I’d been in Rome only six days, I told myself. Was I even the same man who’d entered so exultantly with Maximin through the Pancratian Gate? How short a time before then had it been when Maximin and I camped down for the night on the Aurelian Way between Populonium and Telamon?
Have you, my Dear Reader, ever drifted in a little boat down a broad, slow river? Have you then ever hit sudden rapids? Have you ever noticed how what before was a short time has extended to equality with the whole previous voyage, as you’ve darted this way and that to keep yourself off the rocks? Such had been my first week in Rome. I felt I had been there longer than my journey took from Canterbury.
Lucius was sitting down to a late breakfast when I arrived at his house. He’d been exercising outside in the sun, and said I’d soon be able to inspect his tan.
No bath, however.
‘Fucking slaves,’ he snarled. ‘They haven’t gathered enough wood even to cook dinner for tonight.’
But he recovered his temper. I decided to say nothing about dinner with the diplomat. I wanted first to see if I could fit any of it for myself into a scheme of explanation. If it did fit, or if sharing it would help him, I’d certainly share the information with Lucius. For the moment, though, as with the stranger who’d saved me the night before last, I’d keep silent.
Lucius wiped his mouth on a napkin. I could see his hands tremble slightly. ‘I wish you every good luck on this, your nineteenth birthday,’ he said with forced brightness.
He clapped his hands together. A slave appeared in the room with a long, narrow box under a cloth. He bowed to me and held it out for me. I lifted the cloth and opened the plain wooden box beneath.
I took out the new sword within. I drew it noiselessly from the scabbard of polished black leather. The blade was of dark, shining steel – about two foot six long, and as sharp as a razor. The hilt was of curved bronze, the pommel ridged to give a reliable grip.
I weighed the sword in my hand. I took up a fighting position and lunged and sliced at the air. It was perfectly balanced.
‘You didn’t give me notice enough to commission anything special,’ Lucius said hurriedly. ‘As it is, I had to comb every smith in Rome yesterday to find this. I… I hope you like it.’
‘Of course I do,’ said I, embracing him. ‘It’s lovely.’ I kissed him.
And it was lovely. You can forget those fancy things all covered over with silver and precious stones. They won’t slice through flesh a jot cleaner. The most they’ll do is get you knifed in the back for the value.
I had a sentimental attachment to the old sword I’d picked up in France. But this was the one I’d from now on carry with me all over Rome. It would never do for regular warfare, but it was just the thing for cutting someone up in the street.
Lucius helped me fix the thing to my belt, and stood back to admire the effect. ‘Until you start shaving properly, you’ll look too sweet to terrify on first sight. And that pure and quite virginal robe you’ve put on again only adds to the effect. Even so, I’d not like to find myself on your bad side.’
We laughed. I sat down and pulled at the bread. A slave filled a cup for me.
‘Do you fancy going off to see Boniface this afternoon?’ Lucius asked brightly. ‘The prefect will receive him in state at the Basilica. It’s a custom that goes back to when the bishop of Rome was less important than the representative of the emperor. Even though the positions are reversed, the custom remains. It will be quite a show.’
I drank more wine to wash down an olive stone I’d swallowed. ‘You mean, we’ll see the prefect do something?’
‘Oh, these Greeks are always good for making up speeches. They go through the full rhetorical course in their schools – I often wish I had. He’ll do well enough on his feet, even in Latin.’
A slave brought in a sealed letter. Lucius tore it open and read the contents. ‘Fuck and damn these bloody lawyers!’ he shouted, throwing the letter back at the slave. ‘They don’t piss, but they charge you for it.’
To the slave: ‘Tell him to wait another month.’
‘Lucius,’ I said, ‘I know this will embarrass you. But I’m very flush at the moment. If I can help with expenses, please do just say.’
He looked at me. ‘No,’ he said, smiling. ‘I do have money coming – perhaps more than I expected until recently. The man can wait. And he will wait. I used to think debts were a mark of gentle slavery. But when you owe as much as I do, they become almost a source of power. All my creditors, I have no doubt, were hard at work in church this morning, praying for my continued good health.’
He changed the subject to exercise. ‘Your occasional riding and sword practice have their benefits, I don’t dispute. But there really is nothing like a good session out in an open gymnasium. I must insist on your company tomorrow morning. You won’t believe until then how constricting clothes can be on the movements of a body.’
‘Of course, tomorrow,’ I said.
Another slave came in with a message. Lucius grimaced, muttering something about a day of rest for everyone but himself. Then he smiled and looked up. ‘I’m in luck today,’ he cried. ‘My richest tenant has decided to pay his service charge in full.
‘Listen, my golden Alaric, I must go off and thank the man in person. He’s a greasy creature who makes his living from selling blood sausages. But cash is cash. I won’t ask you to see me in humble mood with him. So, until I return, please make free with my house. Have the slaves show you the room I want to offer you. Regard all that is mine as yours.’
With that, he was off.
I went again through all the rooms that were still habitable. In daylight, the house was shabbier than it had appeared on that first lamplit inspection. The room Lucius had in mind for me was, however, splendid. It took the full morning sun. The marble on the walls was stained in a few places. But the paintings on the plaster were still vivid, and there were three very beautiful nude statues of the Old Gods. They’d recently been cleaned of the paint the ancients had used to make statues more lifelike. I preferred the honesty of the white marble. The ancients were often rather garish, even to the point of spoiling what they had made perfect.
I eventually settled myself in the library. As I’ve said, the books Lucius had were mostly worthless. What sensible man could risk the penalties attaching to treason for this mass of childishness? If even a hundredth part of those spells and incantations were effective, I wondered how Christianity could possibly have become the established faith of the Empire. But there were a few volumes of obscene verse there to brighten me. These rivalled the most stupid magical stuff for wear and tear. I sat sniggering to myself at their witty and abusive pornography.
Outside the door, some slaves were talking. I put the book down and strained to listen. There were two of them. I think one had been with Lucius when we’d met by the Tiber. But it was hard to tell, as slaves hardly ever spoke in his presence.
‘Are you getting the stuff packed?’ one asked.
‘Haven’t you heard?’ came the reply. ‘The master’s put everything off. There’ll be no trip to Ravenna until further notice.’
There was a pause and a muttering of obscenities. Then: ‘Well, that’ll be a mercy. We’re short-handed at the best of times in this place. With all his extra demands of the past few days, I just don’t know how we’d get the master ready to face the exarch.’
A pause, then the reply: ‘Do you think he’s having one of his funny turns again?’
The other laughed softly. ‘Have you got shit in your eyes?’ he sneered. ‘Why else do you think he’s been sniffing round every magician in Rome? Much more of this, and it’ll be hellfire for the lot of us – that’s if we’re not all up for blasphemy first.’
They drifted further down the corridor. I thought to get up and go closer to the door. But I was concerned the boards would creak and I’d be heard. I went back to the book.
I supposed Lucius had devised yet other plan for charming back some of his family’s confiscated property. Perhaps, with Phocas soon to be out of the way, he’d have more success. I decided when the time was right to ask if I could go too. Except its location was dreary, I’d heard nothing but good about Ravenna.
And it was where Maximin had been born and brought up.
