The Dreams of Morpheus Read Online Free PDF Page B

the throng. ‘No pointing, I just want to know who’s here and where they are.’
    Magnus spread his towel on a leather upholstered couch and settled down to a shoulder massage from one of the many public slaves, while his brothers circulated through the high-domed hall that echoed back, with sharp clarity, the sound of hundreds of voices.
    It was after too short a time of oiling, pummelling and kneading that Marius and Sextus returned.
    â€˜Well?’ Magnus asked, dismissing the slave with a wave of his hand.
    â€˜We saw some of those thieving bastards from the Central Suburra,’ Marius reported. ‘They’ve just come out of the fridigerium and look to be on their way out. The scum from the eastern end of the Via Sacra are exercising over at the weight benches and—’
    â€˜Is Dacien with them?’
    â€˜Didn’t see him. But I did see Grumio with some of his lowlife from West Suburra heading towards the caldrium .’
    â€˜Did you now.’ Magnus got to his feet, picked up the towel and stretched his shoulders with a couple of cracks. ‘Time for a sweat, I think, lads.’
    Heat stung Magnus’ eyes as the heavy wooden door of the caldarium closed behind him; he looked around the dim interior, lit with ambient light from one small window in the wall opposite him, and saw a small group of naked men knotted round a shaven-headed, pot-bellied man of about his own age – in his early to mid-forties. Two slaves stood to either side of the group,fanning the hot air down on to them by vigorously twirling towels above their heads. All eyes in the group turned to Magnus and his two brothers as they approached. Neither party felt threatened as, by convention, there was a truce in all public baths – mainly because the only option in which a naked man could conceal a weapon was not that comfortable.
    â€˜Grumio,’ Magnus said as he sat down on a stone bench, enjoying the warmth of it on his buttocks.
    â€˜Magnus,’ Grumio replied, flashing gold teeth in an unconvincing smile.
    A slave approached and began fanning Magnus and his brothers; the hot air beating down on them soon caused beads of sweat to prick out all over their bodies.
    Magnus put his hands on his knees and lowered his head, ignoring his opposite number from the West Suburra.
    Sextus grunted with pleasure with every down beat of the towel.
    Marius closed his eyes and leant his head back against the wall, playing idly with the stump at the end of his left arm.
    â€˜Word has it that you’ve got an issue with the aedile,’ Grumio said eventually. ‘I heard that you had a delegation.’
    â€˜You heard right,’ Magnus replied without looking up.
    â€˜Tricky situation.’
    â€˜What’s it to you?’
    â€˜Just making conversation.’
    â€˜If it’s conversation that you want, then I heard that we’re heading for a grain shortage.’
    â€˜Yes, I’ve heard that too from lads of mine in the granaries.’
    â€˜And coincidentally the Via Sacra area is having the opposite problem to the Quirinal; they’ve got too much grain.’
    â€˜I’d not heard that. What do you mean?’
    â€˜Dacien at the east end of the Via Sacra and the aedile for the area have been registering false names on the dole list for the past few months.’
    â€˜How do they do that? I’ve been trying for years.’
    â€˜Don’t know; you’ll have to ask Dacien, who will probably deny it. But it’s a lot easier, I would assume, if you have an aedileon your side. Anyway, they have, and Dacien and the aedile are stockpiling the surplus to sell at a premium when the shortage hits in the spring before the first grain fleet arrives.’
    Grumio hawked and spat. ‘They’ll make a fortune.’
    â€˜They will; but do you want to hear the funny part?’
    â€˜Go on.’
    â€˜If the aedile were to be caught he’d be banished