The Snake Catcher

by Bilinmeyen

  He was the child of Maroboodus, I thought, but kept my face straight. Perhaps Augustus had sight?

  She smiled. “There are many strong women in the family. Many would love to see my sons dead. Drusus was a fool to be so loud about his love for the Republic. He was always speaking with those who love the old world. He had many friends like he was, and he made no secret when he spoke with them about the past, and the future, he hoped for the nation. Refusing to come home as the Urban Praetor? Foolish. Refusing to come home as the Consul? Arrogant. But, Tiberius is no fool. He goes to war, and keeps ever vigilant, with guards.”

  I heard steps and tried to turn.

  Livia pulled my face to her. “Julia is guilty. Julia killed him. She celebrated his death. I have spies all over her house. Have watched her for years. Year past, during Saturnalia, month after their child died, she spoke of Tiberius. It was in the domus of Augustus, in a garden, and I could not see the man she spoke with. She told him how much she hated Tiberius, me, Drusus, Antonia. How much she wanted to secure the future of her boys, and how much she wanted a new protector for them. The man answered.”

  I took a step back and looked behind me. I saw Cassia standing in the stairs. Livia’s eyes went to her, and I knew she was now in danger. A mother, a powerful, rich Roman lady, the first lady of Rome, had blamed Julia of a murder, and we both had heard her say it. Cassia was committed.

  Was it intentional? I thought, and looked hard at the noble lady, who smiled, as if she knew what I was thinking about. Her eyes congratulated me, and I knew she was far more dangerous than any enemy I had ever met. I had better not make her one. And so, she tried to tell me, it was best I was on her side.

  She went on. “The man answered her. He said he’d arrange everything. That she would have to be patient. And she should not speak with him again; there would be ways to communicate. She would send them messages about the secrets of the family, and especially what my sons did, and when. Their schedules and plans. He kissed her, and disappeared.”

  “You didn’t see—”

  She shook her head. “Since then, I have slaved and struggled to find out the way she uses to communicate with this man. I have had her laundry checked. I’ve tortured people she has exchanged intimate words with. I’ve placed spies in all her friend’s homes. I have a dozen men and women around her, every day, every moment. It all costs a fortune. And I have failed. I have not discovered anything. She goes out, daily, but speaks with few people. She speaks nonsense with her friends, and my best slaves and guards swear she leaves no notes anywhere. She doesn’t do anything truly suspicious. Oh, I thought I would get lucky a few times. She has gone out some times during the night, braving Rome’s criminals, and entered an insulae, same insulae, same apartment, to buy the services of a witch. But, the guards with her have told me she met with nobody else but the witch, and merely asked for sight into her future. She visits some shrines, where she sacrifices, prays. She spends her days idly, and I hate her. My spies have all failed. I have. And so, when I heard of you, Hraban, I knew I’d have a chance. Her guilt is clear, her methods and conspirators hidden. You can unhide them.”

  “What is so special about me, lady, that I could help?” I asked her, dreading the answer.

  She clapped my cheek, and then flinched as the hand came off dirty. “You lot will be cleaned up soon. You’ll learn the duties and the manners of the Guard, and the ways of the Palatine Hill. You’ll wear togas in duty, and grow rich and affluent. Raven, I know.” She leaned close to my ear. “Your Roman name has already been added to the Roman’s citizen’s registry in the Tabularium. Both of yours.” She paused, and said the next words with a smile. “Right next to your father’s. The man who killed my son. He was the lover of Julia, though none can prove it.”

  She leaned away, staring up at me. That bit of information would get me, and Cassia, killed.

  To deny? To admit?

  She knew. Drusus had told her. He must have.

  “Yes, that is so,” I said, feeling so many conflicting emotions. “My name shall be right next to the murdering bastard who was the lover to Julia.”

  She nodded. “Yes. She was his lover. I knew about it. Agrippa was a fool, and saw nothing.”

  Did she know about Postumus? If she did, she said nothing.

