The Snake Catcher

by Bilinmeyen

  “They are trying to find them, my lord?” I asked. “I asked you, how do you know?”

  He shook his head. “I might hate Rome in many ways, but I grew up in it. I know people, I have wealth, and so, I, too, have ears in Palatine. There are men and women who are loyal to me, and me alone. One such heard Mother speaking with Rochus the other day. This Grim is trying to sell the scrolls to Mother.”

  I shook my head in disbelief. “He is trying to sell them to Livia? For a great sum?”

  He nodded gravely. “Yes. This man betrayed his brothers to make coin. A simple but dangerous scheme. Apparently, there is enough in the scrolls to condemn the conspirators six times over,” he said. “Mother’s been trying to negotiate. This Grim is careful. Hiding, wary, and apparently Mother tried to trick him. He escaped, and now, he is bargaining very hard.” He looked into my eyes. “In those scrolls, there might be answers. If Drusus was killed by them, perhaps it can be found there. If not, then the killer is out there. Some other high noble had him slain, and gods only know what lies remain uncovered. So, you see, I have to know. I think Augustus wants it as well, and Mother is using my men to find proof to make sure Julia will remain buried forever. She is always listening to her own counsel, my mother.”

  “But, if Rochus is working on this, and Adalwulf as well, and your mother will buy them, then will she not share this with you?” I asked him.

  He rubbed his strong neck “I have always listened to Mother’s advice. Always. But, I think, I have lately felt it is time I make my own ways.” He looked hard at me. “Do you have any idea how you might find this man?”

  I hesitated and thought about it. I looked towards Tudrus, the man who married Euanthe, and nodded. “I have an idea. Might be nothing, though.”

  He smiled. “I thank you.” He looked troubled, and leaned on me. “Do this on your own. This man is well hidden, and might have friends in the city. Don’t mention this discussion to anyone. Not to a single person, other than your men, and make sure they keep their mouths shut. You find these scrolls and get them to me. Whether these scrolls give me peace or not, I want them. Send them to me in the north, if you find them before I return.” He put a hand on my shoulder. “And kill this man, Grim. Whatever is in the scrolls, he has read them.”

  Grim had saved my life once. That misdeed had probably nearly doomed him in the eyes of the conspirators, and perhaps he had thought the only way out was by stealing and selling the scrolls. “Yes, Lord,” I said neutrally, not sure I would obey.

  “Do this,” he said gratefully, “and you and your men are free from the Guard. All will be awarded by citizenship and money, and you shall serve me and Augustus in other, safer ways.” He leaned closer. “And I have not forgotten your father. We shall have him as well. And Segestes, when time is right.” He clapped my shoulder and left me.

  It was a fine promise, a rest at the end of the dark road, and I was determined to serve him well.

  I bowed and found Cassia, as Tiberius, the Consul of Rome, found his counterpart, Gnaeous Calpurnius Piso, the father of my friend by the same name, the fine soldier who was exiled as Prefect of Auxilia in Caesarea. The Elder Piso was as grim as Tiberius, and they had an awkward discussion, like two mossy stones trying to chat. Later, Tiberius gave a speech as dry as sand, and I thought about our problem and solution. Tiberius wanted closure, Livia wanted the proof, Augustus wanted all the offenders in a noose, and I would try my best to deliver.

  I found Cassia standing next to me, holding on to my arm, and I had to wiggle loose, as I was on duty. She smiled at me, contemplating on grasping my arm again, but gave me mercy and spoke instead. “What did he want?”

  “I have to find Grim,” I said.

  “What?” she asked me, and I told her.

  I tried to calm her down, as she was sputtering questions. She went silent as I pushed her rump with my shield. “And if I do find him,” I said, “we shall all be set out of the Guard, free, serving Tiberius and Augustus in a more peaceful way. He wants closure. I will try to give it.”

  She grasped my arm, nonetheless. “Free?”

  “Yes,” I said with a smile. “Citizenship for all. Money. Peace.”

  She nodded and frowned. “How will you find Grim?”

  I leaned to her. “Tudrus’s girl. Euanthe. She was a whore.”

  “She is his wife,” she said irately.

