‘You can start by telling me why we’re having a day of racing; there’s no festival today.’
‘But there is now. Claudius is celebrating the Secular Games.’
‘The Secular Games? But they’re meant to be once every hundred years. Augustus only celebrated them just over sixty years ago.’
Lucius shrugged as he led them through the racing activity. ‘Well, we’re having them again at the moment.’
Magnus looked at Vespasian and chuckled. ‘The fool evidently can’t count.’
‘Either that or he’s really working hard to create a legacy. I wonder what my uncle’s got to say about it.’
Vespasian knocked on the familiar door of his uncle’s house on the Quirinal Hill and was unsurprised to see it opened by the most beautiful teenage boy with long flaxen hair and lithe limbs that were barely concealed by the flimsiest of light tunics. ‘Announce me to your master; I’m his nephew, Vespasian.’
The boy scampered off and Vespasian followed him through the vestibule and on into the atrium dominated by a large homoerotic mosaic of a naked Achilles despatching a doe-eyed Hector.
‘Dear boy!’ Senator Gaius Vespasius Pollo boomed, waddling out of his study in a flurry of black-dyed, tonged ringlets and wobbling jowls. ‘Sabinus told me to expect you before his inauguration; I was getting worried that you were not going to make it.’ He enveloped Vespasian in an amply fleshed embrace and planted a moist-lipped kiss on each of his cheeks. ‘It’s in eight days’ time, you know. Have you been to the palace to see Flavia?’
‘Not yet, Uncle; I thought that I’d talk to you first. Where’s my mother?’
A hint of displeasure crossed Gaius’ face. ‘She’s visiting Flavia and the children at the palace, before travelling on up to Aquae Cutillae; she expects to see you there very soon. The owner of one of the neighbouring estates has fallen ill and is not expected to live and she’s concerned as to who will inherit.’
Vespasian shook his head, sighing. ‘Typical of her to worry about the neighbours’ business. I’ll not go up there to pry; I’ll let her get on with it and see her when she’s back in Rome. How is Flavia?’
‘Your mother has been visiting, which means Flavia is in a foul temper. They always have an exchange of views about something — some petty feminine subject, I imagine. Take my advice and don’t go and see her until tomorrow when she will hopefully have got over your mother’s visit.’
‘As bad as that, is it?’
Gaius rolled his eyes and pulled his face into a picture of resigned exasperation and then turned to Magnus and grasped his forearm. ‘What happened to your eye, Magnus?’
‘I left it in Britannia after examining a wicker man too closely.’
‘Well, I hope it won’t affect your usefulness; I’ve been missing your services, my friend, and I’m glad to have you back.’
‘It’s good to be back, senator; but I was wondering if it’s safe to be back, if you take my meaning?’
‘Indeed I do; and the answer is yes.’
‘I’m relieved to hear it. It weren’t too expensive, I hope.’
‘Surprisingly cheap. I managed to persuade your friend, Paetus, in his capacity as an Urban quaestor last year, to delete all mention of the incident from the city’s records. He was very happy to do it without a substantial bribe; which is as well seeing as he is now soon to become family.’
‘I’m grateful, sir.’
‘And I know you’ll show it in the near future.’
‘Indeed. I’ll be off to the Crossroads Brotherhood now to give them the good news. I’ll be back at dawn.’
‘Paetus to become family?’ Vespasian queried as Magnus left.
‘Yes; a few days ago Sabinus offered him his daughter, young Flavia, in marriage. She’s fifteen now, more than old enough. Paetus has accepted and it’s a good match for everybody. We’ve made a connection with the Junii and Paetus gets to marry a sitting consul’s daughter, which will naturally associate him with the office and stand him in good stead in the future. But come, dear boy, let’s take a seat out in the garden and have some refreshment before we go and dine; Valerius Asiaticus has invited me. I’ll send a message and ask if it will be all right to bring you; I’m sure it will be fine, he’s disgustingly rich now. Did you know that he bought the Gardens of Lucullus about five years ago?’
‘Yes, I heard. Narcissus told me when he came north for the invasion.’
‘It’s one thing for a Gaul to become a senator and then be the first of his race to make it to the consulship, but then to own the most beautiful gardens in Rome? It’s been the cause of much jealousy.’ Gaius clapped his hands and an elder boy appeared, more mature but equally as beautiful as the doorkeeper. ‘Ortwin, bring some wine and honeyed cakes.’ For the first time Gaius noticed Hormus standing in the doorway to the vestibule. ‘Who’s that?’
‘That’s Hormus, my body slave.’
Gaius raised a well-plucked eyebrow. ‘So you’ve finally gone to the expense of purchasing your own slave? Well done, dear boy; you’re going to have to get used to expenditure now that you have your own house. I’ll have Ortwin show him where to put your things and find him a bed in the slave quarters for the night before you move into the house I’ve found you tomorrow.’
‘Of course, they had to give Sabinus the consulship,’ Gaius said, licking crumbs from his fingers. ‘He’s forty-two so it would have been difficult not to have rewarded one of the heroes of Britannia with that honour when he has reached the prescribed age; especially as he’s going to be useful to Narcissus, Pallas and Callistus in countering his senior colleague who, incidentally, will be technically too young for the position.’
Vespasian passed the plate of cakes over to his uncle. ‘Who’s that?’
‘Gnaeus Hosidius Geta.’
‘Geta! He’s younger than me by at least a year.’
‘But he’s Messalina’s choice and Claudius will deny her nothing. So Sabinus is going to have a hard time of it fighting Geta and keeping Messalina’s agenda from dominating the Senate’s business. However, if he does that competently he will earn a lot of favour from the three freedmen, which can only benefit us.’
‘Two freedmen, Uncle.’
‘Two? What makes you say that?’
Vespasian recounted the story of Pallas’ ruse to expose Callistus’ true loyalties and how, as far as he could judge from what Corbulo had told him, it seemed to have worked.
‘So Callistus is protecting Corvinus,’ Gaius mumbled through a mouthful of cake, having heard Vespasian’s short tale, ‘now that is strange.’
‘No it’s not; if Callistus really is secretly supporting Messalina against his colleagues then it’s only natural that he should protect her brother from prosecution.’
‘I’d agree if it wasn’t for one fact: Corvinus and Messalina have fallen out.’
‘Over what?’
‘Power, what else? She loves having it and hates to share it, even with her own kin. Yet, as she has no access to the Senate other than by proxy it’s always vitally important to her that at least one of the Consuls is her creature.’
Vespasian’s eyes widened with comprehension. ‘I see: Corvinus is still too young, technically, to become consul and yet he sees his sister favour Geta and have Claudius nominate him well before his time.’
‘Exactly so, dear boy; Messalina didn’t want her dear brother to have the consulship because she was fearful of the influence that he might try and exert over Claudius, which he would use for his own gain and not hers. The way she sees it is that it’s bad enough having Narcissus influencing the Emperor without risking setting a third party to compete for Claudius’ attention.’
‘So Corvinus’ dignitas must be feeling very bruised.’
‘It’s throbbing painfully, dear boy, and not just because of that slight. Messalina has been having an affair with an equestrian called Gaius Silius and has persuaded Claudius to raise him to the Senate, which the old fool, in his capacity as censor, did with pleasure for his darling wife. Now the rumour is that she’s trying to get Claudius to nominate him as suffect-consul next year.’