Colleen McCullough - 4. Caesar's Women

Cato the Censor allowed the tribunes of the plebs to use his building as their headquarters because he understood their plight because they are magistrates elected by the Plebs alone, they don't represent the whole People, and can't use a temple as their headquarters. But he didn't give them the building, only the use of a part of it. They were grateful enough then. Now they want to alter what Cato the Censor paid to build. Uncle Cato won't condone the defacement of his great grandfather's landmark and namesake." Since Julia was by nature a peacemaker and disliked argument, she smiled again and rested her hand on Brutus's arm, squeezing it affectionately. He was such a spoiled baby, Brutus, so stuffy and full of self importance, yet she had known him for a long time, and though she didn't quite know why felt very sorry for him. Perhaps it was because his mother was such a a snaky person? "Well, that happened before my Aunt Julia and my mother died, so I daresay no one will ever demolish the column now," she said. "Your father's due home," said Brutus, mind veering to marriage. "Any day." Julia wriggled happily. "Oh, I do miss him!" "They say he's stirring up trouble in Italian Gaul on the far side of the river Padus," said Brutus, unconsciously echoing the subject becoming a lively debate among the group of women around Aurelia and Servilia. "Why should he do that?" Aurelia was asking, straight dark brows knitted. The famous purple eyes were glowering. "Truly, there are times when Rome and Roman noblemen disgust me! Why is it my son they always single out for criticism and political gossip?'' "Because he's too tall, too handsome, too successful with the women, and too arrogant by far," said Cicero's wife, Terentia, as direct as she was sour. "Besides," added she who was married to a famous wordsmith and orator, he has such a wonderful way with both the spoken and the written word." Those qualities are innate, none of them merits the slanders of some I could mention by name!" snapped Aurelia. "Lucullus, you mean?" asked Pompey's wife, Mucia Tertia. "No, he at least can't be blamed for it," Terentia said. "I imagine King Tigranes and Armenia are occupying him to the exclusion of anything in Rome save the knights who can't make enough out of gathering the taxes in his provinces." "Bibulus is who you mean, now he's back in Rome," said a majestic figure seated in the best chair. Alone among a colorful band, she was clad from head to foot in white, so draped that it concealed whatever feminine charms she might have owned. Upon her regal head there reared a crown made of seven layered sausages rolled out of virgin wool; the thin veil draped upon it floated as she swung to look directly at the two women on the couch. Perpennia, chief of the Vestal Virgins, snorted with suppressed laughter. "Oh, poor Bibulus! He never can hide the nakedness of his animosity." "Which goes back to what I said, Aurelia," from Terentia. If your tall, handsome son will make enemies of tiny little fellows like Bibulus, he only has himself to blame when he's slandered. It is the height of folly to make a fool of a man in front of his peers by nicknaming him the Flea. Bibulus is an enemy for life." "What ridiculous nonsense! It happened ten years ago, when both of them were mere youths," said Aurelia. "Come now, you're well aware how sensitive tiny little men are to canards based on their size," said Terentia. "You're from an old political family, Aurelia. Politics is all about a man's public image. Your son injured Bibulus's public image. People still call him the Flea. He'll never forgive or forget." "Not to mention," said Servilia tartly, "that Bibulus has an avid audience for his slurs in creatures like Cato." "What precisely is Bibulus saying?" Aurelia asked, lips set. Oh, that instead of returning directly from Spain to Rome, your son has preferred to foment rebellion among the people in Italian Gaul who don't have the Roman citizenship," said Terentia. "That," said Servilia, "is absolute nonsense!" "And why," asked a man's deep voice, "is it nonsense, lady?" The room fell still until little Julia erupted out of her corner and flew to leap at the newcomer. "Tata! Oh, tata!" Caesar lifted her off the ground, kissed her lips and her cheek, hugged her, smoothed her frosty hair tenderly. "How is my girl?" he asked, smiling for her alone. But "Oh, tata!" was all Julia could find to say, tucking her head into her father's shoulder. "Why is it nonsense, lady?" Caesar repeated, swinging the child comfortably into the crook of his right arm, the smile now that he gazed upon Servilia gone even from his eyes, which looked into