Rome's Sacred Flame Read online

  ‘But the conspiracy against Caligula was hatched in the city.’

  ‘Yes, but that came, mainly, from within the Praetorian Guard and they were replacing one Julio-Claudian with another. This time it’s about getting rid of that family completely; the Guard will never support that as they will fear that their own extinction will follow. Besides, Tigellinus knows that he is nothing without Nero so he would never be a part of it, and the other prefect, Faenius Rufus, is too timid and too honest. It needs someone with legions behind him to march on Rome and cow the Guard into submission. Parade-ground soldiers like them would never stand against veteran legions.’

  ‘Corbulo?’

  ‘He’s the obvious choice.’

  ‘But what about—’ Sabinus stopped himself abruptly.

  ‘I know what you’re thinking, Sabinus; and I’ve been thinking it too. But if you won’t tell me the exact details of the prophecy then how can I know what to do?’

  ‘You know that I’m sworn not to reveal anything to you.’

  ‘Under the terms of the oath our father made us both swear, you can.’

  ‘But only when the time is right and you need help making a decision; and I can tell you that the circumstances at the moment are not right.’

  ‘And will you tell me when they are?’

  ‘I will, Vespasian; I’ve been sworn to.’

  ‘Thank you, Sabinus; that’s all I need to know.’ He paused as a high squeal, somewhere between pleasure and pain, cut across the atrium; the groom’s companions cheered. ‘In the meantime I’m going to write to Corbulo and suggest a marriage alliance between the families. His eldest daughter, Domitia, was married last year but his youngest, Domitia Longina, is coming up to eleven, just two years younger than my Domitian. I’ve been contemplating it for a while.’

  Sabinus did not look so sure.

  ‘He’s my son, Sabinus, whatever his character. It’s my duty to see that he is well married and who better than the daughter of the general in command of four legions in the East?’

  The squeal repeated but this time longer and more pleasurable; it then rose in tone and turned into a series of high-pitched ejaculations that became quicker and quicker, leaving no one unsure of what was occurring. The groom’s companions clapped in time to each one as the more staid male members of the company made small talk whilst trying to ignore the reality of the situation. The women, most of whom were still suffering from the previous evening’s indignities, stood in small groups looking uncomfortable at this parody of female pleasure; for Domitia, the chief Vestal, it was too much and, without ceremony, she turned and led her five colleagues from the building.

  ‘That will reach Nero’s ears,’ Sabinus observed.

  ‘I don’t think he can hear anything at the moment,’ Vespasian quipped.

  ‘So you think you’re funny, Bumpkin,’ an unpleasant voice drawled.

  Vespasian turned to see Corvinus sneering at him, looking down his long nose. ‘I should kill you now, Corvinus.’

  ‘You tried to once but I came back, remember?’

  ‘Because you have no honour and went back on an oath you made after I had your life spared.’

  ‘Yes, it was stupid of you. She loved it, you know.’

  Vespasian flew at Corvinus who stepped aside, avoiding a slashing fist; Sabinus grabbed his brother’s shoulders and hauled him back, restraining him.

  ‘Such rustic manners, Bumpkin,’ Corvinus said, adjusting the folds of his toga. ‘Fighting at a wedding, really. Still, I suppose it’s to be expected from someone brought up in the company of mules.’

  Sabinus held tight to Vespasian. ‘That’s the last time you insult my family, Corvinus.’

  ‘Is it, Sabinus? I doubt it.’ Corvinus turned to leave and then looked back over his shoulder. ‘Oh, by the way, Bumpkin, Flavia mentioned – when she was able to talk, that is – that she would be willing to see me again for a financial consideration; quite a large financial consideration, actually. She didn’t know that you were back, you see; not until I told her, that is, and pointed you out to her. She begged me not to say anything to you but, well, you know what I’m like. Anyway, I thought that you might be interested to know that your wife was willing to whore herself to me because she needs the money; my guess is that she’s been spending rather lavishly whilst you’ve been away. I doubt that you can even afford to buy the Emperor a wedding gift on this happiest of days.’ He grinned with easy malevolence and strode off as a prolonged howl of pleasure combined with a very masculine roar of triumph issued from the bridal chamber.

  ‘He’s lying,’ Sabinus said, still holding Vespasian firmly, both ignoring the successful climax of the consummation. ‘Flavia would never do a thing like that.’

