Glaucus' Story
Chapter 66 – Octodurus
They passed through the unguarded stone gate into the walled city of Octodurus in early evening, electing to find a room there rather than at the ramshackle inns clustered around the entrance to the pass. Octodurus had all of the characteristics of any Roman town -- straight, intersecting, cobbled streets, a theater, a large arena, shops, workshops, inns, taverns, public buildings and temples. Surrounded by rolling, sheep-dotted, green-carpeted hills and white-capped mountain peaks, it possessed a beauty that few towns could match. All of the buildings were of the gray stone characteristic of the area, but with roofs of wood or tile. A fast-flowing river bisected the town and provided a never-ending supply of fresh water, propelled by a distant waterfall that crashed over rocks in a muffled roar. Numerous elegantly arched stone bridges crossed the river and connected the commercial side with the residential. Townspeople sat at outdoor taverns and soaked up the last rays of the sun, which were surprisingly warm after the frigid pass. It was an inviting place.
"I thought Severus would have sent Lucius to Hades," commented Marius as they rode towards the commercial district, "but this isn't bad at all. I especially like the fact that horses aren't banned from the streets in the daylight hours like they are in Rome. Very civilized."
"That may be so, but horses like ours attract attention," replied Glaucus as he pulled Ultor to a halt. "I see mostly mules around here. I think we'd be best to stable them just inside the wall and walk to an inn." He started to turn the horse around.
"What about your sword?" pointed out Marius as he glanced at Glaucus' side where the sword was prominently displayed. "It's unlikely that weapons are allowed inside the walls if horses aren't."
"I'm not leaving it anywhere."
"I don't expect you to," said Marius as they headed back to a stable they had passed not long ago. "Just hide it better, if you can. I didn't see another man carrying a blade."
A short time later, their horses securely stabled, the trio approached the commercial district on foot hoping to find lodgings far more comfortable than anything they had experienced in the past month. Glaucus was now wearing a toga over his tunic, which effectively hid the bulk of the sword, but the added weight was unwelcome in the warm sunshine. He had shed his trousers and boots in favor of sandals and carried everything in a large pack slung over his shoulder. He lifted his head to gratefully catch the cooling breezes from the mountains and happily let Marius lead the way.
In short time Marius had found a large, airy room on the upper floor of a respectable inn and Glaucus pushed open the wooden shutters flooding the stone walls with sunlight. He inhaled refreshing air that smelled of pungent pine while he admired the wonderful view of the town and surrounding hills. They plunked their packs on the floor before they tried out the beds, sighing in satisfaction at the perfectly stuffed mattresses. In absolute contentment, they left the bulk of their belongings in the room, which they locked with a large iron key, and walked to the baths where soaked away the smell of the goat skins in a hot thermal pool that bubbled with a never-ending supply of soothing liquid. The stress and fatigue of the past weeks evaporated in the steam. Feeling clean, refreshed and invigorated, they headed to a nearby tavern and settled at a table beside an open window. Glaucus sat with his back to the cool, early evening air enjoying the play of the breezes across his neck.
"How do we find him?" wondered Marius as he read the menu which was marked with chalk on a sheet of slate attached to the wall.
"It shouldn't be too hard if he's here. This town isn't that big --probably no more than a few thousand people. It's crowded right now with travelers going through the pass but that's to our advantage. We just blend right in," said Glaucus.
They all ordered the house specialty -- roasted mutton with early summer greens -- after starting off with savory chicken soup loaded with onions, garlic, beans, carrots and thick pieces of the huge mushrooms that they had noticed growing in cool crevices along the roadside.
They were on their third jar of wine and feeling quite relaxed when a chair was suddenly dragged up to their table. A tall man flipped it backwards then sat down, his legs draped over each side and a smile on his pleasant face. He rested his forearms casually on the back rung of the chair.
"Gentlemen, welcome to Octodurus. I'm Lucius Verus, Iudex Selectus Quaestionis of Alpes Atrectianae Et Poeninae."
Marius choked.
Brennus gaped.
"It's a bit of a mouthful," Lucius continued, misinterpreting their startled reaction, "but essentially it means that I am entrusted to keep the peace here. I like to head off trouble before it starts."
Glaucus stared hard at him. Marius managed to find his voice and prayed that Brennus wouldn't find his.
"Trouble?"
Over Lucius' shoulder Marius saw two soldiers standing by the door, watching them carefully.
"Yes," said the slender man with the friendly smile. "You may not be aware but we don't allow civilians to carry weapons within the walls. I assume you are heading for the pass, or have just come from there, but you'll have to stay at an inn outside the walls if you want to carry a sword. It's a common mistake. Normally the guards would deal with such situations but I would hate to see three men wind up in prison over a simple misunderstanding."
He looked directly at Glaucus whose face was shadowed by the twilight behind his head.
"I was told that you are carrying a sword, sir, concealed beneath your toga."
Glaucus continued his merciless appraisal of the tall, slender, brown-haired, blue-eyed man. He had the same fine features as his grandfather, and the same air of authority.
Marius leaned over the table and extended his hand before introducing himself with his full name and place of residence.
Brennus did the same.
Glaucus sat perfectly still continuing his examination. Lucius' hair was rather fine and straight, unlike his own -- and Maximus' -- thick waves. His eyes were a light shade of blue-green. His skin was fair with small freckles across his nose. He didn't look anything like Maximus.
Wordlessly, his eyes locked to Lucius', Glaucus reached into his toga and Lucius tensed, ready to quickly retreat if the sword emerged. The soldiers by the door moved forward a step, prepared to act. Instead, the man by the window slid a small object across the pocked wooden tabletop then slowly removed his hand.
Lucius glanced at the ring then frowned and leaned forward slightly to inspect it more closely. He gasped and sat back, struggling to maintain a neutral expression. He didn't touch the ring -- he didn't have to.
"I was told many, many years ago to expect you," he finally murmured as he squinted at Glaucus, trying to distinguish his features in the rapidly waning light.
Now it was the Spaniard's turn to be shocked.
Like the true statesman that he was, Lucius simply swallowed a few times but retained his composure. "Finish your meal, gentlemen. You'll find no better in the region. Then... meet me. It seems we have business to discuss."
He lowered his voice to a whisper. "Wait until dark then go to the side door of the main public building in the forum -- the one with the tallest columns. Make sure you are not seen."
He rose and Glaucus did too, turning his face toward the light for the first time.
Lucius simply stared, then nodded once, directly to him, and turned and left. The soldiers by the door followed him out.
Two hours later, guided by moonlight, the three stood in an alley right where they had been told to go. It was deserted except for the bats that swooped for any insect still foolish enough to be flying. Not willing to fall into a trap, Glaucus wrapped his hand around the hilt of his sword and they stood back-to-back, alert for danger.
"Do you think he knows who you are and that the emperor wants you dead?" hissed Marius.
"Yes, I know," said Lucius as he swung open the heavy door, only to find himself facing the tip of a sword. "I'm alone," he said as he stepped aside.
Glaucus extended his hand, indicating that he would go first. He entered cautiously and scanned the gloom of the near-empty room for the two guards. They were not there. He relaxed somewhat and motioned the others inside. Lucius closed the door and bolted it then he turned to Glaucus.
"I assume your name is Maximus. You look a great deal like your father. I understand why you are nervous."
"My name is Maximus but I am called Glaucus. Maximus Decimus Glaucus."
"You have his voice too," smiled Lucius, trying to put the men at ease.
"You can imagine my surprise a few months ago when I read a decree from the emperor to be on the watch for a man with your name that fit your description. When I read it I thought the name must be coincidence. I can see now that it was not." Lucius moved to the side of the room near a window high in the wall where a number of serviceable wooden chairs were waiting. He pulled them into a circle then extended his hand, inviting them to sit down.
"Please excuse my lack of manners. I would normally take guests to my home but there are people within my household that I don't trust. It wouldn't be wise. May I ask what brings you to such a small town so high in the mountains?"
"You," replied Glaucus.
If Lucius was surprised he didn't show it. "I see. And you hope that I can do... what?"
