Zelamir

Sejanus

Chapters 19-24

Chapter 19

(Chapter XCVI)

The porter, who had once when he had fought in the arena been a fine athletic figure the object of numerous ardent advances from many of the most aristocratic ladies in Rome but was now simply fat and lazy, faced with two bruised and dirty slave brats knew immediately that he had to refer them to the imperial slave Sisyphus whose task it was to keep a register of all such livestock. He therefore ordered one of his assistants to take Glaucus and the two boys to that functionary before resuming the thoughtful contemplation of the blank wall of his small lodge that had been occupying him previously. The assistant, a half starved youth as thin and as nervous as his master was obese and self important, led them scuttling along a series of narrow corridors. He paused before an open door which threw a bar of bright sunlight across the dark passageway.

Glaucus pushed the two boys before him into the room.

"Here we are Lord," he said addressing the back of the seated figure bent over the table in front of he window. "Two new slave brats for you."

Sisyphus scrabbled among the jumble of scrolls that littered the table top, found a tablet and stylus and twisted round in his chair. Marius his head respectfully bowed stole a surreptitious upwards glance. He saw a slight middle aged balding man wearing a clean but somewhat threadbare tunic with a mild somewhat worried expression on his face. Marius knew at that moment that this was one person of whom he need have no fear.

"Particulars?" The man asked mildly.

"Particulars. Particulars," Glaucus replied somewhat scornfully. "Well this one here is called Mariullus he's been brought here by the Lord Drusus as a gift for the Emperor and this," he continued cuffing Helios on the side of the head causing him to stagger sideways, "this is called Helios. He's been brought here by my Master Titus to be one of the Emperors little fish boys. He's an awkward little slut Sir and needs watching. Tried to run away twice Sir already but we've fixed that. Haven't we boy?" and he hit Helios again.

"I can see you have," Sisyphus said glancing at the two bloody stumps on the boy's foot where the Praetorian's axe had severed his big toes. His was a hard job for a kindly man. Boy after boy was brought before him frightened, bruised and filthy to be recorded as the property of his Imperial Master. All too often afterwards he would receive, perhaps within a few days, instructions to remove the child from the register. He looked at the two small cowering figures in front of him and wondered gloomily how long they would last in the service of the Emperor. The boy with the golden red hair looked a tough little animal he thought with a wiry athletic build. He had according to the account of that oafish slave who had delivered him had a hard life and probably had learnt the skills needed by a slave boy to survive.

The other boy though, the dark haired one, was a much softer looking little creature. Sisyphus could imagine the terror that one was experiencing as he was forced forward along his path of pain and sorrow. The horror, the helplessness, the numbing confusion. He could see it in the way he stood and the expression on his pale grubby face pinched with fear and fatigue. He wanted to take the child in his arms, to draw his naked body onto his knees, to kiss those soft sweet lips and to tell the poor frightened animal it's nightmare was over. He always felt pity for the boys who passed through his hands but for this one he felt something more. There was a helplessness an innocence about the boy that cried out to him for assistance. Assistance he knew he could not give. The brat had to take his chance and a very poor chance it was.

It was all though a matter of chance, he reflected sadly. It would depend in what sort of mood the Emperor was in, if and when one or other of the boys caught his eye. If he was in a good mood the lad would be pampered and petted and might live on for months indeed years. However it seemed from the evidence of the register that Tiberius was becoming increasingly bad tempered.

He himself had been lucky in his time. Now he only had to keep his head down and the chances were that he would be granted his freedom on the Emperor's death and, though it was treason even to think it, that could not be too far distant. He must just keep on quietly doing his work, not get involved in anything outside it, avoid upsetting any of his superiors and he would be all right

"Age, date and place of birth, name and occupation of father?" He continued wrenching his mind back to the business in hand.

"No idea," Glaucus said dismissively, "and does it matter. I don't expect this one even knows." It was Marius's turn to be thumped on the side of the head. "So far as I heard Lord Drusus picked him up in a brothel somewhere. Probably has some special skills that he thinks will entertain the Emperor," and he laughed coarsely.

"This one" Sisyphus winced as he heard Glaucus fist thud against Helios's ear, "though has got a fine father, a rich one, important too, with slaves like you and me to call him 'Lord' and run his errands and wipe his bottom as well I expect. Only thing was he wanted to be richer and more important so gave his son to my Master in return for his promising him the Emperor's favour. He took a few denarii for him as well to make the contract of sale legal like."

He laughed harshly.

"Tell the gentleman the name of your fine Dad boy," he jeered and laughed again.

"That's enough," Sisyphus said hastily. "You have done your work now and may go."

"You aren't afraid they're going to try to runaway Sir?"

"No there's no where for them to run too. Besides Helios won't get far if he tried after what's been done to him."

"Chopping off a brat's big toes certainly stops that sort of nonsense," Glaucus remarked complacently. "Well as you want to enjoy the little whores on your own I'll be off. Mariullus is the more practised. The dark haired one though is learning fast and gives good head, so take your pick Sir."

Sisyphus waited as the sound of the man's footsteps receded down the corridor. He looked at the two boys standing side by side, their heads bowed, thin shoulders stooped, grubby, frightened, the very picture of dejection and no doubt he thought, remembering his own time as a slave boy, very, very hungry. At least he could do something about the last.

"Stay here," he ordered and hurried from the room. He returned a few minutes later carrying a large earthen ware bowl filled with bean stew. The two boys were still standing where he had left them. They glanced up as he entered the room, their eyes fastened on the steaming bowl in his hands. He felt their gaze on him as he walked over to his chair and sat down. He placed the bowl on the floor and pushed it towards them with his foot.

"Well eat it then. Quickly."

The boys squatted down shovelling the stew into their mouths with their cupped hands. It was clear Sisyphus reflected as he looked down at the two small heads bent over the bowl that his order to the two boys to hurry had been unnecessary. He saw also, as he had expected, that the fair haired brat Mariullus was, unless he did something, going to get most of the food. He would not intervene until Mariullus had had his full share for he was a fair man but he was certainly going to see that Helios had half the food.

He was just about to kick Marius away from the bowl when to his surprise the boy settled himself back on his haunches and wiped his mouth clean with the back of his hand. He remained like that watching quietly until Helios had cleared the bowl. Sisyphus said nothing but he thought it was perhaps as well that the two boys were going to be split up. Friendships between boys could be deep and passionate and easily give rise to problems and divided loyalties when only one was allowed and that was to the Emperor..

(Chapter XCVII)

Sisyphus would not have hurried anyway for they were approaching the innermost parts of the Palace, those parts that were reserved for the Emperors private pleasures. He dreaded entering them. At other times he could block from his mind the nature of the appetites he was serving but here among these elegant colonnades and spacious courtyards there could be no escape.

Before him now rose three broad marble steps leading to a lofty portico and beyond that he knew the horrors really began. Reluctantly he moved forward. The courtyard he entered was sunny and as elegant as all the preceding ones but here the sound of water and bird song mingled with other less innocent noises. From the various alcoves that bounded it came a constant soft whimpering punctuated by the occasional moan or cry of pain, a sort of symphony of human, perhaps not wholly human, of lust and suffering. Sisyphus heard the two boys behind him cry out in surprise and terror. He tried to keep his eyes down but could not do so.

Glancing into one of the recesses he saw a man impaling a slim boy, perhaps twelve years, old on his swollen cock his heavily muscled buttocks working as drove his rod into the screaming child. On a bench at the back of the alcove sat three further men all fearsomely well endowed in various stages of sexual excitement. As he watched one of the seated men started to his feet, crossed to the boy, gripping him by his hair pulled back his head and plunged his erect prick into his open mouth. He could see the back of the boy's legs were slicked with blood and a pool of dark red fluid had formed about his heels. He knew that the boy was fated to be enjoyed by teams of men through out that day just to provide an arousing tableau to fire the waning desires of the Emperor if he should happen to pass. He knew too that the boy's time had almost come, that soon his almost lifeless body would be dragged away and another lad thrust forward to take his place.

In the next alcove a young girl was substituted for the boy, in the next dogs and children gambolled wantonly. Each succeeding alcove housed a different combination of sexes, ages and species engaged in a never ending round of sexual excess.

This courtyard formed the vestibule to the Emperor's private palace of delights. Beyond it three steps led down to a wide shimmering pool of crystal clear water in which naked boys sported and splashed, their excited cries ringing shrill in the still air, apparently oblivious to the obscene horrors so close at hand. But even here Sisyphus saw there was something to remind him of the cruel cause that he served for lying on the white flags by the pool side was a small brown body.

As he made his way down the steps followed by Marius and Helios a thickset man wearing only a loin cloth and carrying a short cutting whip moved forward to meet him.

"Got two more boys for me?" He asked hopefully.

"No just one. The dark haired child Polephemus," Sisyphus answered staring at the still small body at his the other man's feet.

"You'll have to do better than that. He's getting through them faster and faster. Third this week."

"How 3;" Sisyphus nodded dumbly at the little corpse.

"Oh his usual party trick," Polephemus rolled the lifeless body over with his foot and Sisyphus could see a round hole in the child's right temple from which blood and grey brains dribbled as if a peg had been hammered into his skull. "One minute he was fondling the poor little whore and he was giggling and wriggling his rump in the old lecher's, I beg your pardon, his Imperial Majesty's, lap and the next he jabbed his left index finger into the boy's skull. I've seen him do it with a grown man too you know."

"Well," Polephemus continued, "one's better than nothing I suppose."

"Looks as though he has had a soft life till now. Mummy's little favourite boy were you? Kidnapped for the Emperor's pleasure or given to him by your Dad to gain his favour. Well you'll loose what innocence you have here fast enough boy."

As he spoke Polephemus fondled Helios deliberately accustoming the boy to the trauma of being handled. He tipped back the child's head running a finger slowly along his half open lips. His hand strayed down the boy's body squeezing his nipples, caressing his flanks.

Helios stirred uneasily under the man's touch.

"Be still now boy," Polephemus murmured gently fingers playing for a moment with the child's hairless balls.

Sisyphus watched fascinated but revolted by the all too familiar process whose end would be the destruction of the boy's innocence and modesty. Helios trembled as animal excitement banished initial fear and revulsion form his mind. His small boy's cock quivered and began to harden in response to the man's touch.

Polephemus slid his hand round the back of the boy's body. For a moment it rested on the curve of the Helios's bottom. Sisyphus watching the boy's face saw his mouth and eyes open wide in shock. He knew that Polephemus's index finger had touched the lips of the child's anus. The boy's breath came in short pants his body arched in excitement and his little prick jerked upright it's pink tip pressing against his tummy.

Sisyphus sighed and averted his eyes. Every boy he told himself was a natural whore. When all was said and done Helios brought up a free boy in a sheltered home was no different than the slave brat Mariullus raised, so far as he knew, in a boy's brothel.

Let's see if you can swim boy," Polephemus said sharply and without further warning he seized Helios by an arm and threw him bodily into the pool. There was a cry a splash and a moment later Helios's dark head bobbed up out of the water and he began to swim strongly to the side of the pool.

"Good he survived that at least. Now I'll see how much I can teach him of his new duties before our Master pays a return visit."

He stripped off his loin cloth and dropping his whip on the ground vaulted into the pool. He stood legs astride the water lapping round his chest.

"Swim over here boy," he shouted and as Helios approached he reached out and placing his hand on the top of his head pushed him down into the water pulling him forwards. Sisyphus could see the man's prick standing rigid jutting out from the tangled forest of his pubic hair. The boy's face was drawn down into the man's crutch. The man held him there and Sisyphus saw Helios tongue lick the swollen pink tip of Polephemus's quivering penis.

He turned away beckoning Marius to follow him. It was clear he told himself sadly that Helios was well suited for his new duties.

