Aquila Et Noctua

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Aquila Et Noctua Page 22

by P J Mann


  “I'd like to bring Saul back home right now if you think it convenient,” said Marcus Tiberius, looking at Julius.

  “As a physician, I'd prefer to keep him here another day. As a slave, I obey at your will, Marcus Tiberius,” he replied diplomatically.

  “I will listen to the doctor, and I will, in the meantime, talk to Claudia. I want to know all the details regarding my son missing,” he added, turning his back to the two slaves.

  Chapter 18.

  Marcus Tiberius left Julius’ ambulatory at the sixth hour of the day. Immersed in his thoughts, he walked to his son's house, afraid that the only son the gods had given him was dead.

  Flavius was the most precious thing in his life. They’d had arguments and divergences, but he was proud of the man he had become.

  As he passed the Temple of Minerva, he stood still, looking at the building and feeling thankful for the gift of Flavius. He felt hopeless to know that the gods who gave him such a great gift, could also take it away.

  He raised his eyes to the sky and pleaded.

  “Bring my son back; he is still so young and dear to me.”

  The gods remained silent, so he shook his head and continued his journey. At his son’s house, he hesitated at the big wooden door before knocking.

  “Bring me to your mistress,” he ordered the slave who opened the door.

  “Who should I announce?” he asked, confusion etched on his young face.

  “Bring me to her. I am Marcus Tiberius Numida, and your Master is my son,” he thundered.

  “Of course, Master,” he said, guiding him to Claudia in the garden. “Mistress, please forgive me…” the slave apologized as Marcus Tiberius came in front of her.

  “Disappear, slave. Leave us alone,” she said.

  “You don’t need this aggressive intrusion into my house to see me. You know you are the most welcome person.”

  “I’m sorry. I need to talk to Flavius. Where is he?” He pretended he didn’t know anything about him and Saul.

  “I-Marcus, your son hasn’t returned from his journey. I am worried, too.” She feigned desperation and brought her hands to her mouth.

  Marcus Tiberius regretted barging into her house. Maybe she didn’t want anyone to worry before she was sure of what happened to Flavius.

  “Claudia, why haven’t you told us anything? We would have helped you.”

  “Marcus, believe me, I wanted to, but how could I tell you that your son is missing? I know I should have. I felt like if I told you…I don’t know, I am so frightened.” She turned her shoulders to him. “Moreover, I was threatened. A few days ago, I received a message that Flavius had been kidnapped and a ransom was asked for his release. I paid for it, and they assured me that, by tomorrow, Flavius will be back home. I had to wait until then to alert you and Flaminia.” She dabbed her eyes. “I didn’t want to scare you as well. I know I might have acted foolishly, but it was the only way I could see to get Flavius back. I’m sorry.”

  Marcus Tiberius remained standing, unable to speak. Flavius was traveling with three slaves, and he knew to keep a low profile. How could this happen?

  “Claudia, this sounds impossible. Who are those people, and what was the real reason for them to kidnap Flavius? I don’t believe the story of the ransom. To ask for it, they would have known beforehand who he was. Those people should have known him very well to know of his family, his wealth, and his social position. They must have followed him since the beginning of his trip. I can’t believe they picked a random person for money. There must have been another reason,” he said, trying to make sense of the story.

  Claudia looked at him, afraid. She should have led him to a different conclusion, or her plan would miserably fail. She would have a hard time explaining that everything was set up to get revenge on Saul.

  She tried to explain, “A Roman citizen traveling with three slaves is not a plebeian. Besides, his slaves wore collars bearing his name; it would have been easy for them to know about his family. I don’t know if he had enemies in Rome who had an interest in keeping him away. Marcus Tiberius, this sounds much too elaborate, and besides, he has no enemies; he is not a politician. He is just a lawyer. It doesn’t make any sense.”

  “How about Saul? Is he with my son?” he asked.

  “No, he was sick when Flavius left, so Dionysius went instead of him.”