  Vespasian struggled for a few moments, before realising the futility of it: there was nothing that he could do to Corvinus in this company. ‘I’ll have him, and I’ll have him properly this time.’

  ‘Why didn’t you just let him be executed in the wake of Messalina’s fall?’

  ‘Because I thought it would be more painful for him to have to acknowledge that in my eyes he was dead and had no meaning for me; but that only works with a man of honour. Next time I won’t play silly games.’

  A loud cheer announced the arrival of the bridegroom, naked and fresh from his labours; he thumped his fist in the air repeatedly and his companions took up the beat, clapping in time. Behind him, Poppaea Sabina supervised the women bringing out the bloodied sheet which proved, miraculously, that the bride’s hymen had been intact. And this was cause for yet more rejoicing and shedding of blissful tears on this gods-blessed day.

  Overwhelmed as he was by the reception and celebration of the news that the marriage had been consummated, Doryphorus managed to hold himself together for the final announcement of the proceedings. ‘The public feasts will go on for the remainder of the day; but, dear guests, my wife and I invite you all to our wedding banquet, tomorrow, where we shall be pleased to receive your gifts. Until then, we shall be fully occupied.’ With an obscene gesture with his fist, he turned and walked back to his wife and the reception began to break up.

  Sabinus sighed, rubbing the back of his head and closing his eyes. ‘Wedding presents? I heard someone say something about them but I didn’t think that we’d really be expected to come up with anything as it’s not a real wedding, surely?’

  ‘In Nero’s mind it is, and that’s the only thing that counts. And besides, he’s got to cover the expense of this extravagance somehow; so who better to pay for it than everyone here?’

  ‘Seneca and Piso are becoming more and more appealing.’

  ‘Don’t even joke about it, Sabinus.’

  ‘Who said I was joking? I’ll see you here tomorrow with whatever cash I can get from the Cloelius Brothers’ banking business; I imagine they’re going to be rather busy today.’ Sabinus gave a curt nod and walked away.

  With financial gloom descending on him, Vespasian stood and waited for his wife as she made her way, eyes downcast, through the dispersing crowd towards him.

  ‘I said no such thing, Vespasian.’ Flavia was insistent.

  ‘Well, at least you’re talking to me now.’

  ‘What option do I have when I have to defend myself against such calumny?’ Still she would not look at him but, rather, kept her eyes fixed on the pavement as they made their way across the Forum Romanum. ‘It’s bad enough what happened last night; the things that we, the most respectable ladies in Rome, were forced into! Where now is our dignity? To have to undergo that sort of humiliation in public so that one’s own husband can see the degradation one suffered is, in itself, intolerable. I heard today that at least a dozen of the women have taken their own lives already, and with Corvinus ...’ She spat on the ground, in a very un-Roman-matron-like manner. ‘With Corvinus lying about what I said to him whilst he was abusing me, makes me think that I should perhaps do the honourable thing as well.’

  ‘No, Flavia; think of Domitian.’
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  ‘Domitian! Domitian wouldn’t realise for a month or two that I was dead. And only then it would be because he’d notice that he’s not shouted at so much.’

  Vespasian put a hand on her arm; Flavia shook it off immediately. ‘Flavia, I don’t blame you for what you were forced into last night; nor will I let it stand between us.’

  ‘But that’s just it, you fool! It should come between us; you should be madly jealous and swearing all kinds of retribution. You should be defending my honour; instead you just say that it won’t affect our relationship. I was raped last night, Vespasian; raped! Repeatedly! I was even raped in a way that I’ve never been taken before; do you understand? In a way that I have never even experienced with my husband and you say that it won’t stand between us? How can you? I’m the mother of your children and yet you react as if it were one of our slaves who had the misfortune to get caught out late at night. In fact, if it were, you would probably seek redress from the culprit for damage to your property.’

  ‘Flavia, please, don’t do this in public.’ Vespasian tried to calm her as she became shriller, gesturing with his hands to keep the volume down as they crossed into the Forum of Julius Caesar.

