Sarum - Edward Rutherfurd [128]
In other ways, his life took a turn for the better. Suetonius, who knew nothing of his opinions, thought well enough of him after the revolt to send him on several missions, including one to the depleted garrison of the IX Legion at Lindum in the north, in the company of Agricola the tribune. And on that visit he was given further encouragement.
“Later on, we shall have some important campaigns in the north of the island,” Agricola told him. “Perhaps you’d like to come on my staff?”
“Oh yes,” he replied, and blushed with pleasure.
He wrote to tell his parents of what was passing; to Graccus he sent letters of respect; and to Lydia he wrote:
I think the governor is pleased with me and that by next year your father will have cause to be satisfied with my career.
Marcus continued to take a friendly interest in him. Several times he asked to see Lydia’s portrait and on each occasion he told Porteus what a lucky man he was.
“I even wrote to my family to tell them what a splendid fellow you were,” he said laughingly to Porteus one day. “Not good enough for that lovely girl of yours, of course!”
Late in the winter, while the snow was still on the ground, a new figure of great significance arrived on the island. He was tall, middle-aged, with a thin, kindly face and receding hair. He had two peculiarities that Porteus observed: he stooped when he spoke to people, as though concentrating intently on what they said; but when not involved in conversation his eyes often seemed to grow distant as though he were dreaming of some far-off place. He was Julius Classicianus, the new procurator and replacement for the disgraced Decianus Catus. His responsibility included all the island’s finances. Under the Roman system of divided authority, he reported direct to the emperor.
“He seems a decent man, but a bit vague,” Porteus commented to Marcus. “I don’t think he’ll make much headway here.”
In this assessment he was completely wrong.
Classicianus was, like him, a member of the minor provincial aristocracy, having come originally from the town of Trier on the Moselle; but by a combination of great astuteness and honesty he had worked his way up to the highest offices in the state. Kindly he was, but he missed nothing; and within weeks of his arrival he was secretly compiling a report that was to change the province completely. Of this, naturally, Porteus had no idea.
In the early spring, a letter came from Lydia, which Porteus read with joy.
The aunt of one of the other men on the governor’s staff, Marcus Marcellinus, was here at the house recently. She told us all the high opinion that he and the governor have of you and father was pleased. Marcus has written to Rome about you. His aunt showed me a picture of him like the one I have of you. Write to tell me the news of all that you do, and tell me about Marcus also.
This was good news indeed, and Porteus was grateful for the loyalty of his friend. He wrote to Lydia at once, telling her more of his successes, and gave her a warm and friendly account of Marcus too.
It was towards the end of winter, as the snows still lingered, that the governor camped in the windy eastern colony of Camulodunum which his legionaries were busily rebuilding; and it was there one day that he sent for young Porteus and said to him gruffly:
“You are to undertake a mission.”
He was delighted. Up to now, he had only accompanied the tribune or one of the beneficarii – the governor’s personal emissaries. Now at last he was being entrusted with a mission of his own: it was clearly a chance to prove himself, and he listened eagerly as Suetonius outlined his task.
The mission was simple enough: he was to take a centurion and eighty men and make a tour of inspection of some of the minor tribal settlements in the north west of the land under Roman control, close to the territory of the Deceangli where they had been lighting recently.
“They haven’t paid any taxes and they may be rebels. They’re to pay at once: