Cries of wonder and disbelief that such a thing could have been conceived, let alone built, erupted from the senators, and Vespasian did not hold his contribution back even though he knew that this was not what it appeared to be. However, one glance at the genuinely pleased smile written all over Agrippina's face told him that she suspected nothing; she evidently thought that Nero had been sincere and her desirable femininity had truly secured their relations.h.i.+p and this gift was the proof of it: how could something so extravagant, so beautiful, so elegant be anything other than what it seemed: a gift from an Emperor to his mother? It did not cross her mind that this was to be the instrument of her death. She flung her arms around Nero's neck and kissed his cheeks and he, in turn, cupped her b.r.e.a.s.t.s in his hands and bent to nuzzle them. Mother and son parted on the best of terms as all present would be able to bear witness to.

'You should have seen it arrive,' Magnus said, appearing next to Vespasian. 'I really thought it was a monstrous swan at first, until I saw the oars sticking out.'

Vespasian looked at the vessel, impressed at the effort that Nero had gone to in order to hide his true intentions. 'He must be very keen for people not to suspect him one bit over her death.'

'He's going to kill her in that? How?'

'I imagine he'll sink it.'

Gallus, Agrippina's freedman, helped her aboard and Acerronia, her slave, went ahead to plump up the cus.h.i.+ons on the couch beneath the swan's tail. As Agrippina stepped onto the deck she turned. 'Where is Vespasian? He and his man are meant to be accompanying me.'

Vespasian jolted; he had no intention of getting on that s.h.i.+p. He stepped further back into the shadows.

'Where're Vespasian and his man?' Agrippina repeated with more truculence.

's.h.i.+t!' Magnus whispered. 'Are we going to have to go too?'

Nero looked around. 'Vespasian?'

Vespasian was unable to hide any longer, not with the Emperor calling for him. 'I'm here, Princeps,' he said stepping out from the crowd.

Nero beamed at him. 'There you are; you and your man will accompany my mother.'

Vespasian swallowed. 'As you wish, Princeps.' He began to walk forward.

'Princeps,' Seneca said, putting a restraining hand on Vespasian's shoulder. 'I was very much hoping to keep Senator Vespasian here with me for the rest of the evening, as I was hoping to ... er ... what's the best way of putting it?'

'Just put it anyway you like,' Nero snapped, evidently irritated, 'but put it quickly as my mother is waiting.'

'Borrow him, Princeps; yes, that's exactly it. Borrow him.'

'Borrow him? What do you mean by that?'

'I was hoping that he could give me some insight into the mind of the Parthian King, Vologases, seeing as he is the only senator to have met him and we are thinking of sending an emba.s.sy to him to discuss the Armenian question very soon in light of Corbulo's recent successes with our legions out there and to demand that he refutes his younger brother Tiridates' claim to the throne.'

Nero thought for a few moments. 'Why now?'

'What better time than the present, Princeps? It'll give us more time to draft a speech for the amba.s.sador to read out.'

This made sense to Nero and he acquiesced. 'Very well, you can borrow Vespasian, but his man has no need to stay; he can accompany my mother to ensure her safety.'

Seneca inclined his head. 'Indeed he can, Princeps.' He looked at Magnus and gestured him towards the s.h.i.+p.

'I guess I don't have a choice,' Magnus muttered to Vespasian under his breath.

'I'm afraid you don't, old friend.'

'Well, there's always a first time to learn how to swim.' Magnus patted Vespasian's shoulder and walked towards the s.h.i.+p.

Vespasian watched his friend ascend the gangplank, which was drawn up after him. With a series of nautical orders ropes were cast off and the s.h.i.+p was pushed clear of the jetty. Oars appeared from within the vessel and the stroke-master's shrill pipe got them beating in slow time. The graceful vessel rowed off into the night as the wind freshened even more and the waves got up so that the white swan swam on white horses. Soon it was but a shadow out to sea and then Vespasian could see it no more.

Once Agrippina had gone, Nero's creatures came out: the people with whom he enjoyed amusing himself but whom he would rather hide from his mother lest they sway her mood and spoil his deception. Vespasian entered the atrium and sat in a corner with Seneca, watching them emerge from wherever they had been secreted: battered charioteers, actors and the more raucous sort of musician as well as deformed things of either s.e.x who were there to be enjoyed by whoever felt the need. Of Nero, however, there was no sign, which presented a difficulty to the senators, who did not know whether they had been dismissed or were required to wait for the Emperor to return. They milled around the atrium in small groups drinking wine, which was circulated by slaves, and talking in hushed tones as Burrus walked amongst them laughing and joking with each group and a.s.suring them that the Emperor would be down soon.

