Insurgent of Rome

by Ken Farmer

  Julius had not read the private scroll, but had a goodly idea what news it had delivered, but he asked, as if in totally puzzlement, "If the missive has evil tidings, then your Father hid it well when he presented it to myself for deliverance."

  Marcus looked at his friend, obviously with some anguish, then said, "Father writes that he has been unable to raise the necessary coin for our release." He pulled Julius to the doorway, then outside that his words might not be heard within. "You may know that our granary warehouses burned in the last year, and even the adjoining mills." He looked back at the doorway, then continued, "I knew that it was a sore blow to our accounts, but Father did not give me that it was so serious. We would not have made our journey to Rhodes had I known." A grim look crossed his face, "He must have visited the moneylenders even to find our fare for the voyage."

  With a look of feigned surprise, Julius said, "There has been an error by the scribe that penned the missive. Obviously, he has delivered the wrong scroll. Mayhap the Dominus had trouble in collecting the ransom, but he was successful before we stood out of Capua. We have delivered a chest of silver for your release."

  It was with total incredulity that Marcus looked at his friend, attempting to give belief to what he had just heard. Julius held up his hand to stop any exclamations, saying, "Go. Tell your family of the error. Do not let them have further sorrow from a mis-penned scroll." As his friend just stood as a statue in the Senate-house, he said, "Make ready to leave this misbegotten isle on the morrow."

  He turned to walk down the slope to where the small skiff waited, to ferry him to the Petrel, but was halted by a hail from behind. Gaius, it was, waving for him to stop, then strode up to say, "Come. Let us discuss the voyage to be made from this nest of stinking dross." Julius had noticed, while seated in the drinking house, that like himself, the noble Roman had taken only sips from his cup.

  In the darkening of the evening, Gaius said, "You are in wonder at my chafing of men who could cut my throat on a vagary of want." The man was no dullard - such was exactly in the thoughts of Julius. Without waiting for an answer, he continued, "When one grasps a nettle, it is done firmly less you are pricked at an easy touch. Had I played the part of the cringing supplicant, I would have been treated so." A pause, then, "And do not take my words as jape as they have done. By oath to Venus, I will return and crucify Aniketos and his scum to their own boards." He stopped in their aimless walk, looking at Julius. "I wish to know of yourself. Few men, and I include my friends, would have agreed to carry ransom to pirates. The fee for the service must have been a goodly part of the ransom."

  "I have no idea what the charge was for the voyage. My brother makes all decisions as to the running of our family enterprises."

  In the gathering darkness, it was difficult to see his expression but his tone was not that of a jest. "A man who values venture over mere merchantry. And one who adds peril to his life that obese jobbers and agents can gain yet another coin in their grasping hands."

  Julius had little care for either the acclaim or criticism of others, even one so highly placed - or, rather, a man who would probably rise in the governing hierarchy of Rome in the future. Looking along the narrow cove, even past the Petrel, barely visible in the gathering dark, he replied, "One must do what he gains most pleasure out of in life, else his time on the mortal bank of the Styx is wasted." His words were without thought - his attention was far away on the horizon, where a single spark of light - red in color - was flashing.

  "Nay, Capitaneus," said Gaius. "That was not censure, but admiration for one strong enough to cast off the mores of civilization." He paused, then, "Many times have I given dreamweaving of just such a life - to sail where the wind takes my vessel, seeing new and wondrous places unknown by even the pedagogues in their teaching."

  The red spark disappeared and Julius changed the matter of converse. "Why is the count of pirates so great? My count is sixty or more, with only two ships to man and only one of those larger than mine. It has been my experience that such bands keep their numbers limited and their shares of pillage at maximum."

  "Aye. The last months have not been kind to Aniketos and his rabble. Indeed, he himself only gained the leadership at the death of... I disremember the name of the putrid bastardus, but the previous leader was just that - a leader of men and a successful one. He had what could almost be called a fleet of vessels - four in number and a considerable skill in their use." He pointed in the dark. "Should you walk to that side of the island, on yon shoreline you can see the hulk of one, grounded and splintered, just ahead of its foundering."

  The roars and guffaws from the longhouse were increasing in volume with each jug that was opened. Both looked back as the noble continued. "After my ship was taken and we deposited on the island, two vessels were dispatched for supplies on the mainland. Greed being the watchword of reavers, their leader decided, on their return, to fish again in the waters south of the kingdom of Melos."

  "Without success, I would guess?" commented Julius.

  "Aye. According to the men, their mark was a hulking and slow trudge moving across the bottom of the Aegean Sea, but... The Capitaneus and crew of this merchant were not as flowers along the Parthian Via, to be easily picked on feast days. In the brawl, the pirate leader and his first were slain, among others, including the Archigubernus of the reavers. Now, without either competent commanders and the only navigator of worth, the two vessels managed to gain release from the fury of their mark and set sail for Syrna."

