Not only had I shown up unannounced, butusing my status, and my reputation, I am sure, I cowed the Optio incharge of the Praetorian detachment on duty at the main entrance toallow me to pass without running off and essentially giving awarning. Forcing myself to remember the way, albeit with two wrongturns, I finally found the right hallway and approached the twoGuardsmen at the door to Agrippa's office. The men at the door weredifferent from the pair the day before, but they were stillrankers, and I was still a Camp Prefect, even if it was for only ashort while longer, so a growled order to remain at intentewas sufficient to allow me to rap on the door. When Agrippa barkedfor whoever it was disturbing him to enter, I took a deep breaththen opened it. Now, he was sitting there, clearly surprised, whichwas my objective, although I must say that the thought pressing itsway to the front of my mind was "now what?"
"Well?" he finally relented in his attemptto wither me. "What can I do for you, Camp Prefect?"
"I looked at the list of Tribunes you gaveme." This part, I had rehearsed. "And none of these names are knownto me. I don't think it's reasonable to expect me to choose a manwhose qualities I don't know when the matter is so serious."
Agrippa sat back, a slightly shockedexpression crowding his previous look of consternation off of hisface. He did not say anything for a moment, but I refused to breakmy gaze, looking down at him as steadily as I could, happy that Ihad worn my muscled cuirass that hid the fact that my heart waspounding so heavily that I knew it would have made my tunicjump.
Finally, he acknowledged, "That is a goodpoint, Pullus."
His eyes narrowed suspiciously as his mindturned over the problem I had just thrust at him, and I remindedmyself that, while Agrippa was in a clearly subordinate position toOctavian, it had nothing to do with an intellect inferior to theman he served. In fact, I suspected that Agrippa was a match forOctavian in that respect, and it would not have surprised me if hewas Octavian's intellectual superior.
Therefore, I was not that surprised when hecontinued, "But I suspect that you didn't come here to inform me ofthis without some sort of alternative in mind."
"Yes, sir, you're correct," I replied,seeing no need to be coy about it. Drawing a breath, I plungedahead. "I request that I be allowed to pick from those men who haveserved as Tribunes before, either of the broad or narrowstripe."
Agrippa frowned as he tried to puzzle outwhere I was going.
After a moment, his expression cleared andhe said softly, "Ah. I see. You want someone with whom you'veserved to defend you."
Again, I saw no point in denying it,impressed that he had worked this out so quickly.
"Yes, sir. Someone I know. And trust with mylife," I added.
Pressing his fingertips together, hisexpression went opaque as he asked evenly, "And who might thatbe?"
"Tribune Claudius, who served with me duringMarcus Crassus' campaign," I replied.
"But he's related to Lucullus! As I recall,they're first cousins," was Agrippa's first response.
Before I could open my mouth to make anyreply, his eyes narrowed again and he gave a soft chuckle, but withno humor in it.
"Which is why you want him as your defense.Because it will be doubly effective that it's a member of Lucullus'own family willing to attack Lucullus' credibility."
Agrippa regarded me for a moment, with anexpression that I could not place. With his next words, Iunderstood why he was looking at me with seemed to be a mixture ofrespect and revulsion.
"I must hand it to you, Pullus. That's anextraordinarily cunning thing to do. It's a move worthy of apatrician of Rome."
We both knew he did not mean that as acompliment, but I did not begrudge him his feelings. In some ways,Agrippa was like me; a new man who had risen on ability, but forwhom his ancestry was not the source of pride that is such a partof the makeup of the upper classes of Rome. As I am sure you know,gentle reader, the rumor is that Marcus Agrippa's grandfather was aslave. Now the second most powerful man in Rome, I was sure thatAgrippa was as aware as I was that no matter what he accomplished,he would still not be good enough to some of the older families ofRome. The thought crossed my mind that it was entirely possiblethat one of those very people who might feel this way was the youngClaudius himself, given that he came from one of the oldest andmost respected families of Rome. Maybe this was not the best idea,I thought as I watched Agrippa considering.
Finally, he stood up and said only, "Waithere."
He exited the room by a door I had notnoticed before, because it was behind a tapestry hanging from thewall behind his desk. I do not know how long I waited, but itseemed to be a very long while before I heard the sound of thedoor, followed by a billowing of the tapestry as he reappeared frombehind it, reminding me of something I might see during one of themime shows that are so popular. Searching his face for any cluethat might give me a hint, it was in his refusal to meet my gazethat I got my answer.
"I've consulted with Augustus," he announcedas soon as he had seated himself. "And it is denied. You’ll have touse one of the Tribunes on the list we provided to you."
Despite having prepared myself for thispossibility, his answer was almost like a physical blow, and I feltmy knees sag. My mind raced, trying to summon the right words, butI knew that there would be no changing Octavian's mind. So instead,I was about to tell Agrippa that I was going to at least callClaudius as a character witness, but something stopped me. It hadbecome clear to me that there would be absolutely no help comingfrom Octavian in any form. And if Octavian was unwilling to doanything, I could not imagine Agrippa doing anything any different.Stiffening to