His way now led through a series of lofty rooms and Marius, bare footed and naked padded behind him, wondering at the brilliance of the wall paintings and the sumptuousness of the furnishings which far out shone anything he had seen even in his own father's house before his fall when he had been the Emperor's favourite, Commander of the Praetorian Guard and Master of Horse. That the paintings and statues all illustrated scenes or acts of unparalleled licentiousness did not strike Marius after his experiences in the house of Scyrax the slave trader or Fabius's brothel as being at all strange.

Boys, some naked, some dressed in the shortest of tunics or the most exiguous of loin cloths, all of exceptional beauty, complimented the luxurious furnishings standing or kneeling waiting on their Imperial Master's pleasure.

The boys whose heads remained respectfully bowed as Sisyphus passed quickly raised them to subject Marius to a hostile apprising inspection. Sisyphus was nothing to them but Marius, a boy, and a good looking one, was a potential rival and therefore a threat.

Sisyphus pushed open a door. This time there were no erotic pictures or obscene statues just a large room with plane white marble floors and walls a few stools and a couch. Bright sunlight filled the room and through the windows Marius could see the brilliant blue of the Mediterranean speckled with white capped waves.

Titus Priscus lounged on the couch while Drusus stood with his back to the room staring out at the glittering sea. Sisyphus stood silent waiting to be noticed.

"You are a fool Drusus," Titus said wearily. "I advise you to come here so that your uncle the Emperor can see that you are no threat to him. So what do you do? You empty the room he allocates to you, one of the best guest rooms in the palace, of all its furniture and bring in some scraps of stuff you must have found, judging by its quality and design, in the Guards' barracks."

"The furniture that was here was not to my taste," Drusus replied tersely.

"You are worse than a threat to your Uncle. You are a reproach to him. He is Emperor. His health maybe failing but till he dies he will remain that and if you offend him or give him cause to think you are plotting against him he can have you killed. By so ostentatiously showing you do not approve of his tastes and activities you endanger yourself. Surely you could have put up with a pornographic picture or two for a short time."

"My presence here should show my Uncle that I am loyal subject and do not wish him harm though I may not share his taste in pictures and statues. Anyway the present I have brought him is better than anything I have thrown out; a living breathing boy rather than a painting or a bit of chiselled marble."

"The boy's well enough," said Titus acknowledging Marius's existence at last by looking at him, "but there are plenty more as pretty as him in this place."

"But not as many as brave as him."

Marius felt a rush of pleasure at these words and involuntarily squared his shoulders.

"Well boy," Drusus continued smiling indulgently to himself, it was amusing to see a slave brat behaving almost as if he was capable of the same feelings of pride and loyalty as a free boy, "will you dance for me as you did when I first saw you?"

"Master I will dance better than that."

"See that you do boy for you will be dancing not only for your own life which matters little but for mine that matters rather more and for the Emperor's pleasure that matters more than either."

"Take him to be trained with the other dancing boys," Drusus continued speaking to Sisyphus. "I wish him to perform at a dinner then I will give to my Uncle. He has five days to prepare himself."

He waved his hand dismissing Marius and turned to chat again with Titus banishing the boy from his mind even before he had been taken from the room.

Chapter 20

Once or twice Drusus himself appeared in the training hall moving among the horde of naked sweating boys, immaculate in his freshly laundered tunic, gazing about himself with a quietly amused gaze. Then Marius would smile shyly at his Master and throw himself with renewed concentration and effort into his training while Drusus watched chatting to one or other of the trainers. Once he heard one of the trainers say "he's a hard worker that one Lord and he'll put on a fine show for you," and Drusus reply "I know he will," and he felt a surge of pride and gratitude.

The day of the show came. The boys who were due to perform were rested and given extra food. They sat and stood around, tense and quiet, while the trainers moved among them patting bare bottoms, ruffling hair, talking quietly, joking, assuring them that they had worked hard and were going to do well; doing anything to ease the tension and to get them through the few hours remaining before they were to appear.

Marius was ready for his performance, his body oiled and glistening, his eyes rimmed with kohl, cheeks rouged, nipples gilded and slim chains with tiny bells round each ankle and wrist. A trainer strolled over to where he was resting after a series of loosening up exercises.

"You ready boy," the man said giving the back of his neck a friendly squeeze.

"Yes Sir," Marius replied 3; He was tense but knew that nothing he could now do would improve his condition.

The man slipped his hand down the Marius's back relishing the feel of his smooth young body. It came to rest on the curve of the boy's bottom. Marius caught his breath and wriggled with pleasurable excitement.

"That's good boy." The man laughed withdrawing his hand from the Marius's rump and gently flicked the tip of the boy's cock, upright and quivering, "I want you hot. You'll dance better that way and the Emperor likes his boys eager. Now you're a friend of Hanno aren't you? Go and keep him company 3; You can have fun with him but you're not to come. He can – you're not to."

Hanno was a slim, long legged, black lad who was being trained as a swordsman with whom Marius had struck up a friendship over the past four days. Marius knew he also was among the boys chosen to perform before the Emperor that day. He found Hanno sitting on the floor his back against the wall staring silently into space tears running down his cheeks. He sat down beside him. The boy stirred slightly but otherwise did not acknowledge his presence. Marius rested his hand on the other boy's bare thigh.

"You all right Hanno?" he asked.

"I'll manage," the boy muttered.

"What is it Hanno can I help?"

"Nobody can. I just don't want to die."

"Well perhaps you won't. I've seen you practising. You're as good as any with the sword. Maybe you'll win 3;"

"I'm to fight the lion," Hanno said dully, "the trainer told me just now. He said all the things you are saying now. I've seen five boys put in the cage with the lion and he has killed each one of them. What chance have any of us boys got against a thing like that?"

Marius said nothing. Indeed there was nothing to say. He had heard enough talk in the training school to know that what Hanno said was right. Quite apart from the fact that there was more audience appeal, so far at least as a Roman audience was concerned in general and one containing the Emperor Tiberius in particular, in a lion tearing to pieces a handsome boy, there were sound economic arguments for seeing the lion came out on top. Put simply a boy, even a healthy good looking one, cost considerably less than a lion.

"I'll try though," Hanno continued talking almost to himself. "Some of the boys he's killed must have cut him a bit before he got them. Maybe that's slowed him up a bit 3; Anyway what else can I do 3;"

As Hanno spoke Marius slid his hand up the inside of the boy's firm young thigh. Marius's hand reached the junction of the other boy's legs. Hanno stirred slightly but said nothing. It was good Marius thought that the other boy was hard. He would, at least for a moment, forget about what was to come. He bent forward, his cheek brushing against Hanno's bare chest, lowering his face into his crutch. He ran his tongue along the length of the other boy's rigid cock feeling the blood pulsing within it. He explored Hanno's slit for a moment with the tip of his tongue. The black boy was a year or two older than Marius and a few wiry hairs had begun to sprout about the base of his prick. These tickled Marius's nose as he took Hanno's cock into his mouth.

Marius found that having Hanno in his mouth was very different from having to suck a man. For one thing Hanno's was a boy's cock that he could accommodate comfortably in his mouth not a jaw stretching throat blocker. For another he felt altogether differently about doing it. He had been excited, once he had been broken to it and the initial revulsion overcome, by the feel of a man's swollen rod between his lips but that excitement had been in some peculiar way fed by fear and the feeling that he was being subordinated to the man's lusts. With Hanno he felt none of this, just affection mixed perhaps with pity and a wish to give the other boy as much pleasure as he could in the last few hours remaining to him.

Hanno sat quietly his hand resting on the back of Marius's head as he worked with his tongue and lips on the older boy's cock. Suddenly Hanno tensed, arching his body and lifting his knees and Marius's mouth and throat was filled with his warm slightly metallic tasting seed. Swallowing desperately Marius choked and lifted his head. Wiping his mouth clean with the back of his hand he bent forward again, teasing Hanno's now flaccid prick with his tongue. Marius lost count of the time he brought Hanno to orgasm during the next few hours

Marius was brought back to reality by a the sound of men shouting and the tramp of shod feet. He realised that he must have fallen asleep. He raised his head from Hanno's lap and looked about him. A fully armed detachment of the Praetorian Guard had entered the hall. The trainers now armed with short whips, their earlier friendliness forgotten, were moving among the boys kicking them to their feet and herding them towards the door. He shook Hanno awake. The black boy looked about him in a dazed manner. Marius saw a trainer approaching swinging his whip. Grabbing Hanno by the hand he pulled him to his feet and dragged him forward to join the milling crowd of naked boys.

With a good deal of cursing and pushing the boys were formed into a more or less orderly column with Guardsmen with drawn swords at front and rear. The trainers flanked the column on either side keeping the boys together and moving. Once clear of the slave quarters they were hurried along a series of lofty halls and wide stairways. They passed occasional groups of richly dressed men and woman, courtiers and servants of the emperor. Mostly these people ignored the column of naked boys but one or two among them would usually turn and stare and then make a comment which would raise a laugh.

Finally they came to the largest room that Marius had ever seen in his whole life. A vast basilica with a domed roof lit, now the day was drawing to an end, by innumerable oil lamps. A flight of shallow steps led down to the central area of this great hall while on the raised area about were set ornate couches and tables.

The boys were hustled down the steps and the trainers set about organising them into groups seated on the marble floor around the edge of the miniature arena. A trainer tried to separate the two boys but Hanno who still seemed to be lost in a world of his own clung so tightly to Marius's hand that the man gave up.

The greater part of the central area was occupied by a large cage with gilded bars and a sanded floor. Clearly Hanno's fight with the lion was first act of that evenings entertainment.

There was a roar of a wild beast. Eight sturdy slaves staggered into the hall carrying slung between two thick poles an iron cage just large enough to hold an enormous and very angry lion. They were followed by four Nubians carrying long spears. The men carried their burden down the steps and placed it on the floor, one end against the door of the gilded cage. The Nubians stood by with levelled spears until the lion was safely installed in the larger cage. Despite all these precautions it managed to slightly gore one of the slaves hurling itself at him as he was securing the door of the cage and tearing a long gash in his arm. He staggered backwards blood streaming from the wound as the lion threw itself in a fury at the now safely fastened door roaring loudly, causing the whole cage to shake.

"He's hungry today," one of the trainers remarked. "Lucky they got that door shut by then or he'd have been out and have had an early dinner. Spoilt his appetite for that black boy." The other trainers laughed. Marius put his arm round Hanno's shoulders thankful that the lad still seemed to be in a daze.

There was a blast of trumpets and into the hall came a tall strongly built man who walked stiffly with his head thrust forward looking about himself with a grim unyielding expression. After him came a jostling crowd of toga clad men and ornately dressed women, chattering and giggling, lamp light flashing on rich jewellery. Marius saw his master Drusus among the crowd. He seemed to be the only man apart from Tiberius himself who looked miserable. The Emperor stretched himself on a couch and in an instant the room was filled with a crowd of naked serving girls and boys carrying silver wine jugs from which they filled the guests drinking cups. Tiberius picked up his goblet in his left hand and drank deeply.

"Well Titus Priscus," he said addressing the fat man who had taken the couch to his left, "I see as usual some miserable brat is going to be put in to fight the lion. I am getting bored with seeing boys torn to pieces by it. Can't you think of something new."

"Your nephew Drusus Sir has brought you a new slave, a dancing boy. I have seen him dance Sir. He is something special."

"A dancing boy with a painted face wobbling his bottom at me. I want something new. Not the same old stuff."

"This one is different. He dances on a beam over a bed of burning coals. And it's not just dancing he does leaps and all sorts of things. One mistake he's in the fire cooking."

"That I suppose would be something," Tiberius remarked holding his goblet out so that the pretty curly haired boy who was serving him could refill it. "If it happened that is. Well if he isn't as good as you say he is I'll have him thrown on the coals anyway. His screams will be an improvement on some of the singing I have to listen to."

"All right. We might as well begin. Both I and the lion are getting hungry."

