A chorus of gasps rippled through the sea of guests.
‘Yes! We have here an actual gorilla from the darkest and most distant reaches of the lands of Africa.’
‘Impossible!’ shouted a crimson-cheeked fellow, already well on his way to utter inebriation. ‘Such m-, monsters exist only in l-, l-, legend!’
‘I assure you, my friend, that the creature you will later see is quite real! Creatures, in fact … yes, more than one! I have procured, at a great expense, a number of these beasts from a Phoenician dealer who trades in exotic African species. These are – and I assure you that this is the absolute truth – the only gorillas ever to set foot on Roman soil. Two years ago, my Phoenician friend sent five ships down the west coast of Africa, probing and exploring much farther south than any ship had previously sailed. Only two returned, and they arrived just last week loaded with a cargo of exotic beasts, the likes of which have never been seen in Rome or any of her colonies! And among them, the legendary gorilla.’
Gasps and exclamations of shock and surprise buzzed about the crowd.
‘One was too old and weak to be considered useful for fighting in the arenas, so despite its immense monetary worth we have slaughtered it and prepared its flesh for you to consume! After tonight you will truly be able to say that you have indulged in something that nobody else in Rome has! Now my friends, thanks to none other than myself, Gnaeus Cornelius Lentulus Batiatus, you will be able to make a boast that absolutely nobody can equal – that you have eaten the meat of a real gorilla.’
A roar of approval blasted through the hall, and at every table men and women stood up and raised their goblets to Batiatus.
‘All hail Batiatus!’ Octavian roared. ‘You truly have surpassed all expectations, my friend! Veritably, you have impressed us! I foresee a very, very bright future ahead of you. Oh yes, I can almost guarantee this…’
He flashed Batiatus a not-so-subtle wink, and in response Batiatus nodded slowly, acknowledging the words and gesture with a knowing smile. As everyone took their seats again, Batiatus held up a hand and shouted out abruptly.
‘Wait! This is not all! Yes, we will dine on the flesh of a gorilla, but we will also see a live gorilla – a live gorilla that will engage in mortal combat with my finest gladiator! Man versus monster, in one of the fiercest battles you will have ever seen in your lives!’
‘By the gods,’ Claudius whispered to Lepidus, ‘he’s gone mad! He must have spent his entire fortune just on this evening! He’ll bankrupt himself!’
Lepidus nodded, his small eyes narrowing into slits as he stared intently at Batiatus.
‘He’s certainly going all out to impress, is he not? He has ambition, oh yes. He has the type of ambition that drives men insane. One must wonder how long he has been planning this…’
‘How long they have been planning this,’ Claudius murmured, nodding his head in Octavian’s direction. ‘I feel like we were kept too long in the dark about Octavian’s plans for Batiatus. We, as senior members of the Huntsmen society, are entitled to know these things! He should have told us a long time ago, not just tonight.’
‘Well, we do at least know about one little surprise that he and Batiatus have planned for this evening.’
Claudius smiled evilly.
‘Oh yes … oh yes, my friend. One little thorn in our side is about to be removed tonight, and I for one cannot wait to see it.’
‘Shh, I think he’s about to announce it now.’
Lucius Sertorius, who had been listening in on their conversation with a growing sense of worry and fear, looked up to see what Batiatus was about to announce.
‘And while we are feasting on the flesh of one gorilla, and watching my prized champion gladiator, Viridovix, engage in mortal combat with another, we have one more spectacle for your entertainment, dear guests! Can you believe this?! Is this not one of the most spectacular nights of your lives? But here, I will let my friend Octavian introduce the final part of the evening’s entertainment, for it was a plan conceived in his mind. Octavian, if you will!’
Octavian stood up and bowed to Batiatus, smiling eerily all the while.
‘Thank you, my dear friend! And thank you for attending this banquet, this feast in honour of the great god Mars Invictus – may he bless us all with power and unending triumphs in the face of our foes, never to be defeated nor conquered!’ Everyone cheered at this, and Octavian waited for the shouting to subside before he continued. ‘Like Batiatus said, we have something very special in store for you. You see, on a recent visit to Athens, on business matters of course, I learned of a wonderful device invented by a Greek named Perillos. This thing is called a “brazen bull”, and that name describes exactly what it is: a life-sized replica of a bull, constructed entirely of brass. Now, what is the purpose of such a thing, I am sure you are wondering? Let me explain. The brazen bull is hollow, and it is large enough for a man to fit inside. Inside the head of the brazen bull are a complex series of tubes that distort and morph the sound of a man’s screams, so that when the sounds emerge from the device’s mouth, it sounds like the bellowing of an actual bull!
