‘That’s true enough,’ Macro intervened. He nodded gruffly at his young charge. ‘We’ll do our best to prove those greedy bastards wrong, won’t we?’
Pavo winced at the show of defiance from Macro. He admired the optio for his courage and steely resolve in the face of death. But a sick sensation gnawed in his guts as he faced the prospect of a grisly downfall in the arena. Even Macro’s show of support could not mask the awful truth. Defeating Hermes was almost impossible.
Murena clasped his hands beneath his chin and gazed out of the window. After a long moment he said, ‘Pallas and I have ways of, shall we say, levelling the odds.’
Pavo leaned forward. ‘Why do you want to help? If Hermes wins our fight, I shall die. Isn’t that what you’ve been trying to achieve these past months?’
Turning sharply from the window, Murena looked at the gladiator for a moment. ‘You may not be aware of it, young man, and I am sure the optio is entirely ignorant of such things, but within these walls a vicious struggle for power is unfolding as we speak. A struggle as desperate as any gladiator combat taking place in the arena.’
His words drew a humorous grunt from Macro, who rolled his eyes at the freedman.
Murena stared intently at the soldier. ‘I know the politics of Rome hold no interest for you, Optio.’ He snorted with derision. ‘No doubt you would rather be debasing yourself with drink at one of the taverns, or perhaps satiating your Euripidean needs at a brothel.’
Macro looked puzzled. ‘Eurip-what?’
Murena smiled and shook his head. ‘Never mind. It is important for you both to understand something. The imperial secretary has advised Claudius from the day he was proclaimed Emperor. With my assistance, Pallas has guided his imperial majesty through the stormy waters of the early days of his reign. His political insight has helped to establish Claudius as the rightful heir to the purple toga.’
‘Some might say the murder of his enemies helped as well,’ Pavo noted drily.
The aide glowered at the gladiator, stung by the truth of that statement. Several months after Claudius had ascended the throne, Pavo knew, influential senators and prominent members of the imperial court were still disappearing from the streets of Rome.
‘We have served Rome well,’ Murena argued defensively. ‘Pallas has proved to be a highly valuable confidant and earned the trust of the Emperor on important matters of state. But now we find our positions of influence threatened by another freedman. He has become rather close to Claudius of late. I speak in confidence, of course.’
‘What’s his name?’ Pavo asked. ‘Perhaps I have heard of him.’
‘Narcissus.’ Murena screwed up his face, as if the name left a vile taste in his mouth.
‘So what?’ Macro offered a casual shrug. ‘One scheming freedman replaces another. What’s the big fuss? You’re all as bad as each other.’
‘Believe it or not, some of us place the needs of Rome above our own interests. While the mob is drinking itself senseless, indulging in gambling and lewd shows, men such as myself and Pallas work tirelessly to administer the Empire. If it were not for us, Rome would have gone to the dogs long ago.’
Pavo looked curiously at the aide. ‘And Narcissus is different?’
‘Narcissus has his own agenda. He sees Pallas as a threat. If he succeeds in winning the confidence of the Emperor, he will no doubt turn Claudius against us. At the very least we will be banished into exile … or worse.’
‘Perish the thought,’ Macro muttered.
Murena appeared not to hear the soldier. ‘Without us, there would be no new programme of public works, no sponsoring of the games. Narcissus is gravely mistaken if he believes we will surrender our position without a fight.’
‘What does any of this have to do with Hermes?’ Pavo asked.
The aide sighed deeply and lowered his head. ‘As you are no doubt aware, Hermes had resisted all attempts to lure him out of retirement.’ When he looked up at Pavo, his eyes betrayed a hint of fear. ‘Until Narcissus stepped in and persuaded him to return.’
Pavo raised his eyebrows. ‘How did he manage to tempt Hermes?’
‘A great big fucking pile of money probably did the trick.’ Macro sniffed.
‘Hermes has no need of coin,’ Murena countered pithily. ‘He has more money than you can possibly imagine. Before he announced his retirement, he was earning up to a hundred thousand sestertii per appearance.’
Macro puffed out his cheeks. ‘I’m clearly in the wrong business. I never knew killing scum paid so well.’ The sum dwarfed the basic legionary pay of nine hundred sestertii. As an optio, Macro earned double pay, but as a centurion he could look forward to a much bigger salary. Even so, it fell well short of the fortune commanded by the gladiator.
