Knight of Rome Part I by Malcolm Davies

Author:Malcolm Davies [Davies, Malcolm]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2019-05-31T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 16

Janus the porter was also the family bathhouse attendant and had lit the fire to heat water as soon as he could after the young master and his friend had arrived. Now Otto and Lucius sprawled on the stone benches in the small steam room letting the heat melt the aches and strains out of their muscles. They both sighed with pleasure as they relaxed.

In the main house, the atmosphere was tense.

“I will not have that savage in my home, Vitius. Do something.” Sabina demanded of her husband.

“What do you suggest?” he asked.

“Throw him out, or have the slaves throw him out. I don’t care as long as he goes from under my roof before he cuts our throats.”

Vitius held up one hand for calm.

“I’m sure Lucius would not….”

“Lucius? Lucius?” Sabina spat. “What does he know?”

Vitius raised his voice.

“He is a grown man and a soldier. Publius Quadratus would not have given him his own military responsibilities if he did not respect his judgement…”

“Well then that German animal can go and stay with Quadratus but I refuse to let him spend one night under my roof.”

Vitius frowned but said no more. He turned on his heel and left the room.

Fresh out of their baths and wearing clean tunics, Lucius and Otto were ushered into the dining room by Pinerus, the family major domo, who also acted as secretary to Aelia and Vitius. He had been with them all his life and although now freed, did not choose to leave “his family”. The room was decorated with views of a garden full of flowers and birds shown through false window frames painted onto the walls to deceive the eye. Otto ran his fingers over one of the scenes and smiled. Three couches and two low chairs were laid out around the table. They took their places with Otto on a chair next to the couch on which Lucius lay back and directly opposite Sabina and Poppaea who shared their couch. Sabina reclined with Poppaea sitting upright at the foot. Vitius had the last couch and Aelia took an ornate chair of her own. Pinerus poured the wine, clapped his hands and dinner was brought in. There were sliced loaves of bread, a baked mullet, roasted fowls, a platter of spiced sausages and dishes of olives, pine nuts and vegetables. There were several smaller bowls of fermented anchovy sauce.

Pinerus supervised the two slave women serving the food, poured the wine, bowed and left. Everyone except Otto took some bread dipped in the fish sauce. Following the others, he tried it, pulled a face and gagged. Vitius and Lucius laughed a little.

“It is what we call garum; an acquired taste,” Vitius told him.

The family began to talk across the table. Most of it was too quick for Otto to catch. He could manage quite well one-to-one, but the crossflow of several people speaking at once still confused him.

It was unfortunate that the sausages had been placed in front of Otto. He took one and bit into it.

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