The Alexandrian Embassy Read Online Free PDF

having illegal goods on his property for too long.’
    â€˜Exactly; we have a precedent so Sempronius will believe it. And I’ll bet he would love to get hold of what I wanted to buy just to prevent me from having it. Plus, to do that using my money would please him greatly.’
    â€˜But what’s he going to do with a Scorpion?’
    â€˜Doesn’t matter, the point is that he’ll think he’s stopped us doing whatever we were going to do with it and it will have cost him nothing in real terms.’
    â€˜And what happens if he gets it?’
    â€˜Then he’ll be the one who has to explain himself to the Urban Prefect.’
    â€˜But then the job will be off.’
    Magnus took another sip of wine. ‘What I’ve just learnt from Senator Pollo means that the job’s already off at the moment unless I can do some deep thinking to retrieve it. I’m just trying to make the best of the situation and make things uncomfortable for Sempronius and inconvenient for Tatianus. But first I need to plant the seed.’
    Servius wheezed a weak cough. ‘It goes without saying that the best place to plant your seed is where you want it to grow.’
    Magnus frowned and drained his cup. ‘Are you trying to be philosophical, because if so that was a pretty poor attempt. Of course I need to plant it with Sempronius.’
    â€˜But that’s not where you really want it to grow, is it?’
    Magnus looked at his counsellor, considering his remark. Over the fifteen years that he had been the patronus of the South Quirinal he had come to value his second-in-command’s advice based on an encyclopaedic knowledge of the inhabitants of the dark underbelly of Rome. ‘You’re right, brother: Tatianus is where I want that notion to take hold. If he thinks that I can’t come up with the money then he’ll start trying to offload the shipment as quickly as possible.’
    Servius essayed a smile which appeared as more of a grimace on his wizened face. ‘Precisely; and provided you also plant theidea that Sempronius would be a likely alternative purchaser then the whole matter should take care of itself very quickly.’
    â€˜But how do I do it without having a formal meeting and then mentioning Sempronius by name? Tatianus is bound to tell him that I suggested him and then he’s bound to suspect it’s a trap.’
    â€˜Where does Tatianus go when he’s not doing business in his house?’
    Magnus thought for a few moments. ‘The normal places: the baths, theatre, games and all that sort of thing.’
    â€˜Yes, but what else? What did you notice about him? About the decoration in his room?’
    After a brief pause to recollect, Magnus pointed his index finger at his counsellor. ‘The statuettes of the gods; he has a lot of them.’
    â€˜Yes, he’s a very religious man so he does all the things that religious men should do.’
    â€˜Such as observing all the festivals, and tomorrow is the Ides of May.’
    â€˜Indeed, and we shall be celebrating the Mercuralia in honour of Mercury, the god of merchants and commerce, amongst other things; and what do all merchants do on that day?’
    Magnus grinned and shook his head slowly in awe at the way his counsellor’s mind worked. ‘They sprinkle their heads, merchandise and places of business with water taken from the well at the Capena Gate, and because they have to draw the water themselves we can guarantee that at some time tomorrow Tatianus will be at the Capena Gate. In fact he said that he wouldn’t be home until the third hour that morning so he’ll be at the gate first thing. I’ve just got to work out how to take advantage of that.’
    Night was three hours old but the streets of Rome were none the quieter for it. Magnus, with Marius and Sextus for company and protection, watched a group of half a dozen men make their way up the Vicus Longus.