Colleen McCullough - 6. The October Horse - A Novel of Caesar and Cleopatra

The acknowledged child prodigy was invited, together with Balbus Major, Hirtius and Pansa, to dinner at Philippus's villa. "I'm hoping that the four of you will support Atia and me in persuading Gaius Octavius to refuse his inheritance," Philippus said as the meal began. Though he itched to correct his stepfather, Octavian said nothing about wanting to be called Caesar; instead, he reclined in the most junior spot on the lectus imus and forced himself to eat fish, meat, eggs and cheese without saying anything at all unless asked. Of course he was asked; he was Caesar's heir. "You definitely shouldn't," said Balbus. "Too risky." "I agree," said Pansa. "And I," said Hirtius. "Listen to these august men, little Gaius," Atia pleaded from the only chair. "Please listen!" "Nonsense, Atia." Cicero chuckled. "We may say what we like, but Gaius Octavius isn't going to change his mind. It's made up to accept your inheritance, correct?" "Correct," said Octavian placidly. Atia got up and left, on the verge of tears. "Antonius expects to inherit Caesar's enormous clientele," Balbus said in his lisping Latin. "That would have been automatic had he been named Caesar's heir, but young Octavius here has er complicated the picture. Antonius must be offering to Fortuna in gratitude that Caesar didn't name Decimus Brutus." "Quite so," said Pansa. "By the time that you're old enough to challenge Antonius, my dear Octavius, he'll be past his prime." "Actually I'm rather surprised that Antonius hasn't come to congratulate his young cousin," Cicero said, diving into the mound of oysters that had been living in Baiae's warm waters that dawn. "He's too busy sorting out the veterans' land," Hirtius said. "That's why brother Gaius in Rome is enacting new agrarian laws. You know our Antonius too impatient to wait for anything, so he's decided to legislate reluctant sellers into giving up their land for the veterans. With little or no financial recompense." "That wasn't Caesar's way," said Pansa, scowling. "Oh, Caesar!" Cicero waved a dismissive hand. "The world has changed, Pansa, and Caesar is no longer in it, thank all the gods. One gathers that most of the silver in the Treasury went into Caesar's war chest, and of course Antonius can't touch the gold. There's not the money for Caesar's system of compensation, hence Antonius's more draconian measures." "Why doesn't Antonius repossess the war chest, then?" asked Octavian. Balbus sniggered. "He's probably forgotten it." "Then someone ought to remind him," said Octavian. "The tributes are due from the provinces," Hirtius remarked. "I know Caesar was planning to use them to continue buying land. Don't forget he levied huge fines on Republican cities. The next installments ought to be in Brundisium by now." "Antonius really ought to visit Brundisium," said Octavian. "Don't worry your head about where Antonius is going to find money," Cicero chided. "Fill it with rhetoric instead, Octavius. That's the way to the consulship!" Octavian flashed him a smile, resumed eating. "At least we six here can console ourselves with the fact that none of us owns land between Teanum and the Volturnus River," said Hirtius, who was amazingly knowledgeable about everything. "I gather that's where Antonius is garnishing his land. Latifundia only, not vineyards." He then proceeded to drop sensational news into the conversation. "Land, however, is the least of Antonius's concerns. On the Kalends of June he intends to ask the House to let him swap Macedonia for two of the Gauls Italian Gaul and Further Gaul excluding Lepidus's Narbonese province, as Lepidus is to continue governing next year. It seems Pollio in Further Spain will also continue next year, whereas Plancus and Decimus Brutus are to be required to step down." Discovering every eye fixed on him in horror, Hirtius made things even worse. "He is also going to ask the House to let him keep those six crack legions in Macedonia, but ship them to Italy in June." "This means Antonius doesn't trust Brutus and Cassius," said Philippus slowly. "I admit they've issued edicta saying they did Rome and Italy a great service in killing Caesar, and begging the Italian communities to support them, but if I were Antonius, I'd be more afraid of Decimus Brutus in Italian Gaul." "Antonius," said Pansa, "is afraid of everybody." "Oh, ye gods!" cried Cicero, face paling. "This is idiocy! I can't speak so certainly for Decimus Brutus, but I know that Brutus and Cassius don't even dream of raising rebellion against the present Senate and People of Rome! I mean, I myself am back in the Senate, which shows everybody that I support this present government! Brutus and Cassius are patriots to the core! They would never, never, never incite an uprising in Italy!" "I agree," said Octavian unexpectedly. "Then what's going to happen to the campaign with Vatinius against Burebistas and his Dacians?" asked Philippus. "Oh, that died with Caesar," said Balbus cynically. "Then by rights Dolabella ought to have the best legions for Syria in fact, they're needed there now," said Pansa. "Antonius is determined to have the six best right here on Italian soil," said Hirtius. "To achieve what?" Cicero demanded, grey and sweating. "To protect himself against anyone who tries to tear him off his pedestal," said Hirtius. "You're probably right, Philippus the trouble when it comes will be from Decimus Brutus in Italian Gaul. All he has to do is find some legions." "Oh, will we never be rid of civil war?" cried Cicero. "We were rid of it until Caesar was murdered," Octavian said dryly. "That's inarguable. But now that Caesar's dead, the leadership is in flux." Cicero frowned; the boy had clearly said "murdered." "At least," Octavian continued, "the foreign queen and her son are gone, I hear." "And good riddance!" Cicero snapped savagely. "It was she who filled Caesar's head with ideas of kingship! She probably drugged him too he was always drinking some medicine that shifty Egyptian physician concocted." "What she couldn't have done," said Octavian, "was inspire the common people to worship Caesar as a god. They thought of that for themselves." The other men stirred uneasily. "Dolabella put paid to that," Hirtius said, "when he took the altar and column away." He laughed. "Then hedged his bets! He didn't destroy them, he popped them into storage. True!" "Is there anything you don't know, Aulus Hirtius?" Octavian asked, laughing too. "I'm a writer, Octavianus, and writers have a natural tendency to listen to everything from gossip to prognostication. And consuls musing on the state of affairs." Then he dropped another piece of shocking news. "I also hear that Antonius is legislating the full citizenship for all of Sicily." "Then he's taken a massive bribe!" Cicero snarled. "Oh, I begin to dislike this this monster more and more!" "I can't vouch for a Sicilian bribe," Hirtius said, grinning, "but I do know that King Deiotarus has offered the consuls a bribe to return Galatia to its pre-Caesar size. As yet they haven't said yes or no." "To give Sicily the full citizenship endows a man with a whole country of clients," Octavian said thoughtfully. "As I am a mere youth, I have no idea what Antonius plans, but I do see that he's giving himself a lovely present the votes of our closest grain province." Octavian's servant Scylax entered, bowed to the diners, then moved deferentially to his master's side. "Caesar," he said, "your mother is asking for you urgently." "Caesar?" asked Balbus, sitting up quickly as Octavian left. "Oh, all his servants call him Caesar," Philippus growled. "Atia and I have talked ourselves hoarse, but he insists upon it. Haven't you noticed? He listens, he nods, he smiles sweetly, and then he does precisely what he meant to do anyway." "I am just profoundly grateful," Cicero said, suppressing his unease at hearing this about Octavius, "that the lad has you to guide him, Philippus. I confess that when I first heard that Octavius had returned to Italy so quickly after Caesar's death, I thought immediately what a convenient rallying point he'd make for a man intent upon overthrowing the state. However, now that I've actually met him, I don't fear that at all. He's delightfully humble, yes, but not fool enough to allow himself to be used as somebody else's cat's-paw." "I'm more afraid," said Philippus gloomily, "that it's Gaius Octavius will use others as his cat's-paws."