Vespasian: Tribune of Rome

by Robert Fabbri

  After a gut-wrenching length of time Caligula slowed. ‘Thank the gods, we’re here.’

  The crossroads brother on the wall chucked the rope down.

  ‘The girl goes first,’ Sabinus hissed.

  Caenis leapt at the rope and with surprising agility hauled herself up and over the wall. As Caligula took his turn Vespasian looked around; the torches were no more than a hundred paces away and closing fast. Pallas and Cassandros scaled quickly, followed by Magnus.

  ‘Hurry, hurry,’ Sabinus urged. With Magnus over he grabbed Vespasian. ‘Come on, get up there.’

  Vespasian clambered up the rope and got to the top of the wall; he could see the torches, now just thirty paces away, and could make out in their orange halos nearly twenty figures. He reached down to help his brother up, hauling him on to the top of the wall and then pulling the rope up behind him as Sabinus jumped down.

  ‘There they are, get them,’ came a shout from the garden. Vespasian looked up; their pursuers were almost on them, light from their torches illuminating the tree. An instant before he jumped he locked eyes with their leader; he had only seen him once before, from a distance, but recognised him immediately. Sejanus, he thought as he hit the ground.

  CHAPTER XIII

  VESPASIAN PICKED HIMSELF up and sprinted down the alley in his brother’s wake. They found their companions waiting for them on the main street. Apart from them it was completely deserted; the increasingly atrocious weather was keeping even the Night Watch sheltering inside. Back down the alley they could see the torches appearing over the wall as the first Praetorians made it over.

  ‘Run,’ Sabinus shouted, ‘run like the three-headed hound of Hades is after you.’

  They hurtled round the corner and sped down the hill towards Antonia’s house, less than a third of a mile away. The furious speed was too much for Caenis and she slipped on the wet stone surface, falling to the ground with a cry. Vespasian grabbed her arms, pulled her up, threw her over his shoulder and pressed on as fast as he could, aware that the Praetorians had now rounded the corner of the alley and were racing down the hill behind them.

  Caligula came skidding to a halt in front of Antonia’s door and thumped on it repeatedly.

  ‘We’ll carry on down the hill and try to lead them away,’ Magnus called to Sabinus.

  ‘Good luck,’ he replied as the crossroads brothers disappeared shouting into the night.

  The viewing slit slipped back briefly before the door was pulled open and they piled in. Vespasian looked up the hill to see the torches about three hundred paces away. They were safe. On a night as dark and rainswept as this the Praetorians would never have seen which house they’d gone into; they could only guess, but it would be an easy guess, he was sure. He stepped into the atrium and put Caenis down. The door closed behind him. Completely out of breath he leant against the wall and sucked in the air.

  Caligula knelt on the floor next to him, panting also. ‘That – was – brilliant – fun,’ he gasped, looking up at Vespasian with a smirk on his face. ‘What did I tell you? A jolly caper indeed. We should do that more often, my friend.’

  Vespasian smiled back at him and held out his hand to help him up as Antonia came running into the room.

  ‘Thank you, gentlemen,’ she said, seeing Caenis and putting her arms around her. ‘I trust you didn’t have too many problems?’

  Caligula grinned widely. ‘Easy as slitting a suckling pig’s throat.’

  ‘Speak for yourself.’ Sabinus puffed, his chest still heaving from the exertion. Outside they could hear the Praetorians running past following the sound of Magnus and his men down the hill.

  Caenis looked round at Vespasian. ‘Thank you,’ she said, ‘thank you all.’

  Her beautiful eyes gazed at him in admiration. Her wet dress clung to the contours of her body and he felt a surge of desire for her.

  Antonia must have sensed this and released Caenis from her grasp. ‘You’d better go and change into something dry. Hurry along, and come and see me when you are warm.’

  ‘Yes, mistress.’ She bowed her head and left the room. Vespasian’s eyes followed her retreating form hungrily.

  Antonia broke the spell. ‘Where’s Magnus?’

  ‘He and his mates carried on down the hill to lead the Praetorians away.’

