‘Indeed. I believe that there is a problem in that you were seen coming here?’
‘I can only apologise, we were foolish to meddle in matters that we didn’t understand.’
‘Well, it’s too late now, it is done. But you can’t return to Senator Pollo’s house; if you were seen there it would link him with us and put him and your sons in great danger.’
‘Can we not just go immediately home to Aquae Cutillae?’ Vespasia asked.
‘I’m afraid not. You will have to stay with me for a while until I can smuggle you out of the city.’
Titus cast a sour look at his wife.
‘I should go.’ Asinius turned to Vespasian. ‘Good luck and remember, trust no one and do not write anything down.’
‘Yes, Asinius, thank you.’
‘Good. I shall leave you all to say your goodbyes. Antonia, I’d like a private word with you, if I may?’
When they had gone Titus looked at his sons. ‘I don’t know which of you I shall be more worried for, Vespasian in the army or Sabinus under Sejanus’ nose here in Rome.’ He took Vespasian’s arm. ‘Take the Via Aurelia to Genua, not the inland route, then you can stay a few days with your grandmother. She’s old and you’re going to be away a long time. Give her my greetings.’
‘I will, Father,’ Vespasian replied, cheered by the thought.
Titus embraced each of his sons in turn. ‘Farewell, my boys. I’m proud that you are serving Rome.’
Vespasia kissed both of them. ‘Being unable to help you make decisions recently hasn’t been easy for me. Forgive me. And take care of yourselves, my sons. May the gods go with you.’
Vespasian and Sabinus took leave of their parents and joined Pallas, who had been waiting for them in the corridor. He took them through the house and out to the stable yard. There they found the two covered litters ready with the teams of Nubian bearers waiting patiently in the shade. Six burly bodyguards, armed with cudgels and staves, talked quietly in a group.
‘One of you in each if you please, masters,’ Pallas said, bowing slightly and gesturing to the waiting litters, managing to be polite and formal even whilst organising an escape. ‘Make sure the curtains are fully closed once you are in, and sit exactly in the middle so that your weight is evenly distributed between the front and rear teams. We want the litters to look empty when they go round to the front of the house.’
Vespasian climbed into his litter, the same one as he had seen Caenis in only a few days earlier, and sank into the sumptuous cushions and soft fabrics of the interior. With the curtains fully drawn it began to get stuffy inside fairly quickly and he was relieved when, not long later, he heard a shout and felt the litter being lifted by the bearers. Another shout and they moved off. He felt the litter turn left and heard the gates start to close behind him. The litter remained very stable so, being unable to see where he was going, Vespasian had hardly any sense of movement or speed. He was aware of another left turn, then after a short while a slight bump as the litter was grounded, Antonia got in almost immediately and sat in front of him; he felt the litter rise again.
‘Our watching friends will just follow at a distance,’ she said, plumping up a cushion and settling down for the ride. ‘However, they wouldn’t dare to try and waylay me in public.’
Vespasian hoped that she was right.
The litter felt to be at slight angle and Vespasian guessed that they were now going down the hill. Antonia pulled the curtain back a fraction and peeped out the side looking both forward and back. She pulled away quickly.
‘Another six Praetorians have appeared in front of us; they must have been waiting down the hill. We’re surrounded, it will be nigh on impossible to get you out undetected.’
‘Are Sabinus and Caligula behind us or in front, domina?’ Vespasian asked.
‘Behind. Why?’
‘In that case make the litter-bearers go faster,’ Vespasian replied. ‘The guards in front will either have to speed up or fall behind us.’
Antonia stuck her head out of the front curtain. ‘Speed up,’ she shouted. There was a slight lurch as the bearers switched into a trot.
‘Have a look to see if the Praetorians and the other litter are both keeping pace.’
She had another peek. ‘Yes, they are.’
‘Good, let’s go faster still.’
Antonia gave the order and the bearers broke into a run. The litter started to sway slightly and Vespasian was finally able to feel that he was moving. He decided to risk a quick look. He pulled the curtains apart and stuck an eye to the gap. In front he could see the escorting Praetorians running, their leader occasionally looking over his shoulder. Behind, Sabinus and Caligula’s litter was keeping up, followed by six more Praetorians. On either side ran Antonia’s bodyguards, brandishing staves and cudgels, ready to stop anyone from getting too close to the litters.
‘Where does this street go?’ he asked.
‘Down to the Via Sacra about quarter of a mile away, then we’ll turn left towards the Forum.’
‘Is there another street parallel to this one?’
‘Yes, over to our left.’
‘Good, make them go faster, domina.’
She gave another shout and the litter accelerated away. It was now becoming a bumpy ride.
‘That’s it, we’re at full speed,’ Antonia said, holding on as the litter swayed and lurched, its bearers having difficulty keeping in step at the speed that they were going.
‘On my order get them to turn left, domina,’ Vespasian said, looking out of the left side. He could see the Praetorians in front racing to stay ahead, determined to keep them surrounded. Passersby jumped out of the way on to the crowded pavements at the sight of the small phalanx of armed guards thundering down the hill with two litters born by huge Negroes in their wake.
Vespasian saw a narrow left turn coming up; he glanced at Antonia and raised his right arm. ‘Nearly there, nearly… nearly.’
The Praetorians went speeding past the turn; as the last one cleared it Vespasian lowered his arm.
‘Turn left!’ Antonia shouted.
The lead bearers reacted quickly and leaning to their left brought their comrades round behind them. Somehow the litter skidded around the corner with all the bearers keeping their footing. Vespasian and Antonia swayed around inside as the litter rocked its way around the bend. He looked out of the back in time to see Sabinus and Caligula’s litter scrape around with all the Praetorians now behind it.
‘Don’t let them overtake us,’ he called to Antonia’s bodyguards beside them. They nodded and fell back to prevent the Praetorians from pulling alongside.
They raced along the narrow alley; coming to the end Antonia yelled: ‘Turn right.’
The bearers had been expecting this command and the litters turned right on to the main road with comparative ease and headed the last hundred paces at full speed down to the crowded Via Sacra.
Vespasian looked behind and could see that the bodyguards were having difficulty holding the Praetorians back. If it weren’t for the crowds of people on the pavements on either side they would already have been overtaken.
Vespasian looked at Antonia. ‘I’ll jump out of the right-hand side as you turn left on to the Via Sacra. Hopefully the litter will mask the Praetorians’ view.’
‘Good luck, Vespasian. Get out of Rome as soon as you can.’ She turned around and looked through the curtains to judge the left turn.
Vespasian braced himself for the jump.
‘Turn left,’ Antonia shouted. Vespasian felt the litter-bearers respond to her command and leapt through the curtains on to the crowded pavement. He rolled head over heels along the ground as he landed, skittling over a couple of young boys.
Getting quickly to his feet he pushed through the crowd away from the road as the next litter passed by.
Vespasian breathed a sigh of relief. He watched the litters disappear towards the Forum and hoped that his brother would find an opportunity to slip out there. Concerned as he was for Sabinus he realised that there was no way of helping him. All he could do for him was to blend into the crowd, make his way quickly back to his uncle’s house and ask him to send Magnus’ crossroads fraternity out to search for his brother. Then he would pack; he had made up his mind he would leave Rome that night.