Now that he and Seneca were relatively secluded, Vespasian felt free to talk. 'Why did you do it?'

Seneca was a picture of innocence. 'Do what, my dear fellow?'

'Prevent me from getting on a doomed s.h.i.+p while I have to watch my friend walk to his possible death.'

'Doomed? Who said anything about it being doomed?'

'Oh come on, Seneca; don't think that I don't know just what has been going on. How you did nothing to stop me from believing that Caenis had betrayed me to you so that your real motive for getting Agrippina here and your co-operation with Pallas for doing so could be kept hidden.' He waved a hand towards the senators. 'a.s.sembling a load of witnesses to watch the happy reunion and then see the tears and anguish of the Emperor when he receives the news that his darling mother has gone the way of the Ferryman so that no one can accuse Nero of such a disgusting crime. You and Pallas have formed an alliance to get rid of Agrippina for your mutual benefit and the Emperor's convenience; you used me as your tool, and yet rather than discard me when Agrippina unexpectedly gave you the chance to be rid of someone who may well have seen through the plot, you save me. Why?'

Seneca chuckled, genuinely amused. 'Well, well; I did question Pallas when he a.s.sured me that you would never suspect the real motive for the reconciliation. He evidently underestimated you. But I didn't. I was sure that you wouldn't be able to believe that Caenis spied on you for me so it was a certainty, in my opinion, that you would realise the true nature of the plot-'

'It was my brother, actually.'

'Whoever; but don't worry, t.i.tus will still get his posting in Germania. The point was that I wanted you implicated so that I would have a certain amount of, what's the best way to describe it? Leverage! Yes, leverage; I needed to get a certain amount of leverage over you.' Seneca beamed broadly at Vespasian, a picture of contentment. 'Which I now have.'

'You're even more involved than I am in Nero's matricide, should the crime become public.'

'Perhaps so, but that would take a lot of proving; and yet there are plenty of people who can swear that it was you who, how shall we put it? Enticed, yes, there are plenty of people who can swear that it was you who enticed Agrippina to her death. And of course the crime will become public knowledge; it's a stupid plan that Nero and Anicetus have come up with but I couldn't dissuade Nero from it because I had to pretend to him that I had no notion of the scheme. A lead-weighted, collapsing awning in the form of a swan's tail, on a s.h.i.+p that is designed to fall apart at probably around about now; ridiculous! Of all the fifty or so crew aboard only twenty are in on the plan; but what about the others? Some of them will survive and the whole foolish affair will be revealed, and then what?' Two raised eyebrows. 'Hmmm?'

Vespasian did not need to think for too long to have the answer. 'Nero will be looking for scapegoats.'

'Yes, anybody who can be used to divert attention away from him will be in danger. You see, Vespasian, I've known Nero a long time and I know that at heart he does have some form of a conscience, in that he doesn't like people to think badly of him, which is a burden in someone becoming so p.r.o.ne to ... what should I call them ... despicable, yes, that will do nicely, despicable deeds; although, he does seem to have stopped his rampages through the city since that business with Terpnus.' Seneca scrutinised him intently, giving Vespasian the impression that he knew more about the incident than he, Vespasian, would wish. 'So, apart from Anicetus, who Nero finds very useful for the more hideous of his crimes, everybody involved in the plot's days are numbered, as are the men's on the s.h.i.+p, should any of them survive, and then of course, if that doesn't satisfy Nero, I could point out to him that there is you.'

'Not you or Burrus?'

'My dear fellow, as I said: I, like Burrus, had no notion of the scheme and Nero knows that. Now, I can use my influence with Nero to save you and that's the leverage, I think we decided that was the right word, that's the leverage that I now have on you.'

Vespasian groaned. 'What do you want?'

'Well, for a start, I want Venutius, the Britannic King that you've got tucked up nice and safe with Caratacus, to be delivered secretly into my custody so that he can't go spreading his t.i.ttle-tattle about me lending him money.'

