‘In that case, master, it would be an honour that I shan’t forget,’ Pallas replied sincerely.
‘And I’m sure that Vespasian could make room on his couch for you, my dear,’ Gaius said, smiling at Caenis.
A vision of Caligula and his sisters flashed across Vespasian’s mind; he banished it immediately.
‘Thank you, master,’ Caenis replied sweetly, ‘although I’m sure that it’ll be a bit of a tight squeeze.’
Gaius roared with laughter. ‘Oh, very good, my dear, but shouldn’t that have been Vespasian’s line?’
‘Only if he was thinking what I was thinking.’
Vespasian reddened and looked lovingly at Caenis: she really was perfect.
‘So, my friend,’ Gaius boomed, full of good cheer as the pretty slave boy Aenor filled his cup yet again, ‘what is it that Antonia requires of me?’
The meal had been cleared away and fruit and sweet wine had been laid out on the table. Vespasian had eaten his fill and felt a sense of wellbeing steal over him. The hairs on his arm stood erect as it brushed against Caenis next to him and he was unable to resist subtly running his hand down her back. She smiled at him and popped a grape into her mouth.
‘There are two things, master,’ Pallas replied, sipping his wine rather than quaffing it in the manner of his host. ‘Firstly: tomorrow the Senate meets at the Temple of Apollo on the Palatine; she naturally assumes that you will be present.’ Pallas looked meaningfully at Gaius’ now half-empty cup.
Gaius looked at his cup regretfully and put it down. ‘At dawn, yes, I’ll be there if she wishes, although I was planning on absenting myself through sickness.’
‘She does indeed wish you to be there. She also wishes that Vespasian wait outside the temple in his official capacity.’
‘But I’m due to be in the Forum,’ Vespasian objected. ‘There are three trials for treason to be held tomorrow, I may have some unpleasant duties to perform.’
‘They will be suspended first thing in the morning. Antonia wants you near the Senate; Caenis will be with you.’
‘Why?’
‘All in good time; but seeing as Caenis will be accompanying you Antonia feels that it would be more convenient if she spends the night here. She hopes that it won’t be too much of a problem.’
‘I could always sleep on this couch,’ Caenis said innocently.
Vespasian smiled at her, stroking her beautiful thick hair.
‘Good,’ Pallas continued, turning back to Gaius. ‘The second thing she requires is that you make notes.’
‘Notes? She can read the transcripts of the Senate’s meetings and the results of the votes any time she wants, surely?’
‘It’s not what will be said that interests her, she already knows that; it’s where senators sit and how long for.’
‘I’m intrigued, Pallas,’ Gaius said, taking just a sip of wine.
Vespasian managed to tear his attention away from Caenis and focus on what Pallas had to say.
‘No doubt you have heard the rumour that Tiberius will ask the Senate to confirm tribunician power on Sejanus?’
‘Of course, it’s the talk of Rome,’ Gaius replied. ‘That’s why I didn’t want to be present.’
‘Which I quite understand; however, it’s no mere rumour, it’s a strategy thought up by Caligula and adopted by Tiberius and my mistress.’
‘To see who doesn’t share my uncle’s scruples?’ Vespasian ventured, immediately seeing the beauty of the scheme.
‘Exactly, master.’ Pallas looked impressed that Vespasian had caught on so quickly. ‘Tomorrow all Sejanus’ known supporters will enthusiastically attend the meeting expecting to vote tribunician power for their patron and reap whatever rewards he has promised them. However, this rumour will also flush out the senators who have been a little more circumspect in their support for him; if they think that the man that they have been secretly backing is finally in a position to gain supreme power then they will want to be a part of that so as not to miss out on his favour.’
‘And Antonia wants me to note who sits close to him?’ Gaius asked, getting the gist of the ploy.
‘In part, yes, but what really interests her is how long they sit with him.’
‘What do you mean?’
‘I’ll come to that. For a start she wants the list, as soon as possible, of who is surrounding him at the beginning of the meeting. Caenis will be in the crowd outside the temple with Vespasian; once you have noted the names you will come out and dictate them to her.’
‘But there may be as many as a hundred, perhaps even more,’ Gaius complained.
‘Don’t worry about his open supporters, she already knows their names, just memorise the ones who don’t usually associate themselves with him. Once Caenis has written down the list a slave will take it to Antonia.’
‘Why does she want it so quickly?’ Vespasian asked.
‘I’m afraid that I’m not privy to all of my mistress’s reasoning, she tells me only what I need to know.’ Pallas turned back to Gaius. ‘However, what I do know is that as Tiberius’ letter is read out it will start by heaping praise on Sejanus but then it will, by degrees, become more and more critical and my mistress expects people to start moving away from him; note the order in which they do and at what point during the letter. Vespasian, as a triumvir capitalis, is allowed to enter the Senate if a member has summoned him; send for him regularly and pass on the names to him. Once Caenis has the complete list she’ll return to Antonia’s house.’
‘But how will we know when the list is complete?’ Gaius asked.
‘Because by the time that the Senior Consul has finished reading the Emperor’s letter there will be no one near Sejanus,’ Pallas replied confidently.
‘Shouldn’t I escort Caenis back?’ Vespasian asked.
‘No, master, you will stay outside the temple. My mistress is hopeful that you will soon be busy as she believes that Tiberius will finish by asking the Senate to condemn Sejanus to death.’
‘So Tiberius’ vacillations have been no more than a ruse to unearth all of Sejanus’ supporters,’ Vespasian said to Caenis who lay, covered in sweat, in his arms. His bedroom was dark and the sweet smell of sex surrounded them.
Caenis nuzzled his neck gently. ‘Not entirely. My mistress thinks that it was mainly because he was fearful that if he did act against Sejanus, his supporters would have their revenge on him. She dictated a letter to Caligula at Misenum — she’s unable to get letters to Capreae without them being read by Sejanus’ men — telling him that the names of all his supporters were well known. Caligula wrote back saying that Tiberius was fearful that there were more who as yet had not gone public with their support and suggested this scheme for rooting them out. My mistress thought it ingenious and told him to suggest it to the Emperor who embraced it wholeheartedly because he could carry on doing exactly what he had been doing since you left.’
Vespasian smiled in the darkness. ‘Changing his mind, you mean.’
‘Worse than that; he’s actually written to Sejanus, a couple of times, saying that he’s ill and on the point of dying and asking him to return to Capreae. Luckily, Caligula seems to have a lot of influence over him and on both occasions persuaded him, by reminding him of Thrasyllus’ prophecy, to write again to say that he’s now feeling much better and is in fact preparing a trip to Rome, and that Sejanus should stay to meet him when he arrives.’
‘I saw how Caligula deals with him; he’s not having the easiest of times, one word out of place and he could be dead.’
‘Yes, but he’s managing to do the most important thing: keeping Tiberius away from Sejanus.’
‘And tomorrow that’ll be over.’
‘Yes, my love, one way or another.’
‘What do you mean? Tomorrow Tiberius will ask the Senate to condemn Sejanus to death.’
‘Perhaps; I copied Caligula’s latest letter for my mistress’s records yesterday and in it he said that Tiberius didn’t consult him whilst he was writing his address to the Senate nor did he get a chance to look at it; so no one can be absolutely sure what will be read out tomorrow.’
‘But Pallas was confident that Antonia knew the contents.’
‘Pallas only knows what she tells him; other than my mistress, only you, Caligula and I know the full