Titus signalled to one of the trainers who beckoned to Hanno. The boy sat staring unseeingly in front of him. Marius who had seen the signal and knowing that disobedience was impossible stood up and led the black boy forward. The trainer took Hanno by the arm and at that moment the boy seemed to realise what was about to happen to him. He stared about wildly and pulled away from the man. The trainer's grip held firm and another man darted forward to take hold of the boys other arm. Together they dragged the struggling boy to lion cage's door. Hanno was screaming now his arms and legs jerking as he fought, the light glistening on his oiled and naked limbs.

Tiberius lent forward on his couch a slight smile crossing his grim features a trickle of saliva running from a corner of his mouth.

One of the Nubians threw open the door of the cage while two more stood on either side of him their spears levelled pointing at where the lion crouched snarling, ready to spring. Hanno was thrown through the door landing on his hands and knees on the sanded floor. A sword was thrown in after him. He seized the sword, a light short bladed weapon, clearly selected so as to ensure that not too much damage was done to the lion, and backed towards the gate. A Nubian hit him between the shoulder blades with butt of his spear sending him staggering forwards.

The lion leapt at him. Hanno was just quick enough to recover his balance and jump to the right before the animal was on him. As he jumped he slashed at the lions flank with the sword opening a long gash just behind it's left foreleg. The brute turned snarling and began to slowly circle the boy.

The dinner guests hooted and clapped their appreciation of the sport, excited by the contrast between the massive strength of the lion and the slight graceful boy. Marius saw his lord Drusus sitting to the right of Tiberius. He seemed to be more interested in the floor beside his couch than the contest between lion and boy.

The lion made another dart at the boy. This time Hanno was not quite quick enough and the lion caught him a long glancing blow down his left side it's claws ripping the flesh away from the side of the boy's chest. Hanno staggered and collapsed on one knee the blood streaming from his wound. He still had his sword and he raised it to thrust again as the lion sprang at him again. It was useless though. Disabled by his wound, unable to move, the lion simply brushed the sword away. There was a shrill scream and the lion standing with one paw on the boy's mangled trunk began to tear the flesh from his carcass. The dinner guests applauded wildly.

Tiberius who was eating lark tongues steeped in honey took another deep swig from his wine cup and burped.

"That was better, he remarked to Priscus. "It took longer than usual for the lion to kill that one. I do hope the animal is not too badly hurt. They're extremely expensive you know."

"I'm sure it's just a scratch Sir," Priscus said reassuringly.

Tiberius turned back to watch the proceedings in the pit. The Nubians were engaged in manoeuvring the lion back into it's travelling cage. This was dangerous work and there was always a chance of the lion killing again. Disappointingly though all went smoothly on this occasion.

Slaves quickly dismantled the cage clearing away the blood stained sand.

Now tumblers and jugglers were sent forward to entertain the diners. Not that these were ordinary performers. The jugglers used swords and flaming torches in their acts while the tumblers performed among sharpened blades and rings of burning cloth. Scorched or sliced flesh was a constant danger to all of the crowd of naked boys who laboured, light glistening on their oiled bodies, to entertain the Emperor's guests.

There was a clash of cymbals a blast on the trumpets and suddenly the floor was clear of boys. The oil lamps were extinguished. The marble paving was rolled back [Author's note: recent excavations of Nero's Golden House indicate that this sort of arrangement was well within the technical capacity of the Romans] to reveal a mass of charcoal that glowed dully white and red in the surrounding darkness. A drum began to sound a single monotonous beat. [Author's note: there is surprisingly little evidence that the Romans used drums. In fact there is, so far as I know, none. However this is one of the occasions that a drum was used 3; how else would Marius have been able to time his performance?] Slaves ran out and laid a single narrow wooden bar across the gap in the floor below which the coals glowed hotly.

Marius taking a deep breath to steady his nerves and rubbing resin into the palms of his hands stepped forward. He raised his hands above his head. He ran leapt and did a backwards somersault landing with arms spread wide on the middle of the bar the light from the coals beneath him shining redly on his naked body. For the next quarter of an hour his world contracted so that all he was aware of was the beat of the drum, the aching of his muscles as the energy drained from his body and the heat of the coals. He leapt, he twisted, he somersaulted and did backwards flips. He deliberately appeared to misjudge a leap so that it seemed that he would inevitably fall headlong into the coals. He could hear the gasp from the watchers as he teetered precariously on the bar fighting to regain his balance. Then a trainer appeared at one end of the bar cracking a whip as Marius danced leaping and and jumping to avoid the snapping lash. Then a second trainer appeared at the other end of the bar with another whip. Swords replaced whips and still he danced, the light flashing on the steel blades as they sliced at his wildly capering legs and body. It seemed that it was inevitable that he should be wounded but somehow he never was.

Then as suddenly as the lamps had been extinguished they were relit. Marius with two backward flips was on his knees on the floor facing the emperor, his body bent back, the back of his head resting on the floor and his arms thrown wide. Drusus looked down at the boy's panting body glistening with sweat and oil his little prick standing erect in excitement and felt a feeling of revulsion. While the boy was dancing he had felt, however stupidly, anxiety and even a little guilt. Was he justified in using and risking this boy to further his own ambitions. These doubts now vanished. The brat with his painted face and gilded nipples and obvious sexual excitement was clearly nothing but a slut, no more than an animal, no decent worthwhile boy would make such an exhibition of himself. Drusus was not the first, nor certainly the last, to justify his own wickedness by blaming it on his victim.

Meanwhile Marius waited to know his fate. He heard a foot step beside him. A man hands grasped him by the arm. He was led up the steps to stand beside Tiberius's couch.

He knelt there his head bowed.

"You," he heard a deep authoritative voice say and then he was covered with a warm mess of red wine and regurgitated food as the Emperor of Rome, the Father of His Country, puked his dinner up over the naked slave boy.

Chapter 21

He had put his whole heart into his performance in the service of his Lord Drusus, the man he loved and admired; who was all the things he wanted to be, brave and strong and proud, had not fate made him a slave brat; who had saved him from the cruel Macius. He knew that he had done well and such pride as a slave could feel had welled up in his breast when he was summoned by the Emperor. He had gone forward to kneel beside his couch expecting to be petted and made much of; knowing that he had served his Lord by pleasing the Emperor and knowing that his Lord, for he was there watching, knew that he had succeeded. Now instead of praising him the Emperor had vomited his stomach contents over him.

Strong hands gripped him. He was hustled away. Someone gave him a beaker of ice cold water that he downed in a single gulp. He was made to stand in a great basin of warm water while a man washed the filth from his body. The man was very gentle and very thorough. As he worked he spoke softly. "There's a pretty boy. Stand still now and we'll soon have you fit for the Emperor between the legs now, behind there 3; put your legs apart my beauty and lean forward 3; We've got to clean in there too my love 3; You like that boy? 3; I can see you do 3; A hot little whore aren't you my sweet?" And laughing he flicked with his thumb nail Marius's small cock which had risen again as the man had sponged out the most intimate recesses of his body.

The man rapped a thick towel round Marius's shoulders. Sitting down on a wooden stool he began to dry the boy paying particular attention to his bottom and crutch.

"I'm afraid the Emperor doesn't like his boys greased 3; He says he wants them to really feel when he enters them 3;but we'll just loosen you up for him my sweet 3; So over my knee you go and spread your legs 3; Get that pretty little bum of yours up in the air 3; Well, well you know what to do don't you whore? One finger 3; Two fingers 3; I'm not the first one up there am I 3; That's good, it won't be as hard for you as some 3;"

Marius lay across the man's knees his bottom raised as the man readied him for the Emperor's enjoyment. Then he found himself tipped back on his feet. Exhaustion physical and emotional had taken it's toll of the boy and he staggered hardly able to keep his balance. Holding him steady the man once more draped a towel around him and then lifting him he cradled him in his arms.

Marius half asleep from exhaustion was conscious of being carried through a series of large rooms. Once the man carrying him was stopped, the towel in which the boy was wrapped was pulled back, and Marius heard the murmur of voices and saw a lady wearing an elaborate pearl tiara and another man peering down at him.

"Where are you taking him?" the women asked.

"He's the Emperor's play thing for tonight," the man carrying him replied.

"Poor child he's so young and so pretty 3;," the woman began speaking softly but her companion interrupted her brusquely.

"Better a slave brat like him than one of his betters," he said and turned away and drawing the woman after him.

Later they stopped again. There was a murmur of voices and the towel was once more parted. This time Marius saw a soldiers face topped with a plumed helmet looking down at him. The man grinned and nodded 3; Marius heard the sound of a door being opened. Then he was tipped from his cocoon of towelling onto a broad couch. He lay there half asleep. On the wall above him he could see a large brilliantly coloured painting where a heavily muscled man sodomised a beautiful young girl. Beside them lay the carcass of a gigantic boar while round them sported a crowd of naked boys and girls. [Author's note: this would have been the painting by the artist Parrhasius of Atlanta and Meleager indulging in an act of gross indecency, mentioned by Suetonius as being kept by Tiberius in his bed chamber.] A soft fur was drawn up over his body. The man's thrusting hips, the woman's softly yielding limbs, the children's delicate bodies formed a jumbled kaleidoscope of forms and images in Marius's mind and he slept.

He was woken by men's voices and loud laughter. The fur was jerked away leaving him lying naked on the bed. He looked up and saw Tiberius's leering drunkenly down at him his face flushed, his eyes glazed saliva dribbling from the corner of his mouth. Behind him stood Titus Priscus in a hardly better condition. It was obvious that both the Emperor and his pimp were drunk.

"A present from Drusus you say?" He asked slurring his words. "A pretty little whore. My nephew has more taste than I thought."

Marius, who knew what was required of him, rolled onto his belly and parting his legs pushed his bottom up ready for the Emperor to enjoy. He lay there while the two men stood looking down at him chatting. He was frightened. He had seen enough during his short stay in the Palace to know that Tiberius was a man of cruel and bloody pleasures. Now this man who found pleasure in the sufferings of his slave boys was about to satisfy his lusts on his own body. But there was no escape. He could only submit and hope by trying to anticipate and satisfy the man's needs to escape at least with his life.

"Drusus will be overjoyed to learn that his present has pleased you," murmured Titus.

"But you," Tiberius bent forward and ran his hand gently over Marius's raised bottom as he talked, "you are meant to provide me with my pleasures not Drusus. Why has he given this boy to me? He disapproves of my tastes I know it."

"So why? Does he think that I am growing old and wants to please me so that I name him as my successor? Or is this some part of a plot? Has this brat been sent here to kill me? Is that it Titus?" As he spoke Tiberius's voice rose higher and higher so that be the end he was almost screaming.

"My Lord," Titus said quietly, "How can the boy harm you. You are a man and a strong one. He is a mere boy and he is naked. He can have no weapon or poison hidden about him. Enjoy him Lord. That is what he is here for, for you to enjoy."

"True," Tiberius said more calmly. "But," and his voice began to rise again, "but this maybe just a trick to set my mind at rest. This time the boy is sent to me naked. Perhaps Drusus hopes that the boy will win my trust and then to use him to kill me."

"I am sure Lord that Drusus gave the boy to you to show you his love and gratitude and for no other reason," Titus said patiently.

"You maybe right but I will be careful. There are plots everywhere. It is not gratitude or love Titus that keeps Drusus and the rest of Rome faithful to me but fear and they think that as I grow older my grip will relax. It will not. Rather I will squeeze them tighter." As he spoke he clenched his hand which was resting on Marius bottom causing the boy to gasp with pain.

"Ha child you were sleeping when I came in. I like my boys to feel me when I enter them." Tiberius's voice now had lost it's shrillness and was soft and silky smoothed but still slightly slurred from drink. "I'd better liven you up a bit. Make sure that you are really awake."

Even while he was speaking a youth appeared from out of the shadows carrying a whip. Tiberius shrugged off his toga allowing it to fall in a heap around his feet. Marius seeing the powerfully built man with the thick pelt of red body hair towering over him whimpered in terror. Taking the whip in his left hand Tiberius stood for a moment looking down at the boy, savouring the child's fear.

