The King's Gambit(55)

“Ah, yes, I had heard that he was dead.” Hasdrubal made some complicated hand-gestures, undoubtedly placating the spirits of the dead or some foul Oriental god. “I knew him only slightly, through our mutual business dealings, but I regret his passing.”

“Well, his passing was neither accidental nor voluntary, which is why an investigation became necessary.”

“I am of course at your disposal.” Hand to breast, Hasdrubal bowed deeply.

“Excellent. The Senate and People of Rome will be most pleased.” I could be as mealymouthed as the best of them. “What was the nature of the business you and Paramedes transacted with the pirates?”

“Usually, it involved the negotiation of ransom. From time to time, the pirates would capture a ship or raid an estate that would yield some valuable personage: a wealthy merchant, even”—he allowed himself a faint chuckle—"if you will forgive me, a Roman magistrate. If that person’s relatives, guild or corporation were in the Rome-Ostia area, one of us would transact the negotiations for transfer of the ransom. Many of the seafaring guilds here in Ostia, for instance, maintain a ransom fund for members taken prisoner by pirates. In most such cases, the ransom is set by long agreement: so much for a master merchant, so much for a helmsman and so forth. In the case of a wealthy or important person, the ransom must be agreed upon by the interested parties.”

“I see. Did you or Paramedes negotiate any really large-scale or special commissions between the pirates and citizens of Rome?”

He was nonplussed. “Special? How do you mean, sir?”

“Well, for instance: A few years back, at the time of Sertorius’s rebellion in Spain, certain arrangements were made between that rebellious general and King Mithridates of Pontus, with the pirates acting as intermediaries. Might you or Paramedes have handled such a commission?”

He spread his hands in a self-deprecating gesture. I found these constant gesticulations annoying, and was happy that Romans did not thus supplement their speech. “That is a far larger commission than any I have ever undertaken. We local agents are not really a part of the pirate community. I doubt that anything of such magnitude would be entrusted to one of us.”

That didn’t sound promising. “And Paramedes?”

“Also unlikely. He had been an agent for longer than I, and he had operated in other parts of the Mediterranean.” He pondered for a moment. “Of course, if a Roman wished to engage one or more of the pirate fleets on such a commission, he might very well approach one of us to arrange the initial contact.”

That sounded better. “And have you been thus approached?”

"Such has never fallen my lot. However, I cannot speak for Paramedes.”

“Unfortunately, he can no longer speak for himself. Would you happen to know who did negotiate on the pirates’ behalf on the occasion of the conspiracy between Sertorius and Mithridates?” This was a wild cast, but I have found that these seem to bag as much game as the aimed sort.

“The pirate captains are an individualistic lot, so it is seldom that one of them is allowed to speak for the combined fleets. Instead, they employ a well-placed and educated person to negotiate for them. I believe that on that occasion the man who acted on the pirates’ behalf was young Tigranes, the son of the Armenian king.” The expression on my face must have been a sight to behold. “Sir,” Hasdrubal asked, “are you well?”

“Better than you can imagine. Hasdrubal, I thank you. The Senate and People of Rome thank you.”

He beamed. “Just remember me when you are a praetor and need a purple border for your toga.”

“One more thing, if you please. During the recent slave rebellion, Spartacus arranged with the pirates to ferry him and his army from Messina to some unspecified destination. On the appointed day, the pirates did not arrive. Somebody had bought them off.”

Hasdrubal looked uncomfortable. “Yes. Most unlike them, to renege on an agreement like that.”

“I won’t ponder the ethics of it,” I said, “but I would like to know something: Was Tigranes the pirates’ negotiator that time as well?”

Hasdrubal stroked his beard and nodded. “He was.”

I rose and prepared to leave. “Hasdrubal, I’ll never buy purple from any merchant save you.” He saw us out amid effusive farewells and many annoying gesticulations.

“To the docks,” I told Milo when we were outside. “I have to get to Rome as quickly as possible.”

“No problem there. It’s still early enough to catch a barge headed upriver.” He grinned as if it had all been his doing. “There, wasn’t that worth the trip here?”