Part 8 (1/2)
He thrust her away fro like a bear into his own apart the attendants whose dangerous duty it was to divine in an instant what clothes he would wear and to help hih the door, saw Marcia talking to Narcissus, laughed and disappeared again Marcia raised her voice:
”Telamonion! Oh, Telaht years old cahter-one of those spoiled favorites of fortune whom it was the fashi+on to keep as pets Their usefulness consisted o in and play with hih He is bad teood-will, the child vanished through the curtains where Co to Narcissus in a low voice
”When did you see sextus last?” she asked
”But yesterday”
”And what has he done, do you say? Tell ain”
”He has found out the chiefs of the party of Lucius Septimius Severus He has also discovered the leaders of Pescennius Niger's party He says, too, there is a sroup that looks toward Clodius Albinus, who commands the troops in Britain”
”Did he tell you naht tell Commodus, ould write all the names on his proscription list sextus, I tell you, reckons his own life nothing, but he is extremely careful for his friends”
”It would be easy to set a trap and catch him He is insolent He has had too much rein,” said Marcia ”But ould be the use?” Narcissus answered ”There would be Norbanus, too, to reckon with Each plays into the other's hands Each knows the other's secrets Kill one, and there reerous because alar in hiding with their following of freedh robbery to gain themselves an enviable reputation on the countryside They visit their friends in Rouises, and they travel all over Italy to plot with the adherents of this faction or the other sextus favors Pertinax-says he would make a respectable emperor- another Marcus Aurelius But Pertinax knows next to nothing of sextus' doings, although he protects sextus as far as he can and sees him now and then sextus' plan is to keep all three rival factions by the ears, so that if anything should happen-” he nodded toward the curtain, frohter and the crashi+ng voice of Co in some piece of mischief-”they would be all at odds and Pertinax could seize the throne”
”I wonder whether I was mad that I protected sextus!” exclaimed Marcia
”He has served us well If I had let them catch and crucify him as Maternus, ould have had no one to keep us informed of all these cross-conspiracies But are you sure he favors Pertinax?”
”Quite sure He even risked an intervieith Flavia titiana, to implore her influence with her husband sextus would be all for striking now, this instant; he has assured himself that the world is tired of Coh to stand in the way of Pertinax; but he kno difficult it will be to persuade Pertinax to assert hi Caesar; he says: 'Let us see what happens-if the Fates intend me to be Caesar, let the Fates sho!'”
”Aye, that is Pertinax!” said Marcia ”Why is it that the honest men are all such delayers! As for me, I will save uard shall put Pertinax on the throne before any other faction has a chance to er-Clodius Albinus-any of the others would include us in a general proscription Pertinax is friendly He protects his friends He is the safest man in all ways Let Pertinax be acclaiuard and the senate would accept hih They would feel sure of histo wipe out opposition; he would try to pacify opponents by the institution of reforovernment”
”You must beware you are not forestalled,” Narcissus warned her ”sextus tells me there is more than one man ready to slay Coer and Clodius Albinus keep theers are in constant ainst either of those three, that would be the signal for civil war All three would march on Rome”
”Caesar is h his own infor their supporters here in Rome,” said Marcia ”What does sextus intend? To kill Caesar himself?”
Narcissus nodded
”Well, when sextus thinks that time has come, you kill him! Let that be your task Weas possible When nothing further can be done, we must involve Pertinax so that he won't dare to back out It was he, you knoho persuaded hwayman's life; it was he who told e of that secret gives me a certain hold on Pertinax! Caesar would have his head off at a word from me But the best ith Pertinax is to stroke the honest side of him -the charcoal-burner side of hi hi the throne to some one else at the last minute!”
A step sounded on the other side of the curtain ”Caesar!” Narcissus whispered As excuse for being seen in conversation with her he began to show her a charyptian She snatched it fro toward Co in his way Not even she dared lay a hand on him when he was in that volcanic mood ”As you love me, will you wear this?”
”For love of you, what have I not done?” he retorted, s at her
”What now?”
She advanced another half-step, but no nearer There was laughter on his lips, but in his eye cold cruelty
”My Caesar, wear it! It protects against conspiracy”
He showed her a neord that he had girded on along with the short tunic of a gladiator
”Against the bellyache, use Galen's pills; but this is the right ainst conspiracy!” he answered Then he took the little golden char it on his palet this bauble?”