"I am looking for information about my father and I hope you can provide it. You knew him in Rome when he was a gladiator."
"Yes... when I was very young... in a former life. So much has happened since then that it seems like a very long time ago. I admired him greatly. More than any man I have ever known, with the possible exception of my grandfather."
"Marcus Aurelius," said Marius.
Lucius looked at him, barely visible in the shadowy room. "Yes, that's right."
"Do people here know who you are?" asked Glaucus.
Lucius smiled. "I am simply the man appointed by Rome to settle legal affairs in the province -- which are few and far between, by the way. We are very isolated here, as I'm sure you noticed, and the population is small. The politics of Rome mean nothing to these people. They are preoccupied only with eking out a living from the soil and surviving the rather harsh climate. They know my name but few people connect it to a former emperor of Rome and that is fine with me."
He looked at Glaucus whose face was unreadable in the meager silver light from the moon.
"Even your mannerisms are his. Anyone who knew Maximus would know who you are."
"Yes," Glaucus replied. "It is both a blessing and a curse."
Lucius tilted his head curiously. "When I was in exile with my mother she often talked about Maximus and she said that he had one son -- about my age -- who was killed by my uncle. I think that you are younger than me so you can't be that man."
"That was Marcus, my brother, who was your age. He died with my mother but I escaped death because I was with her relatives at the time. I am six years younger."
"But...," Lucius insisted, "I am sure my mother said that Maximus told her that he had one son."
"He didn't know about me. He died not ever knowing I existed."
"Oh, I see. How very sad for both of you. Another terrible accomplishment that I can attribute to my uncle." Lucius sighed. "What information do you hope to obtain from me?"
"You knew him. I never did. I have spent many months -- years now -- traveling the empire to talk to people who knew my father to try to put together the pieces of his later life. You see, I never knew -- until I was fifteen -- then he even was my father. I had assumed that the man who raised me -- my mother's brother -- was. It was quite a shock as you can imagine."
Lucius nodded.
"In Spain I could only find out about the part of his life which was spent there, and that was very little. Beyond that I knew the highlights of his military career and that he disappeared the night that your grandfather died. Nothing more."
"And do you know more now?"
"Yes. I started in Germania then traveled to Rome. My journey took me to Petra, and other places. Gradually I have assembled most of the pieces. I know almost everything now."
"But...?" prompted Lucius.
"But, I am looking for all of it."
"And you think I can provide the rest of the information," said Lucius.
"Yes."
"You must remember that I was very young when I knew him, and I did not know him for long. I heard about him before I ever saw him. My uncle followed the gladiatorial combats very closely, you see, so I heard -- earlier than most -- about the phenomenal gladiator people called The Spaniard. They said he was god-like in his powers." Lucius smiled. "In truth, they weren't far wrong."
"When did you first see him?"
"I was strolling with my minders outside the Coliseum before his first match in Rome and I saw him sitting alone at the back of a cell. I was eight years old. Somehow I knew right away who he was. He was lost in thought but I motioned him over to the bars and he came to talk to me. I asked him if he was the one they called The Spaniard. I'll never forget the look on his face. Very gentle and kind. He smiled. I wasn't accustomed to a smile like that from a man and he immediately put me at ease. I wasn't the least bit afraid of him despite his reputation and his size. He seemed huge to me, although I suppose he was only an ordinary man. I told him what I had heard about him and he teased me. I can't remember exactly what he said now, but I know he teased me." Lucius smiled at the fond memory. "I liked him right away and I told him I would cheer for him. I remember that he was very concerned that my father would let me see the fights." Lucius paused for a moment. "Oh yes... we talked about horses and he told me that his horses had been taken from him. I wasn't sure what he meant. Quite frankly, I didn't really understand slavery at that age. I didn't understand that the gladiators were prisoners forced to fight for their lives. It all seemed so glorious to me at age eight. Maximus pointed to his cuirass -- it was black leather with silver horses embossed on it -- and he said that they were his lost horses. I can't remember their names."
"Argento and Scarto," filled in Glaucus.
Lucius' face brightened in the dim light from the moon that filtered through the high windows. He smiled easily and often. Grudgingly, Glaucus found himself beginning to like him. "Yes... yes, that's it. Argento and Scarto. I had forgotten. I'm sure he would have talked for a long time but I was called away by my minders. Then he asked my name and I told him. I saw a sudden change come over him -- very wary -- which I didn't understand at the time. You see, he didn't know that he had been speaking to the heir to the throne -- to the son of a woman he cared for -- my mother."
"You saw him fight?" asked Marius, anxious to give Glaucus time to digest this information and calm his emotions.
"Yes, a few times. He was incredible... remarkable. In his very first fight in Rome he commanded a ragged bunch of gladiator misfits into a small army and defeated a much more powerful foe. Rome was at his feet -- including my uncle... until he found out who The Spaniard really was." Lucius was quiet for a moment, remembering, and no one dared distract him. "That was an astonishing confrontation. Like many things, I didn't understand it until later in life, but I felt the tension crackle over me like lightening. I inadvertently saved my uncle's life that day. I didn't know until years later when my mother explained it to me."
"Explain it to me," Glaucus urged.
"Commodus was so impressed with The Spaniard that he left the royal enclosure and went to the arena floor to meet him, which was highly unusual. I scampered out after him and actually stood with my back against my uncle between the two of them. The Spaniard was very tense but who wouldn't be after a fight like that? I must have grinned up at him like an idiot, I was so smitten. He kept looking at me, and I thought it was because he recognized me. I realized later that he planned to kill Commodus right then and there but I was in the way. He didn't want me to get hurt so he didn't act. I'm sure of it. But he did gloriously defy my uncle. He refused to give his name then turned away. My uncle was furious! He ordered the gladiator to reveal himself and give his identity... and he finally did. He slowly turned while removing his helmet and I felt my uncle convulse then push me to the side. I didn't know what was going on. Maximus stalked towards my uncle in a threatening manner and gave his full name, and his rank -- commander of the armies of the north, general of the Felix legions. Even I knew that this was no ordinary man. The arena was deadly silent and I'm sure people heard him right to the last row. I remember being frightened because I didn't know what was going to happen... but I did know that I didn't want Maximus Decimus Meridius to die. And neither did the crowd. Every one of them stood and gave the thumbs-up signal and chanted 'Live! Live!' I'll never forget it. I glanced at my mother and she was on her feet too. Then my uncle stormed out of the arena in a fury and I ran after him. I didn't know what to do. On the way back to the palace I was beside my mother and she was trembling. She didn't say anything but she was shaking like a leaf in a storm."
"It must have been quite a shock for her to find a man she thought was dead, still alive. A man she knew as a general and a confidant of your grandfather," said Marius.
"It was. I could tell by her eyes the next morning that she had been crying. At that time, though, I didn't understand why."
"What do you understand now?" asked Glaucus cautiously.
"That she loved him. Passionately. And that she had since she was a girl. I don't think she ever loved any other man like that, not even her husband."
Glaucus could scarcely breathe. "But she betrayed him."
Marius closed his eyes in dread. Glaucus was challenging Lucius too soon.
Lucius didn't take offense. "She did what she had to do to save my life. I was heir to the throne and in a position to be used as a bargaining chip, although I didn't know it at the time. The most tragic day of my mother's life was the day that she saw Maximus die. She was right beside him, holding him when he drew his last breath. Weeping. He didn't blame her, Glaucus. I hope you won't either." Lucius rose and restlessly prowled around the shadowy room. "Years later, in exile, when I was much older, my mother and I had many frank conversations. What no one knows is the molestation my mother suffered at the hands of her brother. Not only did he directly threaten to kill me if she didn't cooperate with him and reveal the plot to free Maximus, he threatened to keep her as his 'wife', and rape her, and have a child with her to be his heir." He turned towards them, his voice revealing a first note of bitterness. "My uncle was mad. There was no dealing with him. Your father saved her, me and the entire empire by killing him that day. At the time, of course, I didn't understand it. I just saw my hero lying dead in the sand. A man I emulated. A man... I loved. A man I had childishly hoped would be my father someday. He was dead on the ground before me. Dead in my mother's arms." He turned his face towards Glaucus, the pain raw and unmasked. "And a short time later we were sent into years of exile and I lost my mother to illness." His voice choked. "But nothing in my life was ever as terrible as seeing Maximus dead in the sand."