  ‘Good,’ she said, although to Vespasian’s mind there was a hint of disappointment in her eyes. ‘Were any of you seen?’

  ‘I may have been, domina,’ Vespasian admitted.

  Sabinus groaned.

  ‘I recognised Sejanus as I slipped back over the wall, though I don’t know if there was enough light for him to see me clearly.’

  ‘Well, at least he doesn’t know you so he can’t have recognised you even if he did see you clearly,’ she replied. ‘But to be safe we’d better get you out of Rome as soon as possible. You, Sabinus and Gaius should stay here for the night. It won’t be wise for you to try to get home now. I imagine that we shall get a visit from our esteemed prefect very shortly; I shall deny everything, of course, it will be most galling for him. He will however have my house watched so we’ll have to smuggle you out tomorrow somehow.’ She looked at Pallas who was standing dripping by the door. ‘Give orders for the floor to be mopped dry and then change into a fresh tunic. There must be no sign of anyone having been outside when Sejanus arrives. And have these gentlemen shown to the guest rooms and provided with dry clothes.’

  ‘Yes, domina,’ he said, and clapped his hands. Four house slaves appeared from the other end of the atrium. Within moments buckets and mops had arrived and Vespasian, Sabinus and Caligula found themselves being led down a grand corridor to the guest wing.

  ‘Get changed quickly,’ Caligula said as they were shown their rooms, ‘I want to see how my grandmother deals with Sejanus. She’ll see him in the formal reception room; I know a place where we can listen in to everything that goes on in there.’

  Vespasian and Sabinus met up with Caligula in the corridor not long after. He led them quickly down a couple of passages and stopped outside a panelled door painted crimson with black inlays.

  ‘There’s no lock on this door,’ he said, opening it and stepping into a small room with a curtain on the far wall. ‘The reception room is on the other side of that curtain; let’s take a look.’

  He pulled the curtain back a fraction and they put their eyes to the gap. Beyond was beautiful room with a ceiling so high that it was almost in darkness, despite the efforts of the numerous oil lamps scattered around on tables and stands beneath it. Painted wooden chairs with delicately carved backs and legs and couches with cushioned upholstery of lushly coloured fabrics stood ready to receive Antonia’s official visitors.

  A slave hurried into the room and looked around, checking that everything was in order; he made a couple of adjustments, repositioning two chairs so that they sat opposite each other either side of a low marble table, and then scuttled away.

  Footsteps approached. In came the inscrutable Pallas leading Sejanus, dripping wet. A thin steam rose from his damp tunic and his thick black hair hung in lank clumps around his square-jawed face. He did not look happy.

  ‘Please take a seat, master,’ Pallas crooned, every ounce of Greek courtesy being used to the full. ‘The Lady Antonia will be with you presently; she has been in bed these past couple of hours.’

  ‘I’ll bet she has,’ Sejanus growled.

  ‘She told me to tell you that she will dress as fast as possible so as not to keep your eminence waiting too long. Would you care for some refreshment, master?’

  ‘No! Now get out of here and leave me alone, you smarmy little Greek cum-stain.’

  Pallas bowed and beat a dignified retreat leaving Sejanus looking around the room. He picked up and admired a couple of bronze statuettes that were on the table and then, placing them back down again, started a slow walk around the room. They watched him as he inspected the furniture and ran appreciative hands over the statues and busts. He was directl
y opposite them when he noticed the curtain and started to move towards it.

  ‘Quick, out,’ Caligula hissed, leaping back. They slipped out of the door just as the curtains were ripped apart, and darted into the nearest room.

  ‘It would have been nasty coming face to face with Sejanus in that sort of mood,’ Gaius said, quickly closing the door of the unlit room. They heard footsteps out in the corridor.

  ‘Hades! There’s no lock on this one either,’ he said, running his hands up and down the door in the dark. ‘Quick, lean against it.’

  They pressed their bodies hard against it; a few moments later they heard the door to the room they’d just vacated open and close. Purposeful footsteps approached their door and they felt the pressure of someone trying to open it from the outside. The pressure grew; they braced themselves harder against it.

  ‘Prefect, there you are.’ Antonia’s voice came from the end of the corridor.

