The Racing Factions Read Free Page A

two requests of her at the same time; you know how demanding her reciprocal favours can be.’
    ‘I do – at first hand, as it were.’
    ‘So I have to look elsewhere for support for Sabinus and that’s where I’ll need your particular skills.’
    ‘I assume, therefore, that pressure needs to be applied or an incentive offered, if you take my meaning?’
    ‘I do indeed; but in this case pressure would be risky.’
    ‘So you have someone in mind?’
    ‘I think it would help if the Senior Consul publically supported Sabinus.’
    ‘Gnaeus Domitius Ahenobarbus?’ Magnus turned in horror to Gaius. ‘You must be mad, begging your pardon, to think about influencing him, sir, he’s a monster.’
    ‘He is.’
    ‘He pulled an eques’ eye out in the forum just because he criticised him.’
    ‘And only last month he purposely ran over, with his quadriga, a small boy playing on the Via Appia. What better person to support Sabinus? If Ahenobarbus backs him a lot of other people will vote for him too, to keep on the right side of the monster.’
    Magnus looked dubious as Marius and Sextus, either side of him, used their strong arms to ease their way through the crush. ‘Why don’t you just bribe him?’
    ‘I will, and handsomely so; but everyone else is too. He’s taking money from all the candidates and will end up supporting the one who pays him most. The trouble is I don’t know whether my bribe will be enough and I can’t afford to increase it; somehow it needs to be supplemented.’
    ‘So you want me to ease him in the right direction.’
    ‘Exactly, but without him realising that I’m behind it as I fully intend to have both my eyes still in place once Sabinus is elected quaestor.’
    ‘And how do you think I can manage that?’
    ‘I’ve no wish to know, Magnus my loyal friend; but you’ve served me well before and I’ve complete trust in your ability to solve even the most delicate of problems.’
    The ceaseless night-time clatter and rumble of delivery carts – banished from Rome’s packed streets during the day – had begun in earnest by the time Magnus and his companions reached the tavern, at the junction of the Vicus Longus and the Alta Semita, that served as the headquarters of the South Quirinal Crossroads Brotherhood. Magnus checked the flame on the altar of the Crossroads Lares – the deities of the neighbourhood – the upkeep of which was the original purpose of the formation of the many such brotherhoods in Rome; satisfied with it, he patted the brother guarding it on the shoulder and stepped through the door into the fug of the crowded tavern.
    ‘A legionary back on leave called in to see you,’ an old man with gnarled hands informed him, looking up from a scroll on the wine-stained table before him.
    ‘Did he leave a name, Servius?’
    ‘Just the one: Lucius. He said that you’d remember him from Thracia and Moesia a couple of years ago; he’s serving with the Fourth Scythica.’
    Magnus looked at his aged counsellor and second in command, recalling the name for a couple of moments, and then smiled. ‘Lucius? Yeah, I remember him; Vespasian saved him from execution in Thracia; he owes him big. He used to work as a stable lad for the Greens before he joined up; he’s still got contacts there, promised me a few tips.’
    ‘He’s going to be at the Greens’ stables on the Campus Martius from noon tomorrow; he said you should drop by, he’d give you the tour that he promised when he last saw you.’
    ‘Did he now? I may well take him up on that, it’d take my mind off a couple of problems we’ve got; come through to the back room, we need to talk.’
    ‘Gnaeus Domitius Ahenobarbus!’ Servius exclaimed as Magnus finished talking; his gaunt, lined face appeared waxen in the light of a single oil lamp. ‘He’s a monster; no one in their right mind would meddle in his affairs.’
    Magnus poured them both a cup of wine from the jug on the table between them. ‘That’s what I