‘We have done as you have asked, general. I shall lead my people and be the first. Take my eyes.’
‘As you wish.’ Poppaeus looked to Aulus. ‘Centurion, you may begin.’
Aulus gave the command and two legionaries held Dinas’ arms firmly behind his back whilst a third pulled a red-hot poker from the fire and approached the old chief. It was over in an instant. Dinas’ back arched but he made no sound. He was led away, walking with his head held high, the two blackened empty sockets in his face still smouldering. His people were silent.
Five men were then brought forward and forced to kneel in front of the blocks. Legionaries secured ropes around their wrists and pulled their arms forward so that they lay flat on the smooth surfaces, their hands gripping the edges of the blocks. Other legionaries held their shoulders, pulling them back. All five rebels turned their heads away as five more soldiers brought their swords slicing down through their wrists. Howls of pain erupted from the men as they fell back, blood spurting from their fresh stumps, leaving their hands still gripping the blocks. The women in the crowd started to scream and wail.
Pitch-soaked flaming torches were quickly thrust into the wounds to cauterise them, and then the men were dragged away.
The screaming and wailing escalated as five old men and women were brought forward to the braziers. Vespasian watched in steely silence as the red-hot pokers flashed. Five more victims were being dragged forward to the blocks when, from behind him, Vespasian heard Magnus’ voice shouting over the noise.
‘Sir, sir, you need to come at once.’ Magnus pulled his horse to a sliding halt next to him.
‘What’s going on?’ Vespasian asked, pleased to have his attention diverted from the grisly spectacle.
Magnus drew closer and lowered his voice.
‘Asinius has just arrived in the camp; he wants to see you immediately.’
Vespasian looked at his friend astounded. ‘Asinius, here? How?’
‘The normal way, he rode. Now, are you coming or not?’
‘Yes, of course I am.’
Vespasian turned to Paetus. ‘Prefect, I have some urgent business to attend to, if I may.’
‘Of course, dear fellow, I only wish that I could join you. The mutilations are always my least favourite part of the circus back in Rome. I normally take the opportunity to stretch my legs until something more to my taste comes on, like the wild beast hunt. I love that. Off you go.’ Paetus waved him off.
*
The sun had sunk behind the Rhodope range, leaving the camp in deep shadow while simultaneously causing the gathering low clouds to burn amber and golden with its dwindling light.
Magnus led Vespasian to a large tent close to the praetorium that was always kept free to accommodate visiting dignitaries. It was guarded by two of the eleven lictors that provided Asinius’ official escort as a proconsul on his way to his province. Vespasian and Magnus were admitted immediately.
Asinius was sitting on a couch with his feet immersed in a bowl of warm water and a cup of wine in his hand. A couple of travel-stained slaves hovered in the background with linen towels and jugs of steaming water.
‘Vespasian, we shall talk in private.’ Asinius dismissed the slaves. Magnus, taking the hint, left with them. Asinius motioned Vespasian to sit on a folding stool opposite him. ‘You are no doubt surprised to see me here.’
‘A pleasant surprise, sir, I have much to tell you.’
‘All in good time. I will first tell you what brings me to this arsehole of the Empire.’ Asinius drained his cup and refilled it from a jug on a low table next to him. ‘Poppaeus’ much-exaggerated report of victory over the rebel tribes prompted the Senate to vote him triumphal honours. A little prematurely, it would seem, seeing as I hear that he is only now receiving the surrender of a small portion of the rebels who are still defying Rome up in their stronghold. Nonetheless, it has been done. The Emperor was only too pleased to confirm the honours, on condition that Poppaeus returns to Rome immediately for the investiture. I believe that Tiberius is anxious, as always, to part a successful general from his victorious army and get him back to Rome where he can keep an eye on him. Pomponius Labeo will take command in his stead.
‘I was due to leave Rome for my province Bithynia – I had hoped for Syria but an ally of Sejanus unsurprisingly received that particular goldmine. The Senate requested that I make a small detour and bring the good general the happy news of his award in person. They felt that an ex-Consul bringing the news would flatter his ego as well as taking the sting out of his recall.’ Asinius took another slug from his cup and then, remembering that his guest was without one, gestured to Vespasian to help himself.
‘In normal circumstances,’ he continued, ‘I would have wriggled out of such an onerous task, but your brother Sabinus brought something very interesting to my attention. Two months ago men bearing an imperial warrant took three chests from the mint. Between them they contained fifty thousand denarii. The warrant stated that the money was to be used to pay the legions here in Thracia. Not very unusual in itself. However, Sabinus noticed from the records that it was the second such payment in as many months. He was suspicious, so he cross-checked the amount of denarii minted that month with the amount of silver bullion in the treasury. Your brother has an eye for book-keeping, it would seem; whoever taught him should be proud.’
Vespasian smiled, thinking of the long hours that he’d spent forcing his unwilling brother to master the basics of accountancy; his efforts had evidently not been in vain.
‘Something amuses you?’
‘No, Asinius; please carry on.’
‘When Sabinus checked the bullion he found that there were exactly fifty thousand denarii too much, but the treasury’s accounts balanced and there were no records to prove that the chests had been taken. In other words it was as if that money had never existed; perfect for secretly financing a rebellion. I thought therefore that bringing the Senate’s message to Poppaeus would provide me with the opportunity to trace those non-existent chests.’
Asinius paused and refilled his cup.
‘Someone must have replaced the silver,’ Vespasian surmised.
‘Indeed, but who has access to that amount? Sejanus is not yet wealthy enough to give that much away.’
Vespasian thought for a moment. ‘Of course, Poppaeus!’ he almost shouted. ‘Paetus mentioned that Poppaeus’ family have made fortunes from silver mines in Hispania. He must have used his own silver to finance that chest.’
‘Poppaeus is Sejanus’ agent?’ Asinius exclaimed, unable to believe what he was hearing.
Vespasian then related everything that had happened since he and Magnus had arrived in Thracia, and all that Queen Tryphaena and Corbulo had told him.
‘How can I have been so stupid?’ Asinius mumbled as Vespasian finished. ‘It all makes sense now. Sejanus and Poppaeus have managed to create a crisis that cannot be traced back to them. Poppaeus will claim that he sent the recruiting officers to Thracia because he needed more troops to defend the Moesia’s northern border, and was therefore acting in the best interests of the Empire. There is no written or material evidence that links either of them to the money used to bribe the chiefs into rebelling. There is no money missing from the treasury. Poppaeus has acted quickly to contain the rebellion, while meanwhile Sejanus’ agents bribe other tribes into revolt, threatening our land route to the eastern provinces. Poppaeus comes out of it as a hero and Sejanus has what he needs, another distraction from his manoeuvring in Rome, and for what price? Free silver dug out of the mountains of Hispania. Brilliant.’
‘But why did they go to the trouble of converting that silver into coinage? Why not just use raw silver?’
‘I don’t know. Perhaps they judged that coinage would be harder to trace than bars of silver. There are, after all, very few families with access to silver mines.’
From outside came the sound of troops marching back into the camp and being dismissed.
‘There is one person who could link both of them to the money.’
‘I know, Rhoteces the priest, but how could we find him? And even if we could we’d have to get him to Rome to testify before the Senate, and then it would be the word of a barbarian against those of the Praetorian prefect and a governor.’
‘He’s here.’
‘Rhoteces here? Why?’
‘He’s been acting as Poppaeus’ intermediary with the rebels.’
Asinius laughed. ‘That priest’s duplicity knows no bounds – first he gets them to rebel, then he persuades them to surrender. What can he be hoping to gain?’
