You know what that means to you."
The Emperor spoke with a sustained, white-hot fury and it was comical to
watch Satronius and Vedius, as I did by sidelong glances when the
Emperor's eyes were not on my face.
When he stopped, both magnates bowed low and each in turn expressed his
loyal submissiveness.
The Emperor dismissed them with a wave of his hand. To me he said:
"That will keep you alive, Hedulio and, I trust, help you to get back into
good health. Horrible bore, these small-size local matters; worse, if
anything, even, than the maintenance of the Rhine frontier. I loathe all
this routine. But my agents serve me pretty well. Besides putting me in
touch, with all this feud idiocy they have incidentally informed me that
you brought to Rome with you a son of Murmex Frugi, also a nephew of
Pacideianus, and a pupil of both, who has come to Rome to try his luck at
their former profession. Did you bring him here today? I hoped you would."
"I did," I answered, "and thanks to your orders, I was able to pass him in
with me. He is in this hall now." "Fine!" cried the Emperor, "and how
about your nine tenants, who stood by you so well in both fights. Did you
bring them too?"
"I should never have so presumed," I stammered, amazed, "It would never
have entered my head to ask entry here for such simple rustics.
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