hers in a way acknowledging her sex, yet dismissing it as unimportant. "Caesar, this is Servilia, wife of Decimus Junius Silanus," said Aurelia, apparently not at all offended that her son had so far found no time to greet her. "Why, Servilia?" he asked again, nodding at the name. She kept her voice cool and level, measured out her words like a jeweler his gold. "There's no logic in a rumor like that. Why should you bother to foment rebellion in Italian Gaul? If you went among those who don't have the citizenship and promised them that you would work on their behalf to get the franchise for them, it would be fitting conduct for a Roman nobleman who aspires to the consulship. You would simply be enlisting clients, which is proper and admirable for a man climbing the political ladder. I was married to a man who did foment rebellion in Italian Gaul, so I am in a position to know how desperate an alternative it is. Lepidus and my husband Brutus deemed it intolerable to live in Sulla's Rome. Their careers had foundered, whereas yours is just beginning. Ergo, what could you hope to gain by fomenting rebellion anywhere?" "Very true," he said, a trace of amusement creeping into the eyes she had judged a little cold until that spark came. "Certainly true," she answered. "Your career to date at least insofar as I know it suggests to me that if you did tour Italian Gaul talking to non citizens, you were gathering clients." His head went back, he laughed, looked magnificent and, she thought, knew very well that he looked magnificent. This man would do nothing without first calculating its effect on his audience, though the instinct telling her that was purely that, an instinct; he gave not a vestige of his calculation away. "It is true that I gathered clients." "There you are then," said Servilia, producing a smile of her own at the left corner of her small and secretive mouth. "No one can reproach you for that, Caesar." After which she added grandly, and in the most condescending tone, "Don't worry, I'll make sure the correct version of the incident is circulated." But that was going too far. Caesar was not about to be patronized by a Servilian, patrician branch of the clan or no; his eyes left her with a contemptuous flick, then rested on Mucia Tertia among the women, who had all listened enthralled to this exchange. He put little Julia down and went to clasp both Mucia Tertia's hands warmly. "How are you, wife of Pompeius?" he asked. She looked confused, muttered something inaudible. Soon he passed to Cornelia Sulla, who was Sulla's daughter and his own first cousin. One by one he worked his way around the group, all of whom he knew save for Servilia. Who watched his progress with great admiration once she had coped with the shock of his cutting her. Even Perpennia succumbed to the charm, and as for Terentia that redoubtable matron positively simpered! But then remained only his mother, to whom he came last. "Mater, you look well." "I am well. And you," she said in that dryly prosaic deep voice of hers, "look healed." A remark which wounded him in some way, thought Servilia, startled. Aha! There are undercurrents here! "I am fully healed," he said calmly as he sat down on the couch next to her, but on the far side of her from Servilia. "Is this party for any reason?" he asked. "It's our club. We meet once every eight days at someone's house. Today is my turn." At which he rose, excusing himself on grounds of travel stains, though Servilia privately thought she had never seen a more immaculate traveler. But before he could leave the room Julia came up to him leading Brutus by the hand. "Tata, this is my friend Marcus Junius Brutus." The smile and the greeting were expansive; Brutus was clearly impressed (as no doubt he was meant to be impressed, thought Servilia, still smarting). "Your son?" asked Caesar over Brutus's shoulder. "Yes." "And do you have any by Silanus?" he asked. "No, just two daughters." One brow flew up; Caesar grinned. Then he was gone. And somehow after that the rest of the party was not quite an ordeal, more an insipid affair. It broke up well before the dinner hour, with Servilia a deliberate last to leave. I have a certain matter I wish to discuss with Caesar," she said to Aurelia at the door, with Brutus hanging behind her making sheep's eyes at Julia. "It wouldn't be seemly for me to come with his clients, so I was wondering if you would arrange that I see him in private. Fairly soon." "Certainly," said Aurelia. "I'll send a message." No probing from Aurelia, nor even evidence of curiosity. That was a woman strictly minded her own business, thought the mother of Brutus with some gratitude, and departed.Читать дальше