TW11 The Cleopatra Crisis NEW (19 page)

Cassius and the others were in the steam room, seated upon marble benches. All of them were nude, of course, as was Delaney. Romans had a healthy attitude about nudity, though mixed bathing was not practiced until the time of Nero. Men worked out and wrestled in the nude, and athletic competitions on the Campus Martius were engaged in with only the bare minimum of clothing, often nothing more than a simple loincloth.

“Ah Quintullus!" said Cassius. "We were just talking about you. Come, sit with us."

Delaney joined them on the bench. They all stared at his physique. His muscular development was on a level that was virtually unknown in Rome and it predictably took them by surprise.

“By the gods!" said Trebonius. "Look at the size of him!"

"If I did not know better, Quintullus." Brutus said admiringly, "I would swear that you had once been a gladiator. Truly, you possess the physique of a Hercules!"

"I come from a family of large men," said Delaney. "And life in the country entails considerable physical labor."

"But do you not have slaves for that?” asked Albinus, frowning.

"My family is not as wealthy as that of Septimus," Delaney said. "We do have slaves, but their number is far smaller than most of the estates around us. But, to tell the truth. I enjoy physical labor. It may be unfashionable, but I find that it keeps me strong and healthy."

"A sound mind in a sound body," Trebonius said. "Truly, that is the Roman ideal. But you, Quintullus, have carried it much further than any man that I have ever seen. Aside from labor, it is clear that you engage in sport. Am I correct in guessing that you are a wrestler?"

"I do enjoy wrestling," said Delaney with a smile. "I find that it relaxes me."

"I will wager that you do not often lose." Trebonius said with a grin.

"That is true. I have not been bested since I was a boy."

"My friends. I see an opportunity for us to make some money here." said Trebonius.

"We did not come here today to speak of making wagers." Casca snapped. "We have matters of much more import to discuss."

"Patience. Casca," Cassius said. "Let us not rush into things. Let us take a little time and get to know our new friend, Fabius Quintullus." He turned to Delaney. "Casca is always fervent in his opinions, especially when it concerns politics."

"Politics often make for fervent opinions," said Delaney. "My friend Marcus and his brother, Lucius, both find mine a bit too fervent on occasion."

"I had that impression," Cassius said with a smile. "Our discussion at dinner last night became somewhat impassioned. I had the feeling that they did not entirely approve of our opinions. But we were, after all, merely expressing our concerns about Rome's welfare."

"Do not mind Marcus Septimus," Delaney said. "You must understand that he has led a quiet, uneventful life in Cumae. His brother, Lucius, went off to the wars and it fell to Marcus to remain behind and manage the estate. He always wished that he could go and experience some adventure for himself, win some glory, share in the booty of war, but that was not to be. So he had to content himself with the letters that Lucius sent home. Lucius painted such a picture that Marcus became enthralled with Caesar. He would read those letters over and over again, playing out the battles in his mind, as if he were there himself."

"That is not uncommon," Cassius said understandingly. "There are many Romans who followed Caesar's campaigns in such a manner, wishing that they could have been there with him. But as one who has been to war himself, I can tell you that the imagining is always much better than the actual experience. Much safer, too."

"No doubt," Delaney agreed. "For my part. I do not think that Marcus would have made much of a soldier. He has too soft a disposition. But who is to say? Men who fear a battle have often proved themselves the bravest soldiers, while those who swagger and boast of fearlessness often turn coward in the thick of the fighting."

"Yes, that's very true," said Casca.”I see you speak from some experience. Quintullus."

"I have had my share," said Delaney, "but Marcus has always known only the quiet life. And Lucius has always had a gift for writing. We often thought he should have been a poet. He described his experiences in Gaul so vividly that Marcus came to idolize Caesar from afar. To speak against Caesar in his presence is like a personal affront. I can understand the way he feels, but in certain ways. Marcus can be blind to what is happening around him. In Cumae, he is removed from the politics of Rome. They affect him only slightly. Whereas I, who plan to settle down and live in Rome, have concerns that are considerably stronger."

"We had started discussing some of your concerns last night," said Cassius. "I would be curious to hear more of your thoughts on the matter."

