This story is dedicated to everyone who is bored at school right now. It
is planned as a short two-parter.
Thanks, StrangePenguin, for your wonderful idea :-))
Disclaimer: Toti FabQuatro do nullus belongus to meus but to alius ingenius...
A long long time ago...
The azure blue of the sky shimmered through the clouds. Not long and the sun would have reconquered her permanent place at the sky. But before the heat could press down on everyone, there was the spring first. The rain of the last two days had done well to the flowers, they would soon unfold their blossoms. As for now, it was time that it became warmer. But you couldn't please anybody with the weather.
"And I tell you, carriage number 2 could have won the race!"
"Yes, but only if every other carriage had broken down before the finish line", came the sarcastic answer.
"Nonsense, you don't know anything about carriage races!"
"I bet on the right carriage, you have lost however. So don't tell me I don't know anything about them."
Marcus grinned as he heard two well-known and quarrelling voices from the inside of the house. He got up from the sunbed in the garden to welcome his son.
"Ave, Father!"
After Marcus had embraced his son Stephanus Marcus, he asked, "Stephane! How was the race?"
"Wonderful! I won!" he responded with a content grin.
Grumbling a man who was part of the quarrel raised his voice. "It pleased him just because he won. Else it was a boring race, nobody tried tricks, no carriages broke. Nothing!"
This complaint out of the grousiest mouth you could find in the Roman empire and the little rest of the world, made Marcus smile again. Jesse had always been doing that since he had served his apprenticeship at the medicus who was blessed with a very old age. Meanwhile Jesse could count himself as a Roman inhabitant, after countless years of living here since he left his native village Elginea to get to know the centre of the world.
In the meantime, Marcus wasn't simply an archiatros, a doctor employed by the state, but also senator, and that was why he couldn't be in the practice that often. Instead he had delegated the responsibility to Jesse, and till now everything went fine.
Stephanus turned from the carriage race to a far more actual affair. "How does Caesar come along in senate? Has he distributed free honours again?"
"Oh, by Iuppiter, something's rotten there, I feel that. You know, he should be given the honour of being the first in marble next to a Iuppiter statue, but he refused kindly."
"At least he thanked them", Jesse said.
"Such has been the case for weeks now. You still remember, in Februaris, when he should be handed over the Iuppiter's diadem? The people raged when he refused", Stephanus said.
"Yes, it's soothing very much." Marcus frowned. "Perhaps that'll change soon. At least, I hope that. Caesar has had some clever thought that he likes to put into action, but I fear, first he'll have to command a campaign against the Germans before the senate, and above all the people, stands behind his projects."
"Till Caesar will have conquered Germany, years could go by! They keep themselves well up, for barbarians", Jesse said in an admiring tone. "But the war against the Parthers will pour oil on troubled waters hopefully."
"You mean, something's brewing among the people? A revolution?" Stephanus asked.
"Not among the people. At the senate!" Marcus pointed out. "It was too quiet during the last days, nobody contradicted really, though I expected at least a grimace by Caesar's greatest enemies Quintus Ligarius and Gaius Trebonius. I don't like to say it, son, but keep an eye on them, even if you and Quintus are good friends!"
"I do, father." Stephanus knew well to rely on Marcus' feeling. It had helped him in all the years he had been working for the police to arrest the real assassins.
At that moment an African woman entered the garden. "Avete, you can't tell what's up at the forum! When I went shopping with Colin Jesse, it was rumoured that Caesar hadn't much time to live!" Exhausted she sat down on a bench that was placed next to the sunbed.
"Who said that?" Stephanus asked, worried.
"Iulia, the baker Iulius Venitus' daughter. I met her with her daughter Clara in the forum."
"Not she who believed a few weeks ago that the whole city of Rome would be struck by a flood, is she?" Jesse giggled at Stephanus mocking question.
"That's her. But now, she says, now she's absolutely sure! She has seen it. I don't believe her either, guys, though it does seem strange to me."
Stephanus threw a look at his father. Amanda noticed. "Have I missed anything?"
Jesse felt obliged to explain instead of his friends. "Well, you know, Amanda, Marcus thinks, it's brewing in the senate. He believes, there really could happen a hell of a row."
Amanda watched at Marcus in surprise.
"Ah, perhaps those are heralds that I, a very old man, should retire soon", Marcus said as an excuse.