  I looked away to Cassia, and she walked down and joined me. Livia smiled at her and went on. She smiled coldly. “Drusus trusted me, yes. Julia grew bored with the old, often absent, Agrippa. I knew she liked your father well, perhaps more than any man she had known. How do I know? Because she still whispers his name in her dreams. Whoever is pulling the strings to become the next protector of her children and her husband, made a mistake. He recruited Maroboodus for an elaborate scheme. The man wanted Drusus dead by a barbarian hand, and probably extorted or bribed Maroboodus to help kill my son. I don’t know why Maroboodus agreed, but him leaving Julia’s side left a huge hole in Julia’s soul. Perhaps the man was jealous and wanted both a suitable weapon and to be rid of the lover of Julia?”

  Because he had grudges back home, and Postumus, his child with Julia, was in danger. Maroboodus had been promised a kingdom, and a son.

  Livia went on, staring at my face intently. “In any case, Maroboodus agreed, and left. She never recovered from the abrupt loss of your father. Ironical, that they used him to help her, and she suffered for it the most.”

  I stiffened. “So you think she’ll open up to me? That means …” I said and thought feverishly, and realized what she hoped to do. “You plan to let Julia know I’m his son?”

  She nodded. “You will be an errant vagabond, celebrated, if stupid, hero, and hated by Tiberius. You will be the blood of the man she loved, and this careful, cold lady will not be able to resist letting you into her life. You might be a mere guard, standing there in her house, but you will be one she cannot resist. She loved your father that much. I know her. Her heart was truly broken.”

  Cassia moved with worry, and I was unhappy with the discussion. I spoke. “Why would she trust me, if Father, in her mind, betrayed her? And surely her conspirators told her they had sent him to do this deed?”

  She shrugged. “She might have known Maroboodus was sent to serve her interests. She could be mostly in the dark about the plans woven to kill my loved ones. It makes no sense for the conspirators to tell her what they do, and how. They merely need information from her. They know she is well watched, I think, and wouldn’t risk telling her much. But, if she sees you, another soul broken by your father? She will want to trust you.”

  I opened my mouth and shook my head. I closed it, and spoke anyway. “Antius is free. He will warn everyone of me. They will warn her as well, no matter how much in dark she is currently in your opinion.”

  She shook her head. “I told you. They might not alarm Julia. They might not dare to take the risk. They won’t trust her well enough to risk her making a mistake. They’ll watch you, they’ll watch her, but if they wish to kill Tiberius, then Julia will provide them with information. She will be kept in the dark, she will act to aid them, and you will be there when she does. And Julia might not care if they do warn her. She is a very willful person. She has a natural tendency to defy anyone ordering her around. She has been forced to marry so many times. She will be intrigued enough to find out everything she can about you. Yes, it’s all very dangerous. There are no guarantees.”

  The oil lamps flickered, as a door was opened near, and I could hear the voice of Augustus much more clearly.

  Livia pressed a finger on my chest, and looked sympathetic. “We don’t know who are in this conspiracy. Politicians, soldiers? Many would take the place of Augustus after he dies. They all know how intelligent he is, and how he has gotten rid of all the men and women who have ever stood against him. They will be afraid and very careful. You are much needed, Hraban. As soon as possible.”

  “I see,” I said and forced the next words out of my stubborn soul, knowing I’d possibly make an enemy of her. “But,
I shall still go to north with Tiberius.”

  She took a long breath, and looked at Cassia with a small smile. She was clearly struggling as she lost the argument, and spoke a bit breathlessly. “But, be that as it may, I can wait until you come home. I shall honor your wishes. No matter how impatient I am to delve into the snake’s secrets. Her father must know what he has raised.”

  “What if—” I began and went silent as the voices of the Princeps and Tiberius came closer.

  She knew what I was wondering about.

  “What if my husband approves of the death of my son?” she said with a thin, cold smile. “He might not have a part in it, but he might approve of it?”

  “I don’t think he does,” I breathed. “He looked so sad just now,” I added.

  “What if he had something to do with this filthy business? That is the question, yet? What if he is an actor?”

  “Yes,” I muttered, and felt Cassia move uncertainly, as if to warn me to hold my tongue.

  She nodded at the direction of the voices. “Then, we shall deal with it. Tomorrow, we make our way for Rome. When you return and we begin this quest, you must be very careful not to get caught. Not to act rashly. For you. For her.” She nodded at Cassia. “You must listen to me in Rome. When you return, that is. If she is with you, I will guard her in my house. And anyone else who is going to help us. I’m a generous hostess.”

