‘That’s easy enough.’
‘There is one exception, though.’
Tatianus eyed Magnus across the table. ‘And that is you, I suppose.’
‘Indeed, Tatianus. You will bring me anything I ask for – except for a Scorpion of course – because I’ll be able to get it into the city without the authorities finding out.’
‘And how’s that?’
‘That’s what tame senators are for.’
Tatianus looked down at his strongbox and then pushed it across the table to Magnus. ‘You have a deal. One thousand denarii paid in gold.’
Magnus opened the lid and counted the coinage. ‘Fifty aurei, very nice, Tatianus. Servius, give the gentleman his jar back.’
Servius leant down and produced the jar from under the table; Tatianus took it greedily and then pulled the top off. ‘It’s empty!’ His eyes squinted accusingly.
Magnus shrugged and leant back in his chair. ‘Of course it is. The deal was for me to give you back the jar; I made no promise as to whether or not the contents would still be in it, did I? It’s just such a pity for you that you took it for granted that it would be. Sempronius has that, or at least, he had it smeared over his roof beams until someone carelessly dropped a flaming rag on them. Now he’s just got a gutted shell of a building which is going to cost him a lot more than the thousand denarii he stole from me if the Urban Prefect ever lets him go.’
‘You fire-raising bastard!’
Magnus’ smile got nowhere near his eyes. ‘I may well have kept enough of the River-god’s fire to prove that statement right on your house, Tatianus. As you said, I am known for my arsonistic tendencies. You can go.’
Tatianus picked up the jar and hurled it across the room to shatter on the far wall. Without a word he turned and stalked out.
‘I’ll call for you when I need you,’ Magnus shouted after him. ‘I much prefer doing business here, on my terms.’ Magnus grunted with satisfaction as he listened to Tatianus stomp down the corridor. He tipped the fifty aurei onto the table and then looked at Servius. ‘Fifty aurei from him and fifty-one from Philo; it would seem, brother, that we’re one aureus up on the deal.’
‘I’ll record that in my ledgers.’
‘You do that, brother; and meanwhile I’ll try and work out another way of getting into Tatianus’ strongroom without using a Scorpion.’