Doctor Who_ Byzantium! - Keith Topping [34]
Ì am neither,' Ian confirmed. 'I'm a Roman citizen.'
For many years, Romans and non-Romans within the empire had been governed under different sets of laws.
Roman citizens lived under the ius civile, while a separate set of laws known as the ius genitum, the law of the nations, was devised for those from conquered lands. However, it was now generally accepted that all citizens within the empire had equal rights under the law which was based on common-sense notions of fairness, taking into account local customs and practices.
Erastus reached out a hand and dragged Ian roughly to his feet. As Ian stood there, flinching against the expected torrent of physical abuse, the trainer grabbed him by both forearms and looked closely at his hands.
`You have certainly never done an honest day's work in your life with these delicate palms, freeman.'
Ian didn't know whether to be relieved or offended. 'I'm a teacher,' he said, betraying a modicum of outrage at the suggestion that he didn't work damned hard for his meagre salary. 'Science, English and, occasionally, PE., and you have absolutely no idea what I'm blathering on about, do you?'
`You say that you are a Briton?' asked Erastus.
Chesterton nodded.
`Then we shall soon know the truth, or otherwise, of your tale, freeman.'
Summoned by the potentially serious injury to one of his men, general Calaphilus arrived at the barracks soon afterwards. He strode into the dungeon along with Drusus, who had also been called to assert whether the unknown man was an escaped slave or not. Calaphilus gave the praefectus's freedman a cursory glance as they both saw Ian for the first time. Drusus shook his head.
`Not one of ours,' he said.
`He is clearly no soldier, either,' Erastus confirmed. 'He claims...’ he continued but Calaphilus merely scowled, as though several minutes of his valuable time had just been wasted. He turned and was about to leave when Ian Chesterton decided that, just as when he was a wing-three quarter for Harlequins Third XV, attack was the best form of defence and shouted angrily after him.
‘Are you in charge here?' he asked. 'Because if you are then you should know what a pretty shoddy operation you're running I've been in some toilets in my time, right, but this takes the biscuit.'
The general turned, wearily and ignored Ian's outburst.
`What is he blathering about?' he asked Erastus.
`He says...' began the big man.
`Why don't you try asking me, you very rude man?' Ian continued.
Calaphilus walked over, slowly, to where the sergeant was still holding Ian upright and looked him squarely in the eyes.
'And who, exactly, might you be, little man?' asked the general with a dismissive tone that made Ian both vexed and very scared at the same moment.
'Ian Chesterton. Who are you?'
‘I have the dubious honour of being general Gaius Augustus Calaphilus, commander of the forces of his most divine and awesome majesty Emperor Lucius Nero. That is, if this be any of your business, slave.'
If Ian was impressed by the general's little proclamation of his power, he didn't show it. Ì am not a slave. I am not a deserter. I am not a spy. I am not a traitor. I am none of those things. What I am is a free-born man of the British Isles. Part of the Roman empire. Is this any way to treat a Roman citizen?' he said, repeating what he had told Erastus earlier.
Ian placed his still-chained hands on his hips and then, considering this to be a somewhat effeminate gesture, let them drop to his sides with a rusty clank. ‘And I demand that justice be done, and be seen to be done!'
`You say you are from Britannia?' asked Calaphilus, the merest trace of curiosity in his voice. 'I, myself, served in fair Britannia for many years.'
Oh, well you would have, wouldn't you? thought Ian miserably.
`Fine,' he said. 'Then ask me what the weather is like in Londinium. It's wet and cold, by the way, except that we normally get four or five decent days in July. A month, incidentally, named after the divine Julius. How am I doing so far?'
Calaphilus