Lucius turned away and wiped his eyes with the heel of his hand and waited until his voice was under control before he turned around and spoke again. "Now it's my turn to ask a few questions."
Glaucus nodded. "That's fair."
"Why does the emperor want you arrested?"
"He thinks I am a threat to his position as emperor of Rome."
Lucius raised his eyebrows. "Why would he think that?"
"Because he knows that your grandfather appointed my father as his heir the day your uncle murdered the emperor. He thinks that I want to establish myself as the rightful heir... as Maximus' only surviving son."
Lucius didn't react to the last part of the statement. "And is that what you want? Severus is very unpopular with the very army that placed the crown in his head. A son of Maximus Decimus Meridius just could do it."
"No. I only want to learn the truth and clear my father's name of any wrong-doing. There are people who still believe that he had a hand in the murder."
Lucius shook his head sadly. "Unbelievable."
"I also killed a number of praetorians near Petra. They tried to murder me."
"I see. An executable offense, for sure, in the eyes of the emperor."
"You won't report me?"
"No. No, I won't."
"There soldiers in this town."
"Of course, but their job is to keep me here as much as anything else.
You see... I'm still in exile, of sorts." Lucius folded his arms, and if Glaucus could have seen his face clearly, he would have seen the spark of defiance in his eye. "
You are relatively safe here. Tell me what I can do to help you."
Chapter 67 - Lucius' Story I
"I must confess," said Lucius, as he lit a few tapers on a nearby table, "that I find your looks unnerving, Glaucus. It is like seeing your father alive again. It is terrible that you never knew him." The tiny flames stretched his shadow into improbable proportions on the painted plaster wall behind him.
Glaucus rubbed a hand over his beard then flipped his fingers through his hair -- a sure sign that he was unsettled. "It is... and I must confess that I am unreasonably jealous that you did and I didn't."
Lucius leaned his hip against the table, his shadow dancing in the jiggling flames. He folded his arms and studied Maximus' son in the flickering orange light.
"That's not at all unreasonable. I would feel the same in your position. I have told you honestly what I know about your father... but somehow I feel you are not satisfied."
Glaucus shifted uncomfortably then decided it was time to clear the air. "Do you remember a man named Quintus Clarus -- your uncle's Praetorian Commander?"
Lucius flinched slightly with the unpleasant memories conjured by that name. "Yes, I remember him. He is one of the reasons my mother and I were sent into exile. Why?"
"I just came from seeing him."
"Really? I had hoped he was dead. Where is he?"
Marius and Brennus looked in unison from one man to the other, following the conversation with rapt attention.
"In Gaul. He's a dirt-poor subsistence farmer living with his demons. He has a daughter--" Glaucus stopped, feeling suddenly protective of Clara. He studied his feet for a moment wondering how much more he should reveal, then said slowly, "I almost killed him."
Lucius' reply was nonjudgmental. "I wouldn't wonder after what he did to your father."
Glaucus looked up again, straight into Lucius' sympathetic eyes. "That isn't what threw me into a murderous rage, though."
"What did?"
Glaucus drew a deep breath and exhaled slowly through his teeth. "He told me that Maximus is your real father, not emperor Lucius Verus. That we are brothers."
Lucius worried his lower lip and gazed at a fluttering flame on the table beside him. "Curious. I asked my mother the same thing."
Glaucus closed his eyes and his heart seemed to stop.
Lucius sat down again and leaned towards Glaucus in an earnest posture, anxious to make him understand long ago emotions and events. "As I told you, I dreamed that Maximus would be my father -- that my mother and he would marry. I didn't have clear memories of Lucius Verus because he died when I was very young. So, I could invent a father for myself... and I imagined a heroic man with a kind smile. When I met Maximus that very first day, I knew he was that man. My hopes were fueled when I slowly realized that my mother knew him already -- although I didn't know how at that time. I held onto those dreams until his death. In exile, I started to live in my fantasies all day, every day because it was so much easier than facing reality. I invented a history about my mother and Maximus. I made them secret lovers in my story. Secret lovers who could never marry. But I imagined that their love produced me. Little did I know how close to reality those dreams were. Close... but not entirely accurate."
Lucius rose again, agitated by the memories. He paced for a moment and wished that he had wine to offer... anything to distract them all a little.
"When my mother realized my obsession with Maximus -- I had even started calling myself by his name -- she told me about how they had met and the story of their relationship."
"Tell me," said Glaucus hoarsely. He rose suddenly and paced to dispel some of his nervous energy, merging with the shadows then materializing again like a spirit.
Lucius rose too but moved to the opposite side of the table, putting the flickering candles between them. He was still slightly unsure of this armed and volatile Spaniard who had almost killed Quintus after hearing unwelcome words.
"They met in Spain when she was just a girl -- she accompanied her father on a tour of the legions. Commodus was with them too. They arrived at Maximus' legion and he was the boy assigned to take care of her horse. She said that he was trying to control a big dog that belonged to the general. I think she fell in love with him right then. But she was the daughter of an emperor and he was a young soldier-in-training. She tried to forget him but she never did completely. Years later they met again in Germania when a plague was decimating Rome, and Maximus had climbed the military ladder rather quickly. Her passion flamed again and she found that he felt the same way about her. They spent hours together whenever they could and she related a funny story to me of how she dressed like a soldier and he sneaked her outside of the camp one night for a few moments of passion. Their lovemaking was interrupted, though, by a group of Germans who were stealing up on the camp at night. Needless to say, Maximus single handedly dispatched all of them all and was declared quite the hero. My canny grandfather -- who already adored Maximus, by the way -- sensed their devotion and reminded my mother that she was betrothed to his co-emperor, Lucius Verus. She pleaded her love for Maximus but he was just an ordinary man at that point, not even of the senatorial class, and it was impossible. As it happens, Lucius Verus was with them at camp. When my mother and Maximus met again she professed her love but told him that she couldn't marry him. He was very upset... felt that she'd led him on with promises of something that could never be... betrayed him. My grandfather married my mother to Lucius Verus right in Germania and Maximus was sent on leave to Spain, where I understand he met your mother. I believe it was a decision that my grandfather later came to regret."
Lucius looked at Glaucus levelly and leaned forward on his knuckles.
"Their love was never consummated, Glaucus. They came close quite a few times but it simply never happened. Even when he was a gladiator in Rome, she visited him a few times at night in his cell. It never progressed past a kiss, even though he was the love of her life. He's not my father and that's as much a sorrow for me as I'm sure it is a relief for you."
Glaucus was numb. He stood staring like a halfwit while Lucius' words rattled in his brain: 'He's not my father. He's not my father.' Suddenly a surge of emotion infused his face with blood.
Lucius took a step backwards, impeded from retreating further by the plaster wall.
"I suppose I should feel relief."
Glaucus took a deep breath. "
For weeks I've fretted that the answer would be 'yes' and now... I'm almost disappointed that it is."
Lucius released his pent-up breath then smiled with relief.
"Thank you,"he said softly.
Glaucus nodded and bit his lower lip... embarrassed by the obvious and unnecessary tension that he had generated. "You'd make a good brother," he mumbled.
Lucius laughed. "So would you. I was somewhat afraid that you would take offense when I told you how my mother felt about your father."
"No... I already knew that. I didn't how far they had taken that love, though."
Marius wrapped an arm around Glaucus' shoulders giving him an affectionate squeeze. "I hope you can relax now, my friend."
Glaucus nodded and flushed again, his inflamed face glowing even in the meager light.
Marius folded his arms and addressed Lucius. "You're the son of an emperor, Lucius. Your father was a good and able man. You should be proud of that."
