father it will remind us of Gaius whenever we dine together.’
Walking across the room Marius embraced the young woman he had grown to love as a daughter and said, “This is a wonderfully thoughtful gift; you have made a lonely man very happy.”
His words and fatherly love provided Julia with the praise and support she craved. The commissioning of such an expensive bust was largely to temper her overpowering feelings of guilt; she hated using Gaius Marius and his son and needed his approval because deep in her downtrodden soul Julia was still an insecure little girl with a very good heart.
Using Joseph
Gavius had been back from Hispania for a year and Julia was occupying a good deal of his time with the distribution of her growing funds among the many moneylenders of Rome.
Calpurnius had taught her well and the returns on her wise investmen
ts were now very significant. Gavius did not resent the fact that he no longer had time to trade in his oil shop because he was mirroring Julia’s investments and becoming very well-off in the process.
In order to be close to Gavius but unseen by others Julia commissioned a builder to convert the storeroom at the back of his shop into a comfortable office. Sitting behind a tapestry hanging which disguised the entry Julia could listen to discussions in the shop while remaining total anonymous.
Once again Gavius did not mind her imposition because while sitting in her back room Julia found endless inspiration and her seemingly radical investment ideas made him even more money. Had he known everything about the things Julia was plotting while sitting in the back room Gavius would have been petrified but her obsession with secrecy spared him the pain.
In-between the investment ideas which came so naturally, Julia obsessed about the destruction of Sulla. After the loss of her “lions”, his obliteration became her only remaining motivation. To achieve her goal Julia needed power but the sheer fear of what she was about to do caused her mood to meander between elation and mind-numbing panic. Even when her mind was anaesthetized by alcohol she was aware that her next scheme would kill her if it failed. The risk had been very well calculated but it was a serious risk none the less.
Steeling herself for what she was about to set in motion Julia ordered Gavius to send a message with the galleys returning to Hispania telling Clitumna to: “Gather as many ships as she can muster, load them at Saguntum and bring them to Rome.”