"To talk of something nicer", Amanda wanted to change the subject, "Claudius Severus' daughter Tullia has given birth to a boy…"
Thanks, StrangePenguin, for your wonderful idea :-))
Disclaimer: Toti FabQuatro do nullus belongus to meus but to alius ingenius...
A long long time ago...
The azure blue of the sky shimmered through the clouds. Not long and the sun would have reconquered her permanent place at the sky. But before the heat could press down on everyone, there was the spring first. The rain of the last two days had done well to the flowers, they would soon unfold their blossoms. As for now, it was time that it became warmer. But you couldn't please anybody with the weather.
"And I tell you, carriage number 2 could have won the race!"
"Yes, but only if every other carriage had broken down before the finish line", came the sarcastic answer.
"Nonsense, you don't know anything about carriage races!"
"I bet on the right carriage, you have lost however. So don't tell me I don't know anything about them."
Marcus grinned as he heard two well-known and quarrelling voices from the inside of the house. He got up from the sunbed in the garden to welcome his son.
"Ave, Father!"
After Marcus had embraced his son Stephanus Marcus, he asked, "Stephane! How was the race?"
"Wonderful! I won!" he responded with a content grin.
Grumbling a man who was part of the quarrel raised his voice. "It pleased him just because he won. Else it was a boring race, nobody tried tricks, no carriages broke. Nothing!"
This complaint out of the grousiest mouth you could find in the Roman empire and the little rest of the world, made Marcus smile again. Jesse had always been doing that since he had served his apprenticeship at the medicus who was blessed with a very old age. Meanwhile Jesse could count himself as a Roman inhabitant, after countless years of living here since he left his native village Elginea to get to know the centre of the world.
In the meantime, Marcus wasn't simply an archiatros, a doctor employed by the state, but also senator, and that was why he couldn't be in the practice that often. Instead he had delegated the responsibility to Jesse, and till now everything went fine.
Stephanus turned from the carriage race to a far more actual affair. "How does Caesar come along in senate? Has he distributed free honours again?"
"Oh, by Iuppiter, something's rotten there, I feel that. You know, he should be given the honour of being the first in marble next to a Iuppiter statue, but he refused kindly."
"At least he thanked them", Jesse said.
"Such has been the case for weeks now. You still remember, in Februaris, when he should be handed over the Iuppiter's diadem? The people raged when he refused", Stephanus said.
"Yes, it's soothing very much." Marcus frowned. "Perhaps that'll change soon. At least, I hope that. Caesar has had some clever thought that he likes to put into action, but I fear, first he'll have to command a campaign against the Germans before the senate, and above all the people, stands behind his projects."
"Till Caesar will have conquered Germany, years could go by! They keep themselves well up, for barbarians", Jesse said in an admiring tone. "But the war against the Parthers will pour oil on troubled waters hopefully."
"You mean, something's brewing among the people? A revolution?" Stephanus asked.
"Not among the people. At the senate!" Marcus pointed out. "It was too quiet during the last days, nobody contradicted really, though I expected at least a grimace by Caesar's greatest enemies Quintus Ligarius and Gaius Trebonius. I don't like to say it, son, but keep an eye on them, even if you and Quintus are good friends!"
"I do, father." Stephanus knew well to rely on Marcus' feeling. It had helped him in all the years he had been working for the police to arrest the real assassins.
At that moment an African woman entered the garden. "Avete, you can't tell what's up at the forum! When I went shopping with Colin Jesse, it was rumoured that Caesar hadn't much time to live!" Exhausted she sat down on a bench that was placed next to the sunbed.
"Who said that?" Stephanus asked, worried.
"Iulia, the baker Iulius Venitus' daughter. I met her with her daughter Clara in the forum."
"Not she who believed a few weeks ago that the whole city of Rome would be struck by a flood, is she?" Jesse giggled at Stephanus mocking question.
"That's her. But now, she says, now she's absolutely sure! She has seen it. I don't believe her either, guys, though it does seem strange to me."
Stephanus threw a look at his father. Amanda noticed. "Have I missed anything?"
Jesse felt obliged to explain instead of his friends. "Well, you know, Amanda, Marcus thinks, it's brewing in the senate. He believes, there really could happen a hell of a row."
Amanda watched at Marcus in surprise.
"Ah, perhaps those are heralds that I, a very old man, should retire soon", Marcus said as an excuse.
"To talk of something nicer", Amanda wanted to change the subject, "Claudius Severus' daughter Tullia has given birth to a boy…"