  “Wife,” I said. “Best not mention it. In a way, anyone serving in the army and the Guard cannot be married.”

  “We are,” she said softly. “No matter what the laws say.”

  I shrugged. There were dozens of men secretly married in the Guard, and it was not unknown in the armies either. “Anyway,” I went on. “She should still know women from her past life. Especially one woman. Ares was sure there was a blonde girl who seemed to visit Grim in the Block. Ares is an eavesdropping old bastard, and thought Grim mentioned his hope to elope with this girl. Perhaps she is still with him. Euanthe might know her, or find out. She said once she had seen her, at least.”

  “I see,” she said. “I take it others are looking for him?”

  I looked over to Adalwulf to the side, where he was talking with Gisil. I nodded.

  “Be careful,” she said. I found Tudrus and spoke with him at length.

  He was soon nodding.

  And the hunt began.

  ***

  That year passed slowly. Euanthe was doing her best, and found the girl was a Celt called Aelina, but the bad news was, the girl had disappeared. Then, in June, there were rumors of her working in Athens, but when a courier reached the city, some said she had travelled back to Italy.

  And disappeared again.

  Otherwise, life went on. I spent a lot of time with Cassia, and my boy. My friends were soon proficient fighters with swords and spears, and Wandal was still involved with the slave of Livia. Rumors said Armin had been serving in Moganticum for a while that summer. Rochus was travelling between Tiberius and Rome, carrying messages, as Adalwulf, apparently, kept trying to find Grim. If they reached a deal, or found him and recovered the documents, Livia would make a move against Julia and Iullus again, and we would be sure to notice, but things were silent.

  Perhaps Grim, spooked by Livia’s attempt to trick him, was in hiding, thinking about another way to profit from the scrolls.

  That December, I ran into Livia. She said nothing at first, as we looked at each other outside the domus of Cassia. Then, she shrugged. “It didn’t quite go as we hoped, Corvus.”

  I agreed. “But, then, what did you expect, my lady? She is his daughter.”

  She let out a forced, ragged breath of sullen agreement. “But, at least the conspiracy is now revealed. She won’t marry Iullus, or anyone, ever again. And Iullus and his possible fellow conspirators are trapped. They fear, lie low, shake, praying that Iullus won’t betray them as Augustus tries to put the traitor into ease.”

  “Was Drusus truly hoping for Iullus’s aid to restore the Republic?” I asked her.

  She shook her head. “They were friends. I doubt Drusus trusted him enough to rely on him. No, this was his and Julia’s scheme. Perhaps there were others, as Augustus thinks. But, Tiberius is safe from them now.” I could almost see a tear drop of joy in the corner of her eye. “It is so. My son has a future.” She looked at me gently. “Is your service to us over? I guess my husband has made you an offer. It was quite a daring thing to tell him of your father. Quite a daring move. But, I guess it paid off.” She chuckled with disbelief. “Drusus sent him a letter. He gave you to Tiberius, but wanted to make sure you have a sponsor, if the service with us turned out to be unkind.”

  “He did,” I agreed. “And I have kept my oaths to Drusus and Tiberius. I serve your son. And husband.”

  “So, your service to me is over then,” she said.

  “Perhaps, my lady,” I said stiffly. “I shall no longer sleep and seduce women against my oaths.”

  “That bit of seduction,” she said sternly, “exp
osed a filthy conspiracy against my son. That conspiracy nearly killed my husband as well. It was a reluctant service, Hraban, that you gave me, but you performed well in the end. I forgive you your mistakes. I thank you.” She kissed my hands, and nodded, as she left. She stopped, and turned, tilting her head. “Have you heard, in your new service, if this Antius has been found? Or the gladiator you so worried about?”

  I shook my heads. “I know not. Probably not. I don’t know if anyone is even looking for them.”

  “My husband is looking for them, I assure you,” she said with a smile.

  I agreed with a small bow. “I imagine they are now hiding, having been found out.”

  “I imagine they are far from Rome, Corvus,” she said. Her face went serious. “What about the man you Guards called Grim? Any rumors?”

  I shook my head again. Grim. Rochus and Adalwulf had failed, and she still didn’t have the documents. “No rumors,” I told her.