Murena studied him with his pale eyes. ‘Watch your tongue, Optio, or there may well be a future for you in the arena … a short future, that is.’
Macro flushed with anger. Murena smiled mockingly at him and paced up and down beside the window as he went on. ‘Pallas suspects that Narcissus has persuaded Hermes to return by some other means.’
‘But how?’ Pavo asked blearily.
‘We’re not sure.’ Murena stopped pacing the room and shrugged as he looked at the young gladiator. ‘Narcissus is a slippery customer. He has turned scheming into an art form.’
Macro raised an eyebrow sardonically. ‘Reminds me of someone, that. Can’t think who.’
Murena ignored the jibe. ‘Claudius is predictably thrilled with Narcissus. By securing the return of the Emperor’s favourite gladiator, Narcissus is one step closer to winning his trust and estranging Pallas and myself. The games are our last opportunity to undermine him.’
Pavo saw it all then. The imperial secretary’s grip on power was slipping from his tenuous grasp. Narcissus, for his part, would be unlikely to spare his rivals once he had won the Emperor’s trust. Pallas and Murena could expect exile to an impoverished province at best. If Narcissus was truly vindictive, they might be thrown to the beasts. Pavo smiled inwardly at the prospect of the freedmen suffering – as he had done ever since they had cast him into the ludus in Paestum.
‘That’s why you want to help us beat Hermes?’ Macro asked, rubbing his jaw. ‘So you can undermine this other freedman?’
‘Precisely, Optio. At the behest of Narcissus, Hermes is being publicly championed by Claudius. However, if Hermes loses, the Emperor will not be pleased. Narcissus will be held responsible – and will fall from favour.’
‘Tragic,’ Macro said. ‘But I don’t see why we should help dig you out of your hole.’
There was a calculating gleam in the aide’s eyes, like a sword tip glinting in the sun. ‘You still want your promotion to centurion, don’t you, Optio? Pallas will be in no position to successfully petition the Emperor should Pavo lose.’
Macro clenched his jaw. He missed life on the Rhine. The drills, the discipline, even the watered-down swill that passed for wine in the camps. He shrugged off all thoughts of his return to the army and frowned. ‘There’s one problem. Hermes is an absolute beast. I’ll push the lad as hard as I can, but there’s no guarantee he’ll win.’
Murena grinned. ‘Ah, but I can give you a decisive advantage in your preparations.’
‘What kind of advantage?’ Pavo asked.
Murena ignored the question and addressed Macro. ‘How is the boy faring, Optio?’
Macro sucked in a lungful of air and thought for a moment. ‘Well enough. Once he’s recovered from his last fight, I’ll put him through a rigorous workout. We’ll have him fitter than ever before. Whether that’s enough to beat Hermes, only the gods know.’
The aide stroked his chin. ‘As I thought. Well, I have good news for you both. Pallas and I have been giving the matter some thought, and we both agree that you could use a sparring partner.’
‘I selected Macro as my trainer,’ Pavo responded testily. ‘I don’t need anyone else.’
Murena smiled patiently. ‘Macro may be able to teach you the tricks of the trade, but this sparring partner is one of the best in the business.’
‘Who is he?’ Macro asked.
‘Publius Didius Ruga. He’s a retired gladiator and bodyguard to the senatorial elite. He also happens to be the only man to have faced Hermes in the arena and lived to tell the tale.’
Pavo looked bemused. ‘I wasn’t aware that anyone had survived against Hermes.’
‘Ruga competed as a gladiator during the reign of Emperor Tiberius. I understand his match against Hermes lasted so long that the Emperor gave him the thumb of mercy. His injuries were too severe to allow him to continue as a gladiator, so in an act of generosity one of the senators present appointed him as his bodyguard.’
‘Why would Ruga agree to help us?’ Macro cocked his head to the aide.
‘Ruga never recovered from the shame of his defeat by Hermes. He claimed the contest was rigged in Hermes’s favour. He burns with hatred towards Hermes almost as much as our young gladiator does.’ The aide paused and smiled slyly. ‘There is also the small matter of the fact that Ruga was recently relieved of his duties by the senator.’
‘Relieved?’ Macro repeated with a frown.
‘Ruga is a drunk, Optio. I believe he started drinking heavily after his defeat by Hermes, to numb the almost constant pain he is in. I have spoken with him and promised to solicit the senator in question to help him get his old job back – on condition that he trains you.’
