"This Tribunal has been called to determinewhether or not Camp Prefect Titus Pullus, of the Army of Pannonia,was complicit in the waging of the unauthorized campaign by MarcusPrimus, formerly Praetor of Macedonia, who has been found guiltyand executed for his crimes."
This statement was intoned by the Tribune ofthe broad stripe, who was going to be presiding over the Tribunal,and I cannot deny that just hearing the words sent a chill up myspine, even as much as I had prepared myself. The broad stripeTribune, typically haughty, with a weak chin and protuberant eyesthat reminded me of a fish, looked over at our table.
"What does the Prefect say in response tothis charge?" he intoned.
I had been told by Piso about thisformality, and that, aside from my testimony, was all that I wasrequired to say.
"I pronounce that I am innocent of thecharges brought against me," I replied, keeping my tone just belowthe kind of bellowing command I would have given outside.
"Then the Tribunal will proceed," theTribune pronounced, turning to Sulpicianus, signaling him to beginhis case.
By the time that Sulpicianus had finishedpresenting his opening statement and announced what evidence hewould present, I found it difficult to believe that there was notsome sort of secret being withheld that the prosecution planned onspringing at the last moment. I will say that the Tribune presentedhis case competently enough, although I must admit that even I, asvested as I was in the outcome, found it quite boring.Nevertheless, by the time he was finished, it appeared that theevidence consisted only of what we had been told beforehand; thetestimony of Lucullus, and the statement from Marcus Primus thathad been extracted under torture, although that was not how it wasphrased. As I recall, the term Sulpicianus used was "extensiveinterrogation," and as much as I despised Primus, I felt a sliverof pity for what his last days must have been like. It was a very,very small sliver, I grant you; I never lost sight of the fact thatmy whole reason for sitting at this table, in front of a Tribunal,was because of his wanton greed. His incompetence, as I saw it, wasa separate issue, but it was his avarice and belief that moneywould provide the ultimate forgiveness for his overstepping hisauthority that put me, Scribonius, and two Legions into a positionof jeopardy because of his complete ineptitude in military matters.Consequently, my sympathy for the pain that Marcus Primus clearlysuffered lasted the span of a few heartbeats at most. With hisopening statement over, Sulpicianus then announced that he wouldcall for his first, and at least at this point, only live witness.The first indication I had that something was not as it should bewas when one of the slaves that had been hovering in the backgroundcame forward with a chair that he placed in the space between wherethe Tribunes sat and our tables. That was not unusual; the factthat he placed the chair so that its back was turned toward ourtable was. My initial thought was that this was simply a mark ofcarelessness on the part of the slave, and I waited for the seniorTribune to order the chair to be oriented so that we would be ableto see Lucullus' face as he gave his testimony. When no such orderwas forthcoming, I looked over at Piso, who looked as nonplussed asI felt. Before he could say anything, a door that I knew led towhat is normally the private office of the commander opened, andthe Tribune Lucullus appeared. Although that was expected, what Iwas not prepared for was that he was not alone. Followingimmediately behind him was his cousin, and presumptive adoptedbrother, Claudius. When I glanced over at Piso, he seemed toostunned to speak, so I elbowed him in the ribs.
"Are you going to say something?" Ihissed.
That spurred him into action, and he stood,the action that signals a man is about to address the Tribunal.
"Forgive me, Senior Tribune," Piso began,and I was pleased to hear that he at least sounded confident. "ButI don't recall my colleague Tribune Sulpicianus," he bowed his headin the direction of the prosecutor, "listing this other man whoenters with Tribune Lucullus as a witness."
"He's not." Sulpicianus stood, waving hishand as if it was not even worthy of discussion. "Tiberius Claudiusis here only to provide support for his cousin."
"Support?" I thought Piso's arched eyebrowwas a nice touch to his tone of surprise. "I didn't realize thatthis was an option available to participants in this Tribunal. ThePrefect here," he swept his hand in what I recognized as anorator's gesture in my direction, "in fact has more than a hundredmen outside, comrades in arms that without any prompting have shownup here to show their support for a man they respect and admire,and have shed blood with. Perhaps they should be allowed to witnessthese proceedings as Tiberius Claudius is doing? Wouldn't that befair?"
While I had been cautiously pleased at whatI had seen in young Piso before, this raised him even further in myestimation. Now, whether or not he knew that when he said thisdemonstration was spontaneous, this was not exactly the truth, Ihave no way of knowing, but there was no question about hissincerity, or at least the appearance of it. I turned my attentionto the seated Tribunes, focusing on the Senior Tribune who wouldultimately decide, and I was happy to see that he looked distinctlyuncomfortable.
"Tribune Piso, while I appreciate yoursentiment, and applaud your zeal in making sure that the interestsof the
