Part 1 (2/2)
”Gold?”
”He old, if I ible stoic! He will take that also before long!”
”I think not Commodus has lost his own and destroyed Roh, that es of beasts in purple I wrote to my father recently and warned him to leave Rome before Co our estates I said, an absent man attracts less notice, and our estates are orth plundering I also hinted that Commodus can hardly live forever, and reminded him that tides flow in and out-by which I meant him to understand that the next emperor may be another such as Aurelius, ill persecute the Christians but let honestthe Christians and ridding Roesture with his right hand that sent the Cappadocian cavorting to the road's edge, scattering a little crowd that was trying to pass
”Why be jealous of the Christians?” he laughed ”Isn't it their turn for a respite? Think of what Nero did to theain when Commodus turns on his mistress Marcia; he will harry them all the more when that day comes- as it is sure to Marcia is a Christian; when he tires of her he will use her Christianity for the excuse and throw the Christians to the lions by the thousand in order to justify hi the only decent woman of his acquaintance Sic semper tyrannus Say what you will about Marcia, she has done her best to keep Co a public exhibition of himself”
”With what result? He boasts he has killed no less than twelve hundred poor devils with his own hand in the arena True, he takes the pseudonym of Paulus when he kills lions with his javelin and drives a chariot in the races like a vulgar slave But everybody knows, and he picks slaves for his ministers-consider that vile beast Cleander, whom even the rabble refused to endure another day I don't see that Marcia's influence amounts to much”
”But Cleander was executed finally You are in a glum mood, sextus
What has happened to upset you?”
”It is the nothing that has happened There has come no answer to that letter I wrote to my father in Rome Commodus's informers may have intercepted it”
Norbanus whistled softly The skewbald Cappadocian nal to exert himself and for a minute there were ructions while his master reined him in
”When did you write?” he deain
”A o”
Norbanus lapsed into aat his friend when he was sure the other was not looking sextus had always puzzled hi risks that otherrisks that other nificant To write a letter critical of Commodus was almost tantamount to suicide, since every Roman port and every rest-house on the roads that led to Rome had becoe basis
”Are you weary of life?” he asked after a while
”I am weary of Commodus-weary of tyranny-weary of lies and hypocrisy- weary of wondering what is to happen to Roovernistrates-”
”Weary of your friends?” Norbanus asked ”Don't you realize that if your letter fell into the hands of spies, not only will you be proscribed and your father executed, but whoever is known to have been intier? You should have gone to Rome in person to consult your father”
”He ordered me to stay here to protect his interests We are rich, Norbanus We have much property in Antioch and many tenants to oversee
I aious wastrels; I obey my father-”
”And betray him in an idiotic letter!”
”Very well! Desert rily
”Don't be a fool! You are not the only proud man in the empire, sextus I don't desert htlessly But I will tell you what I think, whether or not that pleases you, if only because I am your true friend You are a rash, ienius that you betray by your arrogant hastiness So now you knohat I think, and what all your other friends think We admire-we love our sextus, son of Maxier because of that same sextus, son of Maximus, e prefer above our safety After this, if you continue to deceive yourself, none can blame me for it!”