I shook my head. “No! I don’t know about the others, but I am sure that Burrus didn’t kill his centurion, richly as the man deserved it, and I won’t allow him to be punished for it.”
“Then you have a very large task,” Carbo said. “It is more than just saving Burrus. These men want their honor back, and if that contubernium is not to be executed, you must give them something better.”
As he spoke these words, the officer’s call sounded and we passed within. Next to Caesar’s tent I saw Molon standing beside some chests and bales; the belongings of the late Titus Vinius. And on top of the heap sat Freda, looking as disdainful as always.
“Gentlemen, I must be brief,” Caesar began. “I need every hour of daylight I can get to ride to Italy. This sorry business has already cost me half the day. Treasurer, your report.”
The legion’s treasurer was an optio chosen for his excellent memory, good penmanship, and a head for figures.
“Titus Vinius never married, had no children and never informed me of any family. He left behind no will. Therefore, according to custom, the Proconsul is executor of his estate until a family member comes forward to make a claim. Word will be sent to the steward of his Italian estate, who will presumably inform the family, if any. He paid regularly into the funeral fund and this, along with a generous contribution by the Proconsul, will pay for a fine gravestone. Massilia has excellent Greek stonecavers and a monument will be commissioned immediately.
“The aforementioned steward visited Titus Vinius twice each year and at those times the First Spear made his banking arrangements, presumably with an Italian banker. He kept at all times a balance of one thousand sesterces with the legion bank.” This was a tidy if not a princely sum. A senior centurion could be a modestly wealthy man, what with pay, loot, and bribes.
“Very well, Treasurer. Gentlemen, I hereby take charge of the movable goods of the late Titus Vinius. They shall stay here in the praetorium while Decius Caecilius Metellus conducts his investigation. There remains his ambulatory property: his livestock and his slaves. His horse and pack mules will stay with the pack train animals for now. That leaves his slaves. Accommodation must be found for them and I have a full staff.”
Slowly, every head turned until we were all staring at Freda, who ignored us.
“Actually,” Labienus said, “I have room in my tent. .”
“You know, I could use a cook. .” and so on. Everyone found that he had room for just one more slave. Everyone except my cousin Lumpy. Maybe the family rumors about him were true.
“Recall, gentlemen, that Molon goes with her.” Even that dismal prospect did not slow down the offers of accommodation. Caesar silenced everyone with a wave and a look of utterly malicious humor came over his face.
“Decius, you may have them.” Instantly, every man in the meeting was glaring at me, even my old friend Carbo. This was perfect. Now everybody but the Gauls hated me.
“And now, gentlemen, I must ride. I shall take only a small escort of cavalry. I intend to be back here, with our reinforcements, in no more than ten days.”
“Is that possible?” asked Labienus, incredulous.
“If not, I intend to make it so,” Caesar said with that confidence of which only he was capable. It was a trick he knew how to use well. He could almost convince even me that the gods were truly on his side. “You are dismissed. Decius Caecilius, stay here.”
The others left as the small cavalry escort arrived. I was glad to see that Lovernius and my ala were not among them. I needed friends at that moment.
“Decius,” Caesar began, “I cannot impress upon you too strongly just how much I depend upon you to solve this murder. Even with the reinforcements my army will still be very small. I need the Tenth! And I must have it in top fighting order, not weakened by suspicion and dishonor and fear of evil omens.”
“Caesar, Vinius was a prodigious wretch. There are six thousand suspects within these walls.”
He waved it aside with a gesture. “Men do not achieve the centurionate by being mild. Nobody loves a centurion. But they are seldom murdered. You must find the murderers for me, Decius. If you do not, I will be compelled to execute Burrus and the others, guilty or not. This war is about to commence and there will be no time for niceties.” A Gaul led up his horse and boosted him into the saddle.
“A moment, Caius Julius,” I said.
“Yes?”
“Why did you give me that woman?”
He sat there for a moment, savoring his peculiar jest. “First of all, you deserve something for the misery you are going to endure. Then again, the man who has her will have the jealous resentment of the others and all my other officers are more valuable than you. I would as soon their efficiency not be impaired. But most of all, Decius, someday you may be very valuable to me and I will be able to hold this over your head.”
I knew exactly what he meant. I was betrothed to his niece, Julia, and she would never forgive me for having owned this woman.
“Caius Julius,” I said bitterly, “you are an Etruscan punishment-demon in human form!”
Caesar rode off laughing.
7
I faced, quite probably, the most demanding task of a decidedly checkered career. In Rome I would have known where to begin, but here I was in all but alien territory. Not only was I not in Rome, I was in a legionary camp, and that camp was in Gaul, and Gaul was in a state of war. All of these were distracting circumstances. Before I could even begin, I had to regain my equanimity. I needed to speak with the only sane, sensible people in the camp. I decided to call upon my Gauls.
Before I could do that, though, I had to make some domestic arrangements. I went to the heap of Vinius’s belongings. Molon wore a nervous grin and Freda studied me as if I were some sort of odd new bug.
“You both understand that you belong to me now?”
Molon nodded vigorously. “Yes! I am very glad to be your property, sir!”
“How about you?” I asked Freda.
She shrugged. “One Roman is much like another.”
I did not appreciate being likened to Titus Vinius, but I let it pass. “You,” I said to Molon, “are to lay out your former master’s belongings over there by the desk. I want to make a complete inventory this afternoon. You,” I said to Freda, “are to go to my tent and busy yourself there; clean up or whatever it was you did for Titus Vinius when he was away. My boy Hermes is there now. If he tries to lay hands on you, you may beat him.”
She stepped down from her perch and walked past me without a glance or another word. I could not restrain myself from following her with my eyes. What a view she presented.
“Did she act this way toward Titus Vinius?” I asked Molon. “He struck me as a man who had a short way with insolent menials.”
“She’s not your typical menial, sir,” Molon said. “And she has, if you’ll forgive me, an unerring eye for men’s weaknesses. I think she’s already sized you up.”
“Thinks I am a man who will put up with anything, eh? Well, she shall learn otherwise.” I pulled the tunic away from Molon’s hunched shoulder. It was almost black with bruises. “I am not a centurion, so I do not carry a vinestock. I beat slaves only for the most serious infractions, but then I am merciless. Let us establish our relationship in this manner: See to it that you please me, or I shall sell you to a less easygoing master, and almost anyone in the world is less easygoing than I am.”
“Oh, believe me, sir, I want to remain with you! But then,” that crafty gleam came into his eye, “are you sure you can sell me? A relative of Titus Vinius might show up sometime and claim me.”