"Oh, I am, of course, but Maximus fired my juvenile imagination and provided me with a role model at a time in my life that I desperately needed it. He was a wonderful counterbalance to Commodus. He showed me that a man could be both powerful and honorable, gentle and strong." He looked at Glaucus. "I think he has passed those characteristics to his son." Lucius walked around the table and approached Glaucus who was still somewhat agitated.
"You were so close to him and I never was. You knew him and I never did," rasped Glaucus. "I don't know if I can ever come to terms with that."
Lucius grasped the Spaniard's arms, well aware of how traumatic the past months had been for him. "I am very glad for myself and very sad for you. But, things cannot be changed, I'm afraid. If the gods allowed me to make one modification to my life it would be to have Maximus walk out of that arena alive and well to fulfill my grandfather's wishes. Who knows? We might have wound up brothers after all."
Glaucus thought of Julia and said nothing.
"You didn't inherit Maximus' black hair," Lucius observed casually, then grinned and recoiled in mock horror as he examined his companion's head.
Startled, Glaucus touched his hair, as if to see if it was still there. "How do you know?"
"Because your roots are growing in lighter than the ends. I could see that when the light hit the back of your hair at the tavern." Lucius cheekily flipped a two-tone curl with his finger then sat down, slouching in a posture of comfortable amusement.
Glaucus laughed. "You don't miss much do you. It was a trick to fool Quintus into thinking that I was my father."
"Did it work?"
"Almost scared the life out of him."
"Good!"
They both laughed, joined by Marius and Brennus, and the tension in the room finally dissipated entirely. Lucius dug into his toga, the humor in his eyes softening. He pulled out a leather thong and dangled it from his fingers. All eyes watched it swing gently in the candle light. "My mother kept this. Maximus was wearing it when he died." He held it towards Glaucus and dropped it softly into the Spaniard's open hand. "Maybe you know more about its history than I do."
Glaucus clenched his hand and held it to his lips, his eyes closed. "He wore this always," he whispered. "The wolf's teeth were collected by his brother when he was a child and they were all that my father could find of his family after the fire that killed them and destroyed everything they owned. He escaped death just as I did -- the sheer luck of being somewhere else at the time." He pulled the thong over his head, adjusting the teeth on his tunic. "Thank you, Lucius. This is very important to me." He fingered the wolf's teeth and said, "I have more questions."
Lucius just smiled and extended his hands, palms up, inviting Glaucus to continue.
"What happened to my father's body?"
"Ah... yes." Lucius straightened, sensing the undercurrent of despair in Glaucus' voice. "In the hours following his death my mother was planning a state funeral and intended to bury Maximus right beside Marcus Aurelius as his 'adopted' son and heir. She had even commissioned a monument -- a bronze equestrian that would stand near my grandfather's -- as well as marble busts. The city had been plunged into mourning for him, you see, and the people clamored for a public memorial so they could honor him. There was even a groundswell of support among the people for deifying him -- a rapidly growing cult was already worshiping him as a god -- the Savior of Rome.
My mother was vehemently opposed to that and so was Gracchus, so he wouldn't even allow the senate to consider it. She wanted Maximus to remain the way he had been in life -- an exceptional man, but no god. But, it was just one small sign of rapidly growing instability in the empire. The people had no emperor now so they were grasping at a lost hero.
The senate immediately started working towards establishing a republic but that idea did not have universal support, even among the senators. They very quickly divided into factions, disagreeing about how everything should proceed and what the outcome should be. There needed to be someone of Maximus' strength to take control, but there was only me and I was a child. Within hours of Maximus' death ambitious and powerful men started jockeying for power. Because of that -- and the mourners and demonstrators in the streets -- the climate was not right for a state funeral so my mother immediately elected for a private ceremony and she allowed me to participate after I begged and pleaded.
There is a crematorium in Rome that deals exclusively with the bodies of the imperial family and other heroes of the empire -- it is very near the column to Marcus Aurelius -- and we went there very, very early the morning after Maximus' death. It was still dark. I wasn't allowed to see the preparation of his body because it would have been too upsetting for me, but my mother, Senator Gracchus and the gladiators who had been freed by Maximus were with him through the whole process. I was permitted to see him one last time and I placed flowers in his hands that I had picked from our garden. My mother had already done something quite extraordinary -- she had placed the emperor's crown on his head so he would have that honor in death if not in life. And he was wearing the purple and gold clothing of an emperor. All evidence of slavery was removed." Lucius stopped. "Glaucus... are you alright?"
Glaucus wiped his glistening cheeks and nodded for Lucius to continue.
"Glaucus, your father was at peace. He just looked like he was sleeping -- no more pain, no more slavery. He was with your mother and brother."
Glaucus nodded but was unable to speak.
Lucius continued. "Senator Gracchus said the eulogy. My mother's face was veiled but tears dripped freely off her chin. I watched them drop onto her dress and became quite upset at her grief -- and my own. She held my hand but it didn't help. I couldn't bear to see the pyre so I waited with my minders in an anteroom. I could smell the incense and perfumes, though. I don't know who gathered the ashes -- Gracchus, I suppose -- and everyone emerged looking drained but composed. The freed gladiators carried the urn in its own litter back to the palace. The urn was gold... solid gold."
"Unusual for an urn," Marius murmured as he blotted his eyes with his sleeve.
"Not for an emperor. It was beautiful -- rectangular and ornamented with foliage and columns. There was an eagle with wide-spread wings. It made quite an impression on me. We returned to the palace but Rome rapidly fell into chaos. There started to be demonstrations in the streets by people who saw an empire drifting without obvious leadership because they anticipated economic turmoil and loss of jobs. Then the praetorians stepped in. You can imagine the fear in the streets then. They simply took over everything. They isolated us in the palace so we had little idea what was going on after that. A month or so later we were taken away to a villa where we were held under heavy guard for months, then we were sent into exile with only our clothes."
Glaucus frowned. "What happened to the urn, then?"
"It's still there, as far as I know."
"In the PALACE?" exclaimed all three men exclaimed at once then cringed at the combined volume of their voices.
"Yes, I would imagine so," replied Lucius with a shrug. "The urn was hidden well. His leather cuirass is there too... the one he was wearing when he fell."
"How is it possible that no one would have found it?" asked Glaucus, his head spinning with this information, so casually shared.
"You don't understand the turmoil, Glaucus. Rome was plunged into civil strife and there was a series of useless emperors. Not one of them would have had the time to explore more than a few rooms of the place. You have no idea how big the palace is -- hundreds of rooms -- and there are massive storage rooms full of dusty cloth-covered sculptures and furniture."
Glaucus scowled. "The urn is in a storage room?"
"No, it's in a secret compartment off my mother's bedroom in her apartment, cleverly hidden behind a sliding portion of the wall. The wall visually matched all the other walls so I doubt that anybody would have found it. My mother discovered it purely by accident one day and I don't think she ever told anyone about it. I know it's there because I saw she and Gracchus hide the urn there. There was a death mask made, of course, and she prayed in Maximus' memory. She didn't think that he had any family left to honor him, otherwise I'm sure she would have sent the mask to you. It's in the compartment too, in a small cupboard especially created for it."
Glaucus was stunned. The last part of the puzzle had just dropped into place.
Chapter 68 - Lucius' Story II
"Lucius, what was your exile like?" asked Marius. "I can't imagine such a thing."
The tapers had burned low and the room was slowly darkening again. Bat wings flapped outside the windows and the soft chirp of distant crickets sang a lonely song. Lucius stared at a dying flame but his eyes were focused on the past. "After Maximus' funeral there was a few weeks of relative stability and it was enough to give my mother hope. She started to prepare me to be interim emperor just long enough for the armies to swear their allegiance to the new order. In truth, I was quite relieved that my job would be short-lived. I remembered my uncle and how mad he was and I was irrationally afraid that I might end up like him. But you see, without an emperor there would be no need for a Praetorian Guard. The men who held that position would lose a job of wealth and power. That didn't sit well with most of them. It didn't take long for them to decide that they didn't think a republic was a good idea after all and they took control of the senate and sold the position of emperor to the man most able to fill their pockets with gold -- Pertinax.