  “Can I see him? I might need him for some translations.”

  “He…well, he had an accident last night, and now he is in Julius’ ambulatory to recover. It seems the gods are against us all,” she replied, hiding her face in her hands.

  Marcus Tiberius tested her. “I’m going there, then I will bring him home with me,” he said as he stalked toward the entrance.

  “But…you can’t.”

  “I need it; I take it. This is the deal between Flavius and me,” he replied, opening the door.

  Flavius looked around his prison. His captors stood outside, arguing. He could not hear what they were discussing, but he would have given anything to understand what was going on, who these men were, and what they wanted from him.

  He couldn’t say whether they had kept him prisoner for one day, one week, or one month. The only certainty was that they could kill him as they had his slaves.

  The door opened abruptly, and the two men came inside the house wearing scarves to hide their faces.

  “Tomorrow, you are going to join your family. They paid the ransom, and we don’t have any interest in keeping you. Your presence has annoyed us enough,” one of them said, closing the door behind him.

  Flavius remained speechless. He was going to be free again, returned to his family, and loved ones. It seemed like a dream from which he didn’t want to wake up.

  One man offered dried meat and water to Flavius.

  “This is going to be your last meal here, so enjoy it,” he said, chuckling.

  Flavius couldn’t believe that, soon, he would be eating a proper meal with his family. He wanted to reject that lousy food, but he knew he might have regretted that decision, so in silence, he started to eat.

  That night, sleep evaded Marcus Tiberius. He thought about the story of the kidnapping of his son, Saul’s accident, and all the details that didn’t fit one with the other. He wanted to tell Flaminia, but he would cause her unnecessary pain.

  Needing someone to talk to, he called for Rufus.

  “What’s bothering you, Master?” he asked.

  “Many things about what happened today do not make sense. My son is missing, kidnapped by strangers who have been threatening Claudia over the past two weeks. She kept everything for herself. Meanwhile, someone intruded in their house and blinded Saul, injuring him irreversibly. If it weren't for his insistence and the slave’s disobedience to Claudia, I would still be in the dark. I can’t understand her behavior. Why did she act like that? Do you know something? I think that the two events are connected somehow, and the same people who kidnapped my son injured Saul. Do you think it is an absurd thought?” he asked.

  Rufus remained silent for several moments, then said, “I have to say that it sounds like a bizarre coincidence. At the same time as your son was kidnapped, Saul, his favorite slave, the one he cares about over anything else, was attacked. Are you suspecting a conspiracy? What do you intend to do?”

  Marcus Tiberius shook his head, pacing the room.

  “I don’t know what to think, but I would give anything to know who injured Saul. I am not going to let this slip away like nothing ever happened. I will get justice for my slave, of that you can be sure, but I need more details from Saul. I am afraid he is hiding something. He must remember more than he declares, and I am going to get the truth out of his mouth in one way or another.”

  “Master, don’t get upset with Saul. He is the one who asked for your protection,” Rufus said, trying to calm his Master.

  Marcus Tiberius sighed. “Maybe I am tired. Come with me; we’re going to get Saul from Julius’ ambulatory. I know I wo
n’t find any peace until he is safe in my house.” You can take care of him.”

  Rufus followed him. After the recent events, he feared that Saul’s life could be in danger.

  In the middle of the night, at the light of their oil lamps, they walked to Julius’ ambulatory. The lights that filtered through the curtains on the windows and door revealed that Julius was still there, together with Saul.

  As they entered the ambulatory, Julius greeted him, “Marcus Tiberius, I wasn't expecting to see you at this time of the night. I thought I would see you again tomorrow morning.”

  “This is Rufus. He is a physician as well. Please instruct him about Saul’s condition, then we are taking my slave home,” Marcus Tiberius ordered.

  “Of course. Come, Rufus. I'll show you your new patient,” Julius said, guiding him to the backroom, where Saul slept.