Delaney shrugged. "Like you. I have certain opinions when it comes to Caesar." He glanced around, as if with some discomfort. "But perhaps they are opinions best kept to myself. I had a little too much wine last night and spoke a bit too freely. In such troubled times, one should be careful what one says in public."

"Come now, Quintullus," Casca said. "You are among friends here. And from what you said last night, it would seem that your thoughts and your concerns echo our own."

"Indeed?" Delaney said warily.

"Casca speaks for us all," said Cassius. "Men of intelligence can see that there is danger in one man having absolute power to rule in Rome. Especially a man like Caesar. In some ways, he is like another Sulla. Only Sulla was never made dictator for life."

"And he never took the title of
Imperator,”
said Trebonius. "nor had so many honors and privileges been heaped upon him."

"What is the difference between emperor and king?" asked Casca angrily. "They are but different names for the same thing."

"It would seem so," said Delaney.

"Rome was done with kings ages ago," said Cassius. "Under the republic, we enjoyed freedom and democracy, a life such as no nation in the world had ever known. Through the Senate, the citizens of Rome all had a voice in how they were governed. Yet what have we now? A Senate that is little more than Caesar's tool. Look at the new men whom he has elevated. Are there any Ciceros among them? No. They are all merely acolytes to Caesar, bowing to his every whim. Hardly anyone in the Senate dares to dispute with him. His word is law. His every action is unquestioned. And now he plans to leave on yet another campaign, to play at being Alexander, while we suffer his surrogates, mere secretaries, not even members of the House, to dictate to us in his absence! Is this not a mark of the contempt in which he holds the Senate?"

"I cannot disagree," Delaney said, nodding. "Since he became Emperor, Caesar has become more and more the autocrat. It is not in the tradition of Rome's institutions. Only what can anyone do? He has the support of the people."

"Perhaps he has the support of the plebeians," Brutus said, "who know only not to bite the hand that feeds them, but there are many men in Rome, men such as ourselves, who perceive the growing danger of his rule. Caesar has always catered to the masses, with his corn dole and his public feasts and entertainments, but in his ascent to power, he had made more than his share of enemies."

"Such as yourself. Brutus?" asked Delaney. "I have heard that there are intimate bonds between yourself and Caesar."

Brutus flashed him an angry look. "I am not his bastard, if that is what you imply!"

"I imply nothing," said Delaney. "I only repeat what I have heard. Did he not pardon you after you took Pompey's side during the civil war?"

“He pardoned Cassius, too," said Brutus. "And Casca and many others. It was all his way of showing himself to be magnanimous, the great general who was gracious in his victory. It was but another way to curry favor with the mob. It was no different from when he ordered Pompey's statues put back up after the mobs had torn them down. You think that he had any love for Pompey? If so, then why did he pursue him into Egypt? Why did he destroy his sons? Did he make a great show of remorse for having done so, as if he had had no other choice? No. He returned to Rome to celebrate a triumph. A triumph celebrating the destruction of one of the greatest families of Rome! There was your
true
Caesar, not the one who gave out pardons and ordered Pompey's statues put back up!"

"That was nothing but a show,” said Casca derisively. "Another entertainment. It was as if to say. 'Let us have the statues put back up, to celebrate the greatness of the man I have defeated. thereby proving I am greater still.' His ambition seems to know no bounds. For the good of Rome, that ambition must somehow be curtailed."

"Strong words," Delaney said. "but then what good are words without acts to back them up?"

"We do not merely speak words. Quintullus," said Casca intently. "We plan to act as well!"

"Indeed?" Delaney said, raising his eyebrows. "What is it that you plan to do?"

"Peace, Casca," Cassius said, laying a hand on his arm. "Perhaps now is not the time."

Delaney smiled. "Yes, I have heard such talk before," he said wryly. "It is the wine-fueled courage of the dinner table, the whispered conspiracy of the baths. Men talk boldly, but when it comes time to act, they hesitate and say. ‘Now is not the time.' And somehow, the right time never comes."

"What if it were to come?" asked Cassius. "Where would you stand, Quintullus?"