  Cassia. She wouldn’t be in Rome, and that would be for the best. Cassia would not understand, but I’d drag her away, even if I had to tie her up.

  Livia’s face tightened, as Augustus entered and Cassia took steps back up the stairs. The old man gazed at Livia, and extended his hand at her. “My dear,” he spoke. “All is well. Everything has been arranged. We will go to Rome, and your remaining son will return north to bleed the barbarians.”

  I watched Livia. She had a serene, thoughtful look on her face. I sensed she was not a woman to easily accept anyone defying her.

  Augustus turned to me. “Tiberius said Drusus gave you a Roman citizenship. That is unusual. It is a reward for an auxiliary soldier. It is an honor one gains, only after long service.”

  Livia put a hand on his shoulder. “Or illustrious service. He saved Drusus.”

  “And failed in the end,” Augustus said with a dry voice. “Though I was not there, and should not judge.”

  “Husband,” Livia murmured, “he has deserved our favor. He and his men. Let Tiberius see to their duties. And his name has been already added to the—”

  Augustus stopped her with a wave of his hand. He looked at me, with some doubt, it was clear. The man whom none had fooled, was looking at a filthy Germani, and I worried. In the end, after a long while of uncertainty and pondering, the man who had changed the fates of so many Roman families, conquered the world with grit, stubbornness, and wit, made some decision I did not understand. It clearly puzzled Livia as well, who was looking at the old man with worry. Augustus turned to Tiberius.

  “You named your son after your brother, your brother named his son after you. So I shall name this one. You’ll send the new name to the officials.”

  “My scribe will do it,” Tiberius said. He nodded at me. “He is called Raven amongst his people.”

  Augusts shrugged. “Yes, I remember. Let him be Nero Claudius Corvus. Serve well, and tread lightly, Corvus.”

  Tiberius turned to sit in the table, and I winked Cassia good night, as she walked upstairs, deep in her thoughts.

  Livia looked at me as she left, and smiled thinly.

  “You come with me, then?” Tiberius asked as she saw his mother’s unhappy face. “She’s not used to being defied.”

  “I’ll come with you, and help her later in Rome,” I said. “She knows about Maroboodus. Drusus told her.” I wondered if Tiberius knew about the part of Maroboodus having been Julia’s lover.

  He nodded. “So be it,” he answered. “Let’s visit Rome, then.” He turned to me. “Some of your men will stay in Rome, though. Mother will need some men she can absolutely trust.”

  I hesitated. Hostages?

  Possibly.

  CHAPTER 4

  The procession travelled south, passing Ioventio Mons, a great pass, to reach the coast. The Batavi and our group gawked at the wonders of the sea, and the Roman city of Genua. We rode our horses wildly on the beach, when the hilly road and terrain allowed, spraying water like children might. We sat at the beach during the evenings and nights, when there was no duty. Tiberius would only have two of us positioned before his tent or door, and the rest reigned free, for now. Our freedom would be scarce once we arrived in Rome, and so we took great pleasure in enjoying what we had. The trip down the coast from Genua was the best part of the trip, by far. We passed smaller cities, and drowsy villages, and the odd, symmetrical fields spread around them, before wilderness, again, took over. We wondered at the peasants and slaves tilling their land, growing wheat, even when it was late in the season.

  “So much grain,” I remarked to Brimwulf.

  “None of it is enough,” a bored Centurion told me in Latin, walking near us. He was Germani, and understood us well. “Never enough. People will have to eat, or they riot, and there are far too many people in Italy to feed them with what they have.” He waved his wine stick around the wilderness. “There are woods and mountains aplenty. There’s so much room for people to till the land, but the lazy mules in the cities prefer the tavern and the entertainment, and so most of it is unused. A shame, shame! We have soldiers taking land after they leave the service, but still, not enough to feed Italy. Grain is what they need. We ship it from Africa, Egypt, Sicily.”

  “With a ship?” Gernot asked, with his surprisingly good Latin, as his uncannily clever mind had begun to pick up the words. “Grain?”