"I sometimes think," he remarked to Titus who was standing beside him his eyes glittering in excitement, "that this is the moment I enjoy the most, the anticipation, the feeling of power and the fear and misery of the boy. I like it most with a free boy. One who has not been whipped before. He knows he's going to be hurt. But he doesn't know how much. That makes his terror all the greater and more enjoyable to watch."

"A slave boy like this will be well used to the lash, but, look Titus, the little dear is crying. He doesn't want to have the whip tear his poor tender carcass."

As he spoke he drew the lash slowly up Marius's body and the boy shuddered as it's touch. For a moment he allowed the plaited leather whip to lie curled and snake like on the boy's back. Marius whimpered. He had been whipped before, but always for a purpose, to punish him or to break his will. He knew then that once this purpose was judged to have been achieved the whipping would be over. This time he was going to be flogged for no other reason than the man enjoyed doing it. That was much worse for there was no limit to it and it might be ended only by his death.

There was silence broken only by Marius's muffled sobbing. Then Tiberius stepped back and raising his left hand over his shoulder brought the whip whistling down. The lash landed across the boy's rump with a loud crack. Marius's body jumped as though it had been convulsed by an electric shock, arching backwards, and legs thrashing as the agony tore through him. For a moment the lash left a white band across the smooth brown curve of his bottom but this quickly darkened to a deep lived red tinged with purple. Where the tip of the lash had curved round the side of his bum and nipped his flank a single bead of blood welled from the broken skin.

It felt as though a bar of white hot metal had been drawn across his bottom. The pain drove the breath from his lungs. For a moment he struggled for air and then he screamed. He was still screaming when the lash descended for a second time and a third and a fourth. Tiberius plied the whip vigorously bringing it cracking down time after time across Marius's rump as the naked boy writhed and howled under the lash. Tiberius was a skilled craftsman for he had had plenty of practice, he timed the stroke carefully so the boy would feel every cut of the whip to the maximum. Nor did he lay every lash straight across Marius's bottom. He varied the length and direction of his strokes. So that taking advantage of the suppleness of the lash and the Marius's desperate contortions under the whip he ensured that it's tip reached the most sensitive parts of the boy's rump ripping the tender flesh on the inside of his thighs, nipping at his perineum and biting down into the cleft of his bottom.

Tiberius wielding the lash with artistry and skill wrenched scream after scream out of the lungs of the tortured boy. At last tiring of his sport he threw the whip to the ground. He bent forward and with the tip of his tongue licked a drop of blood from the boy's broken flesh. He smelt the stale stench of urine and saw the furs spread beneath the boy were wet and stained.

Marius even in his agony remembering what he was and hat he was there for rolled flat on his face and spreading his legs lifted his torn bottom offering himself to his Master in a gesture of abasement and surrender as explicit as when a cur offers it's throat to a bigger dog.

Kneeling between the boy's legs on the damply warm furs Tiberius parted the lips of Marius anus with his thumbs. The pressure of the man's hands on his flayed and bleeding bottom sent renewed waives of pain through the boy's body. He felt the tip of man's cock pressing into him. Well trained from his time as a boy whore in Fabius's brothel Marius pushed outwards trying to ease Tiberiu's's entry into his anus. Something was wrong. The man's cock bent and failed to penetrate. Suddenly Tiberius slumped forward on top of Marius who cried out as the man's weight bore down on his bruised and torn bottom. Sunk in a drunken stupor, oblivious to the boy's suffering, Tiberius began to snore loudly.

Marius lay face down on the urine soaked fur pinned down under the body of the sleeping man. Eventually Tiberius stirred and rolled on to his side. For a time Marius lay staring unseeingly into the darkness. The pain from his lacerated bottom was excruciating but even worse was the knowledge that he was defeated. That all his plans to win his own freedom and to save the maid Pannychis who had been so good to him were at an end. He had no illusions now. He knew he was the play thing of a man who delighted in inflicting pain. He had survived one day. He would not survive many more. The despite all his misery and pain exhaustion took it's toll and he slept.

When Marius woke he could not for a moment remember where he was or how he had got there but the fiercely burning stripes on his bottom and the stale smell of the soiled bedding quickly revived his memory of who where he was how he got there. Tiberius had rolled onto his back and was snoring loudly. Marius lifted himself onto one elbow and looked across at him. A pelt of coarse red hair covered his body. The boy's eyes were drawn inexorably to Tiberius's's penis to whose service he had been bound 3; Wart covered and ribbed with blue veins it rose, semi-tumescent, out of the man's thick forest of pubic hair. Even in that state it was a formidable weapon. Marius pictured it iron hard and fully erect being hammered by the mans powerful loins into his own slight body, his sphincter tearing, his body split and broken by the cruelly swollen rod.

But even as he imagined the pain the thought of that massive cock buried in his guts strangely excited him and he began to harden.

He twisted over onto his knees and bending forward lowered his head into the man's crutch. His nostrils were filled with the tart odours of Tiberius's body, a mixture of sweat, urine and faeces. He kissed the base of the man's prick just at the point where it emerged from his swollen hair covered ball sack. The man's pubic hairs felt coarse against his lips. Marius ran his tongue along it's full length to it's top. For a moment he teased the pink helmet that capped it with the tip of his tongue. Tiberius stirred in his sleep and murmured incoherently. His cock now was fully erect and Marius could feel the blood throbbing urgently within it. It was clear that the effect of the alcohol that had previously inhibited the man's performance had completely worn off.

Quickly moistening his lips with his tongue Marius took the top of the man's prick between them. He had to open his mouth wide to accommodate the swollen rod of throbbing man's flesh. He almost gagged on it but using a trick learnt during his time in Fabius's boy's brothel he swallowed taking it's full length down into his throat. During his service with Fabius he had won himself a reputation as an expert cock sucker. Now he used all that hard earned skill to service the Emperor. Marius's whole being was concentrated on this task. All he was conscious of was Tiberius's pulsating cock thrusting down into his gullet . Throat, tongue and lips; sucking, licking, massaging; all had their parts to play in bringing Tiberius to the point of orgasm.

Marius tasted pre-cum on his tongue. He felt the blood in the man's cock surge. Hands grabbed hold of the back of his head holding him down. He could not breath. His head swam and his eyes darkened. Then Tiberius's wholly body shuddered his prick jerked convulsively jetting floods of semen deep into the boy's throat. Marius gagged, the warm thick musty tasting fluid filled his throat. He swallowed desperately.

At last Tiberius's released his hold of Marius's head and pushed him away. Marius crouched on his knees panting or breath cum trickling from his mouth.

A slave boy hurried into the room carrying a goblet of warm wine mixed with honey. Tiberius took the drink and swallowed it in one gulp. Suddenly the room was filled with young slaves all ministering to their Master. One held a pot into which Tiberius relieved himself, another slipped sandals onto his bare feet, others rapped towels about his shoulders.

Tiberius stood up. Another boy offered him a salver heaped with figs and little wheaten cakes. He took a cake and biting into it he left the room surrounded by his young attendants.

For a moment Marius thought he was forgotten but a few minutes later youth appeared and gesturing to him to follow lead the way to a large steam filled room. In the centre of the room Tiberius lay face down on a marble bench while a naked boy kneaded oil into his shoulders and back. Marius not knowing what to do squatted in a corner of the room watching the boy. He was, as were all Tiberius's attendants, a pretty child and Marius noticed that his tiny prick was erect and wobbled as he massaged the man's strongly muscled body. The boy worked his way methodically down Tiberius's body, his face serious and absorbed, his small fingers pressing deeply into the man's bare flesh. Tiberius spread his legs and the boy standing so close to the man that his bare thighs pressed against the side of Tiberius flanks lent forward to massage oil into the inside of his thighs. Another boy equally pretty used an ivory blade to scrape the oil and sweat from the man's body.

Tiberius rolled onto his back and Marius saw that the attentions of the two boys had again aroused him. The boy pouring oil onto the palm of his hands began to work it into the front of Tiberius's chest the boys finger and thumbs squeezing and kneading man's hairy body. Tiberius reached out with one hand and casually fingered the child's stiff little cock. The lad, a frown of concentration on his face, smoothed oil into Tiberius's solar plexus his fingers straying further and further down the man's body. The boy bent forward his parted lips brushed he tip of Tiberius's rampant cock.

Without warning Tiberius cuffed the child hard across the side of his head knocking him to his knees. Suddenly Marius fund himself seized by the arms and hustled forward. He saw that Tiberius was now on his feet smiling grimly his cock erect and cruelly demanding. The two youths holding him forced Marius face down over the bench. The boy knowing what was coming did not attempt to resist. He pushed his bottom up and spread his legs. He had no choice. He was a slave and his Master could do whatever he wished with him.

He whimpered as Tiberius's thumbs pried apart his anus lips, the man's fingers pressing hard into the flesh of his bottom still raw from the previous day's flogging. He felt the tip of the man's cock being thrust into him. He pushed backwards trying to open himself. He knew he was not big enough. The pain was intense but there was no escape. Tiberius drove savagely forward lifting Marius off his feet with the strength of his thrust. Tiberius thrust and thrust again driving his enormous member into the slim boy. The pain tore through Marius's body. He felt as if he was being split open. At last Marius's sphincter gave way before Tiberius's assault. Marius's screams rang out shrilly as the man rammed his cock deeper and deeper into the boy's guts. He felt a new pain as Tiberius, his cock now fully sheathed in his body, pressed tight up against his raw bum. Then even as the agony coursed through the boy's body pain began to merge with pleasure. The boy's cries subsided and soon the only sounds were the man's harsh panting mingled with the occasional excited whimper from Marius.

The tempo of Tiberius's thrusting increased and then he was still, straining forward his cock buried to it's roots in the boy. Marius clamped his body tight around the man's prick straining to draw it deeper into his guts and to milk it of it's juices. The man's body shuddered and his buttock muscles pumped as he came deep inside the boy.

Tiberius pushed Marius roughly away from him his cock emerging from it's seat in the boy's bottom with an audible plop. The two bath boys, the little masseur and the boy with the scraper darted forward and throwing themselves on their knees at their Master's feet competed for the honour of cleaning the filth from his prick.

It was at this moment that Drusus entered the room. Somehow he fund himself glancing round searching for Marius. It was ridiculous he told himself, the boy was just a slave and like all slaves a natural slut. If there was any doubt of that it was dispelled by his behaviour the previous night when he had paraded his boyish charms so blatantly 3;

Drusus saw his Uncle Tiberius standing naked two small boy's nuzzling at his crutch. Then he spotted Marius still bent over the marble bench. He saw the deep welts the whip had left on the boy's bottom and noticed the dark stains spreading down the inside of his thighs. Then Marius turned his face towards him and he saw the marks of the dried cum on his lips and chin. Shock at seeing so beautiful a thing so badly used was followed by revulsion. How could he have cared for so degraded a little brute.

Tiberius had noticed the young man glance round the room and the shocked expression on his face when he spotted Marius. This was enough to reawaken all his suspicions of his nephew. Drusus he told himself would never have been bothered about Marius if he was simply an ordinary slave brat. He might have enquired if the boy had given him pleasure but that would be the limit of Drusus's interest in the child. But the first thing he had done was to look for the boy and his face had betrayed his interest in him. There must surely therefore be a connection between his nephew and the boy other than that of ex-owner and slave. Drusus was his natural successor as Emperor if and when he died. What was more likely than that the boy was Drusus's lover and that he had been introduced into his own household to speed his death. But he had recognised the potential plot and was now on his guard. He would keep a close watch on Drusus and if anything happened to confirm his suspicions he would strike. A thought occurred to him and he smiled. He would arrange a little experiment to test his theory.

"Nephew," he said heartily, "I am grateful for the present you gave me the boy is a skilful little whore and he is durable too. He has given me great pleasure."

"I can see that Uncle from the state that he is in," Drusus replied somewhat grimly.

