Chapter Twenty-Eight.

The Pa.s.sage of Time Leaving Empty Lives Waiting to Be Filled Waiting to Be Filled And at the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, e-lo-i; e-lo-i; la-ma s-bach-th-ni?, which is, saying, e-lo-i; e-lo-i; la-ma s-bach-th-ni?, which is, being interpreted, My G.o.d, my G.o.d, why hast being interpreted, My G.o.d, my G.o.d, why hast thou forsaken me? thou forsaken me?

Mark 15:34

'Who would have thought that a man could shed such blood and still live?' Praefectus Praefectus Maximus noted as Edius Flavia received yet another scream-inducing blow from the Maximus noted as Edius Flavia received yet another scream-inducing blow from the flagellum flagellum across his back. The metal b.a.l.l.s dragged chunks of flesh with them as they scudded across Flavia's skin. across his back. The metal b.a.l.l.s dragged chunks of flesh with them as they scudded across Flavia's skin.

'More, praefectus praefectus?' asked the sergeant. For a moment Maximus was silent. 'Sadly yes, sergeant,' he said as the whip came down again.

Flavia's scream coincided with the entrance of Gaius Calaphilus, accompanying it like some h.e.l.lish fanfare. The praefectus praefectus held up his hand both to stop the torture and to welcome the general. held up his hand both to stop the torture and to welcome the general.

' Salve Salve,' he noted, but paused when he saw the grave look on the general's face.

'I bring tidings of great sorrow,' said Calaphilus. 'An attempt has been made within the Vil a Praefectus Vil a Praefectus upon the life of Ian Chesterton.' He stopped and grabbed the hair of Edius Flavia, pulling him away from the torture stake and making him scream yet again. 'As well you know, you piece of excrement.' He flung the former tribune back against the bare wood and ordered the sergeant to, 'Flay without mercy this despicable excuse for a Roman.' upon the life of Ian Chesterton.' He stopped and grabbed the hair of Edius Flavia, pulling him away from the torture stake and making him scream yet again. 'As well you know, you piece of excrement.' He flung the former tribune back against the bare wood and ordered the sergeant to, 'Flay without mercy this despicable excuse for a Roman.'

The sergeant cast a nervous glance at the praefectus praefectus.

After a moment of consideration, Thalius nodded.

'Our young friend is dead?' he asked, sadly.

'Remarkably not,' the general replied. 'But only due to the intervention of Erastus.' The praefectus looked relieved.

'Regretfully, however,' continued Gaius, 'I must inform you that the blow intended for Ian took instead the life of Fabulous.'

Thalius broke down and wept, something that just a few days earlier, Calaphilus would have considered an open sign of weakness. Now, he felt like joining in.

'Your plot has failed, wretch,' the general told Flavia as yet another blow landed on his back. 'It has only succeeded in taking the life of an old man who committed you and your worthless allies no trespa.s.s. Non ego tuam empsim vitam Non ego tuam empsim vitam vitiosa n uce vitiosa n uce. Your life is now forfeit and you shall be scourged unto death with great pleasure.'

For the first time, there was fear as well as determination in Flavia's voice. 'No, mercy,' he cried.

'No mercy indeed,' said Thalius Maximus. 'Tell us the names of your fellow proditores proditores or your life shall end this day in c or your life shall end this day in c ruciamentum ruciamentum.'

A final blow seemed to knock all of the stuffing from Edius Flavia. Crushed and broken, he hung limply from the stauros stauros by his fingertips. by his fingertips.

'Tribune Marcus Lanilla,' he said in an agonised gasp.

'Tribune Fabius Actium. Tribune Honorius Annora. Centurion Didlus Domius. Centurion Agressus Comtilius. Suffecti consul Suffecti consul Marcelinus Gomaus. Marcelinus Gomaus. Praetor Praetor Gaius Octavian. Gaius Octavian. Quaestor Quaestor Claudius Minimus. Claudius Minimus. Aediles Aediles Mobius Hartenius. Senator's wife Antonia Vinicius. Tribune's wife Agrinella Lanilla' Mobius Hartenius. Senator's wife Antonia Vinicius. Tribune's wife Agrinella Lanilla'

And so it went on, in bursts of agonised confession.

Finally, almost on the point of collapse, Flavia finished the list of the names of his co-conspirators.

'Is that all?' asked the general.

There was no reply. The praefectus praefectus knelt beside the tortured man and then stood up shaking his head. He has expired, the unworthy wretch.' knelt beside the tortured man and then stood up shaking his head. He has expired, the unworthy wretch.'