  ‘In public! After I’ve been forced to have sexual relations with half of Rome in public you worry about me making a bit of noise in public? I demand that you show some anger in public; some jealousy, some outrage, anything. Just never tell me that my ordeal doesn’t matter and it won’t affect us, because I tell you, husband, the way I’m feeling now I would never let another man touch me again and just how would that affect our relationship, eh? Or would you just spend even more time with Caenis like you did last night whilst I spent hours washing myself and crying?’

  ‘Flavia, I’m sorry, truly sorry for what happened, I really am. And yes, I felt rage when I saw you with Corvinus; I felt rage at Nero for allowing such things and at Corvinus for taking advantage of them and I swear that I will have revenge on him. I will kill him.’

  ‘Who?’

  ‘Corvinus, of course.’

  ‘And what about—’

  Vespasian just managed to get a hand over Flavia’s mouth before she said the Emperor’s name. ‘Hush, woman. You forget yourself.’ He lowered his voice to a hiss. ‘What can I or anyone else do? We all have the same problem but who can you trust? Eh? Who can you trust? I want to survive Nero and that means caution. I know of a conspiracy but there is no way that I would join it even after what happened to you. I must wait and you must forgive me for doing so.’

  For the first time that day Flavia looked directly at her husband. ‘For how long?’

  ‘Until the whole world wants rid of him and the legions take action.’

  ‘Never, in other words.’

  ‘No, Flavia, it will be soon but not quite yet.’

  Flavia gave a slow, sad nod of understanding and walked on up the Quirinal Hill. ‘You’re all cowards.’

  Vespasian followed. ‘Perhaps that’s so, Flavia, and I can offer no excuses.’

  ‘You’re no better than Corvinus.’

  ‘At least I don’t tell all those lies about you as he does claiming that you’d do anything for money.’

  ‘He’s almost right in that respect, although I never offered to prostitute myself, to him or anyone else. But yes, I am desperate for money, though I don’t know how Corvinus found out.’

  ‘What do you mean, Flavia? Why are you so desperate for money?’

  Flavia stopped and faced Vespasian. ‘Because we need it.’

  ‘You’ve spent it! Haven’t you?’

  ‘Not me, husband; at least not all me. It would have been all right if it had been just my spending.’

  ‘Who then?’

  ‘Not who but what.’

  ‘What?’

  ‘Blackmail, Vespasian; blackmail. I’ll show you at home.’

  ‘There,’ Flavia said, handing Vespasian, across his desk in the tablinum, a small wooden box, no bigger than the palm of his hand. ‘Open it.’

  Vespasian did as requested and took a sharp intake of breath. ‘Decianus!’ He reached into the box and pulled out a single black pearl. ‘When did you get this?’

  ‘Just over a month ago. A note came with it but it was anonymous; you seem to know who’s responsible, though.’

  ‘Catus Decianus, I would assume; I’ll tell you about him later. What did the note say?’

  ‘It said that when you returned from Africa you would immediately be in serious, life-threatening, trouble with the Emperor. The only way that you would be able to reprieve yourself is by purchasing four hundred and sixty black pearls from the writer so that you can put them together with the twenty that you stole and the twenty you extorted from the writer and therefore be able to return all five hundred to the Emperor when he demands them. Did you steal or extort forty pearls, Vespasian?’

  He could not help a bitter laugh. ‘Forty pearls! But that’s nothing; Decianus stole four hundred and sixty and I never knew it. That must be how he bribed his guards and managed to hire a ship out of season; I should have realised. How much does he want for these pearls?’

  ‘Two million sesterces for the remaining four hundred and fifty-nine; we can keep this one as a show of good faith.’

  ‘Very kind, I’m sure. Two million, that’s twice what they’re worth and more; the bastard thinks that I’ll pay a premium of over a hundred per cent to get them back. If I did, not only would he come out of the deal very wealthy but he’d also be spared trying to sell them without someone close to Nero noticing.’ Vespasian slammed the pearl down on the desktop. ‘Well, I’ll not do it.’

  Flavia looked at him, her eyes widening in surprise. ‘But you must.’

  ‘Why must I?’

  ‘Well, to make yourself safe of course.’

  Vespasian picked up the pearl again and rubbed it with his thumb, admiring its lustre. ‘I don’t need them to make myself safe; I could just pay Nero the two million directly if he refuses to believe me when I swear that I gave them all to Nayram.’

  ‘This is what I’m saying, husband: you can’t do that; we haven’t got the money.’

