Rome's Lost Son(19)

‘Are you threatening us, Narcissus?’

‘My old friend,’ Narcissus crooned without a trace of amicability, ‘I am doing nothing of the sort; I don’t need to. Agrippina has made sure that news of his failure has already reached Claudius and Pallas and she has insisted that after such a mistake your family cannot be trusted. Yesterday, at the Emperor’s request, I personally crossed your name off the list of governors for next year; Titus Statilius Taurus will go to Africa in your place.’

‘Africa?’ Gaius blurted. ‘The Emperor was going to reward Vespasian with Africa?’

‘I’m afraid so, but it is not to be. A shame really, such a prestigious province.’

Gaius’ jowls quivered with outrage. ‘You took Africa away from our family?’

‘Calm yourself, senator; I did nothing. I just amended the list at the Emperor’s instructions after he had been advised by the Empress. She really doesn’t like you, Vespasian.’

‘I’m aware of that and of the real reason why; but she likes you even less.’

Narcissus parted his hands and exclaimed in feigned joy, ‘Ah! Back to the subject I can never tire of: me. Yes, she would have me dead; and what’s the best way to avoid that whilst at the same time doing yourselves a great service by removing the block to your family’s career?’

Vespasian glanced at his uncle and realised immediately that he would not be furnishing the answer. ‘Kill Agrippina?’

Narcissus tutted and raised his cup for another sip of wine before thinking better of it. ‘Kill another empress? I don’t think I’d survive that again, no matter how chaotic Claudius’ affairs are. No, gentlemen, the answer is to expose her for what she is.’

It was Vespasian’s turn to be dismissive. ‘You and Pallas both tried to do that with Messalina but Claudius refused to believe you.’

‘Precisely, but this time the emphasis has changed. Then we were trying to get Claudius to believe that Messalina had savoured most men of the equestrian and senatorial classes and gone through the Praetorian Guard century by century, which, despite the truth of it, is a huge claim and easily rebutted on the grounds of impossibility. This time I just have to convince Claudius that his wife is not only sleeping with his most trusted advisor but he’s also being cuckolded by her son whom she has persuaded him to adopt as his own.’ Narcissus leant forward on the desk, looking directly into Vespasian’s eyes. ‘It’s all rather nasty, wouldn’t you agree? And yet again our divine Emperor is looking less of a god and more of a fool. Of course, we’re used to that, but he’s not; I think that the shock will make him very vengeful and all three of his betrayers will, at the very least, live out the rest of their lives on a barren rock, rather like Agrippina’s namesake, her mother, and her two older brothers.’ He twitched the corners of his mouth once again into the closest he ever came to a smile. ‘You could almost say that it runs in the family.’

Vespasian could not but admire the logic of it. ‘With one move you rid yourself of both your rivals, remove Nero and restore Britannicus to the succession with you as the arbiter of the potential regent when the time comes. No doubt you would choose someone of little consequence who was also well in your debt and once more you would be the Master of Rome.’

‘And you would be governing whichever province you wished for; Sabinus’ error would be quietly forgotten and you, my dear Gaius, would have that long overdue consulship.’

Vespasian kept his face placid; he was tempted but he knew better than to trust this Greek. He remembered only too well how Narcissus had been prepared to go back on the promise never to reveal Sabinus’ part in the assassination of Caligula when political expediency pressed.

Gaius, however, took the bait: his eyes glinted in the lamplight. ‘What do you want us to do, my dear Narcissus?’

‘The only people that Claudius would believe are Agrippina or Pallas themselves.’

‘But neither of them is ever going to admit to the thing that’ll bring them down.’

‘Of course not, senator.’ The Greek’s irritation at a statement of the obvious was conveyed by a lowering of his voice.

Vespasian cocked an ear; the noise from the tavern had taken on a different timbre.

Gaius reddened. ‘I apologise.’

Narcissus flourished a dismissive wave, half-closing his eyes. ‘But they will confess to Claudius if the alternative is being accused of treason; palpable treason, for which they will most certainly be executed.’

‘Treason?’ Vespasian asked, his attention now back to the conversation. ‘What’ve they done?’