  She looked annoyed, and was scrutinizing me unkindly. “All these loose strings have to be tied together, Corvus. And they will. For now, I wish you well. Gisil is practically living with Cassia and your boy, I hear. I’ve given her permission. It will be hard for her, if you move in, and perhaps out of, Palatine.”

  I shrugged. “She is welcome to visit.”

  “Yes,” she said, “Cassia has been very lonely all this time. She will be happy to be around. I think she is bored with the company of my mundane slaves and this cranky old woman.” She turned and walked off.

  I smiled dutifully after her. I wasn’t sure I liked the idea of Gisil in my home. I bowed as she waved at me, without looking back, and then I entered the domus, and found Cassia in the garden. I sat around with my boy, who was in a brilliant mood, smiling at everything, the birds, the sky, and his grumpy father.

  Cassia saw my mood, and sighed. “Is there more trouble ahead?” Flower was sitting near, the deaf and dumb girl, smiling at my son.

  I opened my mouth, when Tudrus entered. He looked flushed, and Euanthe was with him. She rushed forward, a bit plumper than I remembered her. She smiled, and bowed to Cassia, who took her to her arms and hugged her. She was speaking before the hug ended. “She is back in Rome. They call her the Seiren now, by the way. She sings like one. She sang in a tavern the other night, near the Forum of Augustus. And they say she left with a man.”

  I cursed softly. “They left?”

  She nodded and her eyes twinkled. “They left for upstairs. They are staying there, in that tavern. And the man had the look of a … well, such as you. It’s called the Wailing Waif. Wait a few hours after you leave. They come downstairs for the evening, and you can slip into their room and surprise them.”

  Gisil came to the garden. She smiled at me beguilingly, shyly, and came to sit near us.

  I got up, gave Cassia a kiss on the cheek, and left.

  CHAPTER 25

  The Wailing Waif tavern was a cozy, warm affair. The main room was filled with merchants, craftsmen, and artisans. The name was prophetic, since a woman—probably a patron—was singing, and it was all too clear the she had an overly high opinion of her skills.

  There was no sight of Grim. Nor of the Seiren.

  I cursed and hesitated, and saw a stairway leading to the upstairs. I slowly walked that way, trying not to attract attention. I made my way to the top floor. There, I gazed at a corridor with four doors. I sneaked forward, pushing at the first door in the light of a sputtering oil lamp. The other.

  Both opened, and the rooms were empty. I went forward, and the next one on the right was locked. I decided that was where they were staying, and turned to look at the final door, which was half open. I pulled the Nightbright, and pushed it open, expecting another empty one.

  Inside, there was a den of death.

  Seiren was dead on the bed. She had died fighting, her hands full of wounds, and the blade which had killed her was still buried under her armpit.

  Grim was lying in a pool of blood in the corner. I stepped in, looking around. I felt the hair stand in the back of my head, for the sight was ghastly. I kneeled next to Seiren, and rubbed my face in despair. Her blonde hair and fair face were the only parts of her body not drenched in her blood. She was gone.

  So was anything of value they had had.

  The room had been ransacked, and only the bed was in one piece.

  I squatted next to Grim, and pulled his face up.

  His eyes opened with a flutter. He coughed, his lips red with blood. I lifted him by his arms, hoping to carry him to the bed, but he made a meowing, desperate noise, and so I let him slump there. His eyes, pools of terror looked up at me. I spoke softly. “Can you hear me?”

  “Yes,” he said weakly.

  “Who did this?” I asked.

  He snorted. “My partners in crime. I betrayed them, so it is as it should be, I suppose.” He grasped my arm. “And if you ask me why I spared you that day, it’s because of that bastard, Nihta. He was one of us, but he stole my woman, and nearly killed me as I pulled a blade on him. I hated him. Loved that girl. So I couldn’t kill you. So simple. And look at me now.” He coughed softly, and I realized he was laughing.

  I nodded gratefully. “I guess I’m lucky I killed Nihta then. You had the archives?”

