White collar Roman Slavefic AU - part four
Part Four
***
“What are you doing here?” Walker looked around at the plebeian man who had just been brought to his courtyard. He was a short, bald man with a nervous air. “I pay you to be my eyes and ears in the Forum!”
“Yes, sir, but... It’s Senator Burke, sir. He’s saying that he’s got proof from the White Pelican brothel that you are involved in various nefarious schemes! He knows about that job you made it financially feasible for me to do! He claims that you are corrupt and that you claim ships that are technically not your own! Not as eloquently as I...”
“How did he...?” Walker demanded, interrupting the little man’s speech and throwing down the scroll he was reading. In Rome a rich man was as rich as his influence unless he came from one of the noble families. This could ruin him. “It doesn’t matter! Get down there now and start collecting up the books! I want all links between me and that place eradicated!”
Walker stood and called for his clients and slaves, pulling on his toga while a slave fussed over the folds. The short man smiled in a very self-satisfied manner and slipped away in the fuss, taking a few souvenirs with him on his way out, signalling as he left that all was going to plan.
In the Forum, Walker found that everyone was waiting for him to arrive. Men who had been clients and business associates stared at him disdainfully and he saw red. Peter was in the middle, surrounded by his own clients, waiting.
“You! I accuse you of defamation! You are spreading slanderous lies about me and I demand retribution! You could get the death penalty for this!”
“I could,” Peter replied calmly, “if anything I have said were untrue, but you do own a brothel where the prostitutes are all sick with fever and have half-healed wounds at all times. You did steal your first fortune from a banker’s chest with help from a friend of mine and your slaves are stolen. I accuse you of piracy among other things!”
“Where is your proof?” Walker snarled.
“Right here!” said a newcomer and everyone gasped at the theatricality. Of course no one had really missed seeing the Praetorian Guard suddenly appearing in the middle of the Forum, but it was funny to see that Walker was surprised. “Burke?”
“Justinus!” Peter grinned gleefully and greeted his Praetorian friend and colleague from the campaigns in Britain. “What did you find?”
“Just as you said - the real books with his name all over them were hidden in the wall behind the hangings, along with the ledgers from three ships that didn’t belong to him! There were a couple of his clients trying to hide the evidence too. I need to look at it in detail, but there’s enough here to be going on with.”
Praetorians grasped Walker by the arms.
“You can’t do this!” Walker cried struggling. “The Emperor will never allow this...”
“Oh, I think he will!” said a quiet voice behind him. “Hello Peter,”
The thing about Vespasian was that he didn’t look like an Emperor... until he spoke, then the quiet dignity was just compelling. Peter smiled.
“You see, Walker, it’s all about power and influence,” Peter flung the man’s words back at him with a smirk. “Thank you, sir.” He turned and bowed to the Emperor, who had also campaigned in Britain.
While Walker was led away, Vespasian led Peter to one side and indicated that he should sit next to him.
“You did good work there, Peter,” the Emperor said quietly. “Walker was too clever and I don’t like dishonesty.”
“He has something I want, sir,” Peter explained again to the ruler of the world.
“Let me get it for you as a reward.”
“That would be...” Peter’s face lit up.
“But, first, we have much tidying up to do. I want you to make sure that this man does not get away with his crimes,” the Emperor stood and Peter stood with him, bowing.
“Justinus will come to your aid if you need back-up, but I want you to keep an eye out for cases like this.”
Peter sighed inwardly, but smiled at the Emperor and agreed.
“Come to an informal dinner on the 12th at the palace and we will discuss your reward and your new business.”
“Yes sir,” Peter agreed.
Part Five
***
“What are you doing here?” Walker looked around at the plebeian man who had just been brought to his courtyard. He was a short, bald man with a nervous air. “I pay you to be my eyes and ears in the Forum!”
“Yes, sir, but... It’s Senator Burke, sir. He’s saying that he’s got proof from the White Pelican brothel that you are involved in various nefarious schemes! He knows about that job you made it financially feasible for me to do! He claims that you are corrupt and that you claim ships that are technically not your own! Not as eloquently as I...”
“How did he...?” Walker demanded, interrupting the little man’s speech and throwing down the scroll he was reading. In Rome a rich man was as rich as his influence unless he came from one of the noble families. This could ruin him. “It doesn’t matter! Get down there now and start collecting up the books! I want all links between me and that place eradicated!”
Walker stood and called for his clients and slaves, pulling on his toga while a slave fussed over the folds. The short man smiled in a very self-satisfied manner and slipped away in the fuss, taking a few souvenirs with him on his way out, signalling as he left that all was going to plan.
In the Forum, Walker found that everyone was waiting for him to arrive. Men who had been clients and business associates stared at him disdainfully and he saw red. Peter was in the middle, surrounded by his own clients, waiting.
“You! I accuse you of defamation! You are spreading slanderous lies about me and I demand retribution! You could get the death penalty for this!”
“I could,” Peter replied calmly, “if anything I have said were untrue, but you do own a brothel where the prostitutes are all sick with fever and have half-healed wounds at all times. You did steal your first fortune from a banker’s chest with help from a friend of mine and your slaves are stolen. I accuse you of piracy among other things!”
“Where is your proof?” Walker snarled.
“Right here!” said a newcomer and everyone gasped at the theatricality. Of course no one had really missed seeing the Praetorian Guard suddenly appearing in the middle of the Forum, but it was funny to see that Walker was surprised. “Burke?”
“Justinus!” Peter grinned gleefully and greeted his Praetorian friend and colleague from the campaigns in Britain. “What did you find?”
“Just as you said - the real books with his name all over them were hidden in the wall behind the hangings, along with the ledgers from three ships that didn’t belong to him! There were a couple of his clients trying to hide the evidence too. I need to look at it in detail, but there’s enough here to be going on with.”
Praetorians grasped Walker by the arms.
“You can’t do this!” Walker cried struggling. “The Emperor will never allow this...”
“Oh, I think he will!” said a quiet voice behind him. “Hello Peter,”
The thing about Vespasian was that he didn’t look like an Emperor... until he spoke, then the quiet dignity was just compelling. Peter smiled.
“You see, Walker, it’s all about power and influence,” Peter flung the man’s words back at him with a smirk. “Thank you, sir.” He turned and bowed to the Emperor, who had also campaigned in Britain.
While Walker was led away, Vespasian led Peter to one side and indicated that he should sit next to him.
“You did good work there, Peter,” the Emperor said quietly. “Walker was too clever and I don’t like dishonesty.”
“He has something I want, sir,” Peter explained again to the ruler of the world.
“Let me get it for you as a reward.”
“That would be...” Peter’s face lit up.
“But, first, we have much tidying up to do. I want you to make sure that this man does not get away with his crimes,” the Emperor stood and Peter stood with him, bowing.
“Justinus will come to your aid if you need back-up, but I want you to keep an eye out for cases like this.”
Peter sighed inwardly, but smiled at the Emperor and agreed.
“Come to an informal dinner on the 12th at the palace and we will discuss your reward and your new business.”
“Yes sir,” Peter agreed.
Part Five