We have the names,' Calaphilus noted. 'And we know how high the conspiracy goes. Three of the surviving five tribunes.

Judges. Supplementary consuls, the city treasurer.... The list is phenomenal.'

'It could have been much worse,' noted the praefectus praefectus.

'Either your name or mine could have been spoken here.'

'I shall enjoy, greatly, arresting Marcus Lanilla,' noted the general with a triumphant smile on his face. 'I suspect you would wish that your former wife be left unto you?'

Thalius bit his lip. 'I should wish that it had not been mentioned at all,' he said. 'And I should appreciate it if it were to remain that way. I shall deal with Antonia in my own way.'

Two horses trotted with no obvious haste through the barrack gates, and salutes were given and received.

'Stand easy, legionnaire,' said tribune Fabius Actium as the forged iron gates closed behind him and Marcus Lanilla.

When they were clear of the barracks approach, the two men spurred their horses to break into a gallop.

'The situation is rapidly deteriorating,' noted Marcus as he reined in his charging stallion at the entrance to the Jewish quarter. 'The time has clearly come for action.'

'What have you heard?' Fabius asked, nervously.

'Nothing but rumours. Yet.'

'Edius would not betray us, even unto death,' said Fabius confidently.

Marcus gave him a quizzical glance which asked, 'Are you sure?'

'Perhaps,' was the limit of his own a.s.surances.

'Nevertheless, we should be more secure in my mind if we act to recover the situation to our own advantage.'

'You have a plan?' asked Fabius.

'I always always have a plan,' replied Marcus, testily. 'And we shall have need of one, for the accusations will arrive, whether Edius Flavia talks or otherwise.' have a plan,' replied Marcus, testily. 'And we shall have need of one, for the accusations will arrive, whether Edius Flavia talks or otherwise.'

Fabius slowed his horse to a trot and withdrew his riding crop, waving it angrily in Lanilla's face. 'Let them make their charges, tribune. I shall defend my honour from all of those dwarves. Bring them on, and let them say their piece.'

Marcus pushed the crop away and grabbed hold of Fabius's reigns. 'You still fail to understand the seriousness of the situation. Any charges, no matter how unfounded, will do us damage. We can deny everything but we shall always be tainted with the mark of suspicion.'

'Then we are undone,' Fabius wailed.

'Not so. What is the one thing that will appease all all accusations, however base and unproven they may be?' accusations, however base and unproven they may be?'

'I know not,' Fabius confessed.

Marcus smiled at his friend's intellectual discomfort. 'Only the death of the Zealot leader will appease Rome. If we can parade Basellas's head on a spike through the streets then nothing either Calaphilus or Maximus can say or do will prevent us from achieving all that we desire.'

The representatives of the guards of those centurions still loyal to Gaius Calaphilus, and that was most of them, poured through the doors of the Lanilla household and burst into the lightly guarded triclinium triclinium, overpowering with almost no resistance those few private auxiliaries and cohors cohors who were employed by Marcus Lanilla and his family. who were employed by Marcus Lanilla and his family.

With the hallways secured, Calaphilus swaggered into the villa of his hated enemy. How long he had waited for this moment?

The antic.i.p.ation was lessened slightly as he strode into the triclinium triclinium only to find Agrinella, her hands on her hips, shouting at the sergeant of the guard. only to find Agrinella, her hands on her hips, shouting at the sergeant of the guard.

Her eyes fixed on the general. 'What is the meaning of this outrage, Calaphilus?' she yelled. But there was something in her voice that told Gaius that she knew.

'Articles of impeachment have been raised against your husband, madam,' he said, with a relish in his voice.

Revenge, clearly, being a dish best served... any time one has the ability to serve it. 'A confession by a conspiring insurgent has implicated tribune Marcus Lanilla in numerous and vile treasons against the praefectus praefectus, the state and the emperor. I am bid, by the powers that be, to bring your husband hence that he might answer such charges as are laid. Your name has also been mentioned.'

'No,' cried Agrinella. 'This cannot be.' It was not the defiant anger of an innocent woman, falsely accused, but the anguished wail of one in flagrante delicto in flagrante delicto.

That pleased Gaius even more.

'Where is your husband, woman?' he asked.

There was no reply as Agrinella stared, dazed and confused, around the room at a sea of impa.s.sive and blank military faces. Then, as if realising that all was lost, she threw herself to the floor in front of the general.

'Gaius,' she said, her voice quivering. 'I implore you.