  He made a bloody whistling sound as he looked at the hole on his side. “Lung. Yes, I stole them. I knew I had failed my comrades, and wanted to make some money out of the mess. I was stupid, but I thought I could hide. They found me. You all did, on the same night. Imagine! What are the odds of that?” He chortled weakly. “I faked death. But, I guess it would have been easier to let him kill me sooner. I won’t walk in Midgard again.”

  I smiled at him and cursed softly. “They took the archives.”

  He smiled, blood on his lips. “Mostly,” he whispered. “They took what was visible. The stupid bastards hacked the place in pieces, but didn’t touch the bed, since she died on it.” He sobbed as he looked at her, and I felt miserable with the whole situation. “Under the mattress,” he added, grimacing in terrible pain, “there is a sealed scroll. I know it was important, because Marcus always gazed at it with curiosity, and kept it in a closet. Said he didn’t know what is on it, and that Kleitos had written it years past. I tried to sell the lot to Livia, but she stalled. Tried to capture me.” He was panting, his face was taut, and his eyes were not quite right.

  “Antius and Istros. Do you know who else is involved?” I asked him desperately.

  And gods interfered and made a mess of our lives, as his hands fell limp, his eyeballs rolled in his head, and he passed away

  I closed his eyes, rummaged under the mattress, and found hidden in the hay a scroll the length of my forearm. There was a red seal, with no markings.

  I moved out of the room, and made my way to the street. The next morning, I sat in the barracks, thinking. I had suspicions, dark fears, and felt paranoid. I held the thing in my hands, thinking about taking it to Augustus. But, I had promised Tiberius to send any information I might find to him. In the end I got up, and sent the scroll to Tiberius with a trusted courier. I begged the gods I had done the right thing.

  Next year, our lives changed.

  Tiberius returned. And nothing was the same again.

  CHAPTER 26

  It was Maius. We met Tiberius at the Porta Trigemina. Birds were sitting on the walls, looking down at the river. On a simple ship, there were lictors, praetorians, officials of the great man, Germani Guards, slaves.

  And then, there was Tiberius.

  He was on the bow of the ship, absentmindedly staring at the sailors and the process of mooring on a sturdy deck.

  He looked up to the gate, and there was a change in his face. He was called ‘Stone-Jaws,’ even by his family. He was a near humorless man, with deep, depressed moods, hidden thoughts, bursts of anger, deep resentment at the wrongs of his past, and few men enjoyed his company. The man we saw arriving that morning, had changed for the worse.

  There was a haunted,
mad look in his eyes. There was no color on his face, and the toga he wore was dirty, as if to reflect the change in his soul from sad to mad. His disembarked unsteadily.

  We were guarding Augustus. Livia was there, under a shade held by a slave, and the look on her face was one of surprise. Augustus stepped forward, hailing the great man with welcoming words, but Tiberius said little, if nothing, and followed Augustus past the gate. He saw me, and his mouth moved, then closed. The haunted look on his face was replaced by a look of shame.

  I frowned, hoping he’d call me to discuss what had been penned down in the scroll I had sent to him, and to discuss our future.

  He never called for us.

  The promises to free us from the Guard?

  They were apparently forgotten.

  We waited for months, but those months never took us near Tiberius. I, and my friends, were not assigned to him. We guarded the Block, we guarded Augustus, but not Tiberius, not Livia, or Antonia, even. We served, but far from my lord.

  There was a surprising bit of news in Rome.

  Tiberius had not only been honored by the triumph the previous year, but now he had been given the coveted tribunical power, the authority of the tribune of the plebs. That meant he was inviolable, had a veto right, if present, over any magistrate’s decision. It was an ancient power, one given to protect the people against laws that favor the highborn. Though, of course, the institution had changed and begun to erode under Octavianus, and didn’t really protect the common people any longer. Pompey, Crassus, Julius Caesar had held it. Agrippa, Octavianus had held it, and many considered this power a pre-requisite to the position of the lord of Rome. Like Agrippa, Tiberius was being elevated higher than the cloud, and like Agrippa, he was to be sent away, to the east, to Armenia to deal with the many issues in the land which seemed to be forever in a state of war and chaos. Gaius and Lucius were growing, and pressure to give them the honors of their high blood was growing with them.