through the side gate so there will be no record of your coming and going. It will give both of us the protection we need until we are able to denounce this man for all he has done.'
Simones permitted himself a brief, nasty smile. 'I will need some means of getting word to you, in case what I discover requires immediate action.'
'Is that so important?' asked Panaigios, taken aback at the demand.
'It is,' said Simones, and he could tell from the way Panaigios hesitated, that his position with the secretary of the Censor was secure.
'Very well, I will see you are provided with seals that will gain you admittance here without delay or question, and I will work out a signal with you, so that if you must have immediate assistance, it will be provided.' He appeared uncomfortable for the first time since he removed his shoe.
'Tell me, why is Belisarius suspect now? He has been on campaign for so long, he has little to do with the working of the government.' It was a question he had been wanting to ask since Panaigios had described his suspicions.
'He has been on campaign, and that has made him the hero of the army. Emperors have been overthrown by their palace guards, let alone the army. Remember in Roma, back five hundred years ago when there was one year with four Emperors; they were created and deposed by the Praetorian Guard and the Legions.' He tapped the arm of his chair. 'Our Emperor does not attend to history except where it concerns Christians, and occasionally he overlooks the lessons of the past.'
'And there is reason to think that the army intends to… compromise the Emperor?' He still was not certain he put any credence in what he was hearing, but he knew that the army was full of ambitious men.
'Not yet, not that we can be certain of. If we had such information, you would not be asked to do these things for us. You would only have to see the disgrace of your master.' This last statement gave Panaigios satisfaction, judging from the slow half-smile he showed Simones.
'My master is still in Italy, and there is very little I can do now, from here, that would be of use to you.' He watched the other man, wanting to find out if he had other reasons for his request.
'Your master regularly writes to his wife, and she advises him. You can read their communications and tell me what is revealed there, if anything.' Panaigios cleared his throat as his nervousness increased.
'It would not be honorable of me to read such mail.' He knew that Antonina would take a very harsh view of such activities and he feared her wrath as much as he feared Belisarius'.
'Then you must be careful and not be caught,' said Panaigios. 'The safety of the Empire ought to mean more to you than your hide.'
'But not if that hide is wasted.' He knew that it was not impossible that he had been selected to be a sacrifice, a toy to distract while others worked in the shadows.
'That is not my intention,' said Panaigios. 'A slave in your position, in Belisarius' household, is too valuable to waste. If we were to permit you to be a sacrificial goat, as you imply—and not unwisely—it would ruin any chances for placing others in that household to do the work we need. And no other slave has earned the power and trust that you have.'
'You are very thorough,' said Simones, wondering who had told the Censor so much about the household and his place within it.
'It is what I must do.' Panaigios rose. 'I will want to speak with you in three days. Think about what I have said, and consider the danger in which the Empire stands. You have it within your power to be of aid, and if you are willing to be the Emperor's man, then you can do much. If you are not willing, then I warn you to tread carefully, for you are in a nest of vipers and may be stricken without warning.'
As Simones stood he nodded. 'I will consider this, and I am grateful that you are willing to think of me in this venture. If I hesitate, it is only because I have a duty to my master and his wife, and I must—'
'It is not only your master who interests us,' said Panaigios, 'but there are others. Who visits there, what they do, what they discuss, how they comport themselves. All that you may learn we wish to know. It is often through his associates that a man's true sentiments are discovered. Those who are close to Belisarius are not to be overlooked simply because they seem harmless, or because they have good reason to be his friend. If there are others in this conspiracy, they must be unearthed.'
Now Simones was able to relax. 'I know of everyone who visits the house, how long they stay and often what is said. I know of no reason I cannot report this to you without harming my master. Rest assured that I will reveal all I learn of this to you whenever you wish to know of it.'
The two men regarded each other with new understanding. 'So,' said Panaigios, drawing out the word.
'Very well; for a start you will report to me everyone who comes and goes from the house. You will tell me what they say and to whom, why they come and where they go when they leave. Find out what it is they want from Belisarius and his wife, and what they are offering for what they want. It is important that we learn these things.'
'Important?' said Simones. 'For them as well as my master.'
'If you continue to think that Belisarius is blameless, you may discover that there is more than enough guilt in others to implicate him in some way. Do not withhold information from me or it might be impossible for me to continue to protect you, and once your master learns of your conduct, well—'
Simones nodded. 'Of course. And you are in a position to deny anything I might claim.' He accepted this with relief. He knew now that he would have to be careful in all that he did.
'You are not unintelligent, slave, and you are dedicated. All that is required of you is that you maintain your dedication but to a higher purpose.' He indicated the door. 'My slave will see you out. He will tell you when you will be admitted to the courtyard for your reports.'
For a moment, Simones stared contemptuously at Panaigios, then changed his demeanor so that he was once again submissive. 'I am in your hands, secretary of the Censor. You can shape my destiny as God controls the fate of Man.'
'That could be considered blasphemy,' said Panaigios, but there was a degree of delight in the warning.
'For a churchman, perhaps, but for a slave?' He stepped back and opened the door. 'I will report to you soon, Panaigios, and whatever I tell you will be the truth. I care not what you do with it so long as you do not throw me to the .storm.'
'I can't afford to do that, in any case,' admitted Panaigios. 'You will come to believe that in time. Once you do, we will deal together much more effectively.'
Simones made him a deep reverence that bordered on insult. 'I await the opportunity to serve,' he said, and left before Panaigios could say anything more.
The Egyptian slave glared at Simones, but handed him a slip of parchment with a few instructions scribbled on it. 'You will receive the other items when you make your first report. Until then you must restrain yourself.'
'I understand,' muttered Simones. He was ready to argue with the Egyptian, but was not given the chance. Almost at once there was a household slave waiting to escort him to the main gate, and then the Captain of the Guard to send him on his way.
As he walked back to the house of Belisarius, Simones let his mind have free rein. He was determined to turn all that he had learned to his advantage. Plots and posturing, he told himself, could be made to serve his ends as well as anyone else's. But for this he would need an ally, someone who could share his risk. It would be useless to speak to Antonina, for if she ever discovered what he was doing, she would have him flogged to death without hesitation. It had to be someone close to her, someone who would listen to him. There were the two widows, and one of them might be what he wanted. Eugenia was Byzantine, and that was a tremendous advantage. She knew how the power moved and who moved it, and she was greedy for it, he could tell from her eyes. If not Eugenia, then that Roman woman, the widow Olivia might have to be used, but Simones was uncertain about her. She was too foreign and had too much power for him to be able to manipulate her as he would like.
A cart drawn by a single ox trundled by and Simones had to step to the far side of the road to avoid being injured. He called the might of heaven down on the drover's head, then resumed his progress along the noisy streets.
As he neared the house of Belisarius, he made up his mind: he would approach Eugenia first, striving to convince her that he could give her power and an access to position that he did not currently have. He liked her better than Olivia in any case, for he could sense her rapacity, and he trusted it. He did not know what it was that Olivia longed for, and was not willing to take the risks he would have to take in order to find out.