  The man chuckled. “Ships, aye. You ship with ships, eh? Some sink, others make it. Grain.” He was frowning.

  We were passing another tax station, where a host of wagons had been pulled out of the road to await the passing of Drusus. A red-faced, thin mango was screaming at an officer, who held a sword on his belly. Apparently, he had been trying to avoid taxes by pretending a pretty, blonde girl was his wife, and the officer was about to set her free.

  The centurion glanced at the taxmen balefully. “Those bastards suck blood for living. They take most everything. Carry a bit of amber in your belt for your favorite girl, and you’ll pay yourself sick for the pleasure. An innocent trader is again in trouble.” He winked at Gernot. “But, ships! Not a ship! Huge, damned huge, ships. They are gigantic, like small towns. Some one out of five sink, of course. Gods take their due. But, still, enough get through. They feed most all. Well, men. They feed the men. Men, who cannot afford to eat, get their measure of wheat.”

  “Meaning they don’t have to work for living?” Gernot asked. “Food to give away?”

  He snorted. “Food to give away? Your Latin … but, yes, food is given away. Not everyone has work. Few want to work. And what work did you do back home? Not everyone can be a warrior or a hunter. It is a different world up there. Trade dictates what work there is.” The centurion saw a soldier arguing with another, grabbed his stick, and stomped away, cursing.

  I pushed Gernot, who was oddly contemplative. He was up to something. “Why are you—”

  “Plans, brother,” he said with a smile. “You know me.”

  I shook my head, and Tudrus guided his horse closer. “So, the trip is over soon. Will you still go back with Tiberius?”

  Brimwulf cut in. “And Mathildis and Cassia?”

  The looks on the faces of both women turned sour. This was an argument we had been having ever since I told them of the plan. “Nothing’s changed. Some of us will go with him. Wandal, and—”

  “I’ll go,” Brimwulf said. “I want to see the girls settled in safely.”

  I patted the horse, calming it as a fat fly buzzed its face. Its nervous mood mirrored mine. I felt Livia’s eyes on me. She had been riding her wagon, and I had caught her sta
ring at me often. At my friends, and Cassia as well. “As I said. We will get the women back north. It was a mistake to bring them. I had no idea how exposed we are. They’ll come back when it is safe. And while there, we will keep Tiberius alive.”

  “I’m going to give birth, Hraban,” Cassia cursed. “There’s no time for me to travel back north— ”

  I shook my head stubbornly. “I told you. They’ll take a ship. It’s going to be fast. We shall hopefully find a place in Lugudunum. Tiberius will help with that. Then I’ll guard Tiberius, day and night. Tudrus will investigate what is happening in Rome.” I looked at him. “You have to be careful, because Antius escaped—”

  “Shit,” he cursed. “Yes, I know. Damn it, I knew it was a mistake to let him out of our sights, eh? I’ll be careful.”

  I frowned, and felt the danger looming. “They are looking for him all over Rome. Will be hard since he has sponsors, and nobody knows his real name, even. Everything about him is a lie. Be careful. It will be dangerous. Learn the ways of Palatine, but keep your heads down. Keep safe.”

  Tudrus didn’t smile “There is no safe place. But, we’ll do our best, and keep our heads down as much as we can,” Tudrus said. “Will we serve in the Guard in campaigns, or shall we have this duty only? You said we would only guard —”

  I shrugged. “Tiberius has arranged for two of the turma to guard the closest family. They are the men Tiberius trusts best, and Augustus agreed. The old man knows nothing of the issue with Julia, but we shall have some room to maneuver. We’ll be close to Julia, or you will. Make sure you seem to hate Tiberius. I hear Julia will appreciate it.”

  “He’s not easy to fall in love with,” Tudrus said. “We’ll do fine.”

  I shook my head. No, they would not do well. Livia needed the son of Maroboodus, and I was sure nobody else could pretend to be one. Livia needed me. But, I’d not be there, and my friends were in danger.

  “Stop frowning,” Tudrus said with a chuckle. “We know. We aren’t stupid.” He hesitated and looked at his brothers and Wandal, winking. “Well, I’m not. You get the girls out, and we’ll play hostage and try to do our best.”