Liscus spoke first, addressing Fronto.
“Legate, your fears may be well-founded, but a little misplaced. Divitiacus is as loyal to our alliance as any man I know.”
The other chieftain nodded vigorously, sweat still pouring from his face.
“It is his brother that is now in doubt. Dumnorix has long been a wealthy man and coveted power among the Aedui. His purse has grown fat from taxes gathered and contracts won by the fear that he instils in the lowest people. Not only this, but he has won the heart and mind of many a well-placed man through gifts and flattery. I had not realised how far his ambitions reached, but now it is all too clear.”
Fronto frowned.
“Dumnorix. I know that name.” He cradled his chin in one hand as his mind stretched back over the last few weeks, trying to picture Dumnorix and where they had met.
Divitiacus spoke for the first time, his voice still croaky and scratched; his Latin shaky at best.
“General, I not want to tell this. Dumnorix my brother. Family. I am in shame for him, but he still my brother.”
Caesar nodded gravely.
“Go on. Tell me about your brother.”
“He wealthy and people like him. He have horsemen. His own horsemen. Plenty horsemen. He influence more than Aedui. Other tribes like him. Bituriges like him. He related to them now because of mother. His wife from Helvetii so he like them. He hate Romans for getting in way, and for making me more powerful than him. He think if Romans leave, Helvetii help him be lord of all Aedui. He think if Romans win, he become nothing.”
Liscus stared at him.
“How long were you thinking of keeping this from me? This man wants to replace me!”
Divitiacus lowered his head in shame.
Caesar looked at Fronto.
“Legate, you’ve heard of this Dumnorix?”
Fronto looked up from his reflection. Understanding dawned on him, and he looked at Liscus for confirmation.
“Dumnorix is the man in charge of our allied cavalry contingent, isn’t he?”
Liscus nodded.
Fronto turned back to Caesar.
“I think that the mystery of our over-eager cavalry has been solved. Dumnorix must be the man who gave the orders for both the suicidal charge and for the assassination.”
Caesar nodded sadly.
“I think, gentlemen, that this Dumnorix had better present himself unarmed to the camp provosts for investigation and possible trial. See to it, Fronto.”
Fronto smiled a cold and vicious smile.
“Yes sir!”
Liscus stood hurriedly, holding out both his hands in a placating gesture.
“Please. Dumnorix has wronged you, yes, but he has also wronged us and the whole of the Aedui people. If you will allow us to prosecute him, I will immediately arrange for the corn supplies to be delivered to your men.”
Caesar frowned at the chieftain.
“You think to bargain by promising again what was already promised? Dumnorix should stand trial under Roman law.”
“I meant no insult, Caesar. We would not ask to try one of your men. We trust enough in your justice for that. Please trust in the Aedui to try our own.”
Caesar sat for long moments. He looked at Fronto, who nodded reluctantly.
“Very well. You may take Dumnorix and try him, but when judgement is called for, Romans, including myself and the legate here, will make up half of the jury in redress for the wrongs he has done us. I trust that is acceptable?”
Liscus nodded.
“That is fair, Caesar.”
Divitiacus once more stood and approached Caesar.
“Caesar. I long respect Rome. Want to be friend of Rome. But want brother to live. Romans often kill in punishment. Please not kill Dumnorix.”
Fronto suddenly straightened up and approached Caesar’s chair. Leaning down, he whispered in the General’s ear.
“Sir, if we can arrange to let him go with suitable lesser punishments, we can have him watched. There’s bound to be more of them than just him, and this could be our perfect chance to sniff them out. If he dies, any information he has dies with him.”
Caesar nodded.
“Divitiacus, I am not predisposed to be generous or even lenient to a man who has wronged us as your brother has. However, it is important that you control and be seen to control your own people. Very well. We will not ask for the death penalty at the trial.”
Liscus bowed.
“Very well Caesar. We will apprehend Dumnorix and arrange everything. As soon as it is organised, we will send a messenger to you.”
Divitiacus also bowed, and the pair of them collected their weapons and waited for the servant to lift the tent flap before exiting.
As soon as they were alone, Caesar smiled at his legate.
“Very good, Marcus. We can both win on this. Rome gets a trial for treason that will help us root out any other dissenters and bind the Aedui ever closer to our cause. In return I feel I can safely grant you your request to deal with the assassin personally.”
Fronto grinned and made to rise as Caesar continued.
“I will, however, impose a couple of restrictions myself. I will not, as I said, countenance any of my senior staff officers endangering themselves needlessly. Should you entertain a one-on-one fight with the man, I will have archers stationed discretely. He will not leave the field alive, and you will not be allowed to die.”
Fronto opened his mouth to object, but Caesar gave him no time.
“I absolutely refuse any alternative. I am not unmanning you Marcus. If you beat him, it will be legitimately, but if he gets the best of you, I will not lose you.”
After a moment, Fronto nodded.
“Also, this has to be a major exercise in morale-boosting. Despite what Liscus said, I suspect the corn will be a few days late for the troops, and we will need them to be in high morale to deal with a couple of days of relative hunger. Let the officers know that the corn is imminent, and make sure they inform the men.”
Fronto grinned again.
“Yes indeed sir. What do you mean by ‘major exercise in morale-boosting’, though? Am I to be preceded by acrobats and dancing girls, sir?”
“Don’t be needlessly facetious, Fronto. I mean that this is to be a real show. Detail your engineers to raise an arena in one of the hollows around here. It needs to be as close to a true amphitheatre as we can manage with the meagre supplies available to us. I want it to be able to seat up to fifty thousand, so it’s a big job.”
Fronto staggered back into his chair.
“Fifty thousand? That’s three times as big as the one back home! You actually want to seat the whole army to watch us?”
Caesar smiled a warming smile.
”I think it’s absolutely essential, don’t you? The whole army will be talking about it for months anyway. Let’s make sure they’ve all seen it. And I want as many of our Aedui allies as we can manage watching it too. Might do a lot of good to put a bit more fear and respect in them. See to it.”
Fronto sat staring blankly at the tent wall, repeatedly muttering ‘Fifty thousand’ and ‘three times bigger’.
Caesar watched him a minute longer and finally spoke.
“Legate, are you alright?”
Fronto snapped out of his mental reverie.
“Sir? Oh, yes sir. It’s just a bit of a tall order. And a bit of pressure on me, sir.”
Caesar smiled again.
“This is what you wanted, Marcus, isn’t it?”
Fronto grinned.
“Oh yes. Don’t worry sir. I’ll turn him into joints of meat. I’m just not looking forward to what young Pomponius is going to say when I tell him what he’s got to do.”
Caesar nodded.
“I understand, but you don’t have to rush particularly.”
“Sir?”
“We’ve stopped chasing the Helvetii for a moment. One of Longinus’ scouts reported to me this morning that the Helvetii have stopped moving and are making camp about eight miles from here. The time might now have come to scratch our collective itch. We’ll be here for a few days. Tell your engineer he can draw labour from all six legions, so long as he has the arena ready the day after tomorrow. With our current supplies and manpower he should be able to work reasonably at leisure in that time.”