“How dare you?” he hissed at me, soundingvery much to me like those hooded serpents that are kept in wickercages by street charmers in places like Alexandria. “By what rightdo you have to question my authority?”
“I’m not questioning your authority.” I keptmy voice calm, determined to maintain my composure no matter whatprovocation Primus threw in my face. “I am questioning the ordersyou say you received from Augustus to conduct this campaign. Whenyou and I first spoke, you were very specific about the fact thatwe were on a mission to avenge the outrage done to us by theTriballi. Yet, today, you insisted that it didn't matter that itwasn't the Triballi we were headed for, but the Serdi. So I'mconfused, and the only way that I can see to dispel my confusion isto see for myself exactly what Augustus’ orders say.”
“I said no such thing,” he said indignantly.“I never mentioned the Triballi by name. I distinctly remember thatI said this was to be a punitive expedition against Thrace, not aspecific tribe.”
“I remember it quite differently.” I triedto hide my happiness that he had given me the opening I needed.“And since we remember the events quite differently, then I thinkthe only reasonable way to clear matters up is to see the actualorder.”
“This is an outrage.” Primus was visiblyshaking now, a further sign to me that I had him in a vulnerableposition. “Who do you think you are to question me in thismanner?”
“I'm the second in command of this army, andam responsible for the welfare of the men.” The more agitatedPrimus got, the calmer I remained, keeping my toneconversational.
“And I am the Legate! And Praetor withProconsular imperium,” he shrilled, stomping his foot to emphasizeeach word. “You have no right to question me! None whatsoever!”
“Praetor, it seems to me the easiest way toresolve this matter, and to put me in my place, is to produce theorder.”
I know I should not have, but I could notresist adding, “If it exists, of course.”
Primus’ eyes widened and I realized I hadgone too far.
“Now you’re insinuating that I'm lying?Pullus, I should have you scourged for that!”
“I mean no disrespect, Praetor. But try tolook at this from my viewpoint. All this could be settled by theproduction of the order from Augustus, but you seem reluctant to doso. What am I supposed to think?”
“I don’t care what you think,” he snapped,his face a shade of red so deep that I thought he might die righton the spot of an apoplectic fit. “It’s not your place to questionme, Prefect, no matter what you think your duty is. You forget thatyou're not an equestrian yet, and even if you were, my bloodlineand lineage is still more exalted and pure than your mongrel bloodwill ever be.” I could not hide the look of surprise, and he sawit. “Oh, I know all about your pretensions to elevate yourself,” hesneered. “It’s a cause of much amusement back in Rome, I assureyou. To think that someone like you can manage to buy your way intothe upper classes is the biggest travesty to come from all theturmoil of the last several years. But I tell you this; you can puta pig in a toga, but that doesn't make it any less a pig!”
Perhaps I shouldn’t have worn my sword, Ithought, my hand moving, seemingly of its own volition, to thehilt. Primus saw the movement, his face going pale, and he took astep backward, fear suddenly replacing the anger on his face. Heopened his mouth to scream for the guards, but fortunately, Istopped my hand. In a very slow, deliberate move, I dropped it tomy side. I took a deep breath before I replied.
“Be that as it may, Praetor, that doesn'tchange the situation as it stands at this moment. I still need tosee the order from Augustus.”
“And if I don’t produce it?”
“Then this army doesn't march anotherstep.”
Primus gave a shrill laugh, but it wasclearly forced, as if he were trying to show how unworried he wasby my threat.
“You forget yourself again, but I can seethat it’s a habit of yours. I'm the Legate. I outrank you. If Igive the order to march, the army will march.”
“Really?” I asked reasonably. “Are you sureabout that? After your displays?”
Primus’ face became guarded.
“What do you mean? What displays are youtalking about?”
“You turned the inspection of the army intoa farce because you had no idea what you were doing,” I replied.“Then you forced the army to put in a half-day’s worth of marchingbecause you couldn’t sit in the saddle for a full day, and youcarried on like a woman at every rest stop. Who do you think thearmy will listen to?”
Primus stood there, glaring at me, stillshaking, though at that moment, I did not know if it was from angeror fear. Suddenly, his shoulders slumped as he broke his gaze,looking down at the table.
“Fine,” he finally said, still refusing tolook at me. “I'll show you the order.”
I tried to keep a straight face and not showthe sense of triumph that I felt, but Primus was not so easilythwarted.
“Of course, I have to find it, which willtake some time.”
I felt another stab of anger at the fatlittle man’s inability to concede defeat and get all this overwith.
“How long are you talking about?”
I was expecting him to mention some date inthe future, so I was surprised when he replied, “Come back tonightat the beginning of third watch, and I'll have the order here.You're dismissed.”
Without another word, Primus turned his backto me, making it clear that he was through. I saluted his back,then left the Praetorium.
“There’s no doubt he’s up to something,”Scribonius agreed after I told him what had transpired. Rubbing hischin thoughtfully, he continued, “But I don’t know what it is.”
“If you don’t, I certainly don’t have anyidea.”
I was frustrated, because I had beencounting on Scribonius to shed some light on what Primus was up to,so I called Diocles, who appeared from behind the leatherpartition, trying very much to look like he had not beenlistening.
“Don’t pretend you haven’t listened to everyword we’ve been