"Well, well, I enjoyed our time together anyway. Now I have to go to the temple of to sacrifice to Hera before I take ship for the main land this afternoon. I wish you to accompany me to the temple."

"But of course Sir."

"Excellent and I will take the brat you gave me in case I get bored. These rituals can become very tedious. It is a pity we Romans do not practice human sacrifices as the Carthaginians did. I wouldn't begrudge the time so much if I were to sacrifice a few children to Moloch. You should arrange that Titus after all you are meant to be responsible for keeping me amused."

"On occasion at times of great peril to the state," Titus said smiling ingratiatingly, "our ancestors did make such sacrifices. In the Sammite wars when Rome was threatened with capture for instance a man and woman were buried alive in the forum to placate the Gods. You Sir, who are the state personified, are setting out on a hazardous journey. The state is at this moment therefore in as great a peril as it ever has been. In these circumstances no loyal subject of yours could doubt that such an offering would be in order."

"And Sir," he continued smiling happily at the thought, "there is a victim to hand. The brat that Drusus so generously gave you. He has served his purpose and is not much use now for anything else."

"Sir," Drusus said urgently and hesitated. He told himself that the boy was not worth bothering about but still he found he had to protest at this further cruelty about to be visited upon him.

"You want to say something Nephew?" Tiberius asked menacingly. "You seem to be over concerned with the welfare of such a piece of scum. Perhaps you value a slave's life over the well being of your Emperor?"

"Uncle no only 3;"

"In any event you need not concern yourself. No self respecting God would regard the brat in his present condition as an acceptable offering. It will have to be the usual boring bull calf. I'll keep the boy for my own entertainment. No doubt he will die sooner or later. My play things always do."

"Sir," Drusus said, ignoring Titus's signals to be silent, for he found he just had to do something to help the Marius however despicable and unworthy of his attention he was, "the boy can hardly stand. I doubt of he can walk at all. If you left him behind now and let him rest he might last longer in your service."

"You are concerned about the brat," Tiberius sneered, "but you will be surprised at how well he will be able to walk when firmly encouraged to do so."

An hour later a small column set off along the dusty track the wound up the hill behind the Imperial Palace. At it's head strode a detachment of the Praetorian Guard behind them on a litter born by a dozen sturdy Negroes came Tiberius. Mounted on mules and riding either side of him mounted on mules were Drusus and Titus. Then came a handsome youth wearing a short spotless white tunic leading a bullock with a garland of flowers draped about it's horns. The rear of the column was brought up by another youth similarly dressed and of equal beauty to his fellow. This one though carried a heavy stave which he used to urge forward the bullock and with rather more vigour Marius who still naked and filthy stumbled along beside the beast.

"I told you the brat would be able to walk if he was properly motivated," Tiberius remarked heaving himself up on his litter to stare back at Marius.

"I'd say he's waddling rather than walking Sir," Titus said "I think you must have a magic wand to turn boys into ducks."

"I have an instrument that seems to have that effect on boys," Tiberius replied laughing. "Whether it is magic or not I do not know. It certainly gives me a great deal of pleasure. Drusus what do you think? Is my rod a magic one? "

"It is certainly a very big one Uncle," Drusus said trying to join in the joke but spoiling it all when he visibly flinched as he heard the youth at the back of the procession bring his staff thudding down across Marius's thin shoulders.

Turning in his saddle he saw the boy stumble and fall forward on his knees. The youth jabbed the rod viciously into the boy's back. Marius dragged himself back onto his feet blood streaming from his grazed knees.

Drusus was about to protest when the track made a sharp turn to the left and emerging from the low scrub that had up to then bound it on either sid came out onto the open hillside. Ahead of them the boulder strewn ground rose steeply while below they could see the Palace and beyond it the shimmering blue sea. At the summit of the hill was a group of soldiers.

"Titus you have arranged something for my entertainment," Tiberius cried out in excitement. "Hurry, get me up there before they start."

The bearers of Tiberius's thus adjured litter started to run while Titus and Drusus kicked their mules into a sharp trot.

"Don't worry Sir," Titus cried laughing. "I told them not to start until you arrived."

The soldiers were kneeling round a youth stretched prone on the ground. Getting closer Drusus saw that he was being held down on a cross by four men. One held each of his outstretched arms his hands twisted so the palms were upwards. The remaining pair held his ankles crossed over each other.

"Put me down," Tiberius commanded his panting bearers when they reached the top of the hill. He got off his litter and stood looking down at the terror stricken lad. The youth shivering in fear whimpered quietly his eyes rolling wildly.

"What is his offence?" He asked Titus his voice taught with excitement.

"Theft Sir. He was caught stealing a loaf of bread from the kitchens."

"Excellent, excellent his fate will be a warning to the rest of the slaves. Only if fear outweighs hunger will we be free of such pilfering."

"Now soldier," Tiberius continued addressing the man with the hammer, "you may begin."

The soldier grinned his acknowledgement of the order and began to feel the inside of the youths wrist probing it between with the finger and thumb of his left hand.

"He's searching for the ring of cartilage and bone there to drive the nail through," Tiberius remarked delighting in the details. "Anywhere else the weight of the brute once he's up on the cross would tear him free of the nail"

"How long do you think he'll last?" Tiberius asked speaking again to the soldier.

"Well Sir he's quite a sturdy lad. Quite a lot of flesh on him for a slave. I reckon that loaf of bread wasn't the first bit of food he'd stolen. Two maybe three days. I should think the crows'll have his eyes out on the second day and most likely he'll die on the third."

The man clearly having found the place he was looking for in the youth's wrist. Picked up a nail in his left hand.

"I'd stand back Sir," he said quietly, "They usually empty themselves at this point and you don't want to get any of his filth on you."

"Drusus," Tiberius said raising his voice to be heard over the screams of the young slave and the thud of hammer blows, "you look sick. You are too squeamish. You want to succeed me as Emperor and this is what our rule is based on. Terror. Terror keeps both the slaves down and the citizens obedient. You will have to use it if you are to survive. Come and stand beside me nephew and watch the nails being driven through the boy's flesh, listen to his screams and face reality."

Drusus moved forward unwillingly. He had seen men crucified before but not so close. The screams of the youth and the thud of the hammer blows seemed to echo round his head. The soldier with the hammer moving round to nail the youth's other wrist to the cross beam brushed against him.

"Sorry Sir," he said glancing up and seeing his face said sympathetically. "They do make a noise when they're nailed up screaming and howling. It's upsetting the first time but you'll get used to it Sir."

"Why they scream I don't know," he continued conversationally as he knelt down on the ground again, "it doesn't do em any good and as for calling for his mother like this one is. Well I doubt if he's seen her since he was taken from her for sale when he was a child. Stupid I say," and he went to work with his hammer again.

"Mind you," Tiberius remarked, "he screams a lot now but the real pain hasn't really started. That will come when they lift the cross and he takes his weight on his arms and wrists."

"How many bones do you fracture doing that?" he asked the soldier who was now beginning to hammer a nail through the youths crossed ankles.

"Don't rightly know Sir. Quite a few though Sir. I can feel them cracking as I drive the nail through."

"Now then boys. The jobs done. Up with him.

The youth's screams rang in their ears as they made their way along the track. Behind them in the clear blue sky a pair of kites wheeled above the place of execution.

Chapter 22

On the far side of the clearing reached by crossing a shallow ford stood a small temple the pillars of it's marble portico stained deep red.

As the small column advanced into the clearing a youth about fifteen years old wearing a short white tunic appeared carrying a trumpet. He blew a shrill blast on it. Another lad, similarly dressed, swinging a smoking censer began to descend the steps towards them. He was followed at a short distance by a tall white robed man, aged and slightly bent who walked with the aid of a stick.

Tiberius stepped from his litter and followed by the lad leading the bullock moved forward to meet the priest. The priest advanced, chanting in somewhat nasal tones, the scented smoke rose cloyingly from the burning incense. He stopped a few feet from Tiberius and lifting his hands in the air began a long invocation. The young trumpeter filled his lungs with air, blew four long blasts, his cheeks bulging, his short tunic lifting to show tantalising glimpses of firm brown flesh.

Tiberius seemed to lose interest in the service. The priest resumed his chanting. He now produced a knife from under his robes holding it up in both hands above his head. The Emperor seemed now only to have eyes for the youthful musician whose charms had been so briefly displayed.

The Priest chanted interminably on. Tiberius fidgeted impatiently. Finally he stepped back and drawing the sword from the scabbard of the nearest guardsman thrust it the bullocks throat. So powerful was his blow that the point of the sword passed right through the animal. The bullock staggered and fell.

"That's over," Tiberius said grabbing the trumpeter by his arm now you come with me 3; and you too," he continued pointing with his free hand at the other acolyte.

Startled the youth tried to jerk his arm away but without success. Tiberius laughing pulled the lad towards him and bent to kiss him on the lips. The boy butted him hard in the face. Tiberius staggered back his hand clasped to his face blood trickling from between his fingers.

"Grab them," he yelled furiously.

In an instant the two acolytes were secured by the Guardsmen and dragged before the Emperor.

"Break their legs at the knees," Tiberius ordered voice was cold and vindictive.

The youths were pinned on their backs on the ground. A guardsman fetched a large stone from the river and kneeling beside them lifted it prepared to crush their kneecaps.

"Sir," the Priest bleated throwing himself on his knees before Tiberius, "spare them Sir please. They are free boys, my sons. They meant no harm 3;"

Tiberius drove the pommel of the sword he was still holding into the old man's face. He fell backwards to the ground blood trickling from his broken lips.

"Uncle stop no," Drusus protested as the Emperor place the point of the sword on the chest of the fallen priest. He jumped forward grabbing Tiberius's arm pulling the sword away from him.

"Treason," Tiberius shouted. The Guards ceased Drusus and dragged him away from the Emperor.

"I meant no harm," Drusus protested, "I was only trying to stop you harming the 3;"

"You expect me to believe that," Tiberius raved. "I know your plans. I saw through them from the beginning. The plot to assassinate me. To take my place as Emperor. Now you have betrayed it by your own actions. Bind him and take him away And that boy he wished on me. I'll have the brat examined under torture to find out who else was involved."

Marius, finding himself ignored once they had arrived before the temple, had crept off to one side and squatted down quietly in the shade of a cypress tree. For a moment no one knew where he was. Starting to his feet he made a dash for the edge of the surrounding wood. He was quickly spotted, there was a shout and two soldiers sent of in pursuit of him. For sometime he could hear the men crashing about in the undergrowth behind him as he scrambled up the rock strewn slope of the valley.

It was a hot day even in the shade of the wood. This was especially so if you were wearing full uniform. The soldiers made enough noise to suggest to their superiors that they were trying then, when they were sufficiently far away from the Temple to be safe they stopped running and by common consent sat down on a fallen log to rest. There was no need to tire themselves chasing the boy. Naked, marked with the imperial brand and bearing the marks of a recent beating it would not be long before someone caught him and brought him to the palace to claim their reward for turning in a run away slave. They would wait fifteen minutes or so before returning to the clearing and reporting that the boy had eluded. Otherwise it might appear that they had given up too early.

Marius realising he was no longer pursued stopped and stood panting. Below him he heard loud screams. The soldiers were breaking the acolytes' legs as Tiberius had ordered. He was thinking hard. He was not a stupid boy. He had run in panic but now he knew he must calm down and think. He knew just as the soldiers did that he could not hope to last long on the run in the open country. He had seen enough to know that once caught he could expect no mercy, torture followed by crucifixion would be his lot.

He could not hope to hide for long. He was too conspicuous. There was only one place in the whole island where he would not stand out. Where there were lots of other boys just like him. If he could get back inside the Palace he might for a time at least survive. His Lord Drusus would presumably be at the Palace also.

For a moment he imagined himself by some brave and dangerous subterfuge freeing Drusus and escaping with him from the island. He was standing on the deck of a ship his lord's hand on his shoulder looking back at the Island of Capri and Drusus saying "Marius you have been a brave boy."

