‘Force of habit, sorry; and yes, that is what I want although it makes me sick to the core that Fate has chosen you, bumpkin.’
‘My name is Vespasian.’
‘Indeed. Well, Vespasian, despite you leaving me to the slavers out in Cyrenaica-’
‘From whom I rescued you; an act for which I still haven’t received any gratitude.’
Corvinus waved the comment away and placed another morsel of the succulent flesh into his mouth. ‘And despite your and the cuckold’s insolent-’
‘My brother’s name is Sabinus.’
‘Indeed.’ Corvinus chewed as if the taste of the meat was not at all to his liking. ‘Well, despite your and your brother’s insolent interruption of my attempt to steal Claudius’ glory in the invasion of Britannia-’
‘Oh, so you admit that, do you?’
‘Vespasian, it would serve no purpose to deny it to you; I’m trying to be candid.’
‘Candid? If you want to be candid then explain to me why you seized Sabinus’ wife and gave her to Caligula for him to fuck repeatedly!’
The conversation around the table died; Corvinus raised an apologetic hand to his fellow diners. ‘Excuse us, gentlemen, I made a jest in bad taste.’
‘A jest?’ Vespasian hissed as the chatter resumed, fuelled by four slaves bringing a bronze bath out onto the terrace. ‘That was far from being a jest, that was-’
‘Business! As I told you at the time. Although, I do remember it being tinged with a hint of pleasure that she was your sister-in-law; as far as I was concerned that made up for the slavers and we were all square. But giving Clementina to Caligula was a smart move on my part.’
Vespasian grudgingly accepted this statement with a slow nod of his head as he carved another portion of peacock. ‘It forced her brother, Clemens, to assassinate him and paved the way for your sister to become empress. And now you regret that?’
‘It’s not been as advantageous to me as I’d hoped. In a few days’ time Geta and your brother become consuls and yet here I am, overlooked and with no prospect of a lucrative province to govern. One word from her to Claudius would have got me the consulship at any time she liked but no, nothing. In fact, quite the opposite: she’s purposely holding my career back, out of jealousy, I would assume. Claudius has always favoured me so she must have persuaded him not to grant me a consulship.’
‘That’s more likely to be Narcissus’ doing.’
‘No, it’s Messalina’s without a doubt; Narcissus doesn’t have that much influence over Claudius when it comes to family matters. And now she seems determined to pursue her lifestyle to the point of self-destruction; well, her demise won’t herald mine.’ He paused as a group of slaves came out with pitchers and poured their steaming contents into the bath. ‘It would seem that our host is planning to say goodnight soon.’
‘I suppose that it’s the appropriate time seeing that he’s served the most delicious course of the evening.’
Corvinus smothered a smile by gnawing on a thigh bone. ‘So to carry on in this candid spirit; I have not repaid you for what you did in Britannia even though I’ve had ample opportunity to do so with your wife and children living in the palace. That, of course, was what I originally intended when I persuaded Claudius to insist that they move in.’
‘So what made you change your mind?’
‘The pointlessness of it. What would it have got me? A small amount of pleasure but nothing tangible. However, your wife’s growing friendship with Messalina — I wonder, does fawning constitute friendship? Well, that was of far more use to me over the last couple of years as my relationship with my sister cooled. She’s told me some very interesting things about a few of Messalina’s new little habits.’
‘You talk to her?’
‘Occasionally; you know what Flavia’s like: being anxious to impress people of higher status can make a person very garrulous.’
‘What else does she do?’
‘With me? Nothing.’
‘With other people?’
‘Gentlemen,’ Asiaticus called, rising from his couch, ‘I hope that you are enjoying the meal as much as I am.’ A chorus of approval greeted this remark. ‘There will be another three courses, which, although not as exotic as peacock, will nevertheless be delicious. I will watch you enjoy them from the comfort of my bath as my life slips away.’ He raised his arms in the air and his steward pulled his tunic over his head. Removing his loincloth, Asiaticus stepped into the bathtub and lay back with his head on the raised end. He took a cup of wine from a waiting slave and raised it to the assembled company. ‘My one regret is that my death would have been more honourable had it resulted from Tiberius’ cunning or Caligula’s fury rather than from a woman’s treachery and Vitellius’ poison tongue. However, at least I’ve been allowed to choose the manner of my passing. I drink to Rome and better times for you all.’
Everyone present echoed the first part of the toast but ignored the second sentiment, much to Asiaticus’ obvious amusement as he drained his cup. He handed the cup to Philologos who gave him a short dagger in return. Without any pause Asiaticus put the blade to his left wrist and slowly slit it lengthways.
With a gush of blood the artery opened and Asiaticus looked up at his guests and smiled. ‘So my life comes towards its end, my friends. Come and greet me one by one and we’ll say our farewells. Philologos, order the next course to be brought to the tables.’
The steward gave the order with tears streaming down his cheeks as the first of the guests moved forward in the now sombre atmosphere. Vespasian and Corvinus joined the queue and waited in respectful silence as plates of poached perch in a cumin sauce were brought out from the villa.
With his time now at a premium, Asiaticus did not waste it on long goodbyes and as Vespasian bent to kiss him the fading ex-Consul looked at him in earnest and clasped his arm. ‘Do as Corvinus asks, Vespasian; with Messalina’s death mine will be avenged and you will have repaid your debt to me.’
‘I will, Asiaticus, you have my word.’ Vespasian placed a kiss on Asiaticus’ cheek as his arm fell back into the blood-red water. With a final nod to the dying man he joined Corvinus waiting for him to walk back to the table together. ‘I gave him my word, so tell me what you want of me.’
‘I need you to speak to Narcissus for me and organise a meeting. I can’t go directly to him because Messalina’s bound to find out. She has spies everywhere — even here, I expect — so the meeting has to be as if by accident, in a crowd. I would suggest that it take place at Plautius’ Ovation in six days’ time; tell him to look out for me on the steps of the Temple of Jupiter.’
‘Why would my asking him make a difference?’
‘He knows how much we hate each other. That’s why, distasteful as it may be to me, Asiaticus advised me to choose you as my messenger; Narcissus will believe it if it’s you who tells him that I won’t stand in his way nor demand revenge if he gets rid of my sister. In fact, I will help him in any way that I can.’ Corvinus grabbed Vespasian’s shoulder and lowered his voice, looking at him intently. ‘Tell him that I know her future plans for the Empire over the next year and they don’t involve Claudius.’
‘And they involve you?’
‘They do but not in the way that I would have wanted them to and certainly not in a way that makes me feel secure. Therefore I’m prepared to divulge them to Narcissus in return for my life when she falls. But in order to ensure her fall you have to do another thing.’
Vespasian removed Corvinus’ hand as the grip became more intense. ‘Go on.’
‘You must talk to Flavia and get her to confide in you everything that she sees and hears whilst she is with Messalina. With a spy that close to my sister we’ll be able to monitor her plans.’
‘Surely you could do that.’
‘I’m not that close to Messalina any more; she only confides in me when she wants me to do something for her. Flavia, however, is very close to her; closer than is natural, and shares more than I ever did or could.’