  The pressure ceased suddenly and they slumped against the door.

  ‘My dear Sejanus, what are you doing trying to get into that room?’

  ‘Don’t give me that “my dear Sejanus” rubbish. Someone was spying on me and they ran in there.’

  ‘Impossible, that room is always kept locked.’

  ‘How? I see no keyhole.’

  ‘It’s bolted on the inside. It can be accessed only from the library on the other side. Now, enough of this foolishness; tell me why you’ve had me dragged from my bed in the middle of the night?’

  ‘You know perfectly well why, if indeed you were even in bed after what you’ve been plotting this evening.’

  ‘Plotting, my dear prefect? You’ll have to enlighten me. I’ve spent the evening with my secretary Caenis, writing letters.’

  ‘You lying bitch, she was a prisoner at Livilla’s house and you sent a rescue party there to free her.’

  ‘If that were true how would you be able to prove it without admitting that you and Livilla kidnapped her in the first place? I am sure that the Emperor would be very interested to know why you and my daughter would want to take Caenis prisoner.’

  ‘Three of my men are dead.’

  ‘That, prefect, is nothing to do with me. As I have told you, I was writing letters with my secretary all evening – unless you would prefer your version of events to reach the Emperor’s ears? Do you feel strong enough yet to admit to the Emperor that you are still having an affair with Livilla, an imperial princess, sister of the great Germanicus, whom Tiberius has already forbidden you to marry knowing that if you did it would make you a possible heir to him and therefore his rival? I think not, Sejanus. Now leave.’

  ‘You’ve not heard the last of this. I saw one of your murderers this evening and if I ever find him I shall use all means possible to link him to you.’

  ‘An empty threat, prefect, it would still prove nothing.’

  ‘That may be so, but it won’t stop me enjoying it.’ He hit the door in his frustration, which without much weight behind it opened a fraction.

  ‘Locked, you say? Well, it seems to be mysteriously unlocked now.’

  Caligula signalled Sabinus and Vespasian to stay behind the door and walked around it. Sejanus grabbed Caligula’s ear in the dim light of the doorway and pulled him roughly to his knees.

  ‘What have we here then? A little spy?’

  ‘Ow! Get your hands off me, you bastard.’

  ‘That, Sejanus, as you should well know, is my grandson, Gaius Caesar Germanicus. You would do well to let him go immediately and ask him to forgive an assault on a member of the imperial household.’

  Sejanus let go of Caligula’s ear as if it were a red-hot iron, gave Antonia a look of utter hatred and stormed off down the corridor. Antonia smiled and then walked into the room and looked behind the door.

  ‘I thought so,’ she said, seeing Sabinus and Vespasian in the gloom. ‘Out you come.’

  The brothers obeyed, looking extremely sheepish.

  ‘Well, I suppose you heard all of that?’

  ‘Yes, Grandmother; and I thought that you dealt with him brilliantly.’

  ‘I said that it would be a galling experience for him and I thoroughly enjoyed it. However, Vespasian, you are definitely not safe. If he were to catch you, you would be wishing for death throughout the long days of life that he would ensure remained to you.’

  Vespasian blanched slightly. ‘I’d better go north, then; has Asinius fixed my appointment?’

  ‘I shall find out in the morning. Now I really am going to bed, as should you, gentlemen. Goodnight to you all.’ With that she disappeared off down the corridor.

  Vespasian closed the door of his room, sat down on the bed and assessed his situation. He needed to be out of Rome for a good while until Sejanus’ image of him faded. Four years’ military service should do it, but that would be four years with no chance of seeing Caenis; but she was a forlorn hope anyway and he would do better to forget her. Four years should be long enough to do that as well.

  His mind made up, he stripped, pulled back the blanket, got into bed and closed his eyes, trying to shut out the roar of the wind outside. There was a knock on the door.

  ‘Who is it?’ he asked.

  The door opened and Vespasian took a sharp intake of breath. ‘Caenis, what are you doing here?’ He felt his mouth go dry.

  ‘My mistress said that I should come and thank you for what you did this evening.’ She approached the bed.

