Rome's Lost Son(109)

‘I’ve never known anything to be absolutely secure in Rome,’ Gaius observed through a mouthful of cake, ‘least of all one’s position.’

‘Claudius is due to address the Senate this afternoon after he’s finished celebrating the Meditrinalia in honour of this year’s new wine vintage. Agrippina and I fully expect him to confirm Nero as his sole heir as, since he married his stepsister, he is much more than just the Emperor’s adopted son. It may not have pleasant consequences for his natural son as Nero will remain the only possible heir to Claudius until the day before the Ides of February next year.’

Vespasian frowned. ‘How can you be so specific?’

‘Because that is the day when Britannicus turns fourteen, the earliest possible time that he can come of age and therefore be a real threat to Agrippina’s ambitions.’

‘And your ambitions too, surely, Pallas?’

Pallas inclined his head to concede the point. ‘So, obviously she … we have a timetable.’

‘Does that mean what I think it means?’

‘I don’t think that we want to know exactly what that means,’ Gaius put in quickly, giving Vespasian a worried look; he fortified his nerves with another cake.

Pallas studied Vespasian over the rim of his cup as he took a sip of wine. ‘I believe it does,’ he said eventually, placing the cup back down on the table.

Pallas looked at Magnus and raised his eyebrows.

‘I’ll just, er … go and wait inside,’ Magnus said, getting to his feet.

‘Thank you, Magnus.’ Pallas waited until Magnus had left the garden, which he did at speed. ‘What we’re doing is for the good of Rome.’

‘Believe what you like, Pallas,’ Vespasian said, somewhat more tersely than he meant to, mainly because he knew that in supporting the Nero faction he was giving tacit consent to murder.

‘I do believe it.’

‘But assassination is still murder.’

‘And who are you to condemn murder?’

Vespasian smiled wryly. ‘I’ll never be allowed to forget killing Poppaeus.’

‘Murder stays with you for life; but it wasn’t Poppaeus I was alluding to, it was Caligula’s and your brother’s part in it that you helped to cover up. You didn’t condemn him for killing an emperor, why should you condemn me? Especially when the emperor in question is now so constantly drunk that it’s almost impossible to get any sense out of him at any time of the day.’

With a jolt, Vespasian suddenly understood that it was not Britannicus that Pallas and Agrippina planned to murder, but the Emperor.

Gaius too made the connection and got to his feet in a state of alarm. ‘I think there is some urgent correspondence that needs my attention in my study.’

‘Sit down, Senator Pollo, you are already involved.’ Pallas’ voice, normally so level and measured, was harsh and Gaius sat back down sharply, causing his wickerwork chair to creak in protest. ‘I apologise for my tone, Gaius; my nerves are very stretched at present.’

Vespasian could see the tension in the freedman’s expression; his face had always been a mask, betraying nothing of his thoughts, but now that mask was slipping. ‘So how are you going to achieve this?’

‘Agrippina will be responsible for doing it.’

‘Poison, then?’

Pallas nodded and drained his cup; his mask had returned and he showed nothing of his thoughts for or against the woman’s weapon of poison. ‘It will be done over a period of time with small doses and will be complete before Britannicus comes of age. It will appear as if it were a natural death; no one will suspect a thing. What I need of you two gentlemen is to ensure that the Senate doesn’t dawdle this time in proclaiming Nero the new emperor. As soon as you hear the news of Claudius’ death you must insist upon a full meeting of the Senate and both speak for Nero.’

Gaius did not look enamoured of the prospect. ‘That will make us very conspicuous.’

‘It will also serve to draw the venom that Agrippina harbours for Vespasian, Gaius. I made him a promise, when he went to the East at my bidding, to help protect him from her; this is me making good that promise. I’m trusting you both with advance knowledge of an emperor’s death so that you can be the first to hail his successor; that should be the sort of conspicuousness that is a benefit not a curse.’

Gaius mumbled thanks and apologies at the same time and then tried to cover his embarrassment by tucking into the last cake.

Pallas took a deep breath to calm himself. ‘But before I give my full and unequivocal support to Agrippina and Nero I need to know if she has committed any treason by colluding with Rome’s enemies that could be used against her and therefore against me.’ He turned to Vespasian and waited for him to speak.