‘He must be seventeen now, starting out in life. We both seem to be at fault, brother, as far as Paetus is concerned, so don’t lecture me. I’ll pay it as soon as I’ve got the money.’
‘And I’ll look in on young Lucius. Anyway, you made some money as a praetor last year and should make a lot more from your province; Bithynia’s very wealthy, it’s not the worst place to be the Governor.’
‘It’s not the best either; but you’re right, this time next year I’ll be comfortable enough.’
‘Sir! Sir!’
Vespasian and Sabinus turned to see Magnus running up the hill towards them.
‘Have you heard the news?’ Magnus puffed, pushing past a couple of slaves carrying a heavy wooden beam. ‘It’s all over the city.’
‘Well, unless it’s that my brother has temporarily lifted the ban on delivery carts in the city during the day for building materials for the Aventine,’ Sabinus replied, ‘it hasn’t reached this burned-out quarter.’
‘Your brother-in-law, Clemens, arrived an hour ago with a message from Capreae: Tiberius is dead.’
‘Dead? When?’ Vespasian asked.
‘Yesterday. The Forums are all full of people demanding that his body is brought back to Rome so that it can be chucked into the Tiber.’
‘Did he name Claudius as his successor?’
‘The will hasn’t been read yet, but apparently Caligula has the imperial ring on his hand and has proclaimed himself emperor. He’s sent Macro to address the Senate and read Tiberius’ will; according to Clemens he’s a couple of hours behind him.’
Vespasian looked in alarm at his brother. ‘Shit! Antonia isn’t going to like that; we’d better go and present ourselves to her and see what she plans to do.’
‘She can’t do anything. If Caligula has the imperial ring and Macro throws the Praetorian Guard’s support behind him, he’s the Emperor and that’s that. The best thing that we can do at the moment is to look out for ourselves and get to the Senate so that we don’t stand out as being the only two senators not present to acclaim Caligula emperor.’
Clemens was standing at the foot of the Senate House steps as Vespasian, Sabinus and Magnus arrived. Scores of senators were arriving from all directions, pushing their way through the delirious mob, each as keen as the two brothers to have their loyalty to the new regime noted.
‘I was hoping to find you here,’ Clemens said, greeting the brothers with a grasp of their forearms and a nod to Magnus before leading them away from the crowd. His pinched, narrow face seemed more pasty than usual.
‘You look worried, Clemens,’ Sabinus observed.
‘Of course I’m worried; everyone in their right mind should be worried. The Empire has just been stolen by a lunatic.’
‘What do you mean “stolen”?’
‘Caligula murdered Tiberius with Macro’s help; they suffocated him, I’m sure of it. When I saw the body shortly after they came out of Tiberius’ room to announce his death his face was discoloured and his tongue was swollen and sticking out of his mouth. Admittedly he was on death’s door anyway but he had just changed his will.’
‘In favour of whom? Claudius?’
‘How would I know? It hasn’t been read yet. All I know is Tiberius called me into his room and ordered me to send for his secretary to bring his will. Once the changes had been made the secretary came out with it and Macro seized it and read it with Caligula. Then they went into Tiberius’ room and the next thing we knew Tiberius was dead, Caligula had his ring and the German Bodyguard were hailing him as Caesar. The secretary accused Macro and Caligula of murder so Caligula’s first order as emperor was to have the man’s tongue cut out and have him crucified.’
Sabinus shrugged. ‘So Caligula’s emperor; it was always going to happen if Tiberius let him survive, whatever Antonia may have tried to do about it. At least we know him and can claim an acquaintance, even if it was some time ago. It could work out quite well for us; and for you too, Clemens — you are the tribune of his personal guard, after all.’
‘If he was sane then perhaps you’d be right; but he’s not. Neither of you have seen him during the last six years but I’ve been with him all the time on that mad island. I’ve watched him become as sexually depraved as Tiberius but with the stamina that the old man didn’t possess. He’s never satisfied, no matter how many people he’s fucked or who he’s been fucked by. Tiberius encouraged him — I heard him joke that he was nursing a viper in Rome’s bosom — by showing him how unbridled power can be used for limitless self-gratification, and Caligula has learnt well. But there was always one thing that restrained him and that was the knowledge that he was ultimately Tiberius’ slave and could be executed on a whim as he’d seen happen to others so many times before; so there was never a better slave. Now with Tiberius gone he’s the master and I promise you there will never be a worse master.’
‘Then we’ll just have to make sure that the master doesn’t notice us,’ Vespasian said. From what he knew of Caligula he feared Clemens was right.
‘It’s too late for that; he’s looking forward to seeing you. He said to tell you that although he hasn’t seen you for six years he still considers you both to be his friends and that now he’s emperor and free to come back to Rome he’s looking forward to the fun — as he put it — that he promised you would have together.’
‘I’m not sure that I like Caligula’s idea of fun, having witnessed it,’ Sabinus commented, ‘it seems to involve his sisters.’
‘It doesn’t always just involve his sisters; I’m more worried by the fact that he seems determined that it’ll also involve my sister. I’ve already sent my wife, Julia, back to my estate at Pisaurum with the children to keep her from him. He’s been telling me for the last few months that he can’t bear the thought that someone as beautiful as Clementina should be deprived of the chance to sample his not inconsiderable manhood; and I’m her brother!’
Sabinus looked understandably concerned. ‘I had better get her and the children out of Rome; I’ll leave for Bithynia first thing tomorrow before Caligula arrives.’
‘Leave now, my friend; if you go into the Senate your presence will be registered and Caligula will know that you left without waiting to greet him. I’ll tell him that you left a couple of days ago before you heard the news; there is a chance that he’ll believe that, now that the port of Brundisium has reopened again.’
Sabinus took his arm in a firm grip. ‘That’s good of you, Clemens.’
‘Stay out there as long as possible, start a war or something. Caligula will only get worse, believe me.’
‘I do.’ Sabinus turned to Vespasian. ‘If I don’t see Uncle Gaius at the house say goodbye for me and thank him for his hospitality over the last six months since the fire.’
‘I will and I’ll send on everything that you need, Sabinus,’ Vespasian said. ‘Just go.’
‘I’ll have four of my lads escort you to Brundisium,’ Magnus offered, ‘they’ll be at the house in an hour.’
‘Thank you, Magnus, and you too, brother,’ Sabinus said, turning quickly to go, ‘and good luck with our friend.’
‘I’ll be fine,’ Vespasian called to Sabinus’ retreating back.
‘You’ll be fine,’ Clemens agreed, ‘so long as you bugger Caligula whenever he orders, like I have to; I’m worn out by it sometimes.’
‘What? You, Clemens? You’re joking.’
‘Unfortunately I’m not and I can tell you that it’s one of the least unpleasant duties that I’m forced to perform. But your problem is that Clementina isn’t the only woman who Caligula’s determined to bed; now that he’s emperor I’m sure that he won’t feel the need to take any notice of Antonia’s injunction against having Caenis.’
The mob outside, in the Forum Romanum, was in full cry, celebrating the despised old Emperor’s death and the accession of their new hope, Caligula; but there was near silence in the packed Senate House as Quintus Naevius Cordus Sutorius Macro entered, in military uniform, holding a scroll-case. He was flanked, outrageously, by four armed Praetorian Guardsmen also in uniform rather than wearing their customary togas, worn when on duty within the city. The looks on most senators’ faces attested to what they felt about such an overt display of Praetorian power over the increasingly enfeebled Senate.