Whatsoever my husband may, or may not have done, I know nothing. Nothing,' she repeated.

'Get up,' Calaphilus replied, contemptuously. 'Get off your knees, woman, and face your end like a Roman.'

'I can name the names,' she said, quickly and desperately.

'Honorius Annora, Marcelinus, Octavian, Antonia the praefectus praefectus's former wife...' Her voice trailed away.

Calaphilus shook his head. 'These names are known to us already, traitor. Take her away,' he told the guards, two of whom reached down for the weeping woman. 'Letters have been sent to your father, the legate, informing him of your crimes. Should he be of a mind to save you, and endanger his own lofty position in Rome, then that will be his choice.

My own belief is that he will surrender you to dance on the end of a gladius gladius for your treachery.' for your treachery.'

'Gaius,' Agrinella said, shaking free of the hands of the two soldiers and struggling to compose herself as the general held up a hand to his men to let her speak. 'I am not a simpering courtesan like Maximus's wife. Neither am I bragging moecha moecha like Antonia. I am a n.o.blewoman, the daughter of a legate, the granddaughter of a consul.' She stopped, seeing the hardening face above her. 'I do not beg for my life before you, Gaius, because I know that you will take delight in my death and that of my beloved. I do beseech you, however, to allow me to take my own life.' like Antonia. I am a n.o.blewoman, the daughter of a legate, the granddaughter of a consul.' She stopped, seeing the hardening face above her. 'I do not beg for my life before you, Gaius, because I know that you will take delight in my death and that of my beloved. I do beseech you, however, to allow me to take my own life.'

Calaphilus reached down and gently wiped a tear from Agrinella's porcelain-like cheek. 'No,' he said simply. 'I think not.'

At the same time, a large phalanx of the praetorian guard were accompanying a similarly brutal entry into the house of Antonia Vinicius.

Thalius Maximus arrived at the villa of his former wife a few moments after the guards had stormed the place and fought a brief, yet b.l.o.o.d.y, battle with the personal guard of Senator Germanicus. Four men lay dead in the corridor along with two of Thalius's soldiers. The praefectus praefectus expressed his condolences for the losses to his loyal captain as he entered the great hall. Even from a distance he could clearly make out Antonia's shrill voice. expressed his condolences for the losses to his loyal captain as he entered the great hall. Even from a distance he could clearly make out Antonia's shrill voice.

'Oh, you are in trouble now, my dove,' he said as Antonia ceased squabbling with her weeping handmaiden.

Astonishingly, given the circ.u.mstances, she began to laugh. Softly at first but then, encouraged by Thalius returning her smile, more raucously. 'You have waited for an age, Thalius, to get me in such a compromising position. I trust that you shall sleep stiffly and long this night.'

It was typical, thought Thalius, that even in his moment of absolute triumph and her moment of total defeat, that his ex-wife could still get the better of him with her vicious and piercing words.

'I give you a choice, Antonia,' he said flatly, and with no delight in his voice. Your crimes are uncovered. Face the senate with your treachery, bring your husband down by a.s.sociation, and still end your days with a public execution...'

'Or?' asked Antonia with a wry smile.

'Take your own life. Die with dignity in your own home.'

Antonia hesitated, perhaps still believing for a moment that her husband's position would save her.

'That will not be the case,' Thalius said, reading her thoughts. 'The senator will disown you, to save himself. You know that, do you not?'

'I suspected as much,' Antonia said, recovering her sense of humour as the situation demanded. 'He is a man, after all, and all men are worms, Thalius. You know this.'

'Perhaps, my sweet,' said Thalius and then, in a moment of uncharacteristic weakness, he kissed his former wife on the forehead. 'I loved you once. I would have given you the sun and the stars if they were mine to give...' He shook his head and handed a small, razor-sharp knife to Antonia. 'The guards will return within the hour to arrest you for treason.

Goodbye, Antonia.'

'We live in troubled times,' the Pharisee said. 'Such times require order from the chaos.'

Marcus Lanilla smiled and nodded his agreement whilst Fabius merely looked nervous and fidgeted constantly.

'May I ask, t.i.tus, why you have agreed to help us when others within your brethren, notably your leader, have met our entreaties with disdain and contempt?'

t.i.tus had an answer ready almost before the words had left Marcus's lips. 'The Jewish people stand at a crossroads,'

he noted. 'We face the choice of dealing with the realities of the Roman world, and flourishing within it, or denying them, and perishing along with all of the other ignorant savages for whom reality is an overrated pastime.'

'But you wish for freedom, surely?' asked Fabius.