Vespasian pulled his right arm back, his eyes fixed upon his prey, just thirty paces away, and hurled the spear with a mighty grunt, aiming a fraction in front of the doe. It flew true and the deer ran straight but the instant before impact it bucked and the spear just grazed under the beast’s belly and entangled in its hind legs, bringing it tumbling down in a flurry of thrashing limbs. Vologases’ driver hauled on his reins, slowing his team up, so that the Great King could jump clear. Vespasian joined him kneeling by the stunned creature; the doe breathed in fast, regular breaths as it lay on its side.
Vologases ran his hands over all four limbs. ‘None appear to be broken; she should be fine once she’s got over the fall. I shall hunt this pretty thing on another day and give her the death she deserves and not just skewer her as she lies helpless on the ground.’ Vologases got to his feet; he stood a full head taller than Vespasian. ‘Come, we shall eat.’
The main dish of rice with raisins, almonds, chicken and saffron had been exquisite and the accompanying platters of roasted meats and spiced vegetables had been equally pleasing. Vespasian sipped a chilled wine and settled back in his couch in the cool of the pavilion set on a lawn that sloped gently down to a reed-fringed lake alive with waterfowl.
Vespasian and Vologases were the only people dining; the rest of the party sat on blankets a respectful distance from the pavilion. Shadows lengthened as the sun disappeared into the west, torches were lit and Vespasian found it hard to comprehend that they were at the heart of one of the great cities of the East and not on some remote country estate.
Conversation had been polite and had not strayed onto any contentious subjects. It came, therefore, as no surprise to Vespasian when Vologases dismissed the two serving eunuchs and broached the real reason behind the invitation. ‘My enforced withdrawal from Armenia because of a lack of supplies after two frozen winters and then a rebellion in the east that needs my attention this summer have had the obvious consequence.’
Vespasian placed his goblet down; he did not need long to gather what that consequence was. ‘I assume that Radamistus has reinvaded?’
‘Of course; but it’s been unexpectedly fortunate.’ Vologases raised his brow. ‘Young pups like him don’t know how to rule: he’s executed every noble that he could catch, accusing them of betraying him. I think you’ll agree that’s very good for both of us.’
Vespasian stared in surprise at Vologases.
The Great King chuckled softly and sipped his wine. ‘Do you think that I cannot see that this crisis in Armenia has been manufactured? We have been provoked into an unnecessary war; but why? One look at Claudius’ age and health and the battle to succeed him tells me the real reason for this distraction. I do not know exactly who is behind it but I believe that you do, seeing that you just happen to have been in the right place at the right time. You, an ex-consul with an imperial mandate to act as ambassador to Armenia, come in from Cappadocia with an army led by a crippled idiot with no military experience, sack a peaceful town and then break the treaty between us by rebuilding Tigranocerta’s walls? Only the most obtuse of rulers would not see that there is far more behind this than meets the eye; especially as King Polemon of Pontus and his sister, the former Queen of Thracia, both sent Babak of Nineveh messages informing him exactly what was going to happen. How did they know?’
Vespasian retreated to the safety of his goblet.
Vologases inclined his head in recognition of his guest’s decision to remain silent rather than give the Lie. ‘The interesting thing was that Babak told his king but Izates never passed those messages on to me; it was almost as if Izates thought that Babak’s campaign in Armenia was about removing Radamistus for his own ends. Perhaps he felt that he could become king of that land as well? Fortunately Tryphaena sent me a very informative letter about my client king and I was able to have the royal army campaigning against Radamistus within two months of Babak’s arrival; the former satrap of Nineveh spent his final hours in much discomfort.’
Vespasian shuddered, knowing exactly what that entailed. ‘And Izates?’ he asked, hoping that the man who had robbed him of two years of his life had also ended up on the wrong end of a pointed stake.
‘He cringed and crawled and kissed the ground beneath my feet but I left him on his throne; I just didn’t leave him with the means to see it. Still, he has twenty-four sons and twenty-four daughters so I’m sure one of them will hold his hand and guide him about.’
Vespasian felt a surge of bitter joy at the justice of Izates’ fate. ‘That is very pleasing.’
‘I thought that would be your reaction.’ Vologases contemplated Vespasian for a few moments. ‘I will not ask you to tell me who you have been working for but I can guess. What I will ask you, Titus Flavius Vespasianus, is that, when you return to Rome to inform whomsoever, this unnecessary war of mutual convenience will be pursued with a modicum of vigour.’
‘Mutual convenience?’
‘Indeed. Tell them that the circumstances that have forced me to withdraw temporarily from Armenia will soon be dealt with; and next year I will return and we shall resume our sparring. I, like they, have political need of the distraction.’
‘To keep your subject races from contemplating too deeply their position?’
‘Amongst other things, yes; it also makes me look as if I’m defending my peoples’ honour and keeps my army sharp. War with Rome is a necessity, not a luxury.’
‘Yes, I’ve come to see that too, but from the opposite position.’
‘No wonder the powers behind the Roman throne only allowed you the bare minimum time as consuclass="underline" too much insight into high politics is a threat.’
Vespasian made no comment; if the Great King of Parthia could make inferences from his two-month term of office, then he knew he had been right to read it as an insult.
‘So, my friend,’ Vologases continued, ‘I may call you that, mayn’t I?’
‘I am honoured.’
‘Because of Radamistus’ behaviour, when I go back to Armenia next year I will have the nobility on my side and I will sweep Radamistus from the country and reinstall my younger brother as king. It will take quite an army a few campaigning seasons to prise him out again once I’ve put him back. It will provide a very good distraction in Rome during the change of regime and will no doubt give young Nero his first victory in the Purple and thus secure him in power. From what my agents tell me he has the potential to make Caligula seem a sane and reasonable man. A man who gets pleasure from sleeping with his own mother on a regular basis will undoubtedly descend into unrestrained excess and depravity in search of new thrills.’
Vespasian nodded, smiling thinly. ‘And you think what I think?’
‘I think he will be the last of the line, which is why Parthia will do everything in her power to ensure that he inherits. We’ll let the war rumble on in Armenia, then come to some diplomatic solution, after which Nero will concentrate on glorifying himself and financially ruin Rome. His subsequent assassination will spark a civil war that will further deplete Rome’s coffers and whoever comes out on top will have such a financial crisis to deal with that he will find it hard to defend his borders. Then, if Ahura Mazda has spared me, I can decide how to treat with the new Emperor from a position of power.’
‘Why do you tell me this?’
‘I was just curious as to why you support Nero with its inevitable consequences.’
‘To rid Rome of the Julio-Claudians once and for all.’
Vologases got to his feet. ‘And with whom would you replace them? I tell you, my friend, if you were my subject there would be very few extremities still attached to your body.’ He gave a friendly smile as Vespasian, too, rose. ‘I wish you a safe journey tomorrow. I have ordered a troop of royal camel archers to accompany the caravan; not too many so as not to draw undue attention to it but enough to see you safely back to your empire. I wish you luck; I doubt that our paths will cross again.’