Our Eternal Curse I (13 page)

Feeling very frustrated Julia
realized that neither of her marionettes had given any thought to transporting
the stockpiles to the galleys which should be arriving in less than three
months.  Fearing a disaster Julia sent instructions for Gavius to ask Young
Gaius a question:

How will you move the wine and
oil in your barns to my ships?
 
Then after a trained pause, as she had instructed he, added with more than just
a little overacting,
I know, why not borrow more supply wagons from the
army?
  Manipulation was becoming second nature for Julia.

After leaving the first estate
behind, Young Gaius and Gavius traveled to a number of other estates in turn. 
It became clear they did not have enough time to see everything on this trip. 
The land that Marius owned was truly massive and during his five months of
traveling Gavius reported news of many more vast stocks of oil, wine and wheat
flour.  He also wrote of oranges, lemons and limes just lying on the ground
beneath millions of trees, rotting by the ton.

At the end of the tour Young
Gaius wrote that it was time to return to his legion because the season for
fighting would soon be upon them and he must get back in time for the march to
the West.

Reading these words Julia
realized that Young Gaius would no longer be under her control but took comfort
in the knowledge that Gavius was not yet free of her coercive powers.

Quoting from Julia’s letters
verbatim Gavius proposed a purchase price for everything that was ready to be
moved.  It was a good deal lower than market rates but Julia insisted it was
fair.  She surmised correctly that Gaius would be more interested in war than
profit and anyway he lacked any desire to move his stock to market.

Gavius also recommended paying
for the produce back in Rome not Hispania, but of course, once again, this was
Julia’s idea not his.  She had no means of paying for so much stock in advance
so Julia wrote down the exact words that Gavius had to repeat.

Young Gaius agreed because this
was Julia’s uncle after all he was completely beyond reproach.

As luck would have it the
request for wagons had been heeded and with the roll of parchment in hand Julia
read and re-read how over one hundred wagons were fully laden and trundling
toward the port of Saguntum.  It
was far too much cargo for the first ten galleys but the surplus could be
stored at the port while more ships were found.  This letter was already two months
old so everything should be well on its way to Rome, if Bromidus had come
through with the galleys that is.

This stage was completely out of
Julia’s hands and the lack of control frustrated her greatly.  Her thoughts
drifted angrily to the inevitable problems that would be happening because of
the incompetence of Gavius.  In her mind’s eye, so many things would go wrong
and she could do nothing to change things.  Why was everyone so incompetent? 
She asked herself entirely unaware that her subconscious was using this ever
increasing anger as a defense against feelings of shame.  Painting others as
incompetent fuelled a rage which allowed her to dehumanize them and this
process of devaluation allowed her to deal with the constant remorse that
manipulating good people caused.

Julia’s next communication with
Gavius was verbal because he beat any further letters home.  While he gave his
report Julia watched with delight as the galleys tied up at Ostia, unloaded
their cargo.  Tons of oil and wine came ashore but more importantly for Rome
hundreds of sacks of flour and wheat were also piled on the quay.

Carried on the shoulders of
white-powder-covered slaves this flour could have provided much needed bread
for the hungry citizens of Rome.  It was one of the biggest single shipments to
enter the capital in two years and could have eased shortages while bringing
prices down but much to Julia’s frustration all of the cargo was moved directly
into warehouses under the complete control of Bromidus.  Even though she would
be paid for her produce Julia believed that holding back much needed food was
wrong.

Gavius had a great deal to say
but Julia barely paid attention because she already knew most of his story. 
When he spoke of his arrival at the dock at Saguntum she listened politely in
case there were any surprises but as she anticipated none were forthcoming.

Apparently Gavius had rented a
cabin near the warehouses while waiting for the fleet he knew would arrive any
day.  There he lived happily by the water’s edge for the most pleasant three
weeks of his life.  He had employed two young girls as housemaids and they
were, “divine little things,” as he put it.  They had the most wonderful bodies
with skin as soft as duck down and both as brown as his leather sandals.

They cooked and cleaned for him
they also gave him sensual massages and both slept in his bed at night.  All of
the weight he lost during his expedition through Hispania was put back on
because of their cooking. “But they did not seem to mind my size so why should
I?” he said though his laughter.

Raising an eyebrow Julia
indicated that this was just too much unnecessary detail.

Realizing his mistake Gavius
wiped the smile off his face and changed the topic to the galleys arriving from
the East. 

“
The first of the cargo galleys arrived one
afternoon signifying the end of my dream life,” he said in a more somber
voice.  “Resigning myself to fate I walked down to meet the vessel as it pulled
alongside.”

