Hostage to Fortuna by R W Peake

Author:R W Peake [Peake, R W]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: ancient rome, ancient warfare, roman legions, titus pullus
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

The entire family saw me off two days after we had collected the money, but I only left because I had been convinced that Septimus would do his utmost to determine the extent of Lucius Aviola’s involvement with his father’s illicit schemes, if there was any. Of course, even if we saw this through to completion by finding the Aviola paterfamilias, there was no guarantee that we would be able to recoup all four hundred thousand sesterces, but if we did not try, I knew that it would haunt every member of both families for the rest of our collective lives. I only agreed to leave because of Septimus’ solemn oath to do whatever was necessary to get to the truth, up to and including torturing Lucius Aviola. Under any circumstances, this was a desperate thing to do, and we spent part of the night arguing about it until Septimus finally gave in, but I was not the one who convinced him. That was left to Miriam who, once again, proved she has the Pullus iron in her soul to do what she sees as necessary, and her rationale was simple.

“What do you think Tata and Mama would do under these circumstances?” she asked her brother. “Do you think that our mother would wring her hands and do nothing when her family was under this kind of threat of losing everything?”

To my intense relief, I could see that Septimus had been convinced even before she finished, which was when he swore on the black stone that, while he would not start out using physical means against Aviola, he would not shrink from it if the need arose. This was the situation when I stood with Marcellus, Hemina, Celer, and Trio outside the villa to say goodbye. The extra day in Arelate was spent in a fruitful manner, because after discussing it, we had decided some subterfuge was in order, and it was the former Optio Marcellus who came up with the idea.

“If we use a regular wagon, and with the four of us guarding it, that’s practically begging for attention.”

We were in the taverna where I had met him, discussing our plans, and the other three men were nodding in agreement.

“What did you have in mind?”

“We hire a cisium,” he explained. “But one of the larger covered ones designed for more than two passengers. But you,” he pointed to me, “will be the only passenger. With the sides, the chests won’t be in sight. And we,” he indicated himself and the others, “will be your bodyguards.”

“But nobody will believe I’m someone important enough to be guarded,” I protested.

“Not dressed like that,” Marcellus agreed. “So I suggest you ask Septimus for a toga and some other frippery to make you look like an uppity bastard.”

I opened my mouth to ask him how he was certain that Septimus would have any of that but thought better of it. Marcellus, and the other three men, who, to this point had been largely silent, were all from Arelate, and after all, I had attracted them by using the Pullus name.

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