Read The Furies of Rome for Free Online

seemingly at sleep on her bier, to the triclinium where the household slaves waited to serve dinner. ‘But perhaps propriety should occasionally take precedence over thrift, at least in matters concerning the death of family members; you don’t want to set a bad example to the next generation as we’re none of us getting any younger, if you take my meaning?’
    ‘Oh, I do, indeed; and if by that you’re implying that my children might not give me the respect that I deserve in death then you’re wrong: Titus and Domitilla will do me proud with my tomb.’
    ‘How do you know?’
    ‘Because I ordered it at the same time as I ordered my mother’s and got a discount for commissioning two at once!’
    Magnus could not help laughing at his friend’s self-admitted parsimony. ‘I notice you didn’t include Domitian in the list of children doing you proud in death.’
    Vespasian shook his head with regret as he looked over to his youngest son being led, firmly by the wrist, off to his room by Phyllis, his protests falling on deaf ears as all the family were now as used to them as they were to the spatter of the fountain in the impluvium . ‘I mustn’t write him off but I can’t see how he’ll ever have respect for anyone or anything that doesn’t in some immediate way benefit him.’
    ‘I’d have thought that was an attitude to be proud of in a son; it’d hint at a ruthless ambition.’
    ‘Normally I would agree with you, Magnus; why should anyone waste time on something that was going to prove of no use to them? However, you will have noticed that I used the word “immediate” and I’m afraid that is what Domitian’s real fault is: if the gain is not immediate then he doesn’t see the point of it. He has no patience and cannot take a long view. In other words, there is no innate cunning for planning and manoeuvring, which is one of the main requisites for success and survival in society; without that he doesn’t stand much chance.’
    Magnus took a moment in sombre thought before turning his one good eye to Vespasian. ‘Do you want to know why I sent Domitian back to the house this afternoon?’
    ‘Do you think I should?’
    ‘It’ll probably make you angry, but yes, I think you should; but don’t punish the boy for it.’
    ‘Go on then.’
    Magnus gestured with his head to Titus to come and join them. ‘Tell your father what your younger brother did this afternoon.’
    Titus, now eighteen and the image of his father with a powerful chest, a round face with a dominant nose, large ears and eyes that normally twinkled with good humour, looked worried.
    ‘It’s all right,’ Vespasian assured him, ‘I’m not going to do anything about it.’
    Titus seemed dubious. ‘Well, if you’re sure. It’s hard to say exactly how it came about but we’d been out hunting for a good three hours without a scent of anything and Domitian was being his usual self, complaining that the dogs weren’t trying hard enough, our horses were too slow, the slaves too loud and Magnus was useless at hunting and kept on making the wrong decisions and going the wrong way. Suddenly Castor and Pollux raised their muzzles in the air, got a scent and then bounded off up the hill covered with scrub just beyond the lower pasture.’
    ‘A good place for deer to hide in if they’ve been disturbed on our grazing,’ Vespasian commented.
    ‘Indeed, Father, which is why we went back there, having had no luck the first time around. Anyway, sure enough, a buck and his two does broke from cover and raced on up the hill with the dogs howling in pursuit. But one of the does was heavily pregnant and soon fell behind and Castor and Pollux were on her before Magnus could call them off in order to leave us with a clean kill. Magnus got there quickly and hauled his dogs away but the doe had a lot of bite injuries and the stress had put her into labour.’ Titus glanced at Magnus, who urged him on with a nod. ‘Well, neither Magnus nor I could