Aulus shook his head. ‘It doesn’t solve your problem though. There won’t be enough time,’ he sighed.
I ground my teeth in frustration. ‘You’re right. Marcus, you’ll have to go to Bracara Augusta on your own. Take the unit of Praetorians and pick up the monoceros.’
Marcus’ eyes popped. ‘You can’t be serious. Where will you be?’
I ran my fingers along the map. ‘Aulus and I need to go to the mine tomorrow. We’ll then head north-east, hopefully with a guide Silvius can provide, and find the Roman camp. After we find Flavus we’ll meet you back here in Asturica.’
Marcus’ face went red with anger. ‘I’m supposed to be commanding your guard. Who’ll be protecting you?’
Blasius rested his hand on his gladius. ‘I’ll be there. I’m his bodyguard.’
I tried to reassure Marcus. ‘And I’ll take Audax. He might be useful in finding Flavus if the local guide isn’t up to much.’ I turned to Audax. ‘Will Marcus be able to find the northern military road back from Bracara without you?’
He nodded. ‘Yes, it’s not hard to find.’
Marcus shook his head. ‘Sorry, that’s not good enough. You need more than two men to protect you.’
I remembered what Pancratius had said about the mountains being full of bandits. Maybe Marcus had a point. ‘Alright, fine, we’ll take one contubernium of eight men with us. Any more might slow us.’
Marcus gave a heavy sigh. ‘Fine. I suppose we have no choice. I’ll take the men down by the fast southern route and head back with the animal by the northern road – providing I can persuade the veterans of Bracara to hand it over to me.’
I smiled. ‘You’ll find a way to charm them.’
Aulus was less happy. ‘This trip is turning into a lot more than I bargained for. Antonia warned me about this.’
I found Silvius instructing a few soldiers who were sweeping out an unused barracks block. He came out of the barracks when he saw me by the doorway. ‘I think your men will be comfortable enough here. It hasn’t been used in a good while, so there’s a fair amount of dust, but the roof doesn’t leak, and there’s no sign of mice or rats.’
I waved my hand. ‘I’m sure they’ll be fine here. But that isn’t what I was coming to speak to you about.’
Silvius raised his eyebrows. ‘Really, what is it then?’
‘I was hoping you could recommend a local guide, someone who knows the northern Gallaecian mountains,’ I asked him.
Silvius held his chin in thought. ‘One of the auxiliary units may be able to help you. I could ask the legate to assign one of them?’
I shook my head. ‘No need to go to so much trouble. All I need is someone who knows the location of the Roman camp where the Sixth are stationed. The place called Legio.’
Silvius’ eyes lit up. ‘In that case it should be easy. Viviana should be able to take you there. Her village isn’t far from the Roman camp.’
He pointed over at the young woman who’d come to pick up her cousin. She was packing a few things into the saddlebag of a pack mule whilst a very sullen young man stood by her side, head bowed and bottom lip jutting out – presumably the errant younger cousin.
We walked over to the couple, and Silvius asked, ‘Viviana, I have a favour to ask of you.’
She turned her head from the saddlebag she was trying to fasten closed. ‘I always try my best to help Rome, you know that.’ Then she looked at the young boy by her side, ‘Besides, I think I owe you one after you let me take Rafa home. His mother will be pleased.’
The boy crossed his arms in anger and turned his back. It looked as if he hadn’t been completely reconciled to returning to his mother. Viviana ignored him. ‘How can I help?’
I answered for myself. ‘Would you be able to take me to Legio?’
She didn’t turn around. ‘And who are you?’
Silvius gave a cough of embarrassment. ‘Cassius is a full quaestor of Rome.’ He then put emphasis on the next sentence. ‘A very honoured position to hold.’
She raised one eyebrow, although from her demeanour she didn’t seem impressed by my title. ‘So you’re important?’
I crossed my arms over my chest. ‘Let’s just say it’s important that I get to the Roman camp as quickly as possible. A lot may be at stake.’
She looked at me with fierce dark eyes, but there was a soft even tone to her voice. ‘Will it just be you?’
