Praetorian: The Great Game by S.J.A. Turney

Author:S.J.A. Turney [Turney, S.J.A.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Mulcahy Books
Published: 2015-03-11T23:00:00+00:00

XV – Accusations

AUTUMN had given way abruptly to winter.

Nine days previously the rains that had continued to batter the plains and hills of Latium had finally petered out with a last few abortive storms and a distant rumble like an unfinished argument. In their place had come bitterly cold winds blowing along the length of the Appenninus Mountains from the north and crisp clear skies that threatened worse inclement weather to come. The past two mornings had seen the water in the ornamental bird baths freeze and glittering icicles hanging in serrated rows from roofs.

Rufinus twitched with impatience. His remit at the villa had been simple: seek out information that could prevent an attempt on the emperor’s life. Every new sunrise hammered home the possibility that today could be the day of the plot’s culmination and that he might have been too late in uncovering anything.

Armed with his suspicions over Fastus, he had watched the man for the last days of autumn, noting things he considered odd or out of character. Finally, after a week, he had gathered his mental notes and visited Pompeianus to seek the counsel of the former general. Rufinus had expected the man to leap upon the revelations that the second new guard was something other than that which he seemed, and to direct him to a course of action with purpose and alacrity.

Instead, the Syrian nobleman had simply shaken his head. ‘You’ve hints and suspicions, my boy. They’re odd and somewhat indicative of clandestine behaviour, certainly, but hardly enough to condemn a man. Unless you can come up with some solid proof, you will need a lot more circumstantial evidence to convince anyone of wrongdoing. Or you’ll have to manipulate them into believing you…’ he’d added thoughtfully.

Rufinus, deflated, had been counselled to patience; to the gathering of more evidence to support his suspicions. Despite the fact that every passing day presented the possibility of being too late, Pompeianus was convinced that there was no immediate danger. The onset of winter would see the emperor out and about in the open considerably less and the chances of any attempt being made within the palace were negligible, in Pompeianus’ opinion.

The news soon after that the tribes of Northern Britannia were causing havoc and besieging the forts and walls of that far-flung province only added to the general’s surety that time was far from an issue. Given the emperor’s need to pay attention to military matters, he was rarely seen now without a small crowd of officers around him. Besides, no would-be usurper would move to inherit a newly rebellious province when half a year’s patience could see a settled empire again.

In Rufinus’ secret opinion, the addition of armed officers to the emperor’s regular group of hangers-on hardly decreased potential dangers, but there was little he could do about it. Certainly he could hardly send any information back to the Castra Praetoria with Constans the merchant until he had something a little more concrete than scattered suspicions which barely touched the theory of a plot.

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