Hostage to Fortuna

more difficult, andit was something that we should have thought about, since there wasno way that we could lug the chests up to our room, but neithercould we leave it unguarded, which practically shouted that we hadsomething worth protecting. After a sleepless first night, where wealways had two of us guarding the carriage, we decided thatsleeping in the open and buying our food was the best option. Mybiggest challenge was keeping my toga clean enough to maintain thefiction of my importance, although I did pass the time as apassenger reading from my bag of scrolls. The weather held for thefirst four days, but before reaching Cabillonum, it began to rain,hard, and it did not stop for two days. Fortunately, we were on theVia Agrippa, which being relatively recently constructed, is inexcellent condition, but it was also cold. None of my companionscomplained, and it helped that they were equally prepared, with thefur-lined sagum that everyveteran I know has. There was a hidden benefit, which we discoveredwhen we stopped at the Imperial relay station in Cabillonum,because the attendant there did not even open the tablet I waved athim, taking one look at what he assumed were four Legionaries,three on horseback and one driving the carriage, making it ourshortest stop to that point. Even once it stopped raining, theweather was cold enough to justify Marcellus and the others to keepwearing their sagum, and thishelped shave even more time off our journey, so that we pulled intoGesoriacum thirteen days after leaving Arelate, two days before theIdes of October. My elation at the rapidity was short-lived,because it took three days to find a shipwhose master was willing to divert from his original destination ofthe Batavian town of Canninefates and sail across the channel toParisii lands instead, and I had to usesome of the gold to do it, hoping that either being a few coinsshort would not matter or that we had overestimated Gnaeus’weight.

Four days after ourarrival, I had shed the toga and we were standing on the deck ofthe ship as it slipped its mooring from the dock on the river. Themaster of the ship, a sour-faced Gaul who insisted that he only becalled Squillus, had assured me that the appearance of the vesselwas deceptive, because it was nothing like a Liburnian, or even anormal bireme, looking to myadmittedly inexperienced eye to be almost as wide as it waslong.

“Don’t let her fool you,”Squillus had informed me when, after a brief meeting at ataverna on the docks, he had takenme to look at the ship. “She doesn’t look it, butSalacia here can make speed when sheneeds to. My crew,” he said this with some pride, “are allfreedmen, and they’re the best oarsmen on Our Sea!”

It was only later, when Ithought about it, that I realized that ultimately the reason Ihired Squillus and Salacia was because her crew was freedmen; I suppose that the ordealand difficulties that we had encountered on our ill-fated voyageback to Ubiorum with Ivomagus and his Parisii was still fresh in mymind. Speaking of Ivomagus, I had been concerned for his safetysince the moment Motius pointed the bow of theBrizo downstream. If Gnaeus wasunable to restrain himself for what he, and I, viewed as an act oftreachery by the brother of King Cogidubnus, I was acutely awarethat he might already be dead. Nevertheless, despite thetrepidation about arriving too late, I was happy to be moving, andonce Gesoriacum was no longer in sight, I settled down with thefour former Legionaries, who had already broken out the dice asthey sat on the deck. Now, I thought, we’ll find out just how muchof a liar Squillus is.

Berdic and the army returned toPetuar, reporting to Cogidubnus that there was no longer aBrigantes presence on the Parisii side of the river. This promptedCogidubnus to release all but his personal bodyguards to return totheir homes around the Parisii kingdom, which, as far as I couldtell, ranged less than a hundred miles inland and a bit more northto south. Frankly, I was not interested in learning more about thisplace because I was heartily sick of it and bored to distraction. Ihad been allowed to return to Segovax’s hall, and I had resumed mythird of a watch exercises, even being provided with arudis of sorts that had been carvedby Lugotorix, and it was a quite reasonable copy, although they didnot provide any lead for it. Two days after Berdic returned, I lostmy patience, and I approached Ivomagus.

“When will your brother make hisdecision, Ivomagus?” I demanded.

Ivomagus’ expression indicated to me that hewas fervently praying that the ground would swallow him up, but heanswered reluctantly, “I wish I could tell you, Gnaeus. I,” hesuddenly indicated Tincommius, who was now my almost constantcompanion, “and even Tincommius have argued with my brother thatyou should be released without being ransomed. But,” he finishedhelplessly, “he refuses to give us an answer.”

“Then let me talk to him,” I said, butthis time, he was adamant.

“That would make it worse, Gnaeus,” hecountered. Then, more softly, I supposed because we were standingnear the doorway into the hall, “I beg you to trust me, and believeme when I tell you this. My brother is under a great deal ofpressure from…” His voice trailed off, and I could tell that he wasreluctant to say more, so I hazarded a guess.

“He’s getting pressure from Berdic,” Isaid, making sure I spoke the name quietly, and while he did notreply verbally, he gave a faint nod. Something did not make senseto me, and I said as much. “But does Berdic have royal blood? Whydoes he have so much influence?”

“Because,” Ivomagus answered bitterly,“he’s the half-brother of Cogidubnus and me. My father…” hesearched for the word, “…did what you Romans call divorce, Ibelieve, to my mother, in order to take Berdic’s mother as hiswoman.”

“Which is why,” I almost groaned this,“your brother is eager to keep Berdic happy by giving him Bronwen.”He nodded, yet there was still something I did not understand. “Butthat doesn’t really explain why your brother is worried aboutangering Berdic if he lets me go