CHAPTER 2

Londinium - Spring 60 AD

Decianus Catus, the Roman Procurator of Britain, sat in his private office, drumming impatient fingers on his desk while he listened to his scriba's monotone voice drone on and on. Being a corpulent, and innately lazy, man he was unable to personally attend to all his court duties so he relied on his scriba to collect all the news and gossip in this barbaric outpost of the Empire. That however did not guarantee he would like, or be interested in what he heard. Such as the inconsequential drivel he was being forced to listen to now. If he had been anywhere but this rural backwater matters of this caliber would never have been brought to him. It was degrading. It was beneath his notice.

"All right Pacitus," Catus said, breaking into his scriba's rambling report. "Let us take this one matter at a time shall we.

"Firstly I don't know why this matter of the Keltoi slave-girls' children is being brought to my attention. If their owners don't want to deal with the trouble and expense of raising a new generation of slaves, then have the infants exposed. What is so difficult about that?"

"Well Procurator," Pacitus replied cautiously. "It seems that these Keltoi have extremely strong attachments to their offspring. There have been reports of mothers actually starving themselves to death in mourning. Some have even turned violent and attacked their masters in an attempt to keep the babies."

"Really? How odd," Catus raised his eyebrows in unfeigned surprise. He himself had ordered several infants of his own stock exposed, and thought it no great loss. The Roman custom of exposing infants that were weak, sickly or simply inconvenient was so deeply ingrained that he had never thought to question its practice. This type of obsessive devotion to a newborn was new to the Procurator. Why would a woman act in such a fashion? After all you could always make more if you needed or wanted them. The only real reason to have a child, at least among civilized peoples, would be for an heir, future political marriages, or at your family's request. This only served to prove what Catus had always thought about the native Britons. These Keltoi were animals, just as their name implied. This was just another of their barbaric and ignorant customs, like their animal worship. Now they were even protecting their children like the beasts of the forest.

"I do have a suggestion dominus," Pacitus offered humbly, cutting off the Procurator's introspection.

"Go on," Catus mumbled with a dismissive wave of his hand.

"We know that Keltoi slaves bring a high price in the more civilized centers of the Empire," Pacitus observed, encouraged by his superior's lack of antagonism. "And Keltoi children, young enough to be trained, would fetch a handsome price indeed. What I suggest Procurator, is that you offer an incentive to the slave owners. Offer them one silver denarius to allow the mother to keep her child until it is weaned. Once the child is no longer reliant on their mother's milk we take possession of it. We give the mothers assurances that their children will live, and send the toddlers south. Not only do you put the citizens here in your debt by helping them maintain the usefulness of their current slaves, but you will also reap a considerable profit from the sales."

A greedy smile spread across Catus' face. "An excellent idea Pacitus," Catus chortled. "Have all the proper documents drawn up for my signature. However we need to make certain assurances that maintain our high profits and prevents the market from becoming too flooded. So add to the declaration that the government will be in complete control of all export in Keltoi slave-children, to prevent the complete depletion of the island's native stock. After all it is our duty to maintain a reliable work force here." "Of course Procurator," Pacitus said making the appropriate notes. "I will have everything ready for your seal by tomorrow."

"Next," Catus continued, frowning. "In regards to these Trini…Trina…"

"Trinivantes," Pacitus offered.

"Yes, yes, whatever outlandish name they call themselves. They are a matter for the Governor and his Legions to handle. Simply forward the reports to him. Unlike the previous two Governors this one seems determined to conquer the entire island single-handedly. Put this on his plate, it will help to keep him out of our way."

"The latest reports from the Governor indicates that he plans on attacking the Druids and the criminals they are harboring on Ynys Mona." Pacitus offered.

"When?" Catus asked his attention caught. He remembered having the idea planted amongst the Governor's newly arrived troops that the secret to holding Briton and its natives lay in controlling Ynys Mona. But once the bait was taken he had neglected to keep up on the reports regarding the Governor's plans for the distant isle.

"He is scheduled to leave the day after tomorrow if all goes as planned. He had already begun receiving the supplies he requested, and all his men and mounts are mustered and ready to go."

"Hmm…So he will be away for quite a while," Catus mused, chuckling inwardly. If all went as planned the Governor might be out of the way for a year or two. "How large a threat are these Trinivantes?"