  "Syrna?" queried Julius.

  "Aye. The name of this island." Gaius pointed in the darkness, and both took their steps toward the small dock in the cove. "During the return, Aniketos took command, or was elected such, mayhap." There was a pause, then the man spat in the dust. "A man less competent to command a Tiber ferry never strode the planks of a vessel - both his pointing of their course and actions during the return gave such evidence to his proficiency. The ships wandered around for half the month trying to find their lair, encountering a storm that must have been sent by the gods for their merriment."

  Thinking of the foundered hull spoking of earlier, Julius asked with some disbelief, "They drove ashore?"

  "Aye. Approaching the island on the lee shore, the imbecile who measured himself as a sea-Capitaneus failed to account for the fact that his remaining ship was overmanned by twice the numbers and fully laden with supplies."

  "Remaining?" asked Julius, now accepting the tale with some grim amusement.

  The man gave a chuckle that was devoid of humor, but laden with droll measure. "In the storm, the ships managed to encounter each other, and with such violence that one stove in the hull of its mate to the extent that it foundered on the next morning. Finally, with both crews aboard - most of them - they encountered their destination, but with the result that the band now has only the two hulls anchored in the cove." They stopped at the waters edge, then suddenly, Gaius asked, "You have much skill in navigating these waters, I have little doubt, else the goodly Triferus, my uncle, would not have engaged your vessel."

  Julius nodded in the dark. "I can find my way with some competence - that I have proven, but the Petrel has an Archigubernus who can find his way across the Great Sea with easier facility than you in the household of your youth."

  "And where did you gain this savant?"

  "He is Greek, and an oldster, but a trusted friend. Indeed, I have put the lives of myself and crew at his pointing far more than once. I give oath on his skills."

  Both just stood, looking at the shadows of three ships in the faint light of the thin moon in the west, then Gaius said, "Then I would commission your ship upon our return to Rome. I intend to make good my promise to that laughing fool, and would have your vessel as a guide."

  Chapter 15

  Naturally, the whims of the gods came to the fore, laying the wind during the night and into the day. As the cove was too deep to allow for poling the Petrel into the open sea, and with the airs in a dead calm there w
as little reason to do so. Julius was hesitant to allow his crew to stand ashore during the stay, there being more than some risk that the dislike of his men for reavers might emerge. Still, he could not allow his legs to walk the land and require his men to stay. With many warnings to Kaeso to keep the men from the longhouse, they boated to the land to stretch their legs as they would.

  Julius had little to do but wander the island, and the encampment, passing the hours until even the merely waft of wind would return. Finally, standing at seaward point of the cove, he decided to give both his men some task of use and advantage to the ship when they stood out. After the midday meal, he called the crew to pull the ship toward the seaward span of the cove. With a line tied to the bow, and with Flavius on the shoreside hull to give depth, they slowly towed the ship along the cove to the entrance, anchoring at the very opening of the tiny cove.

  It had been a goodly impulse - the returning winds on the next day were directly from the north and would have pinned the Petrel in place, unable to tack in the narrow waters and the wind, pushing even on just the hull making any such tow now impossible. With the ship swinging at anchor only a double handful of strides beyond the point, his passengers gathered to be ferried four at a time in the small skiff. At least half of the camp of reavers were in watch, although using eyes still without clear sight from yet another night of merrymaking, in celebration of their newly acquired riches.

  The dawning day did not see the Petrel on its way without contention. In the half-light, Marcus strode up to Julius, standing beside the skiff. With distress, the man spoke in low, but emphatic words. "Camelia is being kept from the ship! The mongrel scum gives that her price was not made!"

  Almost disbelieving the words, Julius looked at the assembled group. Except for Gaius, now conversing with the leader of the pirates, all were waiting for their entry to freedom again, standing in wait for the short journey in the skiff. Then, despite another count and look, he did not see the young woman. Taking a deep breath, that his wrath might not take the form of carving the loathsome pirate captain into food for the fish, he strode to the group to stop an arm's length from the man. "Why is the sister of the Domitius family not ready for boarding."

  Caesar was taken in surprise also. Turning from his converse with Aniketos, he asked, "What is your meaning? All taken in captivity are assembled..." He pause, looking around to see the error of his words. Then to the pirate, he asked, "Where is the woman?"

  Aniketos spread his hands, and gave his usual derisive leer. "Alas. The scroll of demands listed yourself and man, and both families. The woman called Camelia is not of the family of the man Marcus, but only a kinswoman."

  "You are bandying words," said Julius with some heat, barely contained. "The meaning of the claims in your scroll were clear, and the price for Marcus included all in his party."

  Aniketos showed to be a man set with regret, trying to give apologies for the misunderstanding. And his acting was even less that of the most incompetent player on a Forum platform. "You have misunderstood the matter of her tarry. I am not without wealth and power in my domain, and she has agreed to stop here with me, mayhap to become my mate after our sojourn on the mainland."