The armies supported them because ordinary soldiers got a raise too, and because they had fallen under the influence of ambitious military leaders in the absence of an emperor. Rome was a mess. We had been under palace arrest and once Pertinax moved in we were moved out to a villa in the hills, as I said, and heavily guarded for many months. Then it was decided that both my mother and I posed a danger to the stability of Pertinax's reign -- which, in truth, wasn't stable at all. The praetorians persuaded him to send us into exile in Capri. Things degenerated very quickly after that. That weasel, Falco, attempted to lead a coup. Not long after we were, Pertinax was murdered. Sulpicianus and Julianus staged a bidding war for the throne with Didius Julianus finally taking possession until Severus grabbed the throne with the backing of the army. Despite his struggle to maintain a viable senate, Gracchus was left politically impotent and died a disillusioned and bitter man, years later."
Lucius crossed an ankle over his knee and grasped it with both hands. "My mother was a powerful and influential woman and the praetorians were very wary of her. Sending her into exile would, of course, get rid of me as well. Two problems solved in one easy action. We were sent to the remote western side of Capri, a miserable piece of rock -- cold and foggy in winter. We were smuggled out of the villa in the middle of the night. My mother and I spent our days on Capri isolated from the few other residents of the island except for the people who brought in the food. Only the woman who looked after me was with us -- Rufa. She didn't have to go but she chose to."
"How did they get you to Capri?" asked Marius.
"We were taken by carriage to Ostia and by boat to Capri. It's odd what you remember when you are a child, but I recall Rufa seeing a woman that she knew on the dock at Ostia and talking to her. She was holding an infant. I remember that the lady was kind to me and that she had beautiful red hair."
Glaucus and Marius glanced at each other in amazement.
"The boat trip was awful. I was sick the whole time and for days afterwards. My mother tried to be strong for me but she spent her first weeks sobbing. At night she would cry Maximus' name. I think most of her tears were for him. As I told you already, I escaped into fantasy and I dreamed that Maximus was still with us and that he was my father. Needless to say, those first few months were terrible. After that we settled into a routine and my mother taught me history, law and philosophy, and drew pictures to teach me geography. She told me stories... many of them about a brave and noble general who defeated the barbarians and saved the empire. At night we both dreamed of Maximus." Lucius cocked his head as if he had just remembered something. "It was Rufa, by the way, who told me that someday someone might approach me for help. I thought that was crazy -- who would ask a boy for help? I forgot all about her words until you showed the ring to me earlier. It gave me quite a start, I must tell you."
"Lucius, the ring belongs to that red-haired woman in Ostia," said Glaucus gently. "Her name is Julia and she and my father met while he was on campaign in Moesia to crush the rebellion by General Cassius. There was no love affair between them at that time... but they met again years later in Rome after he was enslaved. She couldn't save him. She loved him... but she couldn't save him. Just like your mother."
Lucius blinked. "The baby...?"
Glaucus nodded. "My father's. Her name is Maxima and she is currently in Rome."
Lucius sighed. "Your sister. No wonder my mother seemed exceptionally upset after that meeting. She must have known. I thought it was just because of our situation. Is your sister anything like you?"
"No, not in the least," piped up Marius. "She's beautiful and intelligent and witty and refined and gracious. Not at all like him."
Glaucus rolled his eyes.
Lucius grinned: was this a little friendly competition between two men who saw themselves as rivals for the woman's affection? "You're very lucky Glaucus. I longed for a brother or a sister when I was growing up. I was very lonely much of the time. I used to play with the guards because there was no one else."
"What else happened, Lucius?" asked Marius, anxious for the story to continue.
"My mother lived for years but finally died of consumption. I don't think she was bitter about her life but she was terribly lonely. At the first sign of her illness I was isolated from her so I wouldn't get sick as well. When she died I just wanted to die too... but I didn't. I was finally freed from the island in the year 198 after Septimius Severus seized the throne for himself and claimed to be the adopted son of Marcus Aurelius. After all, how could he mistreat his supposed nephew but I'm sure that most people in Rome thought that I was long dead anyway. I insisted that my mother's ashes be brought with me and that she be interred in the family sepulchre, and he agreed. How could he not? He had declared himself her adopted brother. He took me to the senate -- I was still very young -- and made some grand speech about reconciliation; about uniting the empire. I wonder now if senators who opposed him had been planning to rescue me and restore my claim to the throne. If so, he effectively thwarted them by sending me to a villa on a hill near Rome where I was essentially held under house detention for two years. My citizenship was reinstated and I was trained in law by a senator sympathetic to Severus then declared a 'senator in anticipation' and given my current position. The mandatory military service was waived in light of my exile. I was then introduced to the young woman who would be my wife -- Hortensia. She was the daughter of a minor senator under the control of the emperor. To my shock -- and hers -- we were married the next day, then I was shipped here. She followed a few months later and we've been here ever since. We've come to care for each other very much and have two sons." Lucius shrugged. "That's the end of my story."
"Maybe not," said Glaucus.
Three pairs of eyes looked at him.
"What do you mean?" asked Lucius.
"I want to return my father's remains to rest beside his wife and son in Spain. It's what he would have wanted. I also want to retrieve his death mask and give it the proper place of honor and respect in his home -- my home. Because of the way I lost my mother and brother, I don't have an ancestor's cupboard. I have no masks of them, nor my father's parents. I want... I need his."
Both of Lucius' feet hit the floor. "That's impossible. I told you where it is."
"You can help us," Glaucus insisted. Marius gaped at him like he was mad.
"Me?" cried Lucius. "How? I can't even draw you a completely accurate picture of the palace because it has probably changed since I was there."
I want more than that. I want you to come with us to Rome and help us get into the palace."
Marius leaped to his feet. "Us? Who's us? Severus has an execution order out on you, and you want to break into his house? Are you totally crazy?"
Brennus nodded vigorously, his eyes round with worry.
Lucius also voiced his concern. "Soldiers are watching me. There are spies in my house who report to them. Then the soldiers report my actions directly to Rome. If I do anything suspicious Severus will know within weeks."
"You mean you have never left this town in all these years?" asked Glaucus.
"Of course, but only on official business and I've never left this province. I sometimes take my ivory curul chair and travel to small towns this time of year because people can't always come here to me for a legal decision. I'm usually gone for no more than a few weeks and at least one armed soldier accompanies me. Usually two."
"Then go on one of these 'officials trips' but come with us to Rome instead," Glaucus coaxed.
"I won't put my family at risk, Glaucus. Not for any reason. Not even for Maximus."
"I wouldn't ask you to do that. There must be a way, though, that they could be safe while you are away."
Lucius rested his elbow on his knee and leaned his forehead into his hand.
The room was filled with silence.
After a long while he said slowly, "I suppose... I suppose it might work. We'd have to get rid of the soldiers who accompany me, though, and I don't want them killed."
"That can be done," said Glaucus with rising excitement.
Lucius sat up. "Then I'd have to arrange for a few friends that I have in each town to cover for me -- to say that they saw me recently but don't know where I am now. That would buy some time. It might be easy to disappear into the mountains for a while but a trip to Rome and back would take months. I can't convince anyone that I am on an official trip for that length of time. I also don't want my family implicated."
"Of course not," agreed Glaucus.
"My wife has friends in the north. I could send my family there."
"You'll do it then?" asked Glaucus, barely daring to hope.
"I don't know. I certainly owe my life to Maximus... but you have to understand that Severus would find out about this eventually. I need to consult with my wife. It would be very dangerous and I can't put my family at risk."
"I would never ask you to do that, Lucius, but I have something that will enable me to negotiate with Severus," stated Glaucus with a conspiratorial whisper and he reached into a pack and pulled out a rolled up parchment which he unfurled then passed to Lucius who held the stump of a candle close so he could read it. His eyebrows slowly rose in astonishment.
Glaucus smiled. "The original, with Marcus Aurelius' seal, is very safe in Rome."