Then re-enacting his wave Gavius
added, “Greetings I shouted and at that stage the smile was still on my face.”

“
Down the gangplank walked an authoritative man who
asked in a heavy Greek accent.  ‘Are you the fat man from Rome?’  He did not
bother with any of the niceties.  Can you imagine?  I tried to give him my name
but he shut me up with: ‘I am the Captain?’“

“
I decided to leave it at that,” said Gavius.  “I
really didn’t need to know this man’s name but one thing was clear, my holiday
was well and truly over.”

“
Just tell me what happened without all the
irrelevant nonsense!” snapped Julia unable to feign patience any longer.

Clearly hurt Gavius continued
his tale in the pouting voice of a chastised child. “ ‘How many ships are
coming?’ I asked the Captain as he was joined by a rather dignified-looking
Roman lady.”

“‘
Ten,’ was all he said.”

“
The woman with him began to speak in perfect
patrician Latin and asked me, ‘Who sent you?’ Can you believe it Julia?  I had
no idea how to answer her so I tried to gain the upper hand by saying,‘I believe
it is I who should ask you that question Madam,’ but that was clearly a very
big mistake.  Within seconds I was being held by two very violent-looking
brutes and she repeated ‘Who sent you?’ “

“
I was in terrible trouble,” said Gavius earnestly
to Julia.  “In fact I’ve been in more trouble in the years since meeting you
than all of my previous years put together.”

“
Go on!”  Julia barked realizing the gravity of what
was unfolding.

“ ‘
I don’t understand,’ was all I
could think of saying and the blow to my stomach took me completely by
surprise.  Had it not been for the strength of the men holding me I would have
collapsed to the ground.”

Pleased by the look of total
shock on Julia’s face he continued with more confidence.  “ ‘Why are you
here?’  ‘Who sent you?’ repeated the big woman.”

“
What did you tell them?  Did you tell them about
me?”  Julia had a hint of panic in her voice.

“
No I didn’t think they would believe me if I told
them about being controlled by a housemaid.  I had to think quickly.  I didn’t
want the Captain to hit me again and I believed that if I told them about you
they would probably kill me for making up a ridiculous story, but if I told
them the other side of the story, Bromidus would kill me without a shadow of
doubt.”

“
Who then?” asked Julia relaxing a little.

“
I work for the estate of Gaius Marius,” I said.
“These warehouses contain his cargo.”

Relaxing her tense shoulders
Julia sighed, “Oh, well done, very clever a half truth they have no way of
verifying that, well done, go on.”

Reveling in the only praise she
had ever given him Gavius continued, “Unmoved by the name of Marius, the woman
went on by asking: ‘How is it to get to Rome?’ I thought that you were the
first of the ships was my honest response. All I know is that I am supposed to
stay here until the ships arrive then I travel back to Rome with the cargo. My
answer seemed to ring true because they simply left me and walked over to the
warehouses. A little later the Captain walked back and said, ’Too much for ten
galleys.’ He is a man of very few words.”

Gavius became immediately
suspicious when Julia replied,  “He always says very little.”

Of course, Julia denied knowing
who these people were when Gavius asked with indignation.  She merely waved
away any further questions. Gavius could not have known that this was the
pirate captain with whom Bromidus served and the woman was the Proconsul’s wife
but Julia grasped it all immediately.

She surmised that they must have
been given Gavius’s description by the man who Bromidus sent to recruit ships
to bring the cargo back to Rome.  The pirates must have become suspicious when
the ship returned from Rome many weeks overdue and Julia had no doubt that
during his torture the unlucky villain would have confessed everything.  They
would have found out that he was trying to hire other galleys which must be why
they gathered a fleet of their own to pick up the cargo for themselves but did
they know about the involvement of Bromidus?  If they did, what would become of
the arrangement between their control of the ocean and his control of Rome?  If
things degenerated into a war between them and Bromidus, she would be unable to
guarantee safe passage for her produce and her “lions” would be lost forever. 
Julia pondered this eventuality with great trepidation and the need for strong
wine overwhelmed her.

In an attempt to regain control
Julia wondered about the influence of the Proconsul’s wife.  The stories she
had heard whilst interrogating the black-marketeers were obviously true, she
had grown to love the Captain.

Julia realized that after
fifteen years of living with the waffle of a Roman politician it must have been
a breath of fresh air to meet someone as succinct as the Captain and she
wondered how this extremely intelligent woman was going to affect her future.

While Gavius recounted the rest
of his story Julia sifted through what she knew about the Proconsul’s wife.  As
luck would have it she had picked the brain of Marcus to find out about this
woman because for some reason it had seemed important.  Almost like a
premonition their paths seemed destined to cross.

