Free The Furies of Rome by Robert Fabbri Page A

is the man who succeeds him.’
    ‘I see your point,’ Magnus mumbled from behind his wine cup.
    ‘So the question is, how to get Terpnus away from Nero,’ Tigran said, running his beard between his fingers.
    ‘He very rarely leaves the Palatine except in Nero’s company,’ Sabinus informed them, ‘such is his dedication to sycophancy.’
    ‘Very commendable,’ Gaius observed without irony.
    Tigran frowned. ‘I could try an arrow shot from a distance.’
    Sabinus shook his head. ‘No; if you wounded him his companions would get him back to the Palatine, and if you killed him outright it would be very unsatisfactory; the whole point of this is to have revenge by ensuring that Terpnus never plays the lyre again but lives, so that his loss eats away at him.’
    Tigran pursed his lips, deep in thought. ‘I shall give it serious consideration, gentlemen,’ he said eventually. ‘You say, Prefect Sabinus, that you have some advance knowledge of when and where Nero’s rampages are going to take place.’
    ‘That’s correct; it’s so that I can order a century of one of the Urban Cohorts to be standing by in the area.’
    ‘Then perhaps you would be so good as to send word to me next time you hear that the Viminal is due to be targeted; especially the western part.’
    Sabinus nodded his assent.
    Tigran got to his feet. ‘My thanks for your hospitality, Senator Pollo. Senator Vespasian, Sextus and four of my brethren are waiting for you outside to help you with that bit of business that Magnus mentioned to me; I trust that they will serve you better than they did your uncle the other night.’ With a nod to Sabinus and Magnus, Tigran left the garden.
    ‘Do you think he’ll come up with an idea?’ Sabinus asked.
    Magnus grinned. ‘I’d say he’s already got one and he plans to execute it on the West Viminal Brotherhood’s territory to lessen the chance of retribution falling in his direction; but what it is I couldn’t guess. That’s the thing about Tigran, he doesn’t let on too much, not until he has to, that is. It’s what’s made him so successful, even more so than I was as patronus.’
    ‘He certainly has more rings than you. So the horses are fine?’
    ‘Yes, the faction-master said that they were in great shape and he’ll race them as soon as possible.’
    ‘Good, I’ll go and give them a turn or two around the Flammian Circus as soon as I can.’
    Gaius looked horrified. ‘You don’t race them yourself, dear boy, do you?’
    ‘Of course not, Uncle; I just enjoy driving them, in private, obviously. It’s good exercise and very invigorating.’
    ‘Let’s hope you don’t start singing as well.’
    ‘One bad habit is enough, Uncle.’ Vespasian got to his feet. ‘Come, Sabinus; Sextus and the lads are outside and if we’re going to relieve you of that inconvenience we should go now that it’s starting to get dark.’
    ‘And why should I not just strangle the treacherous bastard?’ Caratacus asked, the ruddiness of his clean-shaven, oval face accentuated by barely supressed ire. ‘He and his bitch-queen, Cartimandua, broke every law of hospitality to hand me over to you Romans.’
    ‘ Us Romans, Tiberius Claudius Caratacus,’ Vespasian reminded the former Britannic chieftain. ‘Seeing as you are now a citizen and hold equestrian rank, I think you should count yourself as one of us. We don’t discriminate against race, as you know – we’ve even had consuls of Gallic descent – so, as far as I’m concerned, my friend, you are Roman, and therefore you will help me do what is best for Rome and that is to keep Venutius safe so that Paulinus has something to threaten your bitch-queen with.’
    Caratacus smiled at his former adversary as they looked down at the filth-encrusted figure of Venutius glaring up at them from inside a cage placed in the corner of Caratacus’ cellar in his house on the Aventine Hill. ‘I suppose I still get the pleasure of keeping his confinement as