Free Time to Depart by Lindsey Davis Page A

to put the situation in context. He came out of it well, too. I knew it was bluff, but he looked like a man who was planning well.
    'You expect a repetition of today?'
    'I fear it, sir.'
    The Emperor leant forwards suddenly. 'Were you expecting this?'
    Petronius did not flinch from the fierce question. 'No, sir. But I had felt something might happen.'
    'Why?'
    'A power vacuum has been created in the Criminal fraternity.'
    'How? Oh, Balbinus Pius of course. You were responsible for that.'
    This time Petro was startled. He had not realised that the tablet which Vespasian had been reading when we entered would have been his brief from the secretariat: a swift summary of events today, an account of Petro's career, a brief of the Balbinus case, even polite suggestions for handling this interview.
    I stepped in: 'Petronius Longus is too modest to regale you with his success, sir. He was indeed the oflicer who convicted Balbinus. He found an opportunity to do it, and he saw matters through. He's too good a man to stop there. He thought ahead, and considered the effect on Rome.'
    Vespasian gave no sign of having heard me, though he certainly had. He looked at Petro, who was quite capable of sliding out of this. While I burbled, he had already marshalled his thoughts: 'Sir, I realised the size of the Emporium heist meant there would be political implications.'
    'Political?' We had the Emperor's full attention. He himself had stepped into a power vacuum when he wrested the throne from the various contenders and settled in to remedy the oddities of Nero's reign and the devastation of the ensuing civil war. He had yet to prove himself. He was working hard, but the benefits of good government take longer than the ravages of bad to become apparent. His grasp on power was still precarious.
    I suggested dryly, 'Robbery on a grand scale casts doubt upon the government's effectiveness, sir.'
    'No, it casts doubt on the effectiveness of the watch!' retorted the Emperor.
    Petronius was visibly annoyed with me. 'Sir, it will cause grumbles, I realise. But I take this theft as a signal. It was very bold. Some element is declaring open war - '
    'On whom?' rapped the Emperor. 'You? Me?'
    'On the watch, certainly,' Petro replied slowly. 'On the state by implication. And probably on other major thieves. Given that context, I should say that it is likely to involve more than one city sector- '
    'That's beyond your scope!' Vespasian had an old- fashioned regard for the limits of office. Immediately he reined Petro in: 'That calls for a co-ordinated strategy.'
    'Yes, sir,' agreed Petronius, looking meek. 'I was of course intending to alert my cohort tribune and the Prefect of the City, sir.' The lying shark!
    Vespasian thought about it. 'I'd better see your tribune. I'd better see them all.' He gave a slight nod to some sideliner in a white tunic. This silent, virtually invisible official was more than just a secretary. Notes were being made briefly on a tablet, but these were the notes of a man taking instructions. He knew the fast rule of administration: always cover yourself. 'Conference. After lunch. Warn Titus.' The Emperor spoke offhandedly, though both Petro and I had a sense of starting far more than we had bargained for. He turned back to us. 'That still leaves the riot to diffuse. What do you suggest.?'
    Knowing that the man who starts a riot rarely thinks about how he will stop it, I thought best to offer ideas myself. 'You could mollify the discontent to some degree by announcing compensation, sir.'
    'Compensation?
    I had done it now. I had used a naughty word.

XI

    'Thanks a lot, Falco!'
    We were back on the bench in the corridor. The chamberlain who shepherded visitors was looking curious. The white-tunic-clad official strode oft. Vespasian's mention of lunch told us that the 'few minutes' we had been told to wait would be sevetal hours. Petronius was furious. 'Well if that was helping, thanks, Falco! Thanks to you mentioning money, the