The Eyes of Aurora: A Fifth Case From the Notebooks of Pliny the Younger by Albert A. Bell Jr

Author:Albert A. Bell, Jr. [Albert A. Bell, Jr.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Pliny the Younger, historical mystery, Emperor Domitian, Tacitus, Roman society. slaves, Rome
ISBN: 9781564747846
Google: bzv3oAEACAAJ
Publisher: Perseverance Press
Published: 2014-09-16T00:00:00+00:00

XI

We agreed that Nestor and Aurora would serve as the messengers between our two houses. Nothing was to be written. When everything had been settled, we waited for Regulus and his entourage to leave first, then talked a bit more with Martial and Lorcis. Erotion played in Aurora’s lap but never would do more than look at me. They seemed a happy enough family, although I sensed regret on Lorcis’ part that Martial spent so much time in Rome. Even though I find many things to dislike about the city and enjoy my occasional escapes from it, I could understand his attraction to the place. It inspired his poetry, and its dilettantes fed his need for acclaim. Since Cicero’s day, men like us have complained about how unpleasant life in Rome can be and then complained even more about every day spent away from there. For us it is the center of the world, regardless of what the fatuous Greeks claim about the Omphalos at Delphi.

Clouds were gathering to the east, in the Apennines, as we mounted our horses.

“Sir, won’t you stay a bit longer until the storm passes?” Lorcis said.

I sensed Aurora’s tension as she swung up onto our horse and wrapped her arms around me, but I said, “It looks like the clouds are far enough away that we can make it back to Rome before it hits.”

“I hope so,” Lorcis said, glancing up at the mountains again.

“My lord,” Aurora said, “the horses are nervous. Don’t you think we should wait?”

“I want to get back and talk to Crispina. Let’s not waste time arguing about this.” I also wanted to contact Jacob and see why he had reacted to the ROTAS square the way he did. He had rolled up the piece of papyrus surreptitiously and must have taken it with him. I didn’t miss it until Regulus’ party was out of sight.

We made it halfway back to Rome before the storm broke with a fury that I’d never experienced. With the rain coming in waves, at times I could not see more than a single pace beyond our horse’s nose. The animal was becoming increasingly difficult to control.

“Gaius, we can’t go on,” Aurora said.

I was about to disagree—because I didn’t want to admit I’d made a bad decision—when a lightning bolt struck a tree just ahead of us. Our horse reared in panic. If I’d been riding alone, I might have kept my seat, but Aurora began to slide off and tightened her grip on me. I knew if I held the reins I risked being dragged by the animal, so I let go and we both tumbled to the ground as the horse galloped away. My servants rode over to us.

“My lord, are you all right?” one of them shouted over the thunder.

“Yes. Aurora, are you injured?”

“No, my lord, I’m fine.”

I took her hand and pulled her to her feet. “You men take cover wherever you can,” I said. “We’ll find one another when this is over.

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