Gallia Invicta

“We’re about to find out.”

The three waited a minute, listening intently. A number of voices out in the corridor became gradually louder. Posco and three others. One had a deep and rich voice, one somewhat miscellaneous. The third…

“That’s Cicero!”

Fronto turned to Crispus.

“You sure?”

“I know that voice. Heard it often enough in camp.”

The pair fell silent as the footsteps reached the far side of the door and stopped. Posco swung the portal open and stepped through with a slight bow.

“Masters Marcus Caelius Rufus, Quintus Tullius Cicero, and Marcus Tullius Cicero.”

Fronto stared.

Quintus he was familiar with from the last two years of campaigning, Marcus Caelius Rufus was prominent enough to be a household name as praetor, tribune and public speaker. Marcus Cicero was something of a surprise: the great orator was not the most favourable advocate of Caesar and deigning to visit one of the general’s senior officers seemed out of character.

“Gentlemen? To what do we owe this pleasure?”

The elder Cicero brother shot questioning glances at Crispus and Priscus and then let his gaze fall on Fronto.

“What we have to say, Fronto, is rather private.”

Fronto raised his brow.

“Unless you’re here to tell me you slept with my sister or something, these two can stay. Even them, since they’ve met Faleria…”

Cicero frowned meaningfully at Fronto, but his younger brother tapped his shoulder.

“I know them, Marcus. I’ve fought alongside them. Trust Fronto; he knows what he’s doing.”

Fronto’s stomach began to churn. Politics. This had the stink of politics all over it.

“Come on, then. What brings three such eminent folk to my house?”

He gestured to the various spare couches and seats in the room and the three men filed in and sat. Cicero manoeuvred his toga into a more comfortable position.

“I was, to be frank, rather hoping that Caesar would be here. I hear rumours that he is returning to Rome from Illyricum.”

Fronto shrugged noncommittally and Cicero steepled his fingers, gazing over the tips and addressing his host in that deep and rich tone.

“It seems that a viper has arisen in Rome these years past.”

Fronto laughed.

“A single one? A nest, I would have said.”

The orator glowered at him but otherwise ignored the comment.

“This particular viper has struck time and again and is causing troubles for the more reasonable men in Rome. I fear we have mutual enemies.”

Fronto laughed.

“All my enemies are wild, hairy men that paint their faces and run around naked trying to kill Romans. A bit like the Senate, but with better hygiene.”

Crispus shot him a warning glance, but once more, to his credit, Cicero ignored the comment.

“Publius Clodius Pulcher. The man forced my exile two years ago and it is only through the judicious use of contacts and influence that I secured my recall. My brother here had his house burned down last year by one of Clodius’ gangs, merely, I fear, for being associated with me. Young Caelius here is, however, in slightly more serious trouble. He used to be an associate of Clodius you see but, following a somewhat scandalous affair with the snake’s sister, he finds himself at the sharp end of Clodius’ fangs. I won’t go into the details at this point, but suffice it to say that he stands accused of murder, attempted murder, accepting payment for murder, assault, civil disturbance and wilful damage to property.”

Fronto gave a noncommittal shrug.

“So one of Clodius’ friends tries to knock up his sister and falls foul of them. Politicians are always doing things like this and if he’s one of Clodius’ cronies, why in the name of Fortuna should any of us give a shit? Particularly you two. And why come to me anyway?”

Cicero nodded.

“It is a good question. Caelius here has a great deal of inside knowledge of the activities and associates of Clodius and his sister that could be used in the right circumstances to bring the viper down. Can you see the value of that?”

Fronto nodded.

“Fair enough. You save Caelius and you can use him to bring Clodius down. Why me though?”

The orator glanced across at his brother and nodded. The young staff officer leaned forward.

“Quite simply, Fronto, we had nowhere else to turn. We all have a mutual enemy that we share with Caesar. We were hoping he would be here, but I told Caelius and my brother that you were the man we needed. You see, my brother is going to defend Caelius in court and make Clodius and his sister look like fools. The problem is that Clodius has eyes and knives everywhere. Anyone remotely involved in the politics of the city cannot be trusted, and nor can anyone with mercenary tendencies.”

Crispus narrowed his eyes.

“You ask a lot master Cicero. I agree that Fronto is probably the only man in Rome you can say without fear of falsehood is completely free of any possibility of influence from Clodius, but to involve him is to drop him in the centre of what is, to all intents and purposes, a war between gangs and villains. You are asking him to bodyguard a man that, shortly, could become the most wanted man in Rome.”

Fronto grinned.

“Now it’s starting to sound more like fun.”

Crispus turned to look in surprise at his friend.

“Well” Fronto said, rubbing his hands, “it was all starting to sound political and boring, but if you’re talking about giving a quick knee in the happy sack to a bunch of villains round the back of the temple of Janus, then count me in.”

Priscus laughed out loud.

“If you’re fighting gangs, you’ll need a gang of your own. We’ll have to gather together a few of the less delicate types we know in the city. Fortunately, I know quite a few.”

Fronto nodded and turned to the visitors, his eyes narrowing.

“For young Cicero, here, who leads a good reserve charge and had our back at Vesontio, I would happily do whatever I can to help. And for you too, master Cicero. But I want to state for the record that I don’t trust anyone who’s ever had anything to do with that Clodius character and from what I see nobody ever gets themselves truly free of him. We’ll help you, but if you turn on us afterwards I’ll see to it that my friend Galronus gets to show us some of the less savoury Belgic practices using you as a subject. Fair?”

Caelius Rufus, his face straight and stony, nodded quietly.

“Right then. How’s this going to work? I presume you’ll need Caelius around a lot to go through trial stuff?”

Cicero pursed his lips.

“Make sure nothing happens to him, keep him either here or in some location you deem safe, and I will visit from time to time as I need to speak with him on the subject of his defence.” He turned back to his brother. “You are sure this is a good idea?”

The younger Cicero nodded.

“There’s nobody in Rome that I’d rely on more for something like this.”

Fronto leaned back in his seat and grinned at Caelius.

“Do you like to gamble?”

Cicero stopped in the middle of rising and arranging his toga.

“The idea is to keep him safe from Clodius. Surely you can’t be thinking of taking