The Conspiracy by John Hersey

Author:John Hersey
Language: eng
Format: epub, pdf
Publisher: Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group
Published: 2019-09-03T16:00:00+00:00

THREE

March 16

To PAENUS, Tribune of Secret Police, from TIGELLINUS

First of all, Paenus: Keep your head. Follow my example. At times like these I purposely slow everything down. I think more deliberately, I speak measured sentences, I even walk at a more leisurely pace than usual. You can watch me. In my youth I was forced to live for a while as a thief, and occasionally I had to keep out of the hands of policemen. I found that a very good tactic was to show myself fleetingly here and there before informers, or to leave unmistakable traces of my presence at widely separated places. Once the police began hurrying and scurrying—dashing to investigate one report after another—I knew I was safe.

We cannot pounce. We must first be very sure of our ground.

We must find out who the night visitor to the author of this letter was. “A calloused hand.” “Rough fingers.” But “a distinguished name.” And the assurance that the military adherents favor the author of the letter, not his rival. All this points to a soldier. If a distinguished name, a soldier of high rank. I need not stress that this suggestion that military men, perhaps members of the Praetorian Guard, are involved in this business comes as a great shock. We thought we were simply dealing with a circle of arrogant, vain, effeminate, erratic, corruptible writers and their weak-willed hangers-on.

Am I right in thinking that your penetration of the Guard with agents is weak in all ranks? We have not time to repair that deficiency. Do not send fools blundering into the Guard. For the moment I will take responsibility for the delicate task of opening up information on the military side.

I am not yet telling Himself about the letter we have intercepted. Himself loses all judgment when it comes to the author of that letter. I shall protect the Person for now in whatever ways I can without disturbing him.

Keep cool.

Orders:

Free your best and subtlest men from other concerns to concentrate on this pile of stinking night soil.

Send me your file on the author of the letter.

Commence surveillance of Mela and Epicharis.

Commence close surveillance of Piso. The unnamed rival in the letter fits a description of him.

Commence surveillance of Natalis.

To RUFUS, Co-Commander, Praetorian Guard, from TIGELLINUS

Secret. Urgent.

I must talk with you on a most urgent and most secret matter. Meet me punctually on the fourth hour in the gardens of the Golden House, near the statue of Apollo on the path to the lake.

To TIGELLINUS from PAENUS, Tribune of Secret Police

You are consistent, as always, in your inconsistency. You tell me to slow down, and you send me scrambling in all directions.

It will be a pleasure to commence—or, if I may use the word, recommence—surveillance of Natalis. Your other orders also noted for action.

To PAENUS, Tribune of Secret Police, from TIGELLINUS

Rest your wit. Get busy.

March 17

To TIGELLINUS from RUFUS, Co-Commander, Praetorian Guard

Secret. Urgent.

I have given myself twenty-four hours before commenting on your performance in the gardens yesterday. I needed twenty-four hours.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.