I shook my head. ‘No, I will have my scout, bodyguard, my brother-in-law, and eight soldiers.’
She looked over at my small column of Praetorians in the training yard. ‘Are those your horses?’
I looked over at the large stallions that we’d ridden from Tarraco. ‘Yes, why?’
She turned her attention back to the saddlebag she was trying to fasten. ‘And you’re in a hurry to get there?’
I nodded. ‘Yes, somewhat.’
She managed to pull the fastening tight. ‘Then they’re too large and heavy to make the trip. We’ll need to travel over the mountain paths – those horses will be a liability. That’s why I came on foot. If you want to ride, you’ll need to find yourself a local mount, one used to the mountain paths.’
I shook my head. ‘No need. My scout will probably take his horse, as it will be used to the terrain, but I’ll walk alongside my men.’
She nodded. ‘Even better. Its not far, but the terrain is not easy; it will take us around five days. That alright for you?’
I was relieved. Maybe we would get this mission completed in time. ‘Thank you, that’s perfect. We’ll need to go via a mine to the north-west of here. It’s important for a case I need to adjudicate on.’
Her face darkened. ‘I know the mine you talk of, and I’ll take you there. But I’ll wait outside the perimeter. Those places have a bad feel about them. Too much human misery in one place can seep into the very ground they’re digging in.’
Chapter Eighteen
The next day we travelled to the Paulus brothers’ large opencast mine, a short journey from the city of Asturica Augusta. We bid farewell to Marcus and the rest of the Praetorians before travelling through the foothills of the Gallaecian mountains. During the journey we passed a vast palatial estate, which was a strange sight amongst its surroundings. The rugged countryside wasn’t the place you’d expect to find a large mansion with Doric columns and a well-maintained garden complete with fountains and carved marble statues.
‘This belongs to the owner of the mine,’ explained Viviana, leading her mule.
I rubbed the leather neck lining of the mail shirt I’d borrowed from the Roman camp. It was newly made, stiff and uncomfortable, but still far easier to walk in than my own tribune’s breastplate, which I’d left there. ‘Clearly the mining business pays well.’
Some of the statuary was a little garish, and the abundance of Doric columns wasn’t exactly to my taste, but for sheer grandeur it was hard to surpass. It was even larger than my father’s estate outside Rome and wouldn’t have been out of place on the Pincian Hill back in Rome, a place where many of Rome’s senators built their palatial residences. ‘No wonder Bonifatius wanted to take us there rather than the mine.’
As soon as we approached the mine, Viviana and her young cousin halted and told us that they’d meet us after we’d concluded our business. I bid her farewell and walked down the beaten track to the mine that had been carved into the side of a lone mountain.
The mining works were extensive. The whole mountainside seemed to be crawling with slaves, as they beat against the stone heart of the mountain with iron picks, trying to find the elusive gold thread that made up the valuable seam. Along one side, a tall aqueduct poured water into a series of large wooden water tanks that hung over the cliff face. Underneath, fires were fed by a long stream of slaves, banking the hot fires that were built with logs from the nearby forest.
Aulus gave a gasp. ‘It looks as if the whole mountain is being torn apart.’
I put my hands on my hips, shaking my head. ‘I wasn’t expecting t
o see much more than a big hole in the ground. I had no idea mining was such a huge operation.’
Blasius came up behind me. ‘It looks as if some of the mine’s guards are coming to accompany us.’
I looked to see where he was pointing. Sure enough, a string of warriors dressed in worn mail shirts and mismatched leather armour rode our way. ‘Audax, can you go meet them? They should be expecting us, but explain who we are just in case. I don’t want any misunderstandings.’
Audax nodded and rode off on his horse to meet them. Only Audax had kept his horse, the rest of us were on foot. I’d been pleased that Aulus hadn’t objected to this change in travel arrangements. He was happy with my explanation over the ground not being suitable. Surprisingly, it had been Blasius who objected most to leaving his mount, annoyed that Audax was keeping his horse whilst he’d be forced to walk. I explained the reasoning, but he became quite stubborn about it – in the end I’d just simply ordered him to do as he was told. If we were going to be travelling along mountain paths, I felt more comfortable on my own two feet. I was also happier that all of Germanicus’ gold was going to be protected by Marcus and the main troop of Praetorians. I liked Blasius, but his moods could be trying at times.