"They seem to be more of a nuisance than a threat, dominus," Pacitus reported. "No one is quite sure of their actual numbers. However they usually attack in small parties of about twenty warriors, so their population can't be too large. And even though their raids are vicious they don't seem to be well organized or following any sort of real strategy. In addition many of the raiding parties have been captured and are currently being broken for slaves."

"So in truth it is a small matter that can be handled by the local garrisons. But definitely something that can be used against the Governor if he becomes too curious about my dealings," Catus commented thoughtfully.

"Yes dominus," Pacitus confirmed.

"Good. Continue with the surveillance of the situation," Catus ordered, watching Pacitus furiously add to his notes. "I want careful records kept of anything that would indicate laxness on the part of our Governor.

"Now what is this about lack of food and supplies in the outlying colonias, especially Colonia Claudia?"

"Well Procurator," Pacitus reported, referring briefly to his papers. "It seems the veterans of Colonia Claudia have stripped the entire surrounding countryside of all food, goods and even the majority of the native population for slave labor. Some of the veterans have settled down and begun farming. The majority, however, expect someone else to provide them with food and supplies. The current farmers are complaining that they cannot keep up with the demands of such a large colonia. I have checked into their complaints and all the sources I have confirm their assessment.

"There has already been some small scale looting. But there has been no permanent damage and the disturbances seem to end almost as soon as they begin. I fear however that if the colonia continues on in their current behavior patterns it will only get worse. Colonia Claudia has requested permission to extend their territorium even further into the surrounding lands. They wish to seize what they need from the as yet unaffected districts…"

"Thereby cutting into the Emperors as well as my own estates," Catus interrupted, tapping his pudgy finger against his lower lip thoughtfully. "No I don't think so. The veterans at Colonia Claudia must learn that they need to continue to contribute to the Empire despite their retired status. After all these aren't the inner provinces. We need more than just their physical presence there acting as a deterrent against Keltoi rebellions. What we will do is enact a new set of taxes with reductions for occupational behavior.

"There will be a waiver of three-quarters of the tax if they own and operate a farm that provides not only for themselves but also for the market of the colonia. Check into the current amounts produced by the farmers in operation now to set the standards they will need to meet in order to receive this reduction. There will be a one-quarter waiver for those who provide their own food garden that can sustain the needs of their own household, thereby relieving the pressure on the farmers already in operation. The same tax waiver is to be set-up for the craftsmen that provide needed supplies such as clothing and what not. Add in a one-quarter waiver for those men who volunteer for city guard duty two days out of every ten, and a three-quarter waiver for those who volunteer six days out of ten.

"There," Catus finished smugly. "That ought to get them moving. It is always amazing what people will do to avoid having to pay taxes. Not only to we gain additional revenue but it also cuts down on the expenses of maintaining a city guard and their drain on our treasury and supplies. It will also have the added benefit of freeing up the cohort assigned there to concentrate on more serious matters."

Catus waited for Pacitus to complete the new outline before asking, "What is next?"

"A messenger brought this in this morning," Pacitus said handing over a large package. "It is from Prasutages, the client-king of the Iceni."

Catus carefully opened the package and began scanning the contents. His continence became blacker and blacker, fury boiling up to the surface, as he went along eyes snapping back and forth across the pages. He read and reread it, glaring at the offending document, as if by very force of will he could change the words before him. But to no avail.

Catus finally slammed the papers down on the table before him. In his fury he abruptly jerked up his wine goblet, uncaring of the deep red liquid that sloshed out of the cup and splattered across the offensive letter.

"How dare he!" the Procurator fumed, taking a gulp of wine. "How dare he try to cheat us! As if by using a Roman Will he would better his standing in the matter. He dares to leave what should be mine…I mean the Emperors to females. The traitorous heathen wants to leave two-thirds of the Iceni holdings to two little girls, with a mere pittance of one-third going to the Emperor. And knowing that the girls are too young to hold onto it, he puts his widow in charge until they come of age. As if that was any better. Did he actually think he was going to get away with this?!"

" I am sorry Procurator. What has happened?" Pacitus queried, wary of his superior's current mood.

