CHAPTER XXVI
THE JUDGMENT OF DOMITIAN
Two hours had gone by and Caleb, with fury in his heart, sat brooding inthe office attached to the warehouse that he had hired. At that momenthe had but one desire--to kill his successful rival, Marcus. Marcus hadescaped and returned to Rome; of that there could be no doubt. He, oneof the wealthiest of its patricians, had furnished the vast sum whichenabled old Nehushta to buy the coveted Pearl-Maiden in the slave-ring.Then his newly acquired property had been taken to this house, where heawaited her. This then was the end of their long rivalry; for this he,Caleb, had fought, toiled, schemed and suffered. Oh! rather than such athing should be, in that dark hour of his soul, he would have seen hercast to the foul Domitian, for Domitian, at least, she would have hated,whereas Marcus, he knew, she loved.
Now there remained nothing but revenge. Revenged he must be, but how?He might dog Marcus and murder him, only then his own life would behazarded, since he knew well the fate that awaited the foreigner, andmost of all the Jew, who dared to lift his hand against a Roman noble,and if he hired others to do the work they might bear evidence againsthim. Now Caleb did not wish to die; life seemed the only good that hehad left. Also, while he lived he might still win Miriam--after hisrival had ceased to live. Doubtless, then she would be sold with hisother slaves, and he could buy her at the rate such tarnished goodscommand. No, he would do nothing to run himself into danger. He wouldwait, wait and watch his opportunity.
It was near at hand, for of old as to-day the king of evil was everready to aid those who called upon him with sufficient earnestness.Indeed, even as Caleb sat there in his office, there came a knock uponthe door.
"Open!" he cried savagely, and through it entered a small man withclose-cropped hair and a keen, hard face which seemed familiar to him.Just now, however, that face was somewhat damaged, for one of theeyes had been blackened and a wound upon the temple was strappedwith plaster. Also its owner walked lame and continually twitched hisshoulders as though they gave him uneasiness. The stranger opened hislips to speak, and Caleb knew him at once. He was the chamberlain ofDomitian who had been outbid by Nehushta in the slave ring.
"Greeting, noble Saturius," he said. "Be seated, I pray, for it seems topain you to stand."
"Yes, yes," answered the chamberlain, "still I had rather stand. I metwith an accident last night, a most unpleasant accident," and he coughedas though to cover up some word that leapt to his lips. "You also,worthy Demetrius--that is your name, is it not?" he added, eyeing himkeenly--"look as though you had not slept well."
"No," answered Caleb, "I also met with an accident--oh! nothing thatyou can see--a slight internal injury which is, I fear, likely to provetroublesome. Well, noble Saturius, how can I--serve you? Anything in theway of Eastern shawls, for instance?"
"I thank you, friend, no. I come to speak of shoulders, not shawls," andhe twitched his own--"women's shoulders, I mean. A remarkably fine pairfor their size had that Jewish captive, by the way, in whom you seemedto take an interest last night--to the considerable extent indeed offourteen hundred sestertia."
"Yes," said Caleb, "they were well shaped."
Then followed a pause.
"Perhaps as I am a busy man," suggested Caleb presently, "you would notmind coming to the point."
"Certainly, I was but waiting for your leave. As you may have heard, Irepresent a very noble person----"
"Who, I think, took an interest in the captive to the extent of fifteenhundred sestertia," suggested Caleb.
"Quite so--and whose interest unfortunately remains unabated, or rather,I should say, that it is transferred."
"To the gentleman whose deep feeling induced him to provide five hundredmore?" queried Caleb.
"Precisely. What intuition you have! It is a gift with which the Eastendows her sons."
"Suppose you put the matter plainly, worthy Saturius."
"I will, excellent Demetrius. The great person to whom I have alludedwas so moved when he heard of his loss that he actually burst intotears, and even reproached me, whom he loves more dearly than hisbrother----"
"He might easily do that, if all reports are true," said Caleb, drily,adding, "Was it then that you met with your accident?"
"It was. Overcome at the sight of my royal master's grief, I fell down."
"Into a well, I suppose, since you managed to injure your eye, yourback, and your leg all at once. There--I understand--these things willhappen--in the households of the Great where the floors are so slipperythat the most wary feet may slide. But that does not console thesufferer whose hurt remains, does it?"
"No," answered Saturius with a snarl, "but until he is in a position torelay the floors, he must find chalk for his sandals and ointment forhis back. I want the purchaser's name, and thought perhaps that youmight have it, for the old woman has vanished, and that fool of anauctioneer knows absolutely nothing."
"Why do you want his name?"
"Because Domitian wants his head. An unnatural desire indeed thatdevours him; still one which, to be frank, I find it important tosatisfy."
Of a sudden a great light seemed to shine in Caleb's mind, it was asthough a candle had been lit in a dark room.
"Ah!" he said. "And supposing I can show him how to get this head, evenhow to get it without any scandal, do you think that in return he wouldleave me the lady's hand? You see I knew her in her youth and take abrotherly interest in her."
