The Governor's Man by Jacquie Rogers (best beach reads TXT) 📕

‘Oh, yes,’ Quintus murmured, ’Gaius asked for me. He saved my life in Caledonia. Since my return to Rome and transfer out of the Praetorian Guard, I have remained a centurion in the frumentariate.  While he rose to become a Provincial Governor with two legions at his command. My career as an Imperial Investigator has all been spent in the eastern Empire. I don’t speak a word of the British tongue, I don’t know the country, I don’t know the politics, I have no network of informers here. So why choose me?’

They were silent. Probably wondering what sort of friendship this was.

‘Next: Claudius Bulbo. According to Drusus Sorio, he didn’t want to cross the river to Southwark because he was frightened of being mugged in the stews of Southwark. And that may well be true. But think about it: the two rivals, the Governor and the Procurator, both have impressive palaces in Londinium, both have large staffs, both have the authority to investigate frauds affecting an Imperial estate. But only one of them is based south of the river.’

‘The Procurator, Aradius Rufinus! I never trusted that pale slimy man!’

‘You’re missing my point, Tiro. Bulbo refused to go to Southwark with Lucius because he didn’t need to go there. Lucius claimed they met Fulminata “at a meeting of important people in a big fancy building“ where the appearance of tribal rebellions was being planned. As we now know, that meeting took place north of the river.

‘Now, let’s turn to the wax tablets. Julia, you raise bees and know about wax production. What did you tell me about the use of white wax for letter tablets?’

‘That it’s rare because it’s difficult to produce. Compared to yellow wax, which does all the same jobs and is much cheaper and easier to get hold of.’

’So most people, most of the time, would use yellow wax in writing tablets?’

‘Yes, of course. Only people wanting to impress the recipient with their high status, those with money to throw around, would use white wax for correspondence.’

’So, does it strike anyone that it would be quite some coincidence if –‘

Tiro broke in, ‘ – two white wax letter tablets, written in Londinium around the same time, and both connected with our investigation, weren’t from the same sender.’

‘Correct. And on whose desk did we see the first one?’

‘The Commander of the Londinium garrison, who was instructed in that letter to assign me to you as your stator.’

Quintus looked at the others, letting that sink in. ‘The second tablet was handed to us by Tertius. It was sent last winter to Bulbo, asking him to bring samples of newly-minted silver coins to a meeting in Londinium. Samples of the same coins I later found to have been shipped to Isca of the Legion, the base of the Second Augusta.

‘If I’m right — and Mithras preserve all of us if I am — the sender of the first letter was my generous friend Gaius Trebonius, who knew I needed a replacement for my previous stator. That gave Governor Trebonius the chance to choose for me a man recently reduced to the ranks for drunkenness, who he hoped would be unreliable, resentful and truculent.’

‘And illiterate,’ muttered Tiro.

‘I suspect Trebonius believed me to be a broken man when he requested me from the Frumentariate. Not without reason. He hoped to further stymie my mission by assigning me Tiro. How very wrong he turned out to be — with regard to Tiro at any rate. I could not have found myself a better assistant if I had scoured the Empire.’

Tiro looked away, his neck reddening.

Quintus went on, ‘The second letter gave us the evidence that Bulbo’s meeting of important people, held in an impressive building not on the south bank, was instigated by the same man. Gaius Trebonius, whose Governor’s palace is on the north bank of Tamesis.’

Marcellus broke in, ‘And who also happens to have been the previous Legate of the Second Augusta. And he had the means to provide the flow of silver denarii I saw at the Tribune’s birthday party. It’s all so obvious now. Trebonius was quite the war hero. Always a very popular Legate, spent a lot of time socialising with the men. If anyone could suborn the legion’s loyalty away from a distant and untried young Emperor, he was the man to do it.’

Quintus nodded. ‘We have Tertius to thank for these revelations. He’s the bravest among us, with the most to lose as a whistleblower.’

Julia drew a sharp breath and spoke, low and unhappy.

‘Quintus, that’s why I’m here. I came to tell you. Tertius has been killed.’

There was a moment of silent shock. Only Senecio among them had not known Tertius. They sat numbly while Julia told of the murderous attack by Fulminata, and how she had been caught by Britta and punished by the Sisterhood. ‘So at least the threat to Aquae Sulis and Corinium is now negated. No tribesman will even look at a murderer who’s been judged, marked and cast out by the Wise Women, let alone listen to or give assistance to her.

‘There’s something else. Tertius gave me a message for you, Quintus. Only a fragment, but it seemed to matter very much to him.’ Quintus saw her lips quiver, and knew her to be on the brink of tears. He touched her arm, the lightest of caresses. Her mouth trembled.

‘Even in great pain, and knowing he was dying, he managed to say: “Tell your man that help is on the way. Watch the Londinium road.”’ Julia turned her tear-marked face away.

The three men looked to Quintus.

‘From Londinium? Who could send help in time from there? I sent word to the Castra in Rome, but that report must still be a long way from