Do you know, before he had left Aquileia, perhaps
before he had passed the Alps, possibly before he had set out from
Sabaria, that man had despatched not one but a dozen detachments to
ascertain my whereabouts, consider how best to take me unawares, lie in
wait for me, nab me and hunt down my bands. I believe he had thought out,
far back in that head of his, long before Pertinax was murdered, perhaps
even long before Commodus died, every measure he would initiate if he
became Emperor, down to the smallest detail. He had all his plans framed
and thought out, I'll wager!
"His emissaries were no fools! They, first among those despatched against
me, knew their business. I was trapped near Sentinum, on the Kalends of
this month. Never mind how; even in this plight I'm ashamed of it. They
just missed nabbing Felix Bulla along with me. But he got away that time.
And I prophesy that now he is warned of his danger and knows the
cleverness of the men on his trail, he'll show himself yet cleverer. He is
a marvel, is Felix Bulla, and promises to outdo even my record."
He broke off, breathing audibly.
"By the way," he went on, "are you hungry? I have part of a loaf of bread
in here, not yet stale and no damper than it must get in this foul air.
Pages:
838
839
840
841
842
843
844
845
846
847
848
849
850
851
852
853
854
855
856
857
858
859
860
861
862