They watched
the tight blanket over his thigh and moved him a little away from the
brazier when the wool began to smoke.
I had never seen nor heard of this kind of torture, but it seemed
effectual. The fellow writhed, groaned, squalled and protested. After
Corbulo had him brought back before him he confessed that he had been
asleep in his cell from some time before Falco's murder until he was
aroused by Dromo, just before the arrival of Casperius and Vespronius.
One by one the other slaves were questioned. Three declared that they had
seen the janitor asleep not long before they heard the alarm.
Several more testified that the janitor had often been asleep. More than
half of them confirmed my story of the theft of the silver on the Nones of
May. Except the janitor not one was tortured, though Corbulo threatened
with torture several who hesitated in their testimony.
After the slaves Corbulo questioned Asellio and Lustralis.
Then, when they had stood aside, he gazed about at the spectators in the
nave, at the crowd behind them, interested in the next case or in others
to come up later, at the hangers-on in the side aisles; for a time, mute,
he stared at the glowing charcoal fire in the big brazier.
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