  “According to him, the pain is subsiding, and I am sure there is not much more to do. I could forestall the risk for infection, and by keeping his wounds clean, we can hope in a fast recovery. However, concerning his sight, I suspect it is entirely lost. You can remove the bandages whenever you consider appropriate, but the treatment to heal the wounds should be continued for seven to ten days.”

  “Of course,” Rufus nodded thoughtfully, as he glanced Saul sleeping. “Let’s wake him up so we can get our rest. It is late.”

  Julius sat on the bed beside Saul and gently shook him. “Wake up, Saul.”

  “What? Is it already morning?” Saul whispered groggily.

  “No, but Marcus Tiberius came to take you home.”

  “Marcus?” He tried to sit up on the bed.

  Rufus helped Saul. “Grab my hand. I'll guide you to him.”

  Marcus Tiberius waited in the ambulatory, unable to get his mind off the events of the previous days, when the three slaves returned from the back room.

  “Ready to go?” he asked.

  Julius said, “Yes, your slave is ready. Take care of Saul, Marcus Tiberius,”

  “I will, Julius,” Marcus Tiberius assured him, holding the still sleepy Saul by the shoulders. Without another word, they left for home.

  It was the second hour of the night when they reached the working room of Marcus Tiberius.

  “Rufus, you are dismissed to go to your bed. I will remain here with Saul. I need to talk to him,”

  “Master, why did you need to talk to me so urgently?” Saul asked.

  “Because maybe you lied to me, or perhaps you told me only part of the truth. In any case, I am ready to remain here until I am satisfied with your version of what happened the night you were assaulted,” Marcus Tiberius replied, parting from him.

  “I don’t understand. I haven’t lied to you,” Saul hesitated.

  “So, won’t you tell me again from the beginning, what happened?”

  “I don’t know what you mean. It was nighttime, and everybody was sleeping. Your son assigned me the room beside the one where he sleeps with Claudia. I heard noises coming from the patio,” he said, lowering his head. “I stood up, trying to understand what it could be, and suddenly, I was grabbed by someone. I tried to get free, but there was more than one person, and in the commotion, my eyes were wounded.”

  Marcus Tiberius looked at him with skepticism. “Why just you?”

  “I-I don’t know,” Saul mumbled as his voice shook.

  “If you were sleeping in the room next to Claudia, why didn’t she wake up? There must have been enough commotion to awaken Claudia and alert the other slaves. Why didn’t anyone hear anything?” Marcus Tiberius pursued.

  “I don’t know, Master. Maybe she heard, and she felt scared, so she remained hidden. She was alone in the house, without her husband to protect her,” Saul tried to reason.

  Marcus Tiberius was not convinced. “This was a detail the intruders might not have known; however, she wasn’t alone. All the slaves could have protected her, and this would not have happened to you.” He held Saul by the shoulders. “How many people attacked you? Do you remember anything in particular about them?”

  “I think there were three. However, I can’t be sure. It was too dark to see them,” his voice quavered.

  Marcus Tiberius observed Saul. He looked nervous, too nervous for someone who had nothing to hide. Obviously, Saul was making up the entire story to cover the real events, but why?

  Losing his patience, Marcus Tiberius walked closer to Saul and slapped him hard across the cheek.

  “Again, you are lying to me,” he thundered.

  Saul shook his head. “Master…” he tried to say, but Marcus Tiberius struck him with more violence. “I am tired of hearing the same lies. Who did this to you?”

  “It will not bring my sight back!” Saul yelled, crying.

  Marcus Tiberius backed up for a second; he’d never heard Saul yell at anyone.

  “How dare you shout at me?” Marcus Tiberius hissed, his face inches from his slave’s.

  “Forgive me, Master,” Saul whimpered. “I don’t know why I did that. Please forgive me.”

  “Your behavior is unacceptable. Not only are you evidently lying to me, but you are yelling as well. Who do you think you are? You are nothing! Remember that, slave!” Marcus Tiberius shouted.