Then he was back in the present. He had first to clean himself up. His bottom and the inside of his thighs and his face too, were still stained and filthy from his serving Tiberius. The palace was full of pretty young slave boys many with bruised bottoms but by and large they were spotlessly clean. In his present condition he would stand out like a sore thumb. Next he must find something to eat. He had not had any food that day and was both hungry and thirsty. Finally he would have to work out how to get back inside the palace. He could not simply walk in. The gates were heavily guarded.

He knew the stream was below him. If he worked his way along the side of the valley till he was well upstream of the temple he could then safely drop down to the valley floor wash himself in the stream and at least slake his thirst.

He stood in the stream using handfuls of coarse grass to sponge himself down. It was a painful process for he was very sore between the legs and the stripes left by the whip still burnt fiercely. It was pleasant though to be clean again and he lay some time on a rock drying himself off listening to the bird song and the murmur of the stream while the dappled sun light played on him through the gently stirring oak leaves. It was not long though before hunger drove him on.

He had to first to find something to eat and then to make his way to the Palace without being caught. His best chance of achieving the last might be to wait until after dark but then he would have to get into the Palace. It was built on a cliff overlooking the sea. On the landward side there were high walls and the gates were guarded.

The only way he could think of getting into it was to scramble along the cliff until he was below the palace and then to climb upwards until he reached one of the terraces overlooking the sea. He would need light at least to try to plan his climb along the cliff but not so much light as to allow anybody looking landwards from a passing fishing boat to spot him once he had started. He needed therefore to be ready to start his attempt to break into the palace just before dusk. That meant getting there while it was light.

His best chance was to move now while the sun was at it's height and the whole world even the meanest slave was taking it's rest. He could then lie up near the sea and the palace until the light began to fail.

Wearily Marius forced himself to his feet. He struck straight up the side of the valley keeping away from the temple and the road back to the palace. After a steep scramble he came out of the shade of the wood into open country. The land was rocky and scrub covered. The sun was hot on his shoulders and the air was full of the scent of thyme. Crickets droned interminably and overhead sky larks rose and fell in the sky singing shrilly. It was not easy walking. Sharp stones bruised his bare feet and thorns tore at his legs.

He came across a rough track and began to follow it. It was no easier on his feet but at least there were no thorn bushes. Marius knew that if he did manage to get into the palace while a boy with a well striped bottom would not arouse suspicion, one with legs too obviously torn by thorns would.

Still there was no sign of anything to eat. Marius was becoming increasingly hungry. His stomach ached and waves of weakness made the ground swim before his eyes. He saw a flock of goats in the distance and for a moment considered trying to kill one of them but dismissed the idea. He was too weak to try. He would probably only use up the last remnants of his strength chasing one and failing to catch it. If there was a track it must lead somewhere and with luck there would then be food that he might be able to steal. He plodded wearily on.

The track came to the edge of a steep ravine. At the bottom in a grove of straggly olive trees was a single story shack, it's walls, once white washed stained and dirty, it's red tiled roof dipping crazily. Outside in the dust a few scrawny chickens scrabbled. Marius hunkered down in the shade of a rock and studied the hovel and it's surrounds carefully.

Apart from the chickens no living thing stirred. There was a dog tied to a stake sleeping in the shadow of the house, a wooden shed through whose open door chickens ran. Marius had grown up on a farm and he knew that chickens laid and that some of those eggs would most probably be in that shed with the invitingly open door.

Moving so that the house was between him and the slumbering dog he scrambled down the steep slope to the house. Moving very quietly he crept around the house until he could see the open door of the shed. He waited a moment listening intently. Nothing moved. About twenty yards of bare sun drenched soil lay between him and the shed. Taking a deep breath he stepped out from the shelter of the house wall. He paused just outside the shed. He knew that standing there he could be clearly seen both by the dog if it should wake and also by anyone who happened to be in the house.

He ducked through the door into the gloom of the shed. It took a few seconds for his eyes to adjust to the light. Then he saw some half dozen hens sitting regarding him with small beady eyes. He pushed one hen as gently as he could off it's nest and saw four brown eggs. Taking one he cracked it open against the wall and putting the shell to his lips eagerly swallowed the raw egg. It seemed to him at that moment that he had rarely tasted anything more delicious. A second egg went the way of the first.

Still nothing moved outside. He knew though that with every second he spent in the shed his chances of detection increased. Taking an egg in each hand he moved toward the shed door and tripped over a hen. It rose in front of him flapping it's wings and burst from the shed clucking in panic. The dog started to bark loudly. Marius could hear the chain securing it rattling as the animal lunged forward.

"What is it? What is it?" A man's voice demanded. "Stand still now while I loose you."

Marius darted out of the shed to see a raggedly dressed peasant struggling to unchain the dog. The man saw Marius and straightened.

"Stop boy stop. Let me just get hold of you thieving little brute. I'll flay you alive."

Forgetting the dog he set off in pursuit of the boy. Marius had a good start and was lighter on his feet. He reached the base of the ravine and began to scramble back up it. The man realising he would never catch him stopped and picking up a stone hurled it at the fleeing boy. It struck Marius between the shoulder blades. It knocked him forward but a split second later he was back on his feet scrambling higher up the slope the two eggs still unbroken in his hands. Swearing the man returned to do what he should have done in the first place, unloose his dog. By the time he had done so it was too late. Marius had reached the top of the ravine and was out of sight.

It was late afternoon when Marius reached the cliff top on which the palace stood. Sitting in the shade of a rock he ate one of his two remaining eggs, which some how tasted nowhere near as good as the first ones he had eaten. He settled himself to wait until the light began to fail. Far below him he could hear the murmur of the sea as the waves broke against the base of the limestone cliffs. Sea Gulls wheeled and screamed overhead. Out at sea he saw a galley drawing away from the island it's oars driving it forward in with rapid regular strokes a large standard fluttering in it's stern. He supposed it was the vessel carrying the Emperor Tiberius to the mainland. To his left towered the bulk of the Imperial Palace it's massive marble walls gleaming white in bright sunlight.

He slept a little. A slight chill in the air woke him. The light was beginning to fade. It was time he began his climb. He crept forward to the edge of the cliff. He had looked down to the sea when he had first arrived. It had seemed a very long way down then. It seemed even further now he had to start his climb along it. He studied the cliff. There was a ledge that might serve but it was very narrow and the line of white wear the waves broke on the jagged rocks at the base of the cliff were far, far below it. His head swam and his knees felt weak. He must go forward. He had no choice. Telling himself that being killed by being dashed onto the rocks at the foot of the cliffs would at least be preferable to being caught, tortured and then crucified he took a deep breath and stepped out onto the ledge. Spread eagled against the cliff face he worked his way laboriously forward resolutely refusing to let himself look down. The ledge was soon little more than a crack in the sheer cliff face. His bare toes gave a good grip but the rock tore and bruised them. A seabird swept out of the gathering gloom and clattered close past his head. Something above him moved and dislodged a shower of small stones.

It was almost dark now. He leant back to try and see where he was in relation to the palace. It was difficult to tell but he seemed to see it through the gloom looming above him. He began to climb upwards. This was even more difficult. There was no ledge now, just a narrow more or less vertical fissure into which he had to jam his fingers and toes in search of foot and hand holds. His legs and arms began to ache with fatigue.

Then all at once he found himself at the base of the Palace wall but it rose from the cliff towering over him a solid mass of polished marble impossible to climb. There was a narrow shelf between the top of the cliff and the base of the marble wall. Marius pulled himself up onto this and sat his feet dangling in the air. It was night now. There was a moon but he was in the shadow and he sat looking down into a dark void. He sat there for sometime exhausted. His head swam and he felt himself leaning forward. Quickly he jerked himself awake. He realised he had a choice either to try to find a place where one of the palace terraces looked out over the sea or to stay where he was till he fell asleep and tumbled to his death on the rocks below. Pulling himself wearily to his feet he began to edge his way along the shelf at the base of the palace wall.

It was uneven and very narrow. The smooth marble walls of the palace provided no hand holds. He leaning forward against the wall he edged cautiously along. Then suddenly there was nothing under his right foot. The ledge had come to an abrupt end. There was only one thing to do to retrace his steps. He worked his way back to where he had climbed up the cliff. Now if he could not find any where he could climb into the palace beyond this point his adventures, indeed his life would come to an abrupt end for he was fast running out of strength.

Hardly had he moved a couple of further yards on when he found his hands grasping a low balustrade. He swung himself over it and landed on his knees on one of the palace terraces. He began to shake and was suddenly and violently sick.

Chapter 23

He was looking for the pool where Helios had been sent to serve. He hoped the boy had survived until now for he was the only friend he had in the palace. He was not sure what he would do when he found him but he was sure that together they would work something out. If Helios was already dead and serving a Master like Tiberius he might well be then 3; Well then he would just have to try to think of something himself.

He had no clear idea of where the pool was beyond the fact that it was on the seaward side of the Palace. He went from room to room dwarfed by their enormous size, his bare feet padding on the marble floors. Eventually he came out on the terrace overlooking the pool. The full moon flooded the scene with a gentle silver light. There was a murmur of young voices, the occasional light laugh and the splash of water. Looking round it seemed to Marius that the departure of Tiberius had brought the boys that served him as his little fish a brief holiday that they were enjoying to the full. Most sat or lay on the pavement round the pool in groups of two or three or even more in a jumble of bare limbs and naked bodies. Three or four sported in the pool or scampered about the terrace chasing each other the pursued not trying too hard to evade capture. It seemed to Marius that he would have a problem in finding Helios among this hoard of concupiscent boys.

In the event it was easier than he had expected. After wandering about for some time vainly trying to spot him among the groups of rutting brats and evading the occasional clutching hand he decided he had better try another approach. He squatted down beside two boys who were obviously resting for the moment. They sat on the edge of the pool, their feet dangling in the water, the bigger boy with his arms round the shoulders of the younger one.

"You know where a boy called Helios is?" Marius asked.

"Helios?" The bigger boy replied. "No you'd better describe him. We don't call each other by our real names much, we've all got nicknames you know."

"Dark haired about ten years old and he's had both his big toes chopped off by the Praetorians for running away."

"That's Eight-toes. That little bitch gets no luck. You'll find him by himself tucked in by the balustrade along the terrace. None of us will have anything to do with him. He's pretty enough whore but one of the Imperial Slaves fancies him and you've got to be careful with them. Cross one of them and he'll find some way of making you pay. Not that this one does anything just come and stares at Eight-toes with his tongue hanging out."

While the bigger boy was talking his smaller companion had been licking gently at one of his nipples. Now he dropped his head into the other boys crutch and there was the sound of damp sucking. Marius realising that he would hear nothing further useful for the time being at least stood up and walked away.

Helios was sitting by himself on the terrace floor his knees drawn up to his chin staring into space.

"Hello Helios," Marius said quietly. Suddenly Marius found his arms full of squirming naked boy.

"Mariullus," Helios sobbed, "Mariullus I'm so glad 3; I've got no friends 3; 3; I'm so miserable 3; Nobody likes me or talks to me or anything 3; 3;"

"Come on Helios it's not so bad. I've heard you've got a really important lover," Marius said trying to reassure and calm the younger boy. "That's why none of the others risk being friends with you."

"It's only that boring old man who we were taken to when we first were brought here. And he doesn't do anything or say anything very much 3; He just hangs around and looks at me and frightens the others off."

"I thought he was a kind man," Marius remarked.

"Well he may be but 3; Anyway Mariullus what are you doing here and will you be staying long 3; I hope you will 3;"

Marius spoke quickly to cut off another flood of complaints and misery. Pulling Helios down to sit beside him on the floor he told of his dancing before Tiberius, his rape and whipping by the Emperor, the arrest of his Lord Drusus, his own escape and his climb along the cliff and into the palace. Helios listened to this all in silence.

"You can stay here with me Mariullus," he said when the story was finished. "No one will notice if you keep out of sight and you can share my food. There's not much of that though," he continued voicing the perennial complaint of all slave boys.