Delving into her extensive
knowledge base Julia remembered that Clitumna Livia Drusus came from a very
aristocratic Roman family.  She guessed that Clitumna would be a well-educated
woman who had never been given a chance to exercise her excellent brain.  Not a
bad guess as most Roman women are expected to run the household nothing more. 
Contributing in any other way was frowned upon and women of her intelligence
often found life in Rome boring in the extreme.

Attempting to get deeper into
Clitumna’s mind, Julia remembered being told how Clitumna abhorred the wasteful
practice of burning galleys after taking only the treasure.  Good strong ships
full of cargo were being sent to the bottom just because the pirates had no
interest in them.

It was Clitumna who invented the
tactic of surrounding unsuspecting cargo galleys with a number of her pirate
ships.  It was then simply a matter of inviting them to surrender; most did not
want to die and accepted the invitation.  Clitumna then offered them safe
passage if they followed her instructions.  The ownership of the cargo on board
would move by conquest to the pirates and therefore when the galley sailed on
it was technically carrying Clitumna’s cargo.

As a means of insuring that her
newly acquired goods made their way to Rome and the price they fetched back to
her, Clitumna had the most valuable members of the crew removed and replaced
with a similar number of her men.  Any relatives of the Captain were always the
first to be removed this gave them a strong incentive to deliver their cargo
and return as soon as possible.  When the ships arrived in Rome, the men of
Bromidus would make sure that no tales were told to the authorities.  The
ship’s cargo was unloaded and Bromidus paid the pirates on board who completed
the circle by paying Clitumna upon their return.  It was the perfect
arrangement.

It was very clear that Clitumna
had used her exceptional intelligence and the Captain’s authority to build a
very successful business.  It was also very clear that Gavius was lucky to be
alive let alone back in Rome telling the story.

“
Bring the fat man to me,” were the words which
brought Julia’s attention back to Gavius who was still telling his tale.

Slightly confused Julia asked,
“I’m sorry, who said those words?”

Incredulous at her loss of
concentration at the very moment of his impending death Gavius replied in a
huff, “These were the woman’s first words after returning from the warehouses;
my hands were bound behind me you know!”

“
I am sorry, please, go on,” said Julia aware that
Gavius was very annoyed at her lack of empathy.

“
I don’t feel like talking now,” said Gavius with
his childlike pout

“
Please do?” said Julia in a tone that she thought
might bring him around.

Looking up from his sandals
Gavius repeated, “My hands were bound behind me, I could have been killed!” 
Then, calming himself, continued where he had left off. “All Clitumna asked
was, ‘Why did your man only want to recruit ten ships? There is enough cargo
here for more than twice that number’. ”

“
One look and she can estimate the volume of cargo! 
So she is as astute as they say,” said Julia without thinking.

“
Do you know this pirate queen?” asked Gavius
becoming even more disgruntled.

“
No of course not, I am making assumptions as you
speak nothing more.  Please go on.”  Julia was mentally kicking herself for her
lapses in concentration.

“
I told them that Gaius Marius, none other than the
Father of Rome, paid me a fee for shipping cargo.  How much, he did not know. 
I elaborated the name of Marius in the hope that it would instill fear in these
strange people.”

“
Well done, Gavius that was indeed a clever ploy.” 
Julia was not well versed in the art of flattery but the fat man seemed to need
her support at that moment.

Seeming a little happier Gavius
returned to his story:  “Clitumna snapped at me ‘What is your role in this?’ I
couldn’t help but notice that the man who hit me, the one who called himself
the Captain, was being very passive.  It was almost as though he was frightened
of the big lady.  Anyway the questions kept coming and I told them the full
extent of my responsibility is as an agent for the cargo, nothing more.” 
Pausing for a moment Gavius relived the fear of Saguntum as he added, “She
asked me who requested the ships?”

“
What did you tell her?”

“
That my orders came directly from the great Gaius
Marius and I know nothing more which resulted in Clitumna shouting at me. She
wasn’t at all impressed with the Father of Rome nonsense.  The horrible woman
told me that she is the daughter of a Roman aristocrat and Gaius Marius is a
friend of her father.  Of all things, they sat in the Senate together.”

“
What happened then?” Julia was already aware of the
noble birth but surprised and disturbed by her connection to Marius.

“
I was absolutely lost for words.  I was being
questioned by a pirate who was also an aristocrat, the daughter of a Senator of
Rome, no less.  Then just like an everyday business proposal the big woman
said, you will be needing many more galleys.  The cheek of the woman can you
imagine?  Setting her men on me one minute, offering me ships the next.”