I walked the forum, not a care in the world. Or at least, that’s what it looked like for anyone who might be watching. I was headed over to the baths, but I took the long way around. After all, I was early, and this was one unscheduled meeting that it wouldn’t’ do to be early for. So, rather than heading to the baths straight away, I decided to walk through the forum, read the notices, then head there. It wasn’t as though knowing more information about current events could hurt.
The forum, as always, was crowded but not full. Groups of friends and enemies gathered in clusters to pretend at being cordial whilst scouting for exploitable weakness. My favorite and least favorite thing about city politics outside of Roma, everyone is a liar at heart. Smiling as I past, I went to the hear the news. Most importantly, to hear if I was in it. I’d just come into town, of course, but that didn’t mean that it was impossible that they have news from the countryside, especially after my most recent escapades.
“The storm is brewing,” the nuncio stated, firmly and loudly, “The blackened livers indicate that we will have a harsh winter. Be prepared to ration your bread, for the ships transporting it are in grave danger.”
Good, I thought. If they’re worried about winter, then they are not worried about the present. They haven’t gotten new of me yet, then. I looked around. No one was paying much attention to the man giving the news of the day. I beckoned him over. No need to risk it, after all.
He leaned his head down. “Yes, friend?” he asked.
I smiled and pulled a small pouch from my belt. “I’ve heard word that there may be some new on the way about some dangerous fellow.”
“I’ve heard the same word,” the nuncio said, looking at the bag, “But I haven’t received the details yet.”
I opened up the bag, revealing the thirty denarii inside, “Let’s not cause a panic about it, no? I think it best for the towns economy.”
“Of course not,” the man said, smiling. That much money was generally plenty for a minor bribe like this. “After all, it is just countryside news.”
“Even if it becomes city news, I prefer stimulating the economy more than having a panic, don’t you?”
He nodded. “I’d say, if it does become city news, you keep on stimulating our economy, and the details might just get lost in transit.”
I could always count on greed. I handed him the pouch, and he put it in his own bag, continuing his discussions of shipping troubles and harsh winters. Campaign season was coming to an end soon, which meant many of these families had to plan for their sons coming home from war, or the even more terrifying prospect of them not. I continued on my way to the baths. That delay should have been enough to make me on time for my meeting.
Baths are one of the many constants in the world. What’s a city or town without three things: a bath complex, a forum, and horrible political corruption. Everywhere in the civilized world, those three are the exact same. The towns will have different temples, different street placement, different overall organizations, but the bath houses and the forums will always look the exact same. I passed without a word into the changing rooms. Slowly, I stripped off my tunic and handed it off to the slaves attending to the baths. People took note of my intricate sandals and my many scars, but no one said anything. I was young. They probably assumed a harsh life. They also knew better than stare at one with so many scars.
I continued onward into the large warm room. This was where I needed to be. I settled into the main pool, walking to a group of people discussing politics. Politics were the fuel of life in these parts, so near to Roma itself. But I cared little for what the current consuls were planning. The time of the consuls being in control was all but over, after all. The Gracchi had helped that along, but no one had put the nail in the coffin quite like Marius. Soon enough, Sulla would be back from campaign and take control again, and Cinna could do nothing to stop it. I smiled and pretended like a cared about the Senatorial machinations of these pampered fools. I needed to get close for when their friend got here.
“I’m telling you, their just about to take away his command, bring him back. Can’t risk another march, you know?” said one of them, already drunk.
“They want to do that?” a young man replied. His eyes betrayed an intelligence the others lacked. “That’s forcing an issue that really should not be forced.”
I stepped in. “I must agree. The troops may be Roman, but they’ll follow their commander to the ends of the earth.” They saw my scars and nodded, probably assuming I was a veteran of the social wars.
The youth nodded to me. “This young man understands. Recalling him will certainly cause a war.”
“No one would risk war with Marius. That’s a fool’s errand,” the oldest of the group spat out.
I laughed. “But has Sulla not already done that once?” I asked.
This caused the youth to chuckle. “I like you. What’s your name?”
“Umbrianus. You?”
“Iulius. It’s good to have someone with a strategic brain around here.” The young Iulius laughed.
I smiled. “Then I have your family to thank for my citizenship, do I not? Any consular leanings for yourself?”
He shook his head. “Maybe someday, but not in this atmosphere. Let me answer that after the inevitable war breaks out.”
“My friend’s being too modest,” the drunken one leaned over and whispered all too loudly, “He’s got a priesthood all lined up. And a great marriage to.”
Iulius shook his head. “Nothing is finalized yet, friend.”
A man came in from the changing room and sat down with them. “Gaius, you know that it will all be finalized soon enough.”
The young Iulius rolled his eyes at the elder. “I know, father. But it is wrong to predict outcomes without cause. Think about the problems that caused us during the Social Wars. Or…” he began.
“Yes, I know,” the elder Iulius bemoaned, “I never should have gotten you that education.” Then, the man saw me sitting there. “And you are?”
