Dominus by Steven Saylor

Author:Steven Saylor
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: St. Martin's Publishing Group

* * *

That night, safe and sound again at home, Gaius and Aulus were both ready for bed when a summons arrived from the palace.

“At this ridiculous hour?” said Gaius, standing with his son in the vestibule where the imperial messenger stood waiting.

Aulus drew his father aside. “The hour is late, yes, but I hear the emperor keeps odd hours. This could be the opening we’ve been hoping for, Father—an imperial commission.”

“Very well, son. Go put on your toga, and I’ll put on mine.”

They crossed the city in an imperial litter, surrounded by slaves carrying torches. The streets were quiet, as was the vestibule of the palace, manned only by Praetorian Guards.

They were shown not to any of the usual audience chambers, but to a small room deep within the palace, where they found the young emperor surrounded not by philosophers or palace courtiers, but a coterie of young, handsome, athletic-looking men, some, to judge by their coarse manners, from the very lowest order of society. Strange music played in the background, presumably made by Emesene musicians. Strange perfumes wafted on the air. Even the fabrics and the furniture were foreign. Many of the men spoke neither Latin nor Greek, but some other language.

The young emperor was dressed in loose purple garments made entirely from silk. He wore numerous golden necklaces and bangles. He was indeed a beautiful boy, but it seemed he was not content with his natural beauty, for close up one could see that he wore cosmetics very skillfully applied. His eyes were lined with white lead and his cheeks lightly dusted with a reddish powder.

He seemed perpetually restless, always in motion, even when seated. His every movement, however small, seemed part of a sinuous, swaying dance. His arms were always in graceful motion, as were his hands, and even his fingers seemed to dance. His face, too, was always in motion—batting eyelashes, puckering lips, arching eyebrows. There was something lewd about all these movements, as if each gesture was a deliberately erotic provocation. He frequently made a sound the Pinarii took to be a laugh—a high, trilling ululation ending in a series of low, husky grunts.

“The Pinarii, father and son—how lovely to see you both. You were not already in bed, I take it?” He had a way of emphasizing some words more than others.

“We are always at the call of our Dominus,” said Gaius.

“I’ll remember that. So is this fellow—have you met my husband, Hierocles?” He gestured to the handsome blond youth who sat next to him. Hierocles was dressed as a charioteer of the Green faction, his arms and legs mostly bare. His green tunic fit tightly across his broad chest. The brown leather belt that cinched his narrow waist and the other leather straps of his outfit were not much darker than he was, for his skin was very tan.

“I see you staring at him. And who could blame you? What do you think?” The emperor sat forward abruptly and stared at the Pinarii, his lips pushed forward and his eyebrows arched.

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