Rome, five weeks later
Four men stood in the shadow of the Circus Maximus looking up at the massive, multi-winged palace that rambled over the three almost flattened peaks of the Palatine Hill like some great disjointed octopus -- all of its tentacles stretching towards the city below.
"He's added a lot to it," murmured Lucius. "That entire wing is new -- the one to the right of the palace stadium. I wonder what's in it?"
Marius answered him. "Severus built elaborate baths for his family and a terrace that has a view of the Circus."
"How are we ever going to get in there?" wondered Glaucus. "The place looks like a fortress and I can see guards everywhere."
"Yes," said Lucius, "but there is a lot more activity around the palace than I ever remember. Many, many people coming and going. Something seems to be going on."
"We might need help from inside the palace," said Glaucus.
"Oh, I agree," said Lucius. "I need to see if there are any slaves or servants in the palace who were there when I was young and might remember me. The palace household doesn't change just because the emperor does. All we have to do is find one who is willing to risk his life to help me."
"A tall order," said Glaucus.
"Yes, it will take time, and I need to be home before the pass closes. Let's get moving."
Chapter 69 - PlanningMuch to Brennus' chagrin, he and Glaucus stayed at Eugenia's again but Glaucus felt quite comfortable there because Eugenia took great delight in mothering them and the girls had become friends. Marius elected to go to his own home, thinking it might arouse less suspicion if he stayed there. Lucius lived at Eugenia's as well until he searched out old friends of his grandfather who were quite willing to house him and keep quiet about it.
By night, Glaucus buried his impatience in the bodies of Roman whores who worked in the better brothels in the city. They remembered him from when he had been looking for Julia and were quite pleased to see him again. By day he roamed the streets around the palace trying to take note of people who came and went through the great gates on a regular basis. It was useless -- there were simply too many of them, on foot in wagons and carriages, and in litters. Lucius was right. Something was going on. When he became anxious that his consistent presence outside the palace might seem suspicious, he melted into the deep shadows of the luxurious homes on the Palatine and stared up at Julia's apartment. Was she there? Was Maxima? He hadn't attempted to make contact, wary of involving them in their dangerous plot, but he missed them terribly.
Brennus acted as courier, taking small wax tablets with scribbled messages from man to man and delivering verbal messages about locations for meetings. It was a task the boy relished.
They met every night at pre-arranged taverns in the seedier parts of the city to compare their progress. Late at night, three days after their arrival in Rome, Lucius joined them at a table tucked into a dark corner, a huge grin on his face. "A royal wedding," he proclaimed.
"What?" asked Glaucus, for clarification.
"The oldest son and heir of Septimius Severus -- Caracalla, otherwise known as Marcus Aurelius Antoninus, or simply Caesar -- is about to marry the daughter of Plautianus, Severus' praetorian commander, three days from now. The boy is only fourteen years old. The girl's name is Publia Fulvia Plautilla and will no doubt take the title Augusta. She's sixteen. That's the reason for all the fuss and activity. That's also the reason why so many people are in the city. The day of the wedding will be a holiday, of course, as will the day before it. As well, there will be three days of celebration afterwards. Drinking, carousing, singing, dancing, processions... inside and outside the palace. Our timing is perfect. The whole city will be one big party. No one will ever spot us in the crowds. We can roam the city at will and relax. I'm sure you are the last thing on his mind right now, Glaucus."
"Yes, I heard about the wedding too," chimed in Marius. "That's the reason for all the rose garlands. The whole city is draped in rose garlands."
Lucius continued with a wry grin. "No doubt every governor in the empire is here. I wonder why I didn't get my invitation?"
"It's in the mail," joked Glaucus.
"Mmm... probably at the bottom of the deepest canyon in the Summo Poenino," replied Lucius, who was thoroughly enjoying their adventure. He sat back with the casual air with a man at peace with himself.
"Marius," said Glaucus, "is your father here for this? Didn't you say that he is governor of...?"
"Cappadocia. He's governor of Cappadocia and, yes, he's here."
"Maybe he can help us," suggested Glaucus.
"You must be joking," Marius replied. "If he knew that I was involved in something like this he'd lock me in the Tullian himself."
"But, he got an invitation," Glaucus persisted.
"Yes... why?" asked Marius cautiously, knowing how reckless his Spanish friend could be.
"We could borrow it and forge it. That way we could all walk in with invitations."
"How would we forge it? I saw it. It's a lavishly engraved gold tablet. Solid gold. With the emperor's seal. Where do we get gold tablets?"
Glaucus shifted his eyes to Lucius.
"Don't look at me," he said. "I don't have enough coins with me to make even one. I'm primarily relying on charity while I'm here. There'll have to be another way."
"It would be a nice souvenir to have, wouldn't it?" mused Brennus. "A gold invitation."
"Has Rome changed much?" Marius asked Lucius, quickly redirecting the conversation as a server approached them to refill their wine goblets.
"No, not really," said Lucius, easily following Marius' lead. "It's still full of self-important Patricians and hungry Plebeians... and slaves. The buildings are the same. I'd forgotten how grand they are."
"Do you miss it?" continued Glaucus as he watched the server carefully for any sign of unnatural curiosity.
"No. It's wonderful to see again but I love my little corner of the empire. It's home now. Besides, I am seeing parts of Rome that I didn't know existed before -- like Subura. I had no idea of the poverty and hopelessness. Rome is like two entirely different cities. One for the rich and one for the poor."
The server left and Glaucus immediately got back to business. "What's a royal wedding like? How can we get inside the palace unnoticed?"
"A royal wedding is huge and lavish to incredible excess," replied Lucius.
"Would there be games?" wondered Glaucus.
"Games? You mean gladiators?" asked Lucius. "I suppose there could be but it would be rather uncouth."
"Plautianus is rather uncouth," stated Glaucus.
"You don't seriously mean that we dress up as gladiators, do you?" asked Marius in disbelief. "You're the only one who would look convincing and that's because you would look exactly like you-know-who. That would cause quite a sensation. Forget it."
"Well, who else would be in the palace? Who would get inside?" asked Glaucus.
"Severus wouldn't risk alienating anyone important by not inviting them so political representatives will be here from all over the empire, all of the Vestals, military leaders, important businessmen -- with their entire families, of course. Possibly thousands of people. To handle everyone many more servants will have to be utilized, so many families will have lent theirs to the palace for the preparations and celebration."
"How are the servants identified? How would the guards in the palace know who should be there and who shouldn't?" asked Glaucus.
"At first they probably could identify the extra traffic easily, but as the time draws nearer and even more people arrive -- servants and guests -- it would be almost impossible," answered Lucius. "At least in the public areas of the palace. No one but the imperial family and their personal servants are allowed in the private apartments."
Marius looked at them both with interest. "You mean we'd pretend to be servants?"
"Maybe," said Glaucus. "They certainly wouldn't need gold invitations. That would at least get us inside and we can take it from there." He turned to his youngest companion. "Brennus, tomorrow do you think you could lurk outside the palace gate -- very unobtrusively -- and find out how servants are identified?"
Brennus nodded vigorously. "Of course."
"Marius, how are you doing with plans of the palace?" asked Glaucus.
"The only drawings I can find are in the library archives and they're very old. Changes have been made since then. I'm not sure they're very useful."
"Lucius, what can you tell us about the palace. What do you remember?" asked Glaucus.
Lucius laced his fingers across his stomach and let his mind go back in time. "It's a complex, rambling place customized by every major emperor who has lived in it. It's hard to imagine how many buildings were actually constructed there over the years because each emperor modified, enlarged, destroyed and rebuilt what his predecessor had created -- all at public expense, of course. Some parts of it are very old and some quite new. The original dwelling of Augustus is still there and it's one of my favorite places. The entrance consists of a single arch with an incredible statue of a four-horse chariot driven by Apollo and Diana, sculpted from a single block of marble. That leads to a large courtyard paved with white marble, with golden columns, filled with sculptures and busts. Then there are the Greek and Latin libraries divided by a great reading room, and in the center is a statue of Augustus -- who looks suspiciously like Apollo. Nearby is a temple to Apollo -- marble, of course -- with a carved ivory door. On the pediment of the temple is the chariot of Apollo in bronze, and inside are statues of the god and some objects of great historical value as they belonged to Alexander the Great. All of this, believe it or not, occupies only a small part of the Hill."