  Saul remained silent, bowing his head and covering his face with his hands. He regretted his actions and hoped he could find a way to be forgiven.

  “Master…you are right. If I could take back my actions, I would, but I can’t, so I can only accept your punishment.”

  “At the moment, the only relief from my bitterness would be the truth, but you will be punished for your behavior. I don’t tolerate disrespect from any of my slaves, and this includes you. I’m going to sleep. In the meantime, you are going to remain here until I return tomorrow. You will have all the time you need to think about what happened that night, and then I want to find you on your knees ready to tell me the truth.”

  Saul fell to his knees. “Yes, Master.”

  “Goodnight, slave,” he said, exiting the room.

  It would be a long night, probably the longest in his entire life. He could not tell the truth to Marcus Tiberius, but he could not continue to be punished for not doing so. It was a question of who scared him the most: Claudia or Marcus Tiberius. Then, what Flavius’ reaction would be when he finally returned.

  Time inched by, and he felt tired, aching, and guilty. He couldn’t understand how it happened that he shouted at his Master. He thought he was screaming only in his heart, but somehow, his voice reached his mouth. Anguish filled his soul at the thought of having disappointed one of the few people he deeply respected.

  Silently he cried, then heard a squishing sound as if someone walked barefooted not to be heard. He remained to listen and was certain it was coming in his direction from the main room beyond the garden. The hairs on the back of his neck prickled. He was not alone.

  “Master?” he whispered, fear hitching his breath. He heard someone sit nearby, and a hand caressed his shoulder.

  “Saul, what happened to you?” a voice asked; the one he could recognize among a thousand others.

  “Cassandra,” Saul said, reaching for her hand. “I do not know anymore. I hope to wake up tomorrow to realize that everything was a nightmare.”

  “I talked to Rufus. He told me what happened, but I could not wait. I had to see you... Why are you kneeling in Marcus Tiberius’ room?”

  “Master Marcus Tiberius punished me because he thinks I am lying to him about how I became blind, and because I yelled at him. I have no idea why I did that.”

  “I had to tell Marcus Tiberius about the day I met you in Flavius’ house,” she cried.

  “You are responsible for nothing but my happiness at this moment.”

  “Did you lie to him?”

  Saul didn’t want to tell her about what happened either, but she might have already figured out everything. Perhaps she could help him, advise him about the best decision to make.

  “Yes, I did…I lied to him.
I do know who did this to me,” Saul admitted.

  “You don't need to tell me. I knew something like this could happen since I visited with Mistress Flaminia. Claudia hates you. I feel guilty because I could have done something.” Tears welled in Cassandra’s eyes.

  Saul held her hand and brought it to his lips. “It would have happened anyway. If not now, next month, the following year, or whenever she would have had the chance. Nothing could have saved me from this. Maybe it is better that it happened now. Later, it might have been even worse.”

  She kissed his hands. “I’m sorry.”

  “At least I am safe under Marcus Tiberius’ roof until Master Flavius returns to claim me.”

  “How do you know he will come back?” she asked.

  “Because I feel so. The heart of a lover cannot be wrong,” he replied, smiling. “He is going to be back.”

  Cassandra smiled at that. She didn’t feel jealous that he called his Master a lover. On the contrary, she thought he could count on his protection in that household. The gods were not in his favor when they made him sick, impeding him from leaving on the journey with his Master. Maybe everything was a revenge of the gods rather than that of Claudia, she thought.

  She held him in her arms as the first light of the day shyly appeared in the sky.

  “Did Claudia tell you why she did this to you?” she asked.

  “Yes, it was to punish me for being between her and Flavius, and for attracting too much attention from her guests. She was sure that once Flavius understood that I am no longer useful, he would get rid of me.”

  “Do you think she planned it for a long time?”

  “I don’t know. When she realized Flavius was missing, she found the opportunity she’d been waiting for.”

  “How are you going to tell Marcus Tiberius and Flavius the truth about Claudia?”

 

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