Catus roughly shoved the wet document at his scriba and growled, "It is Prasutages' so-called will. If he were not already dead I would kill him myself. We put that barbarian upstart into power in one of our client kingdoms and he dares to try and give it away to females. Treason is what it is, treachery of the highest…"

Catus' ranting sputtered to a halt as Pacitus leapt from his seat and rushed to the office doors. He stared opened mouthed at his scriba, shocked and outraged by his subordinate's actions. In stunned silence Catus watched a hurried, hushed conference between Pacitus and the door guard, before the guard also took off running. The Procurator waited, furious, until Pacitus had shut the door and resumed his seat, ready to have his scriba executed in a fit of pique if there was not a good excuse for his behavior forthcoming.

"What was that all about!" Catus demanded.

"On the last page Procurator," Pacitus said calmly, as he handed back the document. "There is a note indicating that a copy is going to be sent to the Emperor. I had a Vexillation dispatched in your name to intercept that currier. Forgive me if I have overstepped my bounds Procurator. I assumed you would want to respond to this treachery before it reached the ears of Emperor Nero."

"No, no," Catus waved aside the man's apology, as he visibly relaxed. Catus' mind raced, plotting and planning. There would be no time for hesitation or second thoughts. He needed to get this contained and controlled, swiftly and completely before word of it leaked out. "You did the correct thing. Everything we discussed earlier today will need to be put aside for now. All our attentions and efforts need to be concentrated on this until the matter resolved in our favor.

"To begin with I am revoking the Iceni's client-kingdom status. They are now to be considered a conquered nation. All their inhabitants are to be declared slaves of the Empire. All gifts given to them are to be considered loans from the Empire and are to be repaid in full without delay by the widow of King Prasutages. I want that drawn up in an official order and a messenger on the road before the sun sets today. Inform these criminals that this action is being taken because of their attempted theft from the Emperor himself. It is a crime which merits the full penalty of the law.

"In addition I want a letter drafted to the Emperor explaining that the Will Prasutages supposedly wrote may in fact be a forgery, and is transparently of his widow's doing. I want the letter to convey this so-called Queen of the Iceni as a sneaky underhanded woman. A woman desperate for power and control, who wants to keep what is not hers by right. Play off the rumors that surround the Emperor's mother and her attempts at grasping, controlling manipulation. Trust me the Emperor will understand and appreciate the difficulty of dealing with a woman who oversteps her bounds. Also inform the Emperor that in order to secure the repayment of the Iceni loans that we will be seizing the property that rightfully belongs to him, in order to prevent the ex-queen from hiding it away."

"Who will you be sending out to seize the Iceni holdings?" Pacitus asked without looking up from his furious writing.

"Well the veterans of Colonia Claudia were looking for new areas to annex. Send them into the Iceni territories. Send word that they will be allowed to annex one-half of all lands seized, and one-tenth of all property collected. Be sure that the soldiers and veterans alike know that the remainder will be going to repay loans extended by the Emperor himself. That, hopefully, should keep them from taking more than is granted as prizes of war. In addition I want the local Legions and auxiliaries put into the field against these enemies of the Empire.

"I want transportation prepared for myself and select members of the court. You know who I would want along. I will be traveling to Venta Icenorum to personally witness the fall of this over-proud queen."

"Yes Procurator," Pacitus said rising. He knew a dismissal when he heard it. "I will begin on this right away."

Catus' began chuckling to himself as he watched his scriba leave. He silently calculated in his head the wealth he could amass for himself by setting a portion aside, before it was inventoried for the Emperor. This was a golden opportunity to advance in the Emperor's eyes while enriching himself at the same time. And if luck and the gods were with him it might mean a transfer to a more civilized post, maybe even in Rome itself. He would wait until the Governor set out on his march to Ynys Mona before sending him news of this recent uprising. Yes uprising, he liked that word. With satisfaction he rolled it around in his mouth, tasting it, savoring it. The word indicated peril and glory to anyone who squashed it. Knowing the Governor's obsession over the Druid's destruction Catus felt secure that the Governor would not deviate from his original plan to deal with such a petty issue as a dispute over a will. Thereby saving all the shining acclaim for the Procurator himself. A foolish move on the part of the Iceni meant the opportunity to win Imperial recognition and political prestige. And Catus was never one to overlook an opportunity.
He rose ponderously to his feet, still smiling. What had started out as a boring tiresome day had been transformed. Now he had the shining prospect for wealth and power laid out for the taking. Yes a very satisfactory day indeed. Now that his duty was done however it was time to seek a different type of satisfaction. With a jaunty attempt at a skip the Procurator decided to seek his quarters and the entertainments he had previously arranged.