Lucius took a sip of wine and sat back again. "The modern palace was designed by the architect Rabirus and built by Domitian right on top of the remains of Nero's palace as well as some Palatine houses that were demolished for the purpose. Domitian's palace has since been extended and restored but never replaced by a new building, so you would have seen that in the plans, Marius. Rabirus believed that the emperor's illustrious position should be expressed in the architecture which is why the rooms are so grand in scale. The original palace was essentially divided into three parts: the state apartments and living area, the public rooms, and the stadium. In the center of the entire complex is a large, open space called a peristyle containing on octagonal fountain with other rooms laid out around it, separated from it by columns. The vast throne room is in the middle of the northern side. The ceremonial main entrance to the palace -- a columned courtyard -- is off a reception room which is beside the throne room, facing north. I remember that the throne room's walls are decorated with panels of green marble with columns and niches that contain huge statues of the gods made from black bassalt. They used to frighten me when I was little but I wasn't often allowed in that room. This is where imperial audiences are held with the emperor enthroned like a god in an apse at one end. There's a basilica on the east side -- very beautiful with golden columns, and divided into a nave, two aisles and an apse. It is used by the emperor to hear legal causes and make decisions. There are two libraries as well. At its south end the peristyle opens into the massive banquet hall where the wedding feast will no doubt be held. The hall has two large windows that open onto two symmetrically designed gardens with fountains. It's an amazing room, really, because the other side opens onto the columned peristyle with the octagonal fountain and columns. I remember the banquet hall as gold and white -- white marble with gilt trim and relief carving on every surface. It simply glittered.
Lucius tasted the wine again and let his mind continue to wander through the corridors, rooms and gardens of his former home. "The private part of the palace, where the imperial apartments are, adjoins the rooms reserved for state occasions and is built on the west side on two levels to follow the curvature of the hill. The northernmost rooms are set around a courtyard surrounded by columns with a pool of water and a temple to Minerva at its center. My bedroom was on the second floor -- part of my mother's apartment. I used to look down at that pool and that little temple and I remember that view vividly. There were big alabaster urns of flowers there too. Each apartment contains a number of bedrooms, a sitting room, library personal baths. The main residential area has a large dining room and more sitting rooms and libraries. The lower floors are reserved for lesser royals like mothers, aunts, cousins. The southern part of the residential wing is built on a lower level and those rooms are also grouped around a peristyle that has four semi-circular pools that face each other and reflect the sky. These rooms are mostly for guests. There is another entrance to the palace on the south side which faces the Circus Maximus, as you know. It's quite magnificent and imposing -- semi-circular with many rows of columns. I'm sure it's designed to impress and intimidate. The wedding guests will probably enter the palace by the north entrance, though."
"What about the stadium?" Glaucus asked.
"The stadium was built on the east side for the emperor's private entertainment. It's oblong with semi-circular ends and quite elegant with two-story porticoes on all sides. The emperor and his family can watch the entertainment from the second floor of their very comfortable pulvinar, much the same as they do in the Circus and Coliseum."
"What kind of entertainment?" asked Glaucus.
"Well, anything really, but my uncle used it for his private viewing of gladiatorial fights and other sordid things which I can only imagine, knowing him. That's also where he took fighting lessons himself. And beside the stadium you tell me that Severus has built more private rooms and an elaborate complex of baths. I guess the baths in the imperial apartments weren't good enough for him. Truth be told, though, they were getting old and they leaked and were drafty in winter. He probably wanted something more modern. He would have had to extended the hill to do that, I think, because the stadium used to be right on the edge of a slope."
"Where do the servants live?" asked Glaucus.
"Some live in small rooms near the imperial apartments -- these are the personal servants to the imperial family like the children's nurse and tutor. The household servants live in outer buildings within the complex."
"I think I have a pretty good picture of it," said Glaucus. "We're interested in the west wing, upper floor."
"Yes. My mother's apartment was in the south-west corner. Very sunny and bright with a wonderful view over the valley."
"And very secure?" asked Marius.
"Very," confirmed Lucius. "I never really felt like I was living in a fortress when I was young but I guess I was. I remember my mother's apartment as having lots of color -- wall murals of architectural elements in colors of ochre, blue, black... and the most amazing red. Almost a brown-red. The columns were marble, like the floor. There were niches everywhere with bronze sculptures made by the Greeks and wonderful black and orange vessels -- some of them huge. But the apartment was soft, too, with filmy curtains that always seemed to waft in the breezes. Colorful rugs from the Orient were placed beside the beds because the marble floors could be cold."
"Where exactly within the apartment is the compartment?" asked Glaucus.
"The walls had murals painted to look like architectural elements, as I said. It made the rooms feel even bigger, somehow. And, it was easy to disguise a moveable panel in such a motif. It simply slides sideways and looks like a blank red wall between two painted columns. A bronze statue sat in front of it to disguise it further. The purpose of the compartment was to provide a safe haven if need be -- it was ventilated somehow -- but my mother used it to hide her personal treasures. Documents and the like. Some jewelry. I only saw it once and that was when she placed Maximus' urn and possessions there."
"Your mother's personal documents may still be there, and some of her belongings," said Marius.
Lucius nodded. He had thought of that.
"All we have to do is figure out a way to get inside," said Glaucus with a frown.
All four sat in silence pondering the problem.
Suddenly Marius brightened. "We can resort to a time-honored tradition."
"And what is that?" asked Glaucus.
"Bribery."
"Bribery," repeated Glaucus, thoughtfully. He liked that idea.
Chapter 70 - The Palace
The next day four servants in serviceable tunics passed through a heavily-guarded side gate of the palace grounds amidst the bustle of pre-wedding activity, prominently wearing the bronze pins that identified them as such. The guards did not even look at their faces -- they merely glanced at their chests then waved them through along with dozens of other men and women in the same garb and with the same identifying item.
In the Forum, four men wore unfamiliar white togas with plenty of coins weighing down their purses, and excitedly threaded through the morning shoppers, heading for nearby taverns to squander their unexpected windfall
Once inside the gate, Glaucus, Lucius, Marius and Brennus split into two pairs and separated for the sake of safety. Lucius and Glaucus walked directly to the servants' entrance of the palace while Marius and Brennus held back, intending to follow once their partners were safely inside.
Lucius and Glaucus waited in line with dozens of other servants, the guards making a more thorough examination of the people entering the home of the emperor of Rome. Some servants were waved through while others were stopped and questioned. "What are they asking them?" whispered Glaucus.
"The guards are probably questioning any person they haven't seen before... asking them who owns them."
"Will they recognize you?"
"No. Severus totally changed the praetorians, remember? None of these soldiers know me unless they happened to guard me at the villa, and that is unlikely. They are much more apt to recognize you so keep your head down and let me do the talking." They shuffled forward slowly until Lucius finally faced the guards. Glaucus stood beside and slightly behind him, trying to dissolve into his friend's shadow.
The black-clad praetorian glanced at Lucius' face then at his chest. "I haven't seen you before. Your master is...?"
Lucius bowed and Glaucus followed his action in unison, his face slightly averted. "We are from the house of Marcus Claudius Sejanus, sir. Our master has given us to serve the emperor in whatever way we are best suited at this most illustrious and memorable event." Lucius bowed again, as did Glaucus.
"Name?" demanded the guard as he studied Lucius' face again.
"Lucius, sir," he replied without hesitation.
The guard leaned forward slightly and glanced at Glaucus. "Your name?"
"Julius, sir."
The guard sniffed. "Rather pretentious names for slaves. Report to Sterculinus." He made two check marks on the wax tablet in his hand as Lucius and Glaucus passed from the sunlight into the cool, dim interior of a corridor near the noisy storerooms where men were busy unloading crates of wine.
