Nero

12

Getting into the palace was even more difficult than usual. Arruntius was right, all hell was loose and security had been doubled. Luckily Silia spotted a freedman she knew who was willing to carry a message to Acte. She came to the gate personally and took us through.

I hadn't seen her myself for two or three months, not since Britannicus's death in fact. Then, she'd looked terrible, and she didn't look all that much better now. Life with Lucius couldn't be easy, especially for someone not brought up to the stresses of political life. If nothing else I admired the woman's dedication.

'Come on up,' she said. 'Lucius is with Seneca. We won't be disturbed.' She led us along a marble-lined corridor and then through a door fitted flush with the panelling. 'This is the back way. It's more private.'

'A change from your old city tenement, darling,' I said, to make conversation.

'Yeah.' Her voice was brittle as glass. 'Which do you think I prefer? One guess.'

I didn't reply; the answer was in that voice. Another short corridor led to a flight of wooden stairs, unpolished, intended for servants rather than (the word came unbidden) inmates. Then we were through a second door, and back to the world of marble and wall-paintings. A female slave — a girl of about thirteen — appeared. She looked frightened.

'That's okay, Chryse,' Acte said. 'Leave us in private, will you?'

The girl nodded and left. Acte opened one of the several doors that led off the small landing.

'Welcome to the sanctum,' she said. 'Make yourselves at home.'

I'd expected, I think, a high-grade courtesan's suite, all soft colours, luxurious furniture and erotic decor, but the room was tiny, almost as small as Acte's tenement workshop; in fact I recognised the work-bench and some of the masks. A tailor's dummy stood in one corner with a half-made costume draped over it.

Acte saw me looking. 'It makes me feel comfortable,’ she said. ‘Basically I'm a slob. Sit down. No couches, I'm afraid, just stools. They take up less space.'

We sat. Acte perched on the edge of the work-bench.

'I'm glad you've come,' she said. 'In fact I was going to come to you. I need advice, fast.'

'What about?' I said.

'She's got away with it.' I didn't have to ask who she was: theEmpress. Agrippina. 'Petronius, it was horrible! She walked all over him!'

'Tell us. From the beginning.'

'We were having dinner last night. Seneca was there, but not Burrus, he was over at the Guards camp. Lucius was drunk — he often is these days — but he was in a good mood. Then Paris came in.' Paris was a ballet-dancer, and one of the emperor's favourites. 'He was in a terrible state, or he pretended to be. Me, I think he was putting it on.'

I nodded. Being a professional actor, Paris could mimic any emotion you cared to name, but Acte was no fool. She would have spotted the deception at once.

'So what happened?'

'He told Lucius that his mother was plotting to kill him. No frills, just that. It took a while to get through to Lucius because like I say the poor kid was drunk, but when it did he blew up. He'd a dinner knife in his hand and I swear he would've killed Paris if I hadn't hung on to his arm. Seneca grabbed him too and we got him settled enough to listen. Then Paris got down to details. Seemingly Lucius was to be murdered by his own guard at the next games, and then Agrippina would marry young Plautus and make him emperor. The Senate were for him, plus half the legionary commanders.' She paused. 'Burrus, too.'

Something cold touched my spine: with Burrus gone Lucius might well be uncontrollable.

'What about Seneca?' I asked. 'What was he doing while all this was going on?'

Acte's mouth twisted in a pale smile. 'I thought he'd mess his pants, but he was great. I mean, great. He turned sort of slow and pompous, the way he does, and it was just what Lucius needed.' Her actor's voice deepened. '"Now don't be hasty, my dear boy, don't be hasty. Great men are never hasty. Remember that Alexander always thought before he acted, and he was merciful. Good rulers are always merciful." Great, like I say. He calmed Lucius down. We couldn't have done it without him.'

Silia shifted on her stool. 'Well personally, my dear,' she said coolly, 'I think it was a pity he interfered.'

'You weren't there.' Acte frowned. 'Sure, I want the empress dead. She'd bury me quick enough. But Lucius was frightening. Believe me, he wouldn't've stopped at Agrippina or Plautus, or even Burrus, not by along chalk. We'd've had the treason trials all over again. Is that what you want?'

Silia didn't reply, and nor did I. To anyone who had lived through them, only one answer was possible.

'So Seneca calmed the emperor down,' I said.

Acte shifted on the bench. 'Yeah. He persuaded Lucius to let things lie till he'd heard her side of the story. She was round first thing this morning.'

'And proceeded, as you say, to walk all over the poor boy.' Silia was pointedly not looking at Acte. 'Oh how very unfortunate for you both.'

'Look, just lay off me, will you?' Acte snapped. 'It wasn't my fault. And Agrippina may be the worst kind of bitch but at least this time she was within her rights.'

'You mean she hasn't been trying to regain her influence these last few months?' Silia said sweetly. 'My dear, I agree the specific charges were fictitious, but the empress is no innocent where conspiracy is concerned. Rome would be better off without her, and I'm sorry we seem to have missed our chance.'

'Don't you have any concern for justice at all, lady?'

Silia held her gaze.

'Not in this instance, no,' she said in a level voice. 'Justice in this case is a luxury we can't afford.'

Acte had her mouth open to reply, but I got in first.

'Let's leave the philosophical questions aside,' I said. 'Acte, just tell us what happened, please.'

Acte took a deep breath. 'Oh, she denied everything, told Lucius the accusation was false and she'd been slandered. Played the doting mother. Sure, I know, it was pure garbage, but she knew what she was doing. She had the poor kid bawling inside five minutes. By the end he was begging her for the chance to make it up to her.'

I thought of my conversation with Arruntius. He'd been right, of course: Agrippina might be out of favour, but she was still a very dangerous woman. And evidently, despite the efforts of Seneca, Burrus and Acte, her hold on Lucius was as strong as ever. It didn't bode well for Rome. It did not bode well at all.

'So she's off the hook,' I said.

'Yeah.' Acte nodded. 'Silana's being exiled. Her front-men who brought the charge as well.'

'And Paris?'

'Not Paris. He's too good a dancer.' I laughed, and she glared at me. 'I'm serious, Petronius. That's important to Lucius. He'd hate to lose someone with Paris's talents just because of a little mistake.'

'A wise decision,' Silia said drily.

This time Acte didn't rise to the bait. 'I told you before,' she said. 'Lucius isn't a vengeful person. And he's got his own priorities.'

'So it would appear. Still, it's nice to see he's not totally under his mother's thumb.'

Acte scowled. She had my sympathy: I was becoming a little annoyed with Silia myself.'Silia, dear,' I said. 'You do realise that this whole sorry mess is completely your fault?'

She looked at me blankly. 'I beg your pardon?'

'If you and Silana hadn't cooked up your ridiculous scheme in the first place, darling, then Agrippina wouldn't be back in favour.' I looked at Acte. 'She is back in favour, isn't she?'

Acte nodded. 'Not as much as before, but yeah, she's come out well. That's why I need advice.'

'But, Titus, I told you!' Silia had the grace to look guilty. 'The accusation was all Silana's idea!'

'Nonsense, darling. Silana's as thick as two short planks. And you can count yourself lucky that…'

Which was as far as I got, because just then the door opened and Lucius walked in.