Audax rode back with guards at his heels. ‘They want us to follow them. They say it is unsafe to wander off the track here. There are old mineworks that make the ground treacherous.’
I looked at the six guards who rode up behind him. They were a villainous-looking bunch; most were unshaven, filthy with dirt from the mine, with mismatched weapons and armour. The one thing they all carried however was a coiled whip on their belts. It wasn’t hard to imagine what use they had for those whips when the mountainside was full of slaves working the stone. ‘Tell them to lead on then. We will follow them.’
They rode their horses slowly down the track to the open mine. Along the way we passed lines of slaves carrying more wood for the fires being laid at the rock face. Most were strong men, bodies toughened from the endless days of toil in the hot sun. But the whip marks on their backs, and scars from mistreatment, were apparent on their bodies. Few paid us any interest, they just continued in their routine, heads bowed in complete dejection. On the few occasions that I caught the eye of one, I wished I hadn’t – they were vacant and empty, as if the owner had already given up on interest in his life. I’d only seen eyes like that once before, when I’d been tied up and left with the other prisoners after the battle in the Teutoburg. We’d all been expecting to die then. By the look of the slaves here, they’d all come to that same conclusion. We marched behind their guards in silence. Viviana was right; an uneasy feeling pervaded this place.
The guards brought us to an awning that had been erected to keep the heat of the hot sun off the occupants. There we were met by Bonifatius and his lawyer Kanutus, who welcomed us and asked us to join them for a meal they’d prepared under the awning. I insisted on my men being seen to first, given water to drink and to wash the dirt of the road from their faces, before Aulus and I joined them at the lavish table they’d prepared for our coming.
I can’t say I had much of an appetite. It was hard to appreciate finely cooked pork and fowl, served with a variety of rich sauces, when lines of beaten and broken slaves walked not far from where I was reclining on a divan. I picked at my food as best as I could as Bonifatius expanded at length about the will that was in contention between his brother and him. ‘You see, it was just a misunderstanding. My father never wanted the mine to be run by the two of us. He always meant for me to have the controlling share. Isn’t that right, Kanutus?’
His lawyer took a sip of wine and nodded vigorously. ‘The will was laid out in an old-fashioned format, but one in which the sequence of seniority is still clear. You were the intended heir, that much is certain.’
Aulus asked, ‘So the will doesn’t explicitly name Bonifatius as heir?’
Kanutus looked uncomfortable. ‘Well, not explicitly, but the inference is clear.’
I dropped my pigeon leg. ‘I think we need to read the will for ourselves. Can I see a copy?’
Bonifatius had clearly been expecting this. He pulled a wax tablet from under his ample behind. ‘Yes, I have one here. Kanutus can read it out for you.’
I shook my head. ‘No, I’d prefer to read it myself.’
Bonifatius gave a sniff. ‘Very well, if you must.’
He passed the tablet to a house slave, who then ran it over to me. I unfastened the leather bindings and opened up the wax tablets.
The dying wish of a servant to the Republic, the last will of Iohannes Paulus, former tribune to the legions of Spain and owner of several of the largest gold mines of Gallaecia.
I have lived a very long and virtuous life, providing much gold and wealth to our Republic in the process.
I skimmed over the next bit, as he just listed the many accomplishments in his life. It seemed that their father, Iohannes Paulus, had a successful military career, which had seen him rewarded by gaining vast stretches of land in the Gallaecian mountains. He’d then set to mining these mountains, finding them rich with gold, and his business had prospered as a result.
For this, the gods have blessed me with two sons that any man would be proud of. They, like me, served with distinction in the legions and now can fulfil their role in procuring more gold for our Roman Republic. As that is our family’s only aim in life, to enrich our benefactor Augustus Caesar, under whose tutelage our mighty Republic prospers.
