THE INQUIRY: An Historical Novella, and featuring Nova Roman Citizens as
characters,
By Gaius Lupinius Festus
Chapter I: The Girl
The little girl's face was smeared with the dust of the street, which
marred her dark complexion. Her black hair, disheveled and dirty, lay limp
down the sides of her face and cascaded below her thin shoulders, and a
trickle of dried blood had flowed from the left corner of her mouth. But
what Lucius Vatinius Lupus, a soldier of the Augusta Cohort, could not stop
staring at were the girl's eyes. Yesterday, these eyes had looked eagerly up
the street for her father to come home, brightened at the treats in the
marketplace where she went with her mother, and spied out for her friends at
play. Now, only a day later, these eyes were glazed, and stared out at
nothing, and at no one.
There was in the background, in the smoke filled street of burnt out houses
and overturned carts and tables, an eerie collective groan, the sounds of the
wounded, and of those mouning the dead whose bodies littered the street, and
the breeze from the nearby sea seemed to add a mournful sigh to the sights
and sounds of this scene, this almost surreal vision of Hades. Yet over this
background arose another sound, shrill and soul-piercing; the screams of the
thin, raven haired woman cradling in her arms the limp and lifeless form of
the little girl, her only daughter. The woman shrieked and groaned, raised
her left hand to the sky and looked up, as if pleading for some god to look
down and her and witness: "Look what they did to my baby!" The woman's
movements had caused the girl's head to turn slightly, and now those listless
eyes seemed to stare at Lucius Vatinus, as if accusing him, accusing Rome, of
robbing her of her life. He could not take this scene anymore, and was about
to turn away, when the mother looked up from her girl and saw him. Suddenly,
she stopped weeping, and her face contorted with such pure hatred that even
this Roman soldier shuddered to take a step back. The woman picked up a rock
in her hand and with a scream of rage hurled it at Lucius, who with some
shock managed to avoid the missile. "You murdering bastard, you son of a
Roman whore!", the woman screamed in a language that Lucius blessedly did not
understand. She had stood up and was now running upon him, clawing at his
eyes, grappling for his throat, spitting in his face. Lucius tried to push
her off, not fighting her so much as trying to get away from her. From
around a corner two local civilian men appeared, saw the battle in progress,
and ran towards them. "Oh, bloody hell!", Lucius cursed as he saw her
reinforcements coming. From behind him came a sound of alarm, this time in
the familiar voice of his centurion. "Guards! Stop them!" The woman's
allies however, did not attack the Roman, but instead took hold of her and
pulled her off him, speaking in desperate, Aramaic voices. Two Roman
soldiers came up behind Lucius, one with sword drawn. The two men who had
taken the woman now faced them, one of them holding a stone. Centurion
Lucius Aetius Dalmaticus jumped in between the two parties. "No!", he barked
at the other soldier, motioning to him to sheathe his sword. The two local
men stood still, watching to see which soldier would attack them first.
Dalmaticus put up both his hands towards them, slowly motioning for them to
back away. "No, we don't want to fight with you....there's been enough
killing here. Just....just back off and we won't touch you". One of the men
turned to comfort the woman, who by now was exhausted, her energy spent, who
could now only weep quietly, asking over and over in her native tongue
through choked sobs, "Why? Why? She was only my little girl...."
The other man let the stone drop from his hand, and then turned his back to
them. The Romans watched as one man carefully picked up the body of the
little girl, and then with his friend helping the woman along, carried their
sad burden down the street, until they disappeared around the corner.
The Centurion, Lucius Aetius Dalmaticus, rested a moment, leaning
against a wall of a gutted shop and rubbed his eyes. But only for a moment.
He motioned to the other soldier standing there. "Alright, back to your
post", he said, jerking his thumb in the direction from which they came.
Lucius Vatinius was taking a deep breath. "You alright?", asked the
centurion. The young soldier nodded. "I'm sorry for that scene Centurion.
She was on me so fast and I didn't..." "You didn't want to strike a
grieving mother", the centurion said, interrupting. "I guess I can understand
that." They surveyed the scene around them, the looted shops, the smoke
wafting through the morning air, and the blood. "It was her daughter I
imagine," Dalmaticus opined. They both turned at the sound of hoof beats
coming up behind them from the direction of the Praetorium. It was Tribune
Flavius Vedius Germanicus. Dalmaticus saluted, and the Tribune returned the
salute and dismounted, looking over scene. "Was there an incident?", the
Tribune asked. "No sir, just a distraught woman. Her family took her away."
"Is your area secured?"
"Yes sir. All occupants are either in hiding or dead".
Germanicus turned his head sharply and looked Dalmaticus. "Walk with me, if
you will, Centurion." The two began walking back in the general direction of
the Praetorium, Dalmaticus noticing that Germanicus was leading to a spot far
enough away from the posted guards that they could not easily be overheard.
"Sir, if I may venture to ask, what is the death toll so far?"
"Two hundred plus, and rising." Germanicus rubbed his eyes, tired. "What
happened Centurion?", he asked wearily. Dalmaticus cleared his throat.
"Hm...we were sent out to quell the riot sir. The men under my immediate
command did their job. Disperse the mobs, arrest those who resist. I am not
sure what....hm...I think things got out of hand sir." Germanicus smirked.
"No, things did not get out of hand, sir," he said with a tone of sarcasm and
bitterness, though not necessarily directed at Dalmaticus. "It was ordered.
The governor, damned idiot.....the governor ordered it". Dalmaticus was
stunned. "The Governor? Sir, what happened here was indiscriminate! Roman
soldiers have just butchered and plundered friendly provincials, not just
rioters! And this was ordered by the Governor?" Germanicus closed his eyes
and took a deep breath. "Well, he cannot survive this. Not this time. Now
the Emperor is going to have to replace him. A Jewish delegation is already
under sail for Rome to lodge a formal complaint. He cannot survive this. He
MUST NOT". Tribune Germanicus took a few steps, hands folded behind his
back. Dalmaticus pondered a moment, and then spoke. "Sir, if I remember
correctly, you were expecting certain friends of yours to visit. were you
not?"
Germanicus nodded. "Yes, Senator Marcus Cassius Julianus, his wife, a
sister, and some others. They're on holiday. They would still be in Athens.
Did you have a concern Centurion?" "Well, sir, not to be out of line, but
in light of what has just happened you may wish to write to them and suggest
that they consider postponing their visit for a time. It will take weeks for
Rome to learn of this. Things here may get uglier still". Germanicus thoght
a moment, nodded, and said, "Quite right. I will write to Cassius, warn them
of the situation. I'll send the letter by courier directly." "That is
easily taken care of Tribune", Dalmaticus replied. "Lucius Vatinus! Over
here!" The soldier immediately arrived and saluted the Tribune. "Sir!
Lucius Vatinus Lupus, reporting sir!" "Germanicus smiled. "This is your
lucky day son. You are getting out of this miserable place for a while. You
are to personally carry a letter for me to a Senator in Athens. Report to me
at the Praetorium. I shall hand you written orders, my letter, and travel
expenses. Report as soon as you have been relieved here".
"Yes sir! Hail Caesar!"
"Hail Caesar".
Lucius Vatinus did not need to be told to return to his post down the block.
The Tribune watched him depart, then turned toward Dalmaticus. "Let us pray
the Gods send a new Governor here on the wings of the wind!"
"Yes sir."
"And now you must excuse me Centurion. I have a letter to write."
End of Chapter I
This story will be posted in installments just as soon as I can get the
chapters written.
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