Vespasian looked at Seneca in astonishment.

'Don't act so surprised, Vespasian; don't you think that when a man seriously in debt to me goes missing I wouldn't take the trouble to find out where he is?'

'I suppose you would; so you have some form of a conscience as well, Seneca?'

'Not when it comes to how I make my money. Nevertheless, I do want to be seen as someone who is civilised, thoughtful and erudite, so lending large amounts to warlike Britannic kings and queens might be ... misconstrued, shall we say?'

'We shall; it wouldn't really sit well with your philosophical treatises, from what I hear of them. Very well, I'll get Venutius for you.'

'As soon as we get back to Rome.'

'Agreed; but that'll be it.'

Seneca beamed again. 'Will it? I don't think so, my dear fellow; Nero has a very long memory.'

Before Vespasian could object, Nero came into the room accompanied by Poppaea Sabina whom he had also taken care to hide from Agrippina. 'Friends,' he declaimed in his husky voice, 'we shall sacrifice again in thanks to Minerva, the G.o.ddess of two of my pa.s.sions, music and poetry, and also to the G.o.ds of my household, for the safe delivery of my mother to her villa. May they hold their hands over her as she sails.'

And so all joined Nero in the prayers around the lararium and as Nero p.r.o.nounced the auspices good that the G.o.ddess would, indeed, hold her hands over Agrippina, a dishevelled man burst through the door escorted by a couple of Praetorian Guardsmen.

'Princeps, Princeps!' he called, interrupting the prayers. 'A tragedy has occurred.'

Nero flung his hands in the air, melodramatically rolling his eyes, doing his best impression of someone receiving awful and unexpected news; Vespasian found himself cringing at the sight. 'What is it, man? Out with it!'

'The Augusta's s.h.i.+p has gone down and-'

The howl that Nero let fly was of t.i.tanic proportions and it echoed around the columns of the atrium, louder and stronger than any sound he had ever made before. Senators immediately rushed to support their Emperor in his grief as Vespasian prayed to Mars for Magnus' deliverance, but without much hope.

'Minerva!' Nero wailed. 'Cruel G.o.ddess to accept the sacrifice to protect my mother and then to renege.'

'But, Princeps! Princeps!' the messenger shouted over Nero's robust lamentations. 'The Augusta, she's safe, she managed to get ash.o.r.e.'

The change was almost instant; Nero went from red-faced grief to pale fear. 'What?'

Poppaea screamed.

The messenger seemed confused by the reactions but pressed on with his news. 'The Augusta managed to swim to safety.'

Burrus stepped forward. 'Are you certain?'

'Yes, prefect, she was seen swimming away from the s.h.i.+p and was picked up by some fishermen who took her to her villa at Bauli.'

'Then surely that's good news, Princeps,' Burrus said, turning to the Emperor.

Vespasian felt a small hope for Magnus now that he knew there were boats in the vicinity of the wreck.

Poppaea grabbed Nero's arm and whispered urgently in his ear.

Panic was now in Nero's eyes. 'You're right; she'll kill me! She'll arm her slaves or send soldiers; the legions have always loved her because she is Germanicus' daughter.'

'It would seem that Minerva did answer Nero's prayers after all,' Vespasian observed dryly to Seneca.

'I don't think she was meant to,' Seneca muttered as he went forward. 'Princeps! Whatever is the matter? You must be confused; your mother has been saved. It is good news, surely?'

Nero turned with wild eyes to Seneca and then rushed towards him, grabbing his shoulders. 'No, don't you see? It was all an act; I planned to kill her. I wanted her dead.' He glanced back at Poppaea. 'We wanted her dead; she was meant to drown on the s.h.i.+p, not escape. She'll know it was me, she will, and she'll want her revenge because she's a beastly woman when roused and her desire for vengeance knows no end. She'll kill me!'

Seneca tried to pull the rambling Nero from the room as all who had witnessed the outburst realised the significance of what had been said and what a hideous crime their Emperor had attempted. It had become public knowledge even sooner than Seneca had predicted.

Nero resisted all attempts to remove him from the room. 'What shall I do, Seneca, Burrus, my friends, my protectors? I don't want to die; it wouldn't be fair if I should die and she should live. What should I do? I know, I'll take a s.h.i.+p to Alexandria and hide from her there. Have my things packed at once.'

'Princeps, who is the Emperor?' Seneca asked.

Nero calmed, the answer clearing his mind. 'I am.'

'Indeed; so let us act in the manner of an emperor. An emperor hides from no one. An emperor issues commands. An emperor is above the law because he is the law.'

'He's right,' Poppaea hissed. 'Act before she does; send someone to execute her.'

'But I can't do that in cold blood; what would people think?'

Burrus had no doubt. 'She's plotting against you with people who would have rather seen Germanicus on the throne. The people will praise the G.o.ds for your safe delivery from the murderous conspiracy hatched by your own mother. They'll applaud your resolve for the sake of the peace of the Empire. I'll have the Praetorian Guard reaffirm allegiance to you immediately and you can distribute a donative to them in grat.i.tude and this whole affair will turn into a triumph for you, Princeps.'

Nero pulled himself together, nodding gravely. 'You're right, both of you.' He smiled at Poppaea. 'And you, my sweet dove, thank you.' Looking around the room he soon found who he sought. 'Anicetus, this is your failure.'

The prefect of the Misenum fleet paled as Nero approached him, and then looked with relief at the door as the second interruption of the evening was escorted in by smart-stepping Praetorians.

'Who is this?' Nero demanded.

'My name is Agermus, Princeps,' the new arrival replied. 'I am a freedman of your mother's. She sends me with a message to say that she is well, having escaped from the unfortunate foundering of your beautiful gift with nothing but a minor wound to the head. She knows that you will be mortified to hear of the accident but she entreats you to in no way blame yourself as she is sure that you could have had nothing to do with the canopy collapsing and killing Gallus nor did you have knowledge of the men who battered Acerronia to death. She begs to be excused your visit tomorrow as she feels that she must take a few days to recuperate.'

'Lies!' Nero screamed, moving next to Anicetus. 'All lies; she's sent you here to kill me, hasn't she? Admit it.'

'P-P-Princeps, no.'

Nero grabbed Anicetus' sword in what he hoped was a surrept.i.tious manner and approached the freedman so that their faces were a hand's breadth apart. 'Admit that you were sent to kill me.'

'No, Princeps, never.'

There was a metallic clang and Nero stepped back; at Agermus' feet was the sword.

'Then what's that that has just fallen out of your tunic?' Nero demanded.

Agermus looked in horror at the weapon. 'That's not mine, Princeps, you dropped it.'

'Me! Why would I drop a weapon so close to someone sent to a.s.sa.s.sinate me? I'd be mad to do that. Burrus, have him taken away and executed.'

As the pathetically framed man was dragged away pleading in desperation for his life, Nero turned back to Anicetus. 'It's your duty to remedy this; do you understand?'

The prefect just nodded, dumbly.

'Take the trireme and a century of marines and go now.'

Anicetus saluted and turned smartly on his heel.

Nero addressed the senators. 'Agrippina has directly threatened the life of your Emperor; you were all witness to it.'

No one objected to that interpretation of events.

'You can all see that after the kindness that I have tried to show her here and despite it, she does this.' Nero pointed to the sword still lying where he had dropped it. 'She cannot be trusted and therefore I have no alternative. And, Vespasian,' Nero growled, turning to him. 'I think that Seneca's finished borrowing you now; seeing as you're part of all this you can go with Anicetus to make sure that he does the job properly this time and then keep the villa closed and stay there so that no one sees her body until I arrive soon after dawn.'

Thus, a couple of hours later as dawn revealed a sky clear of cloud, Vespasian found himself walking with Anicetus and Herculeius, the trierarchus, along the jetty at Bauli; behind them a century of marines was disembarking from the trireme. Up ahead, becoming ever more distinct in the growing light, lay Agrippina's villa. No one spoke as there was nothing to say, no debate; should they not complete the task that they had been a.s.signed by their Emperor then their lives would be forfeit.

Vespasian recalled when he had been present at the execution of Messalina, which had been, in part, brought about by Agrippina so that the way would be clear for her to marry her uncle, Claudius, and thus become the most powerful woman in Rome. He smiled inwardly at the dark justice of fate: Agrippina's death had been decreed by Poppaea Sabina, the woman who would now move to become the most powerful of her s.e.x in Rome; with Agrippina gone there would be nothing to stop her from having Nero divorcing Claudia and so leaving the way clear for her to become empress.