"Who do you suppose Sterculinus is?" asked Glaucus.
"I don't know but we're not interested anyway. Follow me and look busy." Lucius grabbed two cloths from the top of a huge pile that almost buried the woman carrying them, and tossed one to Glaucus. They trudged up narrow steps, hugging the stone wall to allow busy servants to briskly descend the stairs, then emerged into a wide, marble corridor. Lucius immediately began to polish the green-veined marble wall and Glaucus followed his friend's lead, despite the fact that the marble already gleamed with a mirror-like glow. They moved slowly, stopping to pay special attention to the crevices of a sculpture or a vase whenever a guard strolled slowly by. Quite preoccupied with his task, Glaucus used his breath to moisten a particularly stubborn dull spot then applied the full strength of his muscular arm and shoulder to rub it clean. As he lowered his cloth his face glowed back at him and he almost laughed at his look of grim determination. Then his eyes refocused slightly on the indistinct shape of a man standing behind him. The man wore the trappings of an emperor. He froze.
By this time Lucius was well down the corridor but hurried back when he realized Glaucus' distress. "What's wrong?" he whispered.
Puzzled, Glaucus could not understand why Lucius wasn't as alarmed as he was... then his shoulders dropped and a hot glow crept up his neck until his whole face was alight. He turned slowly to face the bust of Septimius Severus that glowered from a marble pedestal. To cover his embarrassment Glaucus shrugged and gestured to the bust. "Not very lifelike, is it? His hair isn't like that at all, and neither is his beard."
Lucius didn't even glance at the marble visage, quite amused by the reddened one in front of him. Suppressing a chuckle, he grabbed the Spaniard's arm and guided him clear of the statue's wrath. They steadily progressed towards the imperial apartments, polishing and straightening the leafy garlands that were wrapped around every column. Their pace was slow and Glaucus did his best not to gawk at the overwhelming opulence that was everywhere he looked. Marble and gold was his impression of the palace. Marble and gold.
They turned a corner into another corridor and without breaking stride, Lucius scooped up a tray of dishes that a weary servant had just set down on a table in order to rest for a moment, leaving the poor woman baffled when she turned around again to find her burden gone. "Don't stare," Lucius cautioned Glaucus as he hiked the tray to his shoulder, shifting it until he found the balance point. He rounded another corner. "The doors we're looking for are just at the end--"
"Hey! You there!" shouted a praetorian and Lucius stopped in his tracks, the dishes rattling and shifting precariously at the abrupt halt. Glaucus raised his hands to steady it and turned his face towards his bent elbow. The guard brandished a sword and a scowl that said he wouldn't hesitate to use it. His partner stood a few feet away, equally alert and menacing.
"Yes sir? said Lucius, his head down and his voice conciliatory.
"This corridor is out of bounds. You know that. Turn around," the praetorian barked.
"I'm sorry, sir," Lucius mumbled and bowed. "Is this not the way to the banquet hall?"
The guard sighed and muttered something under his breath about the stupidity of slaves. "Turn around. First corridor to your right."
Lucius did his best to bow despite his burden. "Thank you, sir." Glaucus bowed as well and pivoted while still in that submissive position, hurrying out of sight of the guards.
Lucius whispered, "The apartments are behind those bronze doors at the end of the corridor guarded by those praetorians."
"Is there any other way of getting there?" asked Glaucus as they merged into the bustle of servants scurrying around carrying everything from piles of linens, to fine glass goblets, to polished silver plates and cutlery.
"Through the kitchens," replied Lucius. "Maybe through the courtyards but that way will probably be guarded as well." They side-stepped a servant pushing a cart laden with amperes of wine and almost crashed into two men carrying a couch. "Obviously, the imperial family are in residence preparing for the wedding so only their personal servants would attend them and the guards would know all of them by sight. Right now it's too risky but we may be able to get in when the banquet is on. The imperial apartments should be empty then and most guards will probably be assigned to the public rooms to make sure the guests don't steal anything."
Suddenly, everyone was jolted to a halt by the piercing voice of a praetorian who bellowed throughout the hallways and rooms where the servants were working, "Stop! Stop what you are doing and listen! Stop! Stop right now I say!"
Glaucus shuddered. What was this about? The palace fell silent as everyone halted in their tracks, posed in frozen parodies of their tasks.
"All male servants must report immediately to the throne room!" the guard ordered. "All male slaves must report to the throne room immediately! Move! Now!"
Silently, Glaucus and Lucius joined a line of men trudging north to the designated place. "What do you suppose this is about?" whispered Glaucus.
"Shhh," cautioned Lucius. "I have no idea but I don't like it."
By the time they reached the massive room, it was already half-packed with men, all dressed in the identical garb that identified them as slaves. Glaucus surreptitiously glanced around trying to spot Marius and Brennus. They were standing near a wall and looking as glum as he felt.
Immediately, dozens of praetorians marched into the room and the huge bronze doors slammed shut with a reverberation that echoed Glaucus' elevated heartbeat. He forced himself to relax, forcing his tense shoulders lower. It would not be good to look suspicious now that the praetorians were wandering slowly throughout servants, studying the faces of the men gathered there. But Glaucus' stomach clenched and he flexed his fingers to keep them from doing the same. The guards stopped every few feet and examined the men from top to toe with their eyes, telling some to step aside and shuffling others toward the far wall. "You, over there. You, stand aside. You, over there. You, stand aside." A praetorian stopped directly in front of Glaucus and the imposter servant met boldly his gaze. The guard scowled at the brazen demeanor until Glaucus finally dropped his eyes and submitted to the insulting appraisal... but his toes curled in defiance. "Over there," the praetorian snarled and Glaucus moved to join a large group of men that already included Marius and Brennus. Lucius soon followed.
The men who had been told to stand aside were quickly ushered out. Glaucus watched the proceedings in dread. What had they been selected for? Was his presence suspected in the palace? Would Plautianus now enter the room looking for him?
A man did indeed enter the throne room, but instead of Plautianus, an officious little man with a nervous twitch by his left eye clapped his hands for attention even though the massive room was as quiet as a tomb. Still not content, he climbed onto the lower portion of a platform that supported a huge black basalt statue and clapped again. "Listen! Everyone listen. You have been selected for a special task. Tomorrow -- a day of celebration -- there will be a number of joyous processions in the city. One of them in particular will be very great and you will be part of it. The father of the bride -- our own praetorian commander, the great and gracious Gaius Fulvius Plautianus -- has given his daughter a magnificent dowry worthy of his greatness and in honor of the greatest wedding ever seen in the empire."
If Glaucus heard the word 'great' again in connection with Plautianus, he thought he'd gag. He poked the man beside him and asked, "Who is he?"
"You're new here?" the servant asked.
Glaucus nodded. "I've been loaned to the palace for the wedding."
"He's Sterculinus and he's in charge of organizing the servants. He's an annoying little bugger but he's efficient. You'd better listen to him."
Sterculinus continued, "You slaves have the great honor of bearing these magnificent gifts through the Forum tomorrow at noon in a procession that will be remembered forever in the annals of history."
Glaucus poked Lucius in the ribs and whispered, "Do you know who this man is named after?" Lucius shook his head and Glaucus continued with a smirk. "The god of manure-spreading."
"Appropriate," smirked Lucius. Both men choked on their merriment and drew disapproving looks from the guards.
"The gifts," continued Sterculinus, "are currently here, at the palace, each item carefully wrapped to be transported to the Coliseum where they will be stored overnight -- heavily guarded, of course. You will return to the palace and remain here tonight in the servants' quarters. Tomorrow morning you will go to the Coliseum by the underground passage from the palace, and be assigned an item to carry back to the palace, through the arch of our great emperor, Septimius Severus, and through the Forum. Then they will be placed on display in the reception room for our guests to admire on the day of the great wedding. When you walk through the Forum, hold your item high for the citizens to see."
Glaucus caught Marius' eye and his friend shrugged. What an amazing turn of events. They had wondered how to get into the palace and now they couldn't seem to leave.
