Balbinus’ shoulders drooped as he finally met John’s gaze directly. “There are times when family responsibilities outweigh one’s civic duties, do you not agree?” he began hesitantly.
“You may have to debate that statement with Justinian. I am not here to argue points of philosophy. What is the truth concerning your nephew Castor-or should I say the man you call your nephew?”
“So far as I’m concerned, Castor is my nephew,” Balbinus replied with a defeated look in his eyes. “I’ve always considered him such and so have done my best to help him.”
“Then you confirm Castor is not, in fact, your nephew?”
Balbinus nodded wordlessly.
“I see,” John said. “He is, however, a great maker of notes, leading the reader to suspect that his is a lineage of Ostrogoth rulers.”
Balbinus emitted a massive sigh. “Castor! That’s just like him! How careless can a man become? At least he doesn’t have his father’s wild streak nor his eye for the ladies-and always other men’s ladies at that.”
He helped himself to wine from the green flask that sat on the table beneath the fresco depicting the judgment of Paris and drained his goblet, seeking courage from it.
“Concerning my older brother Bassus, Castor’s father,” he continued, his normally hearty, booming voice subdued. “As you know, the great Theodoric, who became king of the Ostrogoths, was a guest of the emperor just as his great-grandchildren are today. Or at least, as the surviving twin still is. A very sad business, that, Lord Chamberlain. At any rate, it has been over half a century now since Theodoric finally left Constantinople to return home.”
He was silent, staring at the fresco, no doubt imagining a more recent past than that depicted there, and then filled his goblet again. “Theodoric was eighteen when he went back, Lord Chamberlain. A man. So it will hardly surprise you to know that he fathered a son during his time here.”
“That would be Bassus?” John said immediately.
“Yes. Bassus was the product of a very unfortunate dalliance. It happened during the reign of Emperor Leo, ten years before I was born. Soon after Theodoric returned to his home land, it became apparent he’d left behind a woman pregnant with his child. That the child would be a bastard was of little consequence, since Theodoric himself was also one. However, it was expected that he would appoint his first born son to succeed him so it was decided that my family would unofficially adopt the royal bastard and raise him, knowing it was entirely possible that eventually he would be called upon to rule in the west.”
John made no reply.
Emboldened by the wine, Balbinus continued. “I have been told that the story put about at the time was that my mother was experiencing a very difficult pregnancy, which took her to one of our country estates for an extended period for the sake of her health. Thus when she returned with a newborn child, it was not remarked. No doubt Theodoric’s mistress developed some sort of similar affliction and left court for a while in order to keep the child’s existence from public knowledge.”
“In that she was certainly successful,” John commented, thinking that Justinian must surely have known about the affair. Since it was obvious that an unknown heir to Theodoric’s throne touched upon his orders regarding the safety of Sunilda, it seemed extremely odd that the emperor would have kept such a secret from him. Yet, he reminded himself, it was fruitless to question Justinian’s withholding of important information. He was fortunate in that he could, and would, continue to interrogate Balbinus.
“Bassus did not live long enough to go to Italy,” Balbinus confirmed in response to John’s questioning. “He died young and in rather odd circumstances. It troubles me to say this of the man I still regard as my older brother but Bassus was a foolish and dissolute young man. He did not, I fear, bring honor to the family name for he too fathered a bastard, though it grieves me to term my nephew so.”
“Therefore Castor is Theodoric’s grandson and heir to the kingship,” John remarked quietly.
“As you say, Lord Chamberlain.” Balbinus took another hearty swallow of wine.
“Why didn’t Castor come forward when Theodoric died? He could have claimed the kingdom rather than allowing it to be ruled by his aunt Amalasuntha.”
Balbinus shook his head in puzzlement. “Possibly Castor did not desire to rule? After all, not all men lust for power. Perhaps Justinian did not wish it. Who can say? Castor has never been an ambitious sort of person. He’s more of a dreamer, a scholar. Then there is the manner in which his father had died. Perhaps that made him very cautious about revealing their relationship.”
“Under odd circumstances, you said?”
“Even for this city, Lord Chamberlain. Now it’s true enough that soft young aristocrats who frequent places where they do not belong will often find themselves embroiled in deadly brawls. But drunken louts do not usually insert a blade quite so deftly between a man’s ribs and then disappear down an alley in the wink of an eye while everyone in the immediate vicinity is immediately struck blind, even the young woman who enticed the dead man down that very same dark byway. It was fully investigated and a huge reward offered for information, of course, but despite that the culprit was never caught. Not but what it might have been only a fortunate blow, as you might say. Yet, given his lineage….”
“A fascinating history indeed, Balbinus. However, more importantly, where is Castor now?”
Balbinus looked down into the remaining wine in his goblet, studying it for an answer. “I will not reveal that, Lord Chamberlain,” was his surprising answer. “Except to tell you that he has fled to a monastery. He intends to live out his days in obscurity so that they may be longer than otherwise.”
He set the goblet gently down on the table. “He arrived here in a state of terror the morning after Zeno’s banquet and asked for my help. He didn’t explain the particulars of his predicament nor did I ask for any. Often it’s often best to know nothing. I couldn’t refuse him assistance, but there were certain arrangements to be made before he could be on his way to safety. That was why I didn’t reveal anything to Anatolius. As I suggested to you earlier, Lord Chamberlain, there are times when family responsibilities outweigh one’s civic duties, although I do not expect you to agree with me about that.” He paused. “I intended to inform you about this in a day or so.”
John did not reply. He was certain that Balbinus had not intended to do any such thing, but he also had no doubt that the senator had not questioned his nephew further about the reasons for his flight. In fact, there would have been no need. There were only two people in the empire who might frighten a very rich man like Castor so much that he would panic and go immediately into self-exile. Given the obvious origin of the threat, the circumstances were immaterial.
Balbinus filled the silence with another nervous burst of conversation. “Surely you don’t suppose he is your murderer? It’s been thirteen years since Theodoric died. The grandson he appointed to succeed him died a few years ago and although the boy’s mother had been ruling as regent, she’s now dead as well. As you just pointed out, Castor could have advanced his own claim long ago if he’d wished to do so.”
He gave a grim laugh. “I seem to be speaking of my nephew in the past tense, Lord Chamberlain,” he continued, “as if he were dead rather than merely gone to a monastery. Are you certain you won’t have some of this wine? After the third go around it starts to taste as if it’s Falernian.” He tipped the decanter over his goblet again.
“And the identity of Castor’s mother?”
“I don’t know,” Balbinus replied shortly. “However, thanks to Bassus’ royal blood, Emperor Leo aided my family in setting up suitable financial arrangements for him. Fortuitously enough, at just the critical time, some poor fellows apparently failed to validate their wills correctly in just the sort of oversight one sees happening more and more these days. So although their original heirs found themselves without some very attractive holdings, Bassus suddenly gained a house here in the city and an estate on the other side of the Marmara as well as the one next door to Zeno. Of course, Castor inherited them in due course but apart from the estate where he lives, the original properties have long since been sold at very handsome profits.”