There was a foot fall behind them and looking round they saw Sisyphus standing over them. It was difficult to see this stooped balding man with his deferential manner and his plain rather thread bare tunic as menacing but to the boys he represented authority and they were afraid. Indeed on this occasion the generally mild expression on his face was marred by an angry frown.

Sisyphus was angry with himself rather than with the boys. He knew it was unreasonable to be jealous just because he had found Helios sitting close to another boy, their arms touching, talking so very intimately. Yet he was jealous for he as he had come to realise with growing alarm he loved the boy.

He had survived almost forty years in the service of an increasingly cruel and unpredictable Master. His one ambition up to now was to survive so that in time he would receive his freedom and sufficient money to live modestly in some out of the way place. Now this had happened; to fall in love with one of the Emperor's, his Master's boys. If this was even suspected he could give up all thought of freedom. Indeed he would be dead meat for although the Emperor would tolerate boys playing with each other he would make short shrift of any man who dared to intrude into his territory. But he did love the boy. He tried to keep away from him but he could not. He kept on finding excuses to visit the pool where he knew he would be able to see him. He hardly spoke to him for that would endanger them both, just looked and perhaps smiled. Why he was so bothered about this particular boy he did not know. He had seen hundreds if not thousands in his time. Tiberius as Emperor had had the pick of the Empire and he had exercised that privilege to the full. This boy was pretty enough, all Tiberius's boys were, but he was in no way outstanding. A dark haired boy with a nice round bottom he was nothing special by way of looks but there was in some way so defenceless, so vulnerable an air about him that it somehow touched his heart.

Sysyphus looked closer at the boy sitting beside Helios. The light was dim but he was sure that he had seen him before and quite recently. He bent forward and felt an almost physical shock as he recognised him. Mariullus the boy who had been brought to him at the same time as his beloved Helios, who had been sent to train as a dancer and whom he had been ordered that very day to mark as a traitor and runaway, an accomplice of that newly discovered traitor Lord Drusus, in his records.

He knew what he ought to do. He should cry out and denounce the boy. Then the boy would be seized and after being tortured to extract the names of any other accomplices would die the death appropriate to a runaway. But if he was to do this his beloved Helios would also be taken and would suffer in the same way. He thought of the whip, the red hot pincers, and then the crow picking those dark brown trusting eyes out of the boy's still living body. He knew he could not do it and anyway he had delayed so long that he himself was now implicated.

Hitching his tunic up he seated himself beside the older boy.

"I hadn't expected to see you here Mariullus," he said. He was surprised by the calmness of his own voice.

The boy shifted uneasily and muttered something incomprehensible.

"You'd better tell me how you got here," Sysyphus said firmly but patiently.

So Mariullus had to tell his story all over again. He was somewhat hampered by Helios who seemed to feel that his friend was understating the excitement and drama of his tale and interrupted every now and again in an excited squeak to emphasise or elaborate on certain points. "You should see the marks on his bum Sir where Tiberius whipped him Sir. Show him the marks Mariullus. I can't think he can sit on it Sir." 3; "He's got a bruise that big on his shoulder Sir where the stone hit him. You should see it. It's as big as an egg Sir." 3; 3; "The cliff out there Sir. Have you seen how high they are. I couldn't do it. I'd be scared 3;" Until Mariullus silenced him with a moderately gentle clip on the side of his head.

Sisyphus listened in silence wondering at the courage of the boy and at the danger in which he was involving himself even listening to it.

"Well Mariullus," he said when the boy finally fell silent. "What do you plan to do now."

"He'll stay here with me Sir," Helios burst in again. "No one will notice specially now Tiberius is away. He can share my food only," he added wistfully "I wish there was more of it."

"What happens if someone sees Mariullus or when Tiberius comes back?" Sysyphus asked. The two boys remained silent.

"I think we can do better," he continued. "Can you swim Mariullus?"

"Yes Sir," the boy answered confidently.

"Good. They're always short of boys for the pool. I'll produce you as a new boy. Then you can go onto the rations and Helios won't have to starve. The only thing is we'll need to change your appearance before Tiberius returns. We can shave your head and," Marius started as the man's hand explored the tip of his cock, "yes I thought so. We'll have that off. By the time Tiberius is back it will have healed and I will tell the man here that it is has been done because you had an infection."

"You're not going to cut his balls off?" Helios squeaked in alarm.

"No," replied Sisysphus laughing quietly, "just his foreskin. That'll be enough to throw Tiberius. He gets through a lot of boys and maybe he'll think Mariullus looks a bit familiar but when he looks down there, well he'll just think it's a chance resemblance."

"Mind you Mariullus you'll have to be very brave while I'm doing it," and I'll have to be too, he thought to himself, I haven't done it before and it's no job for a broken down old stylus pusher like me.

"Now come on you two and we'll get the job done." Sisyphus pushed himself to his feet and followed by the two boys tried to slip unnoticed away from the terrace about the pool. They were not wholly successful in this and there was a low whistle and some giggling from the shadows as they passed.

Leaving the boys in his room he set off to get the tools required for the job in hand. He knew where the Greek, who acted as physician to the slaves of the household, kept his instruments and he was back within a few minutes carrying his case.

"We had best get the easy job done first," he remarked, "kneel down Mariullus and I'll crop your hair."

Sisysphus set to work first with the shears and then with the razor until Marius was kneeling in the middle of a pile of auburn hair and the top of his head was showing pale through a short reddish stubble.

Then Sisyphus spread a piece of towelling on the floor.

" Lie down on your back with your bum on that," he ordered Marius, "and Helios you sit on his chest and hold his hands down on the floor."

He turned away and to open the instrument case. His hands were shaking so much that he could not undo it's catch. "I know you're frightened he said to himself but you mustn't show the boys that you are. Get a grip of yourself. You got yourself into this and you have only yourself to blame. You can't back out now."

Taking a series of deep breaths he forced himself to be calm. He opened the case and panic welled up in him again as he looked down at it's contents. There were knifes, saws, pincers, bradawls together with some objects whose purpose he could only guess at. Horrible pictures of mutilated bodies and broken limbs rose up before him. He forced himself to stop thinking. He selected a small sharp knife and a metal tube that so far as he could judge seemed to him to be about the correct size. He saw at one end of the case a shirt piece of rounded wood with many small indentations bitten into it. He picked it up as well.

"You can bite on this," he said kneeling beside Marius's head. The boy obediently opened his moth and Sysyphus rested the piece of wood across his jaws. He wondered how many boys had bitten down on it while the surgeon plied his fearsome trade on their bodies.

"Pull your knees up and spread your legs," he commanded. He was amazed at how calm his voice sounded.

Marius started as he touched his tiny prick. He growled at him to be still and slipped the tube over it. At least it fitted properly. He would not have to go back and fumble in the instrument case for another one while the boy lay waiting in terror. He rolled Marius's foreskin drawing it back over the tube as tightly as he could. The pink helmet that it usually shielded except in moments of high excitement stood revealed. Gritting his teeth he took the knife in his right hand and sliced into the foreskin cutting down onto the metal tube as near to the body of Marius's cock as he dared. Marius jerked as he felt the knife cut him. Sisysphus used his elbows to keep the boy's legs apart as he ran the blade as quickly as he could round the tube.

In a few seconds the job was completed. Sisyphus slipped the tube from the boy's penis and gently placed a piece of cloth between his legs to stem the bleeding.

He turned quickly away so that the boys could not see his shaking hands as the reaction gripped him. The instruments rattled as he tried to put them back in their places in the case.

"Mariullus was very brave wasn't he Sir?" Helios said admiringly.

There was a pause while he waited for a reply then Sisyphus felt a small hand resting on his shoulder as he knelt fumbling with the case.

"You were brave too Sir," Helios voice said close behind him. "Very very brave. I'll put those things away Sir." He knelt down beside Sisyphus and took the knife and tube from his hands.

Chapter 24

Sisyphus bedded Marius down on a blanket on the floor. The boy exhausted by his experiences was soon asleep. Sisyphus lay on his bed staring into the darkness listening to Marius's regular breathing wondering what had possessed him to get involved in such a dangerous and hopeless venture. For hopeless it was when looked at calmly. All he had achieved by his intervention was to endanger his own life. He had not rescued the boys. They would be killed sooner or later by Tiberius as he killed all his 'minnows' in time.

Marius did not wake till the middle of the next day. He sat up and looked round. There was a bowl of barley and bean stew on the floor beside him. Sisyphus was at his desk working at his accounts.

After he had eaten Sisyphus called Marius to him. He took the boy's penis between his finger and thumb and examined it. There was a ring of raw flesh around it where he had cut away the foreskin but it had ceased bleeding and there was no sign of infection 3; He touched the redness. Marius flinched and caught his breath. . It was clearly still tender to the touch.

"I really did quite a neat job," Sisyphus thought to himself, "I could almost set up as a surgeon if I come out of this all right."

"Come along Mariullus," he ordered, "it's time you began your duties at the pool."

Sisyphus led the way through the labyrinthine corridors of the palace. He looked down at the boy as he padded bare footed along beside him.

"There's a suggestion of the duck about the way you walk boy," he remarked, a hint of laughter in his voice.

"It's still very sore Sir," Marius replied humbly, not complaining, simply stating a fact.

"It'll be better in a day or two."

"Yes Sir. Thank you Sir." Marius paused and then emboldened by the man's friendly tone blurted out. "What have they done with my Lord Sir?"

"Your Lord?" Sisyphus asked puzzled.

"Lord Drusus Sir. What's happened to him?"

Sisyphus glanced round sharply and when he spoke it was in a half whisper.

"He's no Lord now boy. Not now the Emperor has imprisoned him as a traitor. He'll have been put in one of the dungeons cut in the rock beneath the palace."

"And what will happen to him Sir."

"Well he's a member of the Imperial Family and the Emperor doesn't have them murdered or executed once he's arrested them. He just let's nature have it's way."

"But he could live on and on Sir."

"A man like any other animal dies if he's given no food to eat. That's what the Emperor does. He just fails to feed them and they die. That's what he did with your Lord's mother and his elder brother and will no doubt do with his younger brother Gaius in due course. Unless he dies himself before he can get round to it that is."

"Now you've made me speak treason. You listen to me boy. Drusus is not your Lord nor anyone else's now. He's a traitor who will shortly die. You worry about your own skin and don't concern yourself with the great ones of this world. Their affairs are no business of yours. You hear me boy?"

"Yes Sir," Marius muttered but to himself he said. "He is my Lord still and I will help him if I can."

Then they were out in the bright sunlight at the top of the flight of marble steps leading down to the swimming pool. Helios, who had been hanging about at the base of the steps from just after first light in expectation of their arrival, stood grinning up at them. He half waived but quickly aborted the gesture as Polephemus appeared from the shadows of one of the arcades that surrounded the pool. Sisyphus, putting a hand on Marius's shoulder, guided the boy down the steps as Polephemus walked forward to greet them.

"Brought you a fresh boy," Sisyphus said cheerfully.

"Good we could do with all the brats you can lay your hands on," Polephemus replied. "The Emperor is getting through them quicker and quicker. Hardly a day goes by without him killing one of the little whores."

As he spoke he ran his hand down Marius's chest and flanks.

"What's this then?" He asked flipping the ring of sore flesh around the tip of Marius prick with his thumb nail.

"Quiet boy," Polephemus snapped as Marius squealed in pain,

"He had a bit of an infection." Sisyphus explained. "We had his foreskin cut off so we could clean it out. It's all cleared up now as you can see. Give it a few days and it'll be healed completely."

"Lucky the Emperor is away at the moment then," Polephemus said turning Marius round with a hand on his shoulder. "He should be ready for service by the time he gets back."

"The brats been flogged well 3; Good thing too – nothing better for a boy."

He placed a hand on the back of Marius's head pushing it down so that the boy lent forward presenting his bottom for inspection.