His plans, however, were cut short by a quick officious knock on his office doors. The Procurator he shouted for them to enter, ready to summarily dismiss anything that did not directly pertain to the Iceni situation. But his words of rebuke were swallowed unspoken as the Governor threw open the door and strode confidently across the office towards Catus.

A thrill of fear and frustration surged through the Procurator at the sight of Suetonius Paulinus. There was something about the man that made Catus feel trapped and panicky in his presence, though he dared not show it. The Governor was like a wolf, always seeking the weakness of the herd, always hunting, ready to kill and devour any not agile enough to escape him. Catus' frustrations were further provoked by his half-dreamt fantasies of submitting himself to the Governor's whims, pinned beneath him, brutally violated. With an internal shake of his head Catus banished the disturbing thoughts. He needed to have all his wits about him during a confrontation with such an intelligent and deadly adversary.

It was more than his fearsome reputation, or his famous feat of being the first Roman to lead troops to the Atlas Mountains and return. It was more than just his huge physical presence. Though the Governor towered head and shoulders above the Procurator, almost as tall as one of the damnable Keltoi. He also blatantly displayed a large muscular body, toned and shaped by extensive battle experience and continued daily weapons practice. It was more than his inevitable attire. In fact Catus had never seen him out of uniform…except in his own mind. The Greek style bronze muscled cuirass accentuated the massiveness of his chest and was balanced with matching greaves and bracers. The shining armor lay snuggly over an under-tunic of blue leather, with its thick leather strips that hung from shoulders and waist, and slapped against the man's skin as he walked. It was all those things combined with Paulinus' indomitable charisma and personality that made him so impressive and frightening in his intensity.

What did he want?

Catus hated surprises, especially from Paulinus. He vainly searched for clues in Paulinus' manner to help him judge the tone this unexpected confrontation would take. Today the Governor's only visible weapon was his gladius hispaniensis, hanging from his right side. His Imperial Gallic style bronze helmet with its enlarged neck and cheek-guards, and its high bristling blue center crest that showed signs of recent polishing, was already tucked neatly under his right arm. But the man's face showed no emotion, no hint of the thoughts that whirled in his neatly ordered military mind.

At least he wasn't wearing one of those dreadful ceremonial battle masks. Catus hated those things. Bronze featureless masks that covered the entire face concealing emotion and intention. When the Governor wore it he knew there would end up being a long drawn out battle of wills. He could see why the Roman officers wore them into battle. In fact this was the most relaxed Catus had ever seen the Governor. Perhaps this would be just a brief formal visit to inform the Procurator that he was prepared to leave Londinium. By all the gods, he hoped so.

"Well Governor what an unexpected surprise. What may I do for you today?" Catus asked belatedly, being careful to utilize his most cordial tone.

The Governor took one of the chairs before Catus' desk, without waiting for the deliberately neglected invitation, and made himself comfortable before responding. "I am here to officially inform you that the XX Legion and I are prepared to leave for this season's campaigns."

"Ah yes," Catus replied courteously. "So no problems with the supplies then? After all we wouldn't want there to be a shortage on the long march to Ynys Mona."
There let him chew on that Catus thought. I don't need his official notice to inform me of what is going on. Let him scurry about searching in his own ranks for the informants, ruining his standing with his own men in the process.

"Our supplies are quite adequate, thank you Procurator," Paulinus replied, without batting an eyelash. "As I am sure you are already aware we will be leaving the day after tomorrow. Is there anything that needs my personal attention before I leave?"

Curse the man to the lowest levels of Tartarus! What did he know? What should he reveal? Catus' mind whirled with all the possible scenarios. The Governor was too smug. He knew something. But what?; Catus had been in politics too long not to recognize a baited trap when he saw one. He needed to investigate closer into who Paulinus' spies were and how they were positioned, so that he could maintain complete control over the information Paulinus received through them.

"Nothing that is terribly pressing," Catus offered off-handedly, as if he had no idea what the Governor might mean. "There is the little Trinivantes flare-up."

"Yes I have already checked into that. It is a small matter that is being handled locally," Paulinus replied mildly, waiting for something new.