“Umbrianus,” I said, smiling. I pulled the pin out from my sandal’s buckle. “And your son is wiser than you give credit.”
“Umbrianus, you say,” he replied. Unlike the others, eh knew what that meant. He’d probably received word of the events that had happened in the countryside. A heavily scarred young man from an Umbrian village had been causing trouble for the staunchly anti-Sullan politicians. “Such it is, I suppose.”
Everyone else looked at him, confused, and so I gave him his out as I pricked him with the pin. “Oh, don’t be so grim, old man. The young Iulius and I were just having a fun chat about the problems with the current senates political plans.” He felt it but said nothing. He didn’t want this to escalate, and he knew there was probably no way to stop what I'd done. I slid my pin back into the sandal where it belonged.
“The smart play would be to let the war play out, then wait for the army to disband before recalling him,” the young Iulius said, confidently.
The old man shook his head. “No, that just plays into his hand. He’d have an army and a triumph, could walk right through the damned gates.”
The two of them began an argument that I would have tried to follow, except the elder Iulius pulled me aside. “I take it I’m dead,” he whispered, quiet enough that the others didn’t hear.
“Yes,” I replied, a blank and matter-of-fact tone to my voice. No use in hiding it.
“And my son?” he asked. He was genuinely concerned about the kid’s well-being.
I smiled and shrugged. “I actually like him. He’s got a future, I think. Just, keep it quiet about the whole dying thing until I’ve gone, and it’ll be fine.”
He nodded. “No retribution against my family?” he asked.
I shook my head. “You know it isn’t like that. Sulla asked me nicely to pave the way. Just in case.”
“Protect my kid from him. That marriage, it’s going to be a problem with the general. But my stubborn son actually likes the woman, the fool he is. I fear what he might do.”
I nodded. “I’ll keep him safe. I feel he’s going to be just as much trouble as Marius is, though, in the long run.”
The elder Iulius laughed. “More so, if he wants to and gets his act together.” Then, his face grew more serious. “How long do I have?”
“A week or so. I’d prefer you be in Roma at the time, but that’s up to you.”
He nodded. “I’m heading back the tomorrow eve, so I should be. You’re not quite what I expected, young Umbrianus.”
I smiled. “Just because I’m a blunt, evil person doesn’t mean I can’t be polite,” I replied, loud enough for the others to hear.
The young Iulius laughed. “Do you want to go out for a race, Umbrianus? It’s been quite a while since I’ve had a good challenge.”
From the look in the youth’s eyes, a race wasn’t all he wanted from me. But a race would be all he’d get, at least until the contract was fulfilled. There was an outpost here I needed to take out tomorrow, a troupe of veterans loyal in word and deed to Marius. They’d be trouble, and I would need my wits about me to deal with them. Sex would just cloud the mind. I smiled at the young Iulius. “If your father permits, I’d certainly be willing.”
The youth looked at the elder, who nodded. He knew I’d keep my word. The two of us went up to the palaestra and set the terms. Four laps, no cutting corners. The other gentlemen continued to discuss politics while our race began. The race was hardly fair. One of us was a pampered boy, brilliant as he might be, but he had no chance against a trained killer like myself. That said, I made sure to keep it playfully close, so as to keep his spirits up. I didn’t want him losing that edge that made him so intriguing, after all. The race ended with me ahead by a hair. Out of breath, he said, “Well, that was fun. I’ll have you next time we meet though.”
I feigned being equally out of breath. He was faster than I expected, but not by much. “Sure you will,” I huffed out, “What was this marriage talk, anyways?” I began walking in, towards the private pools inside, where I could scrape oil and chat without onlookers or intruders.
He followed. “Oh, nothing much. A possible alliance that might possibly go in place to help cement my family to Cinna.”
I raised my eyebrows as the slaves slathered me in oils. I waved them off as I grabbed for the strigiles myself. “It seems to me your interest may be more than simply political,” I said, scraping the now dirty oil from my body.
He began to do the same. “So, what if it is?” he asked, “Are you getting jealous?”
I laughed and shook my head. “Not going to happen, Gaius,” I retorted, “I’m just concerned.”
“Give me a few weeks to wear you down,” the young Iulius said, flirting with his eyes, “I’m told I can be quite the charmer.”
I chuckled. “I’m sure. But that doesn’t answer my question.”
“Huh,” he replied coyly, “I wonder why that is?”
I shook my head as I headed into the hot room to begin the end of my bath. “Enjoy your vacation,” I said over my shoulder as I left. He went over to join back into the political discussion, giving me a slight smile, which could have worn down anyone who didn’t already have a greater purpose. His father was right, I thought to myself as I let the steam soak into my pores, that man could conquer the world if he put his effort into it. I stepped into the cold pool to finish off my bath and headed back to the small insula I had in the city. One of the many advantages of being filthy rich was that I owned many of these rooms all across the Italian provinces, even in Roma herself. I could set up and stage attacks anywhere. But tonight, I had finished the job already. Tomorrows job didn’t require planning so much as sleep. And so, climbing onto the rough bed, I fell into a deep slumber to await dawn.