"Quite so, just like Domitian and the two thousand sestertia manand, indeed, half the male population of Rome, who, when they saw heryesterday were moved by the same family feeling. Well, I don't see whyhe shouldn't. You see my master never cared for pearls that were notperfectly white, or admired ladies upon whom report cast the slightestbreath of scandal. But he is of a curiously jealous disposition, and itis, I think, the head that he requires, not the hand."
"Had you not better make yourself clear upon the point before we go anyfurther?" asked Caleb. "Otherwise I do not feel inclined to undertake avery difficult and dangerous business."
"With pleasure. Now would you let me have your demands, in writing,perhaps. Oh! of course, I understand--to be answered in writing."
Caleb took parchment and pen and wrote:
"A free pardon, with full liberty to travel, live and trade throughoutthe Roman empire, signed by the proper authorities, to be granted to oneCaleb, the son of Hilliel, for the part he took in the Jewish war.
"A written promise, signed by the person concerned, that if the headhe desires is put within his reach the Jewish slave named Pearl-Maidenshall be handed over at once to Demetrius, the merchant of Alexandria,whose property she shall become absolutely and without question."
"That's all," he said, giving the paper to Saturius. "The Caleb spokenof is a Jewish friend of mine to whom I am anxious to do a good turn,without whose help and evidence I should be quite unable to perform myshare of the bargain. Being very shy and timid--his nerves were muchshattered during the siege of Jerusalem--he will not stir without thisauthority, which, by the way, will require the signature of Titus Caesar,duly witnessed. Well, that is merely an offering to friendship; ofcourse _my_ fee is the reversion to the lady, whom I desire to restoreto her relations, who mourn her loss in Judaea."
"Precisely--quite so," replied Saturius. "Pray do not trouble toexplain further. I have always found those of Alexandria most excellentmerchants. Well, I hope to be back within two hours."
"Mind you come alone. As I have told you, everything depends upon thisCaleb, and if he is in any way alarmed there is an end of the affair.He only has a possible key to the mystery. Should it be lost your patronwill never get his head, and I shall never get my hand."
"Oh! bid the timid Caleb have no fear. Who would wish to harm a dirtyJewish deserter from his cause and people? Let him come out of his sewerand look upon the sun. The Caesars do not war with carrion rats. Mostworthy Demetrius, I go swiftly, as I hope to return again with all youneed."
"Good, most noble Saturius, and
for both our sakes--remember that thepalace floor is slippery, and do not get another fall, for it mightfinish you."
"I am in deep waters, but I think that I can swim well," reflected Calebas the door closed behind his visitor. "At any rate it gives me a chancewho have no other, and that prince is playing for revenge, not love.What can Miriam be to him beyond the fancy of an hour, of which a thiefhas robbed him? Doubtless he wishes to kill the thief, but kings do notcare for faded roses, which are only good enough to weave the chaplet ofa merchant of Alexandria. So I cast for the last time, let the dice fallas it is fated."
Very shortly afterwards in the palace of Domitian the dice began tofall. Humbly, most humbly, did that faithful chamberlain, Saturius,lay the results of his mission before his august master, Domitian,who suffering from a severe bilious attack that had turned his ruddycomplexion to a dingy yellow, and made the aspect of his pale eyes moreunpleasant than usual, was propped up among cushions, sniffing attar ofroses and dabbing vinegar water upon his forehead.
He listened indifferently to the tale of his jackal, until the fullmeaning of the terms asked by the mysterious Eastern merchant penetratedhis sodden brain.
"Why," he said, "the man wants Pearl-Maiden; that's his share, whilemine is the life of the fellow who bought her, whoever he may be. Areyou still mad, man, that you should dare to lay such a proposal beforeme? Don't you understand that I need both the woman and the blood of himwho dared to cheat me out of her?"
"Most divine prince, I understand perfectly, but this fish is onlybiting; he must be tempted or he will tell nothing."
"Why not bring him here and torture him?"
"I have thought of that, but those Jews are so obstinate. While you weretwisting the truth out of him the other man would escape with the girl.Much better promise everything he asks and then----"
"And then--what?"
"And then forget your promises. What can be simpler?"
"But he needs them in writing."
"Let him have them in writing, my writing, which your divine self canrepudiate. Only the pardon to Caleb, who I suppose is this Demetriushimself, can be signed by Titus. It will not affect you whether a Jewmore or less has the right to trade in the Empire, if thereby you canwin his services in an important matter. Then, when the time comes,you can net both your unknown rival and the lady, leaving our friendDemetrius to report the facts to her relatives in Judaea, for whom, as hestates, he is alone concerned."
"Saturius," said Domitian, growing interested, "you are not so foolishas I thought you were. Decidedly that trouble last night has quickenedyour wits. Be so good as to stop wriggling your shoulders, will you,it makes me nervous, and I wish that you would have that eye of yourspainted. You know that I cannot bear the sight of black; it remindsme, who am by nature joyous and light-hearted as a child, of melancholythings. Now forge a letter for my, or rather for your signature,promising the reversion of Pearl-Maiden to this Demetrius. Then bearmy greetings to Titus, begging his signature to an order grantingthe desired privileges to one Caleb, a Jew who fought against him atJerusalem--with less success than I could have wished--whom I desire tofavour."