"My thoughts exactly, let's see…Oh yes there is the small matter of a will dispute," Catus said brushing over it as if it had no consequence. "The Iceni client-king died and attempted to leave the kingdom to his two young daughters."

"I had received word of Prasutages' death. What actions are you taking to resolve this?" Paulinus queried, nonchalantly checking his nails.

"Oh we be revoking their client-kingdom status of course," Catus shrugged, silently cursing the Governor. Did the man have ears in the very walls themselves? "As a conquered nation they will be properly subjugated. We were considering using the cohort stationed at Colonia Claudia, and possibly some of the veterans from there to enforce it. But we have not decided yet."

"Very practical," Paulinus commented dryly. "It will give the men a chance to hone their skills at very little risk. Anything else?"

The intensity of the tension in the room increased. The Governor was clearly waiting for something. But what? It was time to turn the tables on him and put Paulinus on the spot.

"Nothing that merits your attention," Catus commented noncommittally. "Is there anything you wish to bring to my attention?"

"No, not really," Paulinus said smugly as he rose from his seat. "I just wanted to be sure that all was in proper order before I left." A small secretive smile crossed the Governor's lips. "Just send on any pertinent news to me. I like to stay informed, just as you do. Good-day Procurator."

Without further word the Governor turned and marched out of the office, closing the door quietly behind him. Catus was left irate, frustrated and completely unbalanced by Paulinus' parting words. As much as he enjoyed the chase and the intricate twisting plots that were part of court's daily life, he did not enjoy sparring with the Governor.

The man was dangerous. He had no respect for the civil and social aspects of life. Instead he relied almost completely on the military's conquering strengths. It always made Catus edgy when Paulinus crossed the line into his own realms of influence. Primarily because Paulinus was not as subtle as he thought. Even this little meeting had carried a thinly veiled threat.

It was obvious that Paulinus had been digging for information. Information the Governor already had. Information that Paulinus was sure Catus did not. Did he have it? Catus wasn't sure. If he didn't have it he needed to get it. What was going on? What had Paulinus been searching for? It would be a small matter to tighten his grip on the spies he already had planted in Paulinus' forces, to squeeze out any possible leads. Or perhaps that was what the Governor was hoping for. A way to identify Catus' spies, so that he could edit any information the Procurator received. To act, not to act, indecision, confusion and paranoia rose up in Catus. It was a mental trap. A Gordian knot.

Yes that is what the Governor was doing he was setting up a mental trap. A trap designed to twist him into knots, distracting him, trying to keep him caught in a pointless maze following phantoms of information that were not there. Was it just a way to keep him occupied and inefficient while the Governor was away? Was it an elaborate subterfuge to hide a covert plan by the Governor? No, that couldn't be it. Paulinus was not that devious or skilled at political maneuvering. Well whatever it was Catus would not get caught up in the Governor's little ploy. He would simply remain cautious and cover his tracks, as he normally did, while watching for any indication that there was a new plot afoot.

Catus' earlier good mood had completely evaporated, during his little run in with the Governor. He couldn't hurt Paulinus. At least not directly. But he would be doubly vigilant in collecting embarrassing and negative information on the man. For now however he needed to release some of his pent up aggression, and he knew just how to do it. Without further delay he left his office and made for his quarters.

His entertainment still waited for him in his private rooms. She had been a good find, young, barely nubile, weakened and half-starved from the scanty rations and the chains that had kept her pinned to his bedroom wall for the past ten days. Tonight he had planned on beginning her education. She had also exhibited a strong will and the possible ability to survive his rigorous demands. He had hoped to spend quite a bit of time with her, training her to properly respond to his exotic needs. Needs he had learned at the hands of Agrippina, the Emperor's own mother, when pain and pleasure had become one and the same.

Catus became aroused just thinking of her screams as he beat her tender young flesh. He imagined the taste of her blood when he cut her firm unmarked skin. The feel of her body struggling futilely against his brutal rape. He had learned not to play his games with the adult Keltoi slaves. They fought back too hard. He remembered the unpleasant day one had actually come close to killing him during one of his games. No he would not try that again. But his one was perfect, untouched, too small and weak to pose him any real threat. Tonight he would play a new game. She would be the Iceni Queen and Catus would practice what he intended to do to her once he had the proud bitch in his grasp.

It would be a shame that his new toy would probably not survive the night. There would be her pain, his pleasure, and her painfully drawn out death.

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