Amulet I Page 4

  ***

  The amphitheatre was crowded with Romans. The sun shone high above us. I was sweating in my armour and the bronze shield weighed heavily on my left arm. The two of us faced each other in a mortal combat. There was blood on the sand, for some criminals had been set against lions in the preceding bout. The lions of course were easier to remove once their bellies were full. The Senator in the box signalled the beginning of the fight and I eyed my opponent. He was a huge Gaul but as we fought, he had dropped his guard. We circled each other. Our eyes met. His fierce bearded and scarred face was terrible to behold. His eyes were steel blue and cold.

  I knew with a certainty that comes seldom in battle that I would win. The massive crowd cheered, the sound deafening, as it rose to a fever pitch. They had only come to watch the skill of the master of swordsmanship that I had become. They would not be disappointed.

  I struck a massive blow, which hit the barbarian's shield. He took the full force of the blow and swung his long sword at my head. I parried with my gladius and pushed forward with my shield. It took him unawares and he stumbled back but I tripped him as he fell back. He lay defenceless looking up at me. I raised my sword for the final stroke.

  'No, no! Spare me, I am just an ignorant barbarian' the vanquished Gaul said.

  'Very well, I am after all a true Roman,' I said.

  I turned to leave the amphitheatre as the crowd cheered me. The sound was deafening, but my opponent attacked again from behind. I had been a fool to leave him alive.

  The raised sword never landed. I was quick as lightening. I parried. The ring of metal upon metal. The cheering crowd. A thrust here and a parry and stab. Through the heart!

  I had struck down this treacherous enemy, who lay bleeding before me. I stood above him breathless and proud. The crowd roared as the barbarian champion fell, drowning his dying screams. Flowers were strewn and coins too. I would be a rich man at last and the world was mine!

  'Aulus!' called mother, 'Aulus, your father wants you.'

  'Yes Mother, I'm coming.'

  I had to stop the game of gladiators with the neighbour's son and hanging the wooden gladius from my belt, crossed the courtyard to my mother, chasing my short shadow in the sunshine. Over my shoulder I said, 'Sorry Julius, we can play again later. You can be the Roman next time, promise.'

  'He is in the study; he has something important to tell you' Mother said.

  I went inside, resenting the abrupt ending of the game by the adult seriousness that seemed to pervade everything these days. My father sat at the table with a wooden box open in front of him.

  'Aulus, come here lad. You see this box, with the scrolls in? Well, it contains the deeds to a large estate in Ariminium.'

  'Does that mean we are rich really?'

  'No, my son. We cannot claim it now, even though Sulla has retired. His people run the Senate and your uncle has much influence there. We cannot claim ownership and Marcus Mettius the elder has possession of the estate.'

  'Is it stolen?' I said with widening eyes.

  'No Aulus, it rightfully belongs to me. My father left it to me and when I go to Hades, it will belong to you. '

  'Oh,' was all I could think to say.

  'Those men that came in the night and did all that damage were after this document.'

  'I see,' I said, but I did not realise that this conversation was to shape the pattern of the rest of my life. It is often so, for the Gods obscure meanings from us and we are left to busy ourselves in their unpredictable and unfathomable patterns.

  'I am going to hide it. It will be hidden in the courtyard of this house and exactly where, is inscribed on this amulet, between the two stones.'

  I looked at the trinket twinkling in my father's hand. It was a small, bright, oval, green stone, the size of a man's little finger nail. Father had dovetailed the two halves into each other and he had bound them with silver wire to hold them together.

  'You must remember this. The message is very small and it is in Etruscan. You do know what Etruscan is, don't you?'

  'Yes father.'

  'Good. You must never take this off ever. Never give or sell it to anyone. It is the last piece of your family inheritance and you may need it when you are properly grown up.'

  Father placed the amulet around my neck, where it hung on its double leather thong like a lucky charm. It was a tight enough fit, but invisible under the neck of my tunic.

  'Father, may I ask you something?'

  'Yes, my son, of course you can.'

  'Why is everything so serious now? Even Gennadius seldom smiles.'

  'You poor little chap,' he said, 'it is only because we adults get worried about things. It will get better.'

  He ruffled my hair in an affectionate way.

  'The burglars won't come back will they?'

  'No, of course not. They didn't find the deeds and now when I have hidden them, there won't be any way for them to find them without the amulet. That is why you must keep it very safe. It is less than a year before you take up your manly robe and we will have to consider what you are going to do then.'

  'I want to be a soldier.'

  'The only successful way for you to do that, would be as a military Tribune and I have no money or influence to achieve that for you. Now that Marcus Mettius the senior is against us, it would be doubly impossible. He is rich and has influence and since you took it upon yourself to punch his son into oblivion I can't see that changing.'

  'I'm sorry father, but he was trying to hit me; I got cross. Anyway that was almost three years ago and maybe they have forgotten.'

  'They won't have forgotten. Just remember; never lose your temper like that again. It makes you hasty and you will do silly things.'

  'Yes father.'

  'Look at this. It's a ring for the chief vestal herself, just finished.'

  'That's nice,'

  'Is that all you can say? See how fine the features are on the medusa's head. It’s a work of art! I suppose you're too young to appreciate how much work goes into these things. You will, one day I hope.'

  'Yes father,' I said, shifting from one foot to the other. I was itching to be out and playing.

  'Good, now run along and play. Gennadius will be here soon and I expect you to do well with your lessons.'

  As I immersed myself in the game, I did begin to get a vague feeling that all the things my father had said would one day affect me, but for the moment, I was a Gaul, a big Gaul and one who this puny Roman would never get the better of in the arena.