Macro nodded at the news. Although he was skilled with a sword and could impart general combat strategies to Pavo, as a soldier he knew better than anyone that the best way to prepare for battle was to gain inside knowledge of the enemy. A gladiator who had come close to defeating Hermes sounded like the ideal sparring partner.
Murena turned his gaze on Pavo and cleared his throat.
‘In the meantime, you will continue your training somewhere else.’
‘Why?’ Pavo asked.
‘I have no wish for a repeat of your fracas with Hermes outside the Circus Maximus. Besides, the lanista is a close acquaintance of Narcissus and it’s possible he might try to sabotage your training schedule. I have rented a room for you, Macro, in a tenement block on the Aventine Hill, next to the Drunken Goat tavern. There is a courtyard at the back. You and Ruga will train Pavo there.’ A wicked smile crossed his lips as he flicked his gaze over to Macro. ‘The streets are filled with drunks and degenerates. I’m sure you will feel at home.’
Macro bit back on his anger as Pavo responded to the aide. ‘The Emperor has agreed to release me from the ludus?’ he asked, his voice fragile with hope at the prospect of escaping the confines of his rat-infested cell.
‘Under certain conditions. Pallas has convinced his imperial majesty that a death threat has been made against you by one of the other gladiators. Macro will escort you back to the ludus each evening. Try to escape and your son dies.’
Pavo grimly resigned himself to the prospect of having to remain in his cell at night. He went quiet as Macro scratched his chin and frowned. ‘What about training equipment?’
The aide pursed his lips. ‘I have sourced a few training swords and shields from the Praetorian Guard barracks, along with some weights. But by and large you will have to make do.’
‘Great,’ Macro grumbled. ‘So while Hermes gets to hone his strength at the imperial ludus, we’ll be slumming it in a courtyard, using whatever leftover equipment you can lay your bloody hands on.’
‘You will have to improvise,’ Murena responded haughtily. ‘Isn’t that what you soldiers are supposed to do best?’
Macro gritted his teeth, a dark expression clouding his grizzled features.
‘There is, ah, one more problem.’ Murena hesitated. ‘I’m afraid the fight is going to be brought forward.’
Pavo and Macro swapped a look.
‘How far forward exactly?’ Macro asked.
‘To next month, Optio. Starting today, you will have thirty days to prepare.’
Macro sucked the air between his teeth. At his side, Pavo’s face turned pale, his shoulders sagging with despair.
‘That’s not enough time,’ Macro said. ‘In four weeks I’ll have put some muscle on the lad, but that’s your lot. We won’t have had a chance to properly study Hermes and prepare against him.’
‘There’s nothing to be done,’ Murena replied harshly. ‘Claudius has decided to undertake a tour of the public works being built around the Empire the following month. The decision is out of my hands. You will have to cope as best you can.’
Macro managed to bite his tongue. In recent months he’d made a concerted effort to keep his temper in check, knowing that it had cost him promotion in the past. But being back in Rome and doing the bidding of the imperial freedmen was sorely testing his patience. More than ever, he desired to leave the city. He made a solemn promise to himself never to return.
‘Even Britannia has got to be safer than this snakepit,’ he growled under his breath.
Murena appeared not to hear him. ‘Any questions? Good. Then I suggest you go and meet Ruga. He’s waiting for you at the courtyard. I have already provided Cornicen with the necessary authorisation for your temporary removal from the ludus. He seems rather glad to see the back of you, Pavo.’
The optio straightened his back. Both he and Pavo turned to leave. Murena raised a hand, gesturing for them to halt. He stared at the soldier. ‘I hope I do not need to warn you of the dire consequences of failure.’
Macro snorted. ‘That old trick won’t work. You just said that Pallas will be stripped of his authority if Hermes is the victor. Without your power, you’re just a couple of spindly Greeks making empty threats.’
‘But we still know your secret. After all, who could forget your appearance in the arena? And we will not hesitate to share it with Vespasian should you let us down.’
A hot rage swirled inside Macro. He clenched his hands into fists, the indignity of appearing in the beast fight burning like a hot coal in his chest. He stared at Murena. The aide nodded at the door.
‘You may wait for Pavo at the main gates. I have something to discuss with him … in private.’
Macro turned to Pavo in surprise. The latter merely shrugged at his mentor, a blank look on his face. Shaking his head, Macro marched out of the office, taking one last glance at the aide before he closed the door. Murena sighed.