"Where I have always stood, with the strength and purpose of my convictions," said Delaney. "If there was something to be done and if there was a way to do it, and if Rome stood to benefit from the act that I was contemplating, then I would stand for Rome, of course." He shrugged. "But then, we speak only impassioned words. Impassioned acts are what is needed. Yet, as you say, Cassius, there are no more Ciceros. Even Cicero himself has retired from public life. No one opposes Caesar openly. There is nothing to be done."

"Perhaps there is," said Casca. "If, as you say, you are indeed a man who stands for the strength and purpose of his convictions. A man who stands for Rome."

Delaney gave him a steady stare. "So far, all I have heard is talk," he said. "To oppose Caesar in the baths is one thing. To take a stand against him publicly is quite another. As you say, Caesar controls the Senate. What can a few men do?"

"Perhaps we are not quite so few as you suspect," said Brutus. "There are many others who share our feelings and concerns."

"I do not doubt that," said Delaney, "but I repeat. Caesar controls the Senate. When the House belongs to Caesar, what can anyone do?"

"We could remove Caesar from the House," said Casca.

There was a moment of tense silence.

"There is only one way to do that. You speak of murder, Casca," said Delaney softly.

"Not murder," Casca replied. "Tyrannicide! That is the only way to stop a man like Caesar! Or does the thought disturb you, Quintullus?"

"It is a disturbing thought," Delaney said.

"What happened to the man who spoke of the strength of his convictions?" Casca asked snidely. "A moment ago, you spoke of the need for action. Yet now, it is you who hesitates."

They were all watching him carefully.

"To hesitate is not the same as to weigh a course of action carefully," said Delaney. "It is one thing to huddle together in the baths and whisper boldly. It is another to plan a course of action. Such things should be entered into with great care. There have been others in the past who acted rashly. They did not live long to regret their choice."

"No one speaks of acting rashly," Cassius said.

"Then you have a plan?"

"We have considered it," said Brutus. "But we must be certain that those to whom we speak of it stand with us. You seem to be of a like mind with us, Quintullus. We spoke of that last night. The question is, have you the courage to stand with us?"

"Do I look to you like the sort of man who lacks the courage to stand for that which he believes in?" asked Delaney.

"No,” said Brutus. "you do not seem like such a man. Yet that is not an answer."

"Before I give you one," Delaney said warily, "first tell me why you have chosen me, a stranger to you all, to reveal your thoughts to. That meant taking a great risk. How do you know that I will not denounce you?"

"A fair question," Cassius said. "And one deserving of an answer. First, we were favorably impressed with what you said last night. You spoke boldly and frankly, expressing thoughts similar to ours. A man such as yourself, strong, clear-thinking, forthright, did not seem to us like someone who would be afraid to follow words with deeds."

"There was a risk, of course, in sharing our thoughts with you," said Brutus, "but the risk was not so great as you imagine. You are, as you have said, a stranger and a newcomer to Rome, whereas we are all men of position and influence. Them are no witnesses to testify to what has transpired here just now save for ourselves. If you were to inform on us—"

"Which would be rash, indeed," interrupted Casca.

"If you were to inform on us," continued Brutus, "it would be merely your word against ours. And we are all in a position to make certain that you could not pose a threat to us."

"Make no mistake, Quintullus," said Cassius, "we do not intend to threaten you. Brutus merely seeks to explain our reasoning."

"Your reasoning seems sound, so far," Delaney said.

"There is yet one more thing," Cassius said. "Your friendship with Lucius Septimus, and the fact that you are staying in his house, means that you could be very useful to us. Septimus is close to Caesar, a frequent visitor to the palace. He has Caesar's confidence. And you seem to have his."

"I see," Delaney said. "And Trebonius is friends with Antony, who is also close to Caesar. I begin to understand your methods."

"Yes, as you can see, Quintullus, we are careful men,” said Cassius. "We must see to it that not a thing is left to chance. There is much at stake. The very fate of the republic, to say nothing of our lives."

"Indeed," Delaney said thoughtfully.

"So. What is your answer?" Cassius asked "Do you stand with us, or against us?"