  ‘Because you’ve spent it?’

  ‘No, Vespasian; because I’ve already paid the two million.’

  ‘You’ve what? How? You don’t have access to that sort of money.’

  Flavia looked contrite, one hand twisting in the other. ‘I, I had to forge a banker’s draft in your name; I managed it using an old seal of your father’s. I told the Cloelius Brothers that you’d sent the draft to me from Africa, which is why it was a bit damaged. They believed me and handed over the money, which I then passed on to a freedman of the blackmailer. I was desperate, Vespasian. The fact that the blackmailer had given me a pearl worth so much convinced me that it was true, and if you came back and couldn’t produce the rest of the pearls then you may well have been executed and all your property confiscated and then where would that have left me? I would have been destitute; I’ve seen it happen to too many women and it’s not a nice thing to witness, let alone suffer personally.’

  ‘Why didn’t you wait until I got back?’

  ‘Because in the blackmailer’s note, Decianus you said, he had promised that Nero would summon you immediately on your return.’

  ‘But luckily he was busy with the banquet and his wedding.’ Vespasian let out an exasperated sigh, his expression more tense than was normal. ‘So where are they then, Flavia? You said you passed the money on.’

  ‘I did; Decianus wrote again saying that a freedman would call, bringing the pearls with him, which he would exchange for the money.’

  One look at Flavia told Vespasian that the news would not be good. ‘And you gave him the money but he didn’t give you the pearls.’

  ‘No, he gave me the pearls and left with the money; it was all fine. And I hid them here, in your study.’

  Vespasian looked down at the floor at the foot of the bookshelf that housed a secret compartment in which he stored val
uables. ‘So what’s the problem?’

  ‘The problem is that when I came to fetch them the next day to take them to the Cloelius Brothers for safekeeping, they were gone.’

  CHAPTER IX

  ‘THAT’S WHERE TIGRAN’S lads say he’s been staying,’ Magnus informed Vespasian as they walked past a substantial residence close to the summit of the Aventine; it was not far from Sabinus’ house as well as that of Vespasian’s daughter, Domitilla, and her husband, Cerialis. ‘It took a while to trace him to here as he don’t seem to go out much. It was Marcus Urbicus, the optio from Africa, who spotted him a couple of days ago, on the Campus Martius, coming out of Nero’s new baths but then he lost him as they started to climb the Aventine. The lads didn’t pick him up again until this morning.’

  ‘Urbicus?’

  ‘Yes, how else could we have found him? Urbicus and his mate, Lupus, knew what Decianus looks like so I introduced them to Tigran and they’ve joined the brotherhood whilst they wait here to testify against the Suphetes.’

  ‘Well, I’m very grateful,’ Vespasian said, staring at what was purported to be Decianus’ home in Rome. ‘Now I suppose we have to work out how to get in and where he would keep anything valuable; assuming that the pearls are even there, that is.’

  Magnus indicated with a nod to a couple of hard-looking men lurking in the shadows of a side street just opposite the house. ‘Tigran’s on to that; he’s having the place watched day and night to see what the routine of the household is. Once we know that, it would be just a question of choosing which member would be most likely to give us the information we need, whether through fear or a financial incentive.’

  ‘How long will that take? It’s been more than half a moon already.’

  ‘They’ll be as quick as they can.’

  Vespasian grunted to make clear his impatience. It had indeed been more than half a moon since Flavia had told him of the pearls and it was now the ides of July. His impatience stemmed from the fact that Nero, having celebrated his wedding banquet at which he had received a fortune in gifts and thus, financially satisfied for the time being, had retired to his villa down on the coast at Antium to escape the burning heat of Rome and to spend time with his new husband as well as changing roles now and again and enjoying the charms of his wife. But Vespasian knew that although he had been lucky with Nero’s distractions the issue of the pearls would come up as soon as the weather broke and the Emperor returned, having satiated himself with his various spouses. Before that happened Vespasian intended to have the pearls in his possession and, if possible, their current owner dead. He was in no mood for compromise even if he had felt that Decianus was a reasonable man; no, Decianus’ serial treachery had taken the issue way beyond that. And besides, his mood had not been helped by the fact that he had been forced to give up his last remaining reserves of cash to Nero as a wedding gift and was facing financial ruin unless he could find a source of more.