He was laying it on a bit thick when it came to the supposed benevolence of their family. They’d clearly enriched themselves greatly in the whole process. Finally, I got to the bit about who was to run the mine.
Both my sons have different virtues. Bonifatius is a great organiser and administrator. I am sure this will serve him well when looking after my mines. Cadmus is equally talented, but in a different way. He is very resourceful and inventive. It is my wish that they both use their talents to further our family’s prospects. Thus, jointly, Bonifatius can be aided by his brother Cadmus and together forge a successful partnership.
I gave a murmur of understanding as I read this. ‘It seems quite clear to me, your father wanted you two to run it together.’
Bonifatius reached for another helping of pork. ‘That’s what Cadmus and I first thought when we read it, but we were wrong.’
I passed the tablet to Aulus, so he could read it too. ‘Wrong? How?’
Kanutus explained for his master. ‘Even though the will states that they should run the mines together, he lists Bonifatius first, and says that Cadmus can aid him. It is clear that he meant for Bonifatius to be the heir and Cadmus to support him in his role as head of the family.’
Well, that was certainly one interpretation, but I thought it a bit weak myself. ‘What do you think, Aulus?’
Aulus finished reading the tablets. ‘Hmmm … I’m not sure. It is true that the format of any will normally lists the heirs in order of preference. And Bonifatius is named first.’
Bonifatius looked pleased with himself. ‘Well, there you go then!’
Aulus shook his head. ‘But he then clearly states that he wanted you two to run it in a partnership. That can’t be ignored.’
Kanutus shook his head. ‘His order of preference is stated first, and that invalidates the later statement.’
Aulus narrowed his eyes and looked at the other lawyer. ‘If that further statement is invalidated, then the whole will is under question.’
Kanutus gave a sickly smile. ‘If the will is invalidated, then the order of inheritance should follow the laws of intestacy.’
Aulus sat back on his divan, the awareness of their angle finally becoming clear. ‘The laws of intestacy, whereby when no will is given, state that the heir to the father’s estate, providing he hasn’t been disinherited or otherwise barred, should be the eldest son.’
Bonifatius gave a big smile and bit off a chunk from a chicken leg. ‘Exactly, and that’s me.’
The
two of them had clearly thought this through. Either they prove that the will supported the elder brother’s case, or they argue that the will is completely invalidated. Either way, the mine would end up going to Bonifatius as he was the eldest son. I wasn’t going to let him get his way quite so easily, however. ‘I think, before I make a ruling, I need to speak to the other brother. Where is Cadmus?’
Bonifatius gave a long sigh. ‘My brother Cadmus spends little of his time where he should be these days. It isn’t often we see him here at the main mine. He is far out in the mountains, at one of our exploratory digs. Further in, there is gold to be found, but you can’t get at it through an opencast.’
This piqued my interest. ‘So what’s the alternative?’
Bonifatius heaved himself up from his divan and sat up straighter. ‘Deep vein mining. It isn’t an easy process. We need to dig tunnels deep into the heart of the mountain. I’ve told him it’s a fool’s errand. It takes up too much of our resources for too little reward. But he’s convinced a fortune can be found.’
I gave a nod. ‘Does he hope this will make up for the drop in revenue from this mine? I heard returns were down.’
This remark got Bonifatius animated. He stood up from his divan and started walking up and down. ‘Gold returns might be down, but that’s not my fault. I can’t get the slaves I need, and the ones I can get are being wasted on Cadmus’ experimental mines. I told you, he’s wasteful of our resources!’
I looked out onto the long line of slaves marching towards the rock face. ‘You seem well manned here.’
He looked at me as if I was a complete fool. ‘I’m running here on only two-thirds capacity. In my father’s time we had double shifts so we could work them through the night.’ He folded his arms behind his back as he paced. ‘I can’t get the strong Germans I need to break down the cliff face. Give me a good strong German any day. They work all day without ever tiring. But no more slaves are coming from that province. There has been some sort of military setback. Were you aware of that?’
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