Centurion's Rise (3 page)

“W
e’ll see,” Hastelloy cautioned.  “When I’m elected to the senate we can determine first-hand if democracy is working.  Do you agree that if things are not functioning we will need to institute a change in government back to a single monarch to keep the Neo Scale in balance?”

“At this point I am not sure that is even possible, Captain.  Even the mere mention of supporting another monarchy is considered treason
back in Rome.  They threw Manlius Capitolinus from the Tarpeian Rock and razed his estates in Capitoline just for bringing the idea up in a senate debate. 

Tonwen lowered his head out of a deep sense of shame for his mistake all those years ago.  Finally he nodded his he
ad up and down in agreement and slowly looked up to deliver one last rebuttal. 

“
Besides, I would hate to go backwards from here; the problem with a monarch is everything depends on that individual being a person of vision with the leadership abilities to achieve that vision.  If the people are ruled by ineptitude then that society burns up in flames of selfishness, or crumbles to dust from the weight of corruption.”

“Then
the trick will be getting the right person recognized as that monarch,” Hastelloy concluded.

Tonwen let his captain’s
words hang in the air for a few moments before pressing forward with his confrontational agenda.  “Now that we agree on how to correct my error in judgment, we need a resolution for yours.  The Hebrews have developed laws and ethics around a faith that worships one divine being.  The progression of worshiping many gods down to a single deity is the natural order of things so this is a positive step, but the belief the Hebrews hold that they are the chosen people is dangerous.  It engenders feelings of superiority that will cause much strife in the future if it is not corrected soon.”

“
To be honest, Tonwen, I pay very little mind to the religious pan of the Neo Scale for good reason - in the end it becomes irrelevant.  The more a civilization explains through science the less relevant religion becomes, and ultimately vanishes from society.  Why would I devote time and effort to a problem that works itself out in the end?”

Tonwen slowly shook his head from side to side.  “Sir, I am a scientist through and through and therefore completely agree with your assessment.  However, like it or not, at this point in time religion plays a pivotal role in society.  Look at Rome itself if you do not believe me. 

“They believe Jupiter, king of all the gods, granted Roman supremacy because they honored him the most.  Now everything revolves around keeping that god’s favor: sacrifices, oaths of office, marriage vows, peace treaties, and on and on.  I would argue that Rome’s collective faith in Jupiter, and the other gods he commands, controls more aspects of their lives than the elected senators ever could.”

“
You make a valid point,” Hastelloy conceded.  “But there are other Gods and competing religions all over the Roman Republic right now.  Given everything else I have going on I’m content to let natural selection run its course to weed out those mono and polytheistic faiths that don’t measure up.”

Tonwen
looked poised to continue the debate, but pulled up short and simply nodded his head up and down in agreement.  “I will let it go for now if I have your word we will address it aggressively if religion is found to be a major concern while we are in Rome.”

“You have my word,” Hastelloy said as he got up from the table and helped Tonwen carry his texts back to the library
so the servants could pack them for the voyage back to the city of Rome.  He turned to take one last look at the gentle waters of the Mediterranean.  The tranquility of the scene washed over him for the last time as he suspected nothing but rough waters lay ahead for the foreseeable future. 

Tomal staggered down
a narrow street in the middle of Rome’s brothel district just after sunset.  He received random course adjustments from his cluster of friends following close behind.  Tomal stopped to take one last gulp from his flask of wine and then tossed the empty container aside.

“Where to now boys?
” Tomal slurred through a drunken fog.

A fat
, hairy beast of a man stepped forward and put his arm around Tomal.  “We go to Angelina’s,” he shouted to great cheers from the other men.  “The whores are clean and the drinks aren’t watered down.”

“Good,” Tomal shouted as he raised his right
arm.  “For my drinking hand is empty and wants for more.”  He gestured his fist up and down several times as if he were having an imaginary beverage.  To his companions it looked like something else entirely.

“No need to pull on yourself there
, Citizen, we’re on our way to the whores to do the job for you,” a man bellowed to hoots and hollers from the drunken mob on their way to the disreputable establishment.

Tomal too
k care to stand up straight and walk under his own power before entering the brothel.  He burst open the door to Angelina’s, dropped a heavy bag of coins on the counter and shouted, “Drinks and twats are on me tonight my dear.”

The
madam of the house could not contain a bright-eyed smile when she saw the mob of engorged men and the accompanying bag of gold resting on her counter.  For the next six hours she made sure every man left the establishment with a drink in his hand and a broad grin across his face.

Tomal had long since passed out after utilizing the services of three women and consuming over twenty stiff drinks. 

The next morning a half-witted cleaning slave poked Tomal in the nose with her broom handle.

“You dead,” she shrieked
in his ear attempting to rouse Tomal from his drunken stupor.  Seeing the man was indeed alive she moved on with a frustrated grunt.

Tomal calmly pulled himself
to his feet.  Without a second thought, he grabbed the old slave woman, tossed her aside and proceeded to relieve himself into her cleaning bucket that rested on the partially mopped floor.

After finishing his business
Tomal bowed his head slightly toward the stunned woman and issued a mock salute touching an index finger to his brow.

“Continue,” he said and turned to settle his account with the madam at the bar.

He looked for the bag of coin he’d handed over at the evening’s onset, but it was nowhere to be found.

In a superior tone Tomal declared,
“I will settle my account now and have what’s left of my purse returned, Madam.”

The woman responded by pushing a piece of parchment in front of him
along with a quill already inked for writing.  “1,200 pokes with the girls and 5,553 drinks bought and paid for comes to a total of 241,000 Sesterces.  Your purse was 150,000 light so you will sign the note and pay in full by day’s end.”

“Your math can’
t possibly be correct,” Tomal protested.