  ‘Well, that’s good of you, but you already thanked us all earlier,’ he replied, his heart pounding causing his voice to shake slightly.

  She sat down at the end of the bed. ‘I know, but my mistress said that I should come and really thank you.’

  ‘Oh, I see,’ he said in a thin voice.

  He’d had women before, quite a few in fact, but they’d always been slave girls owned by either his parents or grandmother. Slave girls who could not say no for fear of punishment. Caenis was different. She was a slave girl, yes, but she was also the first person who made him feel intoxicated by just thinking of her. He wanted her more than anything but he was not going to have her against her wishes; and her mistress had ordered her to come to him.

  Caenis slipped her loose tunic over her shoulders exposing the exquisite breasts that he’d caught sight of at dinner. He felt his scrotum tighten and the blood rushing to his groin.

  ‘Caenis, you mustn’t,’ he whispered.

  ‘Why not?’ she asked, standing up so that the tunic fell to her ankles. In the dim light of the single oil lamp he could see the gentle roundness of her belly, the smooth curve of her hips and delicate softness of her labia, plucked clean of all hair. She stepped out of her tunic and came closer.

  ‘Because I don’t want you to do anything against your will,’ he replied breathlessly.

  ‘Who said that I’m here against my will?’ She sat on the bed next to him and put a hand on his chest.

  ‘Antonia ordered you to come.’

  ‘My mistress did suggest that I come and thank you, but she also gave me permission to stay. I am her property; I would not give myself to you without her consent, but now I have that I want nothing more than to be with you tonight.’

  She moved her hand down across his stomach and over his erection and smiled. ‘Mmm, I think that you too are willing to give your consent.’

  He raised a hand and gently brushed the back of it over her nipples; she shivered involuntarily and sighed with pleasure.

  ‘I do give my consent,’ he murmured, putting his hand behind her head and bringing her closer. Her fingers tightened around his penis and she looked into his eyes.

  ‘Vespasian, you are beautiful,’ she whispered.

  ‘So are you, Caenis.’

  He smiled at her and, stroking her thick, perfumed hair, pulled her into a kiss that he felt could last for ever.

  CHAPTER XIV

  VESPASIAN AWOKE AFTER a brief but rejuvenating sleep. The wind had died down and it had stopped raining. He felt the warmth o
f Caenis’ body lying next to him and turned on his side to admire her beauty in the thin dawn light. He ran his hand over her back and on to her buttocks, cupping one gently, letting his fingers probe the warm crevice between them. She moaned softly and then resumed breathing quietly. Thinking that he would wake her in the lover’s favourite way he nuzzled the side of her neck with his mouth and worked his fingers lower. She turned and put an arm around him and, drawing herself closer, kissed him on the mouth. Opening her eyes she looked at him with love.

  ‘How did you sleep?’ she asked gently, then she suddenly looked around the room and sat up. ‘Minerva! My mistress will be furious.’ She jumped out of bed and pulled on her tunic.

  ‘What’s wrong?’

  ‘It’s way past dawn, I should be attending to my mistress, laying out dresses for her to choose from for the day and getting things ready to do her hair.’

  ‘Shall we see each other before I go?’ Vespasian asked, realising that it could be four years before he saw her again.

  ‘I don’t know, but even if we do we won’t be able to talk.’ She gazed at him with eyes so full of love that he felt his heart stutter. ‘I will wait for you, Vespasian. Who knows but in four years, if I work hard for my mistress, I may be freed; she is not ungenerous.’

  ‘But Augustus set the minimum age limit for freeing a slave at thirty.’

  She stepped into her shoes and leant over to the bed; she kissed him briefly but passionately. ‘I know, but I live in hope that the law doesn’t always apply to the people in power.’ She stroked his cheek. ‘I must leave now.’

  ‘Wait! Before you go, last night in the cell a big man came down the stairs and you screamed. Why?’

  She blanched at the memory and took a deep breath. ‘He was to torture me. He took great pleasure in showing me the instruments that he would be using. He terrified me, mainly because he seemed to be looking forward to it so much.’

  ‘Who is he?’ Vespasian asked, putting his arms around her protectively.