  Now, the ire of Gaius emerged. "The female is a noble woman of Rome, and not to be bartered as if some wench in the brothel! I demand that you release her and without delay!"

  Again the spread hands of the pirate. "Alas, I cannot force a woman against her will. If she wishes to stay, then it is not meet for ourselves to give force to her desires." The infuriating grin came back. "Aye. You will have me crucified at the highest eves of the longhouse. You have told me such many times. But a man can only be condemned once, and since I am already a dead man in your eyes, what harm to gain further ire?"

  Now, with icy calm, Julius asked, "What is the amount that would allow you to deny the woman her desires?"

  The man gave pretension to thought, then said, "Two talents of silver will salve my regrets and overcome her needs." He held up a finger. "But, such must be delivered by the start of the Pythian games. We cannot tarry here forever."

  Julius had no idea when the Greek fest would happen, and did not care. "Aye, we will return with the fee. You are charged with keeping her safe until we return." Turning to Kaeso, he barked, "Board the passengers! And with haste!" Quickly, the skiff was pulled back and forth and soon all were on board, Julius and Gaius being in the last ferry. To the first mate, he said, "What of Capitaneus Decimus?"

  The man pointed over the bow. "Still standing in wait over the horizon."

  "Then make sail to give the meet." With the skiff pulled aboard, the Petrel heeled into the wind, beginning a tack that would take them indirectly into the eye of the wind. Seeing Antonius and his wife standing at the foot of the mast, apparently giving consolation to the Domitius family - those standing in considerable misery, he called to Densus. "Make our passengers comfortable below, then relieve Flavius on the rudder."

  Gaius waited until the orders for the ship had ended, then walked back to the afterdeck, stopping beside Julius, and both looking back at the receding island. "Those were good words to your friend." The Capitaneus just nodded without reply. Then, the noble Roman said quietly, "You realize, of course, that unless your ship borrows the wings of Pegasus, you cannot possibly deliver a ransom by the date that was given." He paused, then said, "But be assured, that if the woman has been harmed before my return, that putrid wretch will have regret of his birth, hanging by his nailed limbs for as long as he can be kept alive."

  Now Julius replied between pursed lips. "Aye, and it would be a satisfying sight for myself, but I doubt that the good woman wishes to remain in his possession for such a length of time."

  "You do not mean to assault his camp?" The man looked around at the crew in their duties. "Aye, your men are of goodsome ilk, but I remind you that the numbers are ten to your one. And such a count even of scum as on the island is not to be overcome where they all trained Legionaries."

  Julius was deep in thought, and with his gaze still on the land in the distance. Finally, he said, "I am told that your skills in warfare are... laudable - finding weaknesses where the enemy sees none and giving surprise to those lax of attention."

  "It is true that I have been successful in leading soldiers. As to my skills as a commanding General, then we must wait for such to come."

  "Then know that my crew, and their forerunners have plied the seas for three generations of my household and no pirate has found the measure of ourselves as yet. Your pardon, but I must needs discuss the day with my men." He turned and called, "Pontiki!" The boy ran up to receive instructions, and not such as given as mere punishment for disobeyment. For the bulk of the morning, he met with each man, giving orders and asking for opinion of betterment in his plans. By the midday meal a craft had appeared, itself steering to the meet.

  "You had yon vessel in follow from your home port," said Caesar. It was not a question.

  With little left to accomplish for the midday watch, Julius was willing to stand and converse. "Aye. A speculatoria is even faster than the Petrel and such may be a convenient tool on such a mission as this. Or such was my thinking."

  Gaius was doubtful. "Even so, the Pythian games on the mainland are in little more than a month. Were yon craft thrice the runner as this, the distance could not be crossed in that time." A thought came to him. "How were you to give call at need, if the boat kept its distance on the horizon?"

  Julius smiled. "Had you looked far beyond the pirate cove during our walk in the evening, you might have seen a red spark on the horizon. It was answer to another from the Petrel, shielded that it not be seen on the island. We carry such special torches, imbued with certain chemicae to give different color, each in array with different command and answer." He waved a hand toward the hold. "But do not ask of the method of impregnation for color - such is done by a Freeman of the family - a Physiologus of goodly intellect, in his merchantry of such arcane art."

  The
two vessels sailed together, but without gain of distance, although such could not be known by the passengers. To their thoughts, the Petrel was well on its way to Capua - or Rome. Gaius, staying on deck, and an active man of action, naturally knew that something was in plan. Finally, as the sun began to touch the horizon, he strode up to Julius and said, "Capitaneus. This is your ship and your command, and as such I have no say in the course, but I have been patient in my queries. I would remind you that should your crew succumb to... misfortune, there is little chance of myself and our passengers to either guide or work this ship."