“You
’re right,” the stern woman snapped.  “I gave the three girls you used for free since you were such a good customer; would you like me to add them to the bill as well?”

“How in the name of the g
ods could my group of twenty men drink and screw that much?” Tomal hollered in spite of the headache threatening to split his skull wide open.

“Your instructions before pass
ing out were quite clear; drinks and women were on you for the evening,” the madam countered.  “Word spread until nearly every citizen within walking distance stopped by to have his fill.  I even had to call in the girls still on their cycles to handle the volume.”

Tomal straightened his toga as best he could and
projected a commanding tone.  “I will not stand for this vile treachery.  You knew my intent.  You may keep the entire contents of the purse, but I will sign no note of debt.”

With that
declaration, three brawny men entered the room and stood directly behind Tomal with knives ready to be drawn.  He looked around the room to see if any of last evening’s companions still lingered to aid his cause.  He was disappointed to find the room completely devoid of allies - money buys a good time but not friends apparently.  The only other person in the room not under the establishment’s employ was an unconscious man perched on a bar stool against the back wall.  He would be no help.

Tomal swallowed hard and summoned his most contrite tone. 
“Your hired blades won’t help in this matter.  I have no means to secure so much money in a single day, or even a year.  That is a lifetime of earnings you demand of me.”

“Then your head on a pole at the front door with a sign reading dead beat debtor will
be an excellent example to others,” the madam answered with a snap of her fingers.

The three men drew their
blades, surrounded Tomal, and started to move in causing the blood to drain from Tomal’s face as his fate drew near.

“Such violence will not be necessary,” the
citizen in the corner said calmly.  He got down from his seat, approached the bar and placed seven golden Talents on the counter one by one.  “These will settle his affairs.”

The man then pulled out one more Talent, worth 20,000 Sesterces
, and placed it in the outstretched palm of the madam.  “And this is for making sure every citizen that came in last night knew who to thank for filling their pleasures.”

Tomal’s face lit up.  Having his life saved at the eleventh hour was thrilling, bu
t knowing his benefactor was now in town really made his day.

The generous
man thanked the madam once more, took Tomal by the arm and gruffly ushered him into the street.  Not a soul was stirring at the early hour so the two men stood alone.  Tomal turned to face the man and gave him a hearty embrace.

“It’s most agreeable to see you again
, sir,” Tomal said to his captain.  “Now we can really get your senate campaign galloping along at full tilt.”

Hastelloy broke the hug and stood back to dress down his subordinate. 
“I gave you specific instructions not to start spending serious coin on the campaign until the last few weeks.  The citizens always vote for the last name they hear before casting their ballot.  Why have you been racking up massive charges over the last six months?”

“P
eople vote for the name they hear most often during an election, not last,” Tomal countered.

“Oh really.
Then tell me, had I not come here last night when I got word some fool was buying drinks and women for everyone, would any of them have known my name?  You were passed out in the corner with an open tab rather than pressing palms and making sure everyone knew who to vote for in exchange for their good time.”

Hastelloy stepped up and got right in Tomal’s face.  “I was the one who turned last night into a campaigning event.  Under your stewardship all that money would have been pissed away with nothing to show fo
r it.”

Tomal’s only response was the dazed look of a man severely hung over.  What could he say?  Hastelloy was right
. He allowed himself to once again get caught up in the lavish moment of excess and would have foolishly squandered the funds.  It was a weakness that continued to haunt him.  Finally Tomal concocted a response to save the moment for himself.

“Your name has been spread about this d
istrict for months. Your opponent has already spent himself into bankruptcy trying to keep up.  The election is yours.”

“Including the bill I just covered for you in there, over a million Sesterces were spent,” Hastelloy vented.  “The same result could have been achieved through cheaper methods.”

Tomal swallowed hard realizing the next moment would send his commanding officer over the edge, but it needed to be said otherwise his life would soon be in jeopardy again.  “Your cost estimates are not entirely accurate, sir. When your funds did not arrive quick enough, I was forced to borrow money from other sources.”

Hastelloy’s face turned flush as he bit down on his lower lip to contain an outburst.  “How much,” he finally managed.

“Five million Sesterces in all,” Tomal admitted.

“That is outrageous!”
Hastelloy barely managed to contain and avoid waking half the city.

Not wanting to make a scene in the middle of a brothel district to sully his
epically expensive run for the Roman Senate, Hastelloy took Tomal under the arm and forced him towards the villa he and the rest of the crew occupied while in the capital.

“There wi
ll be a reckoning for this, Tomal, mark my words.”

*********
*

“Tell me,” Dr. Holmes interrupted his patient. “How much money would five million Sesterces be in present day American
dollars?”

“It would be about a one for one exchange, so Tomal racked up five million dollars of debt,” Hastelloy answered.  Anger was
still clearly on his mind.

“So that bill at the brothel from one night was almost a quarter million dollars
?” Dr. Holmes asked in amazement.  “How in the world is that even possible?”

“You don’t have to look to
o hard to find a present day example,” Hastelloy instructed.  “Just a few years ago a corporate CEO got himself fired for ringing up a quarter million dollar charge at a strip club in New York City on his corporate credit card.  I believe he is now affectionately referred to as the Lap Dunce.”

Jeffrey let out a laugh remembering the headlines.  How anyone could be so profoundly stupid was almost beyond imagination.
  The laughter subsided as he jotted down in his notes the patient’s incorporation of a present day headline into his delusional story about the past.  Even the specific debt amount of $241,000 Tomal accumulated matched the event that happened just a few years back.

Dr. Holmes glanced up to pose
his next question, “Was it all worth the price; were you elected?”

“Yes
, doctor, I was,” Hastelloy answered with pride.  “You are looking at a former member of the Roman Senate; sans the toga of course.  It was expensive, but ultimately worth the price.”