Cato felt a cold fury seethe in his veins. ‘If you cause any harm to come to Macro, then I swear by all the gods that I will avenge him.’
‘No you won’t, Cato. Not if you value the life of your wife and your son. Lucius, I believe he has been named, in accordance with your wishes.’
‘My son?’
Quintatus wiped his hands clean on a strip of cloth and smiled without any genuine warmth. ‘I suppose I should really congratulate you.’
‘A son?’ Cato was bewildered. ‘How could you know?’
‘I receive regular reports from Pallas. He tells me anything that might be of use for me to know in my dealings with soldiers and aspiring politicians here in Britannia. So, your good news is my good news, insofar as it gives you a new reason to obey me. All the same, you must be very proud.’
Cato felt off balance. He experienced a surge of joy in his heart, together with love for Julia, and then an acute sense of longing to be with her and his infant son. Then the moment was soured by the cold reality that Quintatus had sluiced over him. His child was a new hostage in the secretive games played by the legate and his ilk. One more means by which Cato could be coerced into doing their bidding. He tried to keep control of his raw emotions as he addressed his superior.
‘When did this happen, sir?’
Quintatus thought for a moment. ‘Nearly three months ago. Your wife named the boy Lucius, no doubt in honour of your close friend Macro, since that is his praenomen.’
Cato reflected on this and nodded. Julia well knew the closeness of their friendship, and that this would please her husband and his comrade in arms. ‘A good name. She chose well . . . What other news of my family do you have, sir?’ he asked, trying not to sound too much like he was pleading for information.
Quintatus was enjoying the power of being able to grant or withhold knowledge that was like food to a starving man. He paused just long enough for Cato to swallow and take a half-step forward, ready to demand or beg him to speak.
‘The mother and child flourish. Pallas has your house under constant surveillance, and you will be pleased to note that your wife has taken no lovers in your absence. Unlike many wives of the senior officers here in Britannia, my own included. There will be a reckoning when I am eventually recalled to Rome. But your wife’s virtue is intact, Prefect Cato. Not that Julia would have found that an easy matter in her pregnant state, and even more so now that she has an infant to care for. Lucky you.’
If it was meant to be a sop of comfort, which Cato doubted in any case, the last words fell flat. He felt confident enough of Julia’s affections to trust her in his absence. And yet there was a moment’s uncomfortable doubt as his imagination played with the notion. After all, his own origins were humble, and the Sempronius family had a long and moderately distinguished tradition. Such aristocrats were notoriously aloof, and though neither Julia nor her father had made Cato feel socially inferior, there was that lingering doubt in his mind about what they really thought of him; the constant needle in the side of all those who had risen above the station they were born into in Rome.
‘You will be equally pleased to note that your wife has not received any visitors on Pallas’s watch list. She is wise to steer clear of those whose influence comes with certain dangers attached. There are still some who wish Rome to return to the days of the Republic, while others are plotting to further the interests of their preferred candidate to succeed Claudius. He won’t last much longer, not if the empress has anything to do with it. There’s not much about poisoning that she doesn’t know. Why, she could do for preparing poisons what Apicius did for cuisine.’ Quintatus paused to chuckle at his small joke, before he became aware of Cato’s stony expression. ‘In short, Julia is giving Pallas no cause for concern, and therefore nothing to add to your burden of worry for her safety, as long as you play your part when asked to.’
He let the point settle in Cato’s mind before continuing. ‘However, her father is a different matter. Senator Sempronius has been observed in the presence of many of the ringleaders of the faction backing Britannicus, and therefore Narcissus, in the question of the succession. Whether he is actively colluding with them is not yet known. But that will not be enough to protect him when Nero becomes emperor. And he will. That is almost certain. When he does, Pallas will clean house to ensure that Nero’s reign starts with as few opponents as possible. So, Sempronius will be likely to feature on the list of those proscribed, unless Pallas has good reason to protect him from such a fate.’
‘Good reason being my willingness to serve Pallas?’
‘Yes,’ Quintatus replied directly. ‘As long as there is no evidence that Sempronius is directly involved with the other faction. In that case, even your efforts could not save him.’
‘I see.’ Cato felt helpless. ‘Then you leave me with no option but to serve you and Pallas.’
‘That’s right. I am glad that you see reason. But then, that’s why I made the offer, and I am sure that Pallas will approve of my decision. It seems a shame to waste such potential when it could be harnessed.’
‘Harnessed. Like a mule.’
‘Don’t be so bitter, Cato. This could all work out to your benefit in the long term. There will be plenty of rewards for those who serve the new emperor and his faction. Why shouldn’t you take your share of the spoils? That wife of yours could be kept in fine style, and your son raised in comfort and security. And you yourself will profit from the arrangement. There are plenty of military and civil posts that could be yours for the taking.’
‘And what is the price of those rewards? What is it that you would have me do exactly?’
Quintatus shrugged. ‘Nothing immediately. But you may be called on to perform a service. All that matters is that you are ready to do so, without question, if the moment arises.’
‘If?’
‘All right, then, when the moment arises . . . as it is bound to under the new regime. But for now, it is enough for me, and Pallas in turn, to know that you are on our side. There is no need to openly break with Narcissus. Indeed, if he thinks you are still in his service, then so much the better. He might entrust you with information that could be useful to us.’
‘I was never in his service. At least, I never made any agreement such as the one you are trying to force on me.’
‘My dear Prefect, you are priceless! As if it makes a difference. You worked for Narcissus, willing or no, and now you serve Pallas. Do you really think you have a choice in the matter? The only choice is between accepting that and awaiting the day when you are knifed in the back, or, if you survive your military career, answering the door of your fine house in Rome to a squad of Praetorian Guards. Then, your choice will simply be to die by your own hand or let them do the job for you, before they take your family.’
Cato gritted his teeth. ‘There are times when I wish I had remained a centurion, or even an optio, and served out my days in that rank,’ he replied quietly.
‘Wishes are ten a sestertius. In any case, you richly deserved your promotion. What you didn’t account for was the unpalatable truth that the higher you rise, the more you are enslaved to the will of those above you. A sad but vital truth.’
Cato stood still, feeling powerless to move or speak, as if tightly bound and tongueless. There was no escape from the force of the legate’s logic. None at all.
‘Look here, Cato, you must accept the situation. For now, all that need concern you is leading your men in the coming campaign. I have no doubt that you will add lustre to your fine reputation, and that can only help your prospects. Concentrate on that, eh?’