The Course of Honour Read Online Free Page A

courage to inform Tiberius, and she supported all her accusations with telling detail. She did not spare even the parts which convicted her own daughter.
    She told the Emperor how his friend the Praetorian commander Sejanus had been plotting to gain complete power. His feared position had ensured the allegiance of many senators and many of the imperial freedmen who governed the Empire; leading figures in the army had been bribed. Recent honours had been heaped upon Sejanus, increasing his own ambition and the control he wielded throughout Rome. He had moved in on the Imperial House by marrying one of his relatives, Aelia Paetina, to Antonia’s son Claudius, by betrothing his daughter to Claudius’ son (though the boy had died), and now after several attempts by persuading the Emperor to agree that he himself might marry Antonia’s daughter. But he had already seduced Livilla, then either poisoned her husband or persuaded her to do it, and schemed to ally himself by marriage to the Imperial House in order to legitimise his own position as a future emperor. His own ex-wife, recently divorced, was now prepared to speak as a witness against him.
    Sejanus planned to eliminate Caligula, the more prominent of the Emperor’s heirs. If the old man refused to die of his own accord the Guard commander clearly intended to destroy Tiberius himself.
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    The dictation completed, Caenis managed to keep her face expressionless. At a brusque nod from Antonia she fetched the necessary materials from her work basket and absorbed herself in the letter’s careful transcription to a scroll.
    Pallas, Antonia’s most trusted slave, came into the room, dressed in a travelling cloak and clearly primed to collect the letter. Their mistress motioned him to wait in silence while Caenis completed her task. Newly confident, she copied her notes without mistakes,writing calmly and steadily even though her mouth felt dry and her cheeks flushed. What she was committing to ink and parchment could be a death warrant for all of them.
    Antonia read through and signed the letter. Caenis melted wax to seal the scroll. Pallas took charge of it.
    â€˜Do not let this fall into other hands,’ Antonia reminded him, obviously repeating previous instructions. ‘If you are stopped, say you are travelling to my estate at Bauli. Give the letter only into the Emperor’s own hands, then wait in case he wishes to question you.’
    The messenger left. Pallas was not a type Caenis cared for. He was a Greek from Arcadia, visibly ambitious, whose appeal to Antonia struck her as incongruous. He went on his way with a jaunty step which seemed out of place. But perhaps his carefree manner would disguise the importance of his mission from soldiers and spies.
    The two women sat for a moment.
    â€˜Remove every trace from your note tablets, Caenis.’
    Caenis held the tablets above the flame of a lamp to soften the wax a little, then methodically drew the flat end of her stylus through each line of shorthand. Staring at the newly smoothed surface, she said in a low voice, ‘It is useless, madam. I would have erased the letter in any case, but every document you ever dictate to me remains in my mind.’
    â€˜Let us hope your loyalty matches your memory,’ Antonia replied ruefully.
    â€˜You may have faith in both, madam.’
    â€˜That will be fortunate for Rome! You will remain in this house,’ Antonia stated. ‘You may speak to no one until these matters are resolved. It is for the safety of Rome and the Emperor, for
my
safety—and for your own.’ Faint distaste coloured her voice: ‘Do you have male followers who will look for you?’
    â€˜No, madam.’ Only that morning Caenis had encountered a man who might have troubled her thoughts for many long hours, but tonight had obliterated that. ‘I have one friend,’ she went on, matter-of-factly contributing to the discussion. ‘A