“I am so glad we had such wonderful sailing weather,” Julia said, as we walked toward the base. “I was afraid we wouldn’t be here in time for the Aphrodisia. This is perfect timing. Have you visited the temple?”
“I have. I’ll take you to see it tomorrow and introduce you to the high priestess lone herself.”
“Wonderful! I so want to—” she paused as she saw the cluster of plain, functional, military buildings ahead of us. “Decius, I thought you would have engaged more suitable lodgings for us. Do you expect me to live among sailors and marines?”
“Actually, my dear, until a few days ago I was living in the governor’s mansion and looking forward to introducing you to its luxuries.”
“Then why are you not living there now?” I knew that tone all too well.
“Actually, my sweet, there has been a bit of a complication. The governor is dead. Murdered, in fact; and since I might well be next, I thought more secure accommodations were in order.”
“Murdered?” Milo said happily. He cared nothing for luxury, but he liked excitement. At least that much had not changed.
“I had hoped this would be a more productive posting,” Julia said. “You are getting too old and dignified for this sort of squabbling among criminals and cutthroats. You are one of Rome’s rising men, in line for the next praetorship election. You should leave investigative duties to your subordinates. What have you been training Hermes for all these years anyway? Give him his freedom and let him go around poking into dangerous places among low company.”
“If you two don’t stop this, the boy is going to start getting ideas.” I knew I was on safer ground though. I had her hooked. Despite her patrician protestations, she loved this sort of thing. She was, after all, a Caesar; and politics played for life-and-death stakes excited her above all things. Most Roman women were utterly shut out from this masculine arena, but I sometimes let her help me with my investigations, another of my little eccentricities.
As we reached higher ground overlooking the harbor, she paused and pointed. “What is that beautiful ship? We passed it coming in to the anchorage.”
“That’s Cleopatra’s yacht. It’s part of my little fleet, actually.”
“Cleopatra? Ptolemy’s youngest daughter? Isn’t she a bit young for a naval command, besides being female?”
“Royalty do things differently, and I desperately needed another ship. But she may have killed the governor, so be careful around her.”
“Decius, why can’t you ever lead a normal life?”
I showed her the austere suite of rooms I had commandeered. In other times they had been used by the Roman naval commander when he was on the island. They were comfortable enough, but the government spent little on amenities for military officers, who were expected to provide for themselves.
“I want to take a look at your ships, Decius,” Milo said, beginning to show the old nervous energy that kept him forever in motion.
“Go ahead,” I told him. “I’ll join you shortly.”
“My lady,” Hermes said, when he was gone, “has Titus Milo been ill?”
“I was wondering the same thing myself,” I said. “How was he acting on the voyage?”
She looked wistful. “I’ve never liked Milo,” she began, “and made no secret of it; but now I almost feel sorry for him. Strife and struggle for power were the breath of life to him, and he almost had the laurels in his grasp when it all came crashing down around him. He rose from nothing, just a common street thug. He would have been consul if it hadn’t been for the murder of Clodius. Now he is an exile. His gang is scattered, and with no family he has no support in the Senate. He was Cicero’s man, and Cicero’s star is fading fast.”
“Surely he can expect to be recalled,” I protested. “When I am praetor, I’ll exert pressure on the tribunes to …”
“There is no chance, Decius,” she said gently. “Your family’s power is fading, too, and you know it. Caesar is to be the new power. When he returns from Gaul, he will be dictator in all but name. And Clodius was Caesar’s man. Caesar will not forgive Milo, not even for you, and Caesar truly likes you. Fausta has left Milo, did you know that?”
“No, but it does not surprise me. Milo in the ascendant was the prize catch of all the men in Rome for Fausta. Milo descending is of no interest to her. She’ll make a play for Caesar next. You might advise Calpurnia to have someone test her food and drink from now on.”
“Fausta is not that ambitious and cold-blooded, but neither is she going to be married to a failure and be exiled from Rome. Not the Dictator’s daughter.”