"How long do you think he'll be away?" He asked as he slid his hands over the Marius's rump.

"Well it's only the second time he's left Capri since he settled here," Sisyphus replied. "It's said he's going to Rome but that's what was said the last time and he never entered the city at all before turning round and coming back again. A month at the most I should think but then," he dropped his voice meaningfully, "he may never come back at all."

"Steady boy," Polephemus said absently as Marius started in response to the man's finger probed his bottom.

"I'm told," he continued speaking to Sisyphus, " that Apollo has visited him in a dream and told him that he will never dedicate the statue of the God that he had taken from Syracuse and placed in Augustus's temple library at Rome."

"Well you're an experienced little tart aren't you?" he said turning his attention to Marius as he pulled his finger out of his bum. "Can you swim?"

Marius did not reply but running to the edge of the pool dived into the water his body curving in a perfect arc in the air before sliding into the water and throwing a spray of silver drops into the air.

When he surfaced he saw the two men walking away talking to each other earnestly. Apparently Polephemus was satisfied. He struck out for the side of the pool. Walking rather gingerly for the water stung the rawness about his cock he padded off in search of Helios.

As the days passed Marius did not forget his ambition to help Drusus. It was not easy though for him to see a way. The first day he was too tired and sore to do much more than lie in the sun beside the pool dosing and chatting to Helios. Later as the evening drew on and the shadows lengthened Polephemus summoned Marius to him. He wished to test the boys abilities as a whore. Marius did his best and in the morning the man expressed himself well pleased with his efforts. In fact it was not until the following day that he felt it might be safe to begin his search for the entry to the dungeons beneath the palace that now housed his Lord.

That evening when the moment eagerly awaited by the boys had finally arrived and the slaves had brought the usual large cauldrons filled with barley and bean gruel for their suppers. Marius and Helios settled themselves side by side on the marble floor of the terrace their full bowls in their hands.

Helios who seemed always to be hungry had gulped down a couple of mouthfuls of the stew before he noticed that something seemed to be wrong with his friend.

"If you don't want that Mariullus," he said speaking somewhat indistinctly for his mouth was full, "I'll eat it for you."

"I do want it," Marius replied mournfully, "but I must safe it for my Lord. I am going to try to him tonight and I must have food for him for Tiberius is having him starved to death."

Helios said nothing but went on eating. As he emptied his bowl he ate slower and slower. Then he stopped altogether. He looked into the bowl lifting it up so he could judge how much food was left. It was as well as he could judge about half full. Without saying anything he passed it across to Marius.

Helios stood up and walked away. He leant over the balustrade looking out over the sea far below. He had the strength of will to make himself give half his food for his friend but he could not be expected to sit and watch him eat.

Marius waited until darkness had fallen. Then, when he was sure that Polephemus was safely settled in his cell under the colonnade with the boy of his choice for that night, he gently removed Helios's arms from about his neck and with a whispered word of explanation slipped away into the palace carrying his precious bowl of gruel.

Again in the absence of the Emperor and his court the place was deserted and lit only by the occasional dimly guttering oil lamp. He heard soft foot steps behind him. He turned a corner in a corridor and stepped quickly behind a pillar. The following foot steps drew nearer. A small figure that he recognised passed the place where he crouched. He jumped out and grabbed Helios from behind clapping a hand over his mouth cutting off the smaller boy's squeal of terror.

"What are you doing," he hissed angrily.

"Oh Mariullus it's you," Helios whispered his voice shaking with fear. "I came along to help you," he continued his voice steadying as he grew in confidence. "You might get in trouble without me to look after you."

Marius gritted his teeth. It seemed to him that if anything he had been, when they had been together, looking after Helios not the other way about. However he was old enough and sensible enough to know that this was not a sensible time to argue the point.

"Well all right then," he said rather ungraciously, "as you're here you may as well come along but keep quiet and follow me." If the truth was known though he was glad of the other boys company. The palace with it's dark high rooms and long echoing corridors was an unsettling place to be. Not that he was frightened. True he was shivering slightly but that was only caused, he told himself, by the touch of the chill night air against his naked body. Still it was a comfort to have Helios with him.

The two boys penetrated further and further into the Palace. Rooms which before would have been crowded with chattering laughing courtiers and silent nervous slave boys now lay deserted and silent. In the distance they heard the sound of a wild beast roar. Helios jumped in fright.

"That's only one of the lions," Marius said. He tried to sound calm and matter of fact but he knew that his voice was shaking. He thought of young Hanno being mauled to death for the amusement of Tiberius and his friends. He could see in his mind's eye the boy's pathetic efforts to defend himself with the small sword that was the only weapon allowed him and the blood flowing down the his black oiled skin as the lions claws ripped his body to shreds. It was as if the lion's roar had brought his friend back to him. Perhaps he was there now, standing behind something watching – perhaps in the shadow of the pillar over there.

Marius shuddered and then squared his shoulders. Hanno had gone to his death bravely knowing that there was no escape. He would do no less if that was required of him.

"Helios," he said his voice now steady, "if I was the Emperor and I was building a prison I would put it near my guards' barracks and I would put that near where I had the wild animals kennelled so that if they broke loose the soldiers would be ready. You don't have to come with me but I am going to try to find the wild animal cages."

"I'll come with you Mariullus," Helios said as firmly as he could but he pressed close up to Marius as the two made their way towards the sound of the lion's roar.

A sour smell, a mixture of animal odours and over ripe meat filled their nostrils. The roars of the lion grew louder and mingled with the cries of other beasts forming a deafening cacophony of sound that rang in the boy's ears.

They came to a pair of massive wooden doors. Easing one open a crack they found themselves looking down into a high flagstoned hall lit by guttering torches set in massive iron sconces. On either side of a narrow walkway ran two long rows of iron barred stalls. The torches threw a fitful light on the occupants of these narrow cages. Lions, leopards, tigers, bears, wolves, were illuminated by the flickering light of the torches. The animals lay or paced uneasily around their cramped quarters.

The boys slid through the gap between the two doors and began nervously to descend the flight of steps. The animals scenting them redoubled their noise 3; Now all were awake and excited for they were kept hungry and had been trained to feast on human flesh. They reared up rattling the iron bars of their cages, light glistening on amber eyes and white teeth, as they tried to reach the two naked boys, roaring in their frustrated rage and blood lust.

At the far end of the hall an elephant began to trumpet loudly.

Marius and Helios stood at the bottom of the stairs, looking down the line of cages ahead of them, hesitating to venture along the narrow passageway lined by such terrifying beasts.

At last Marius driven on by his wish to save his Lord summoned up courage to make a dash for it.

"Come on Helios," he hissed and set off at the run.

He was half way down the hall before he remembered Helios's mutilated feet. He forced himself to stop. Turning he saw the smaller boy hobbling towards him as fast as he could on feet shorn of their big toes, tears streaming down his face 3; Marius feeling thoroughly ashamed of himself walked back to him.

At the far end of the hall were another pair of double doors. Beyond them was a courtyard at the far side of which was an archway flanked, on it's right, by a statue illuminated by a single blazing torch of the Winged Victory holding a laurel wreath in her out stretched hand and with a golden diadem on her head. Dimly in the moon light they could see through the archway a wide square surrounded by single storied barrack blocks, the living quarters of the Praetorian Guard.

They crept cautiously towards the gateway. For them this silent, apparently deserted, place was even more frightening than the great hall with it's ferocious animals through which they had just passed. Unless you were trained specially to fight it was unlikely that you would be thrown to the wild beasts. The Praetorian Guards however were a constant and brutal presence. The Guardsmen were not only the enthusiastic agents of the Emperor's crazed and perverted mind. They themselves had unlimited power over the slaves of the Imperial Household and exercised that power with enthusiasm and great cruelty.

Just inside the archway was a small guard room. Normally it would have been manned but with the Emperor away security had been relaxed and it now stood empty. Seeing the field clear Marius was just about to slip past it when Helios grabbed him by the arm. He pointed urgently to his left. There steps led steeply downwards. to a small but heavy door secured by two massive iron bolts. A lamp glowed in a small shelter to one side of it. By it's light the boys could see a burly guardsman lounging, half asleep, on a stool his legs spread wide, his back propped against the door.

"The cells are down there. I'm sure of it," Helios whispered excitedly.

"There's no way we can get past that man," Marius murmured back. "Not without waking him."

Marius looked down the steps despairingly. He could see that the man was a particularly large guardsman. Obviously the warmth of the night was bothering him. He had shed his loin cloth which lay with his sword and helmet on the ground at his feet His kilt had ridden up his legs revealing, at the junction of his heavily muscled thighs, a thick forest of black pubic hair. The man must have been dreaming of something exciting for above his massive balls his cock rose swollen and erect.

Helios suddenly giggled.

"I'll fix him for you Mariullus," he whispered and slipped back through the archway.

Watching Marius saw Helios scramble onto the plinth on which the statue of the Winged Victory stood. He pulled the golden diadem from her head and then carrying the lamp that burnt at her feet hurried back 3;

He placed the diadem on his own head and then holding the lamp high up in front of him he stepped boldly out of the shadows and began to walk down the steps. As he moved he began to chant shrilly. So far as Marius could tell it was part of the hymn to Jupiter that young boys traditionally sang at the festival of the summer solstice so was not particularly appropriate to the time and place. The effect on the guardsman of this apparition however was considerable.

Waking suddenly he saw descending towards him, apparently conjured out of nowhere, a beautiful naked boy a golden crownlet on his head chanting mysteriously. He sat transfixed his mouth hanging open. Reaching the bottom of the steps Helios lent forward placed the lamp on the ground and taking hold of the man's swollen cock spoke softly to him drawing him away from the door and into the shelter.

Marius waited a moment and then ran down the steps. It seemed he thought from the sounds coming from the shelter that the guardsman would be too fully occupied with Helios for sometime to bother about anything else.

He unbolted the door and swung it back. It opened into pitch black darkness. A blast of cool air hit him in the face. He grabbed the lamp that Helios had abandoned. Lifting it over his head he saw that steps cut into the natural rock lead steeply downwards to a passageway that disappeared into the gloom. He scrambled down the steps and set off along the passage.

On either side of this heavy wooden doors stood open. He stepped through one of them and found himself in a small windowless cell it's only furnishing a straw pallet and an earthenware pot. He hurried on. He did not know how long Helios would be able to keep the guardsman entertained and busy. He did not need to bother with any cells whose doors were open.

Eventually he came to a door that was bolted. There was a hole in it's upper half with a shutter. He slipped that back and tried to look into the cell beyond. He could see only the shape of the straw mattress and a body lying on it. Then there was a clink of a chain and the figure stirred.

"I am not dead yet but it will not be long before you can tell my uncle that I am gone to join my mother and older brother."

Marius quickly shot back the bolts and pushed open the door the air in The cell was stale and fetid.

"You need not bother to come in," the voice continued, "I have nothing left to steal."

"Master," Marius said kneeling beside the figure and holding out his bowl. "I've brought you something to eat. It's not very nice Sir I'm afraid. It's gone cold since we had it and it wasn't much good then anyway."

"Drusus rolled over to face the boy.

"It could be pigs swill," he said taking the bowl eagerly, "and it would taste good. Indeed," he remarked after a few seconds hard chewing, "it is and it does."

Marius watching him as he ate saw how much he had been changed by his time in captivity. His face beneath the dark stubble that covered it was pale and drawn. His hands were filthy the skin stretched tight over the bones and his whole body was periodically shaken by convulsions.

It was only after Drusus had cleared the bowl of food, although that did not take him long, that he spared time to look at the boy who had brought it to him.

"Mariullus," he said in a rather doubtful voice after a few seconds. "It's you isn't it. Your hairs been cropped and," he reached out and touched the boy's prick, "someone's taken your foreskin off you. But it is Mariullus isn't it."

"Yes Master."

"How did you get here and where did you get the food from."

"No," he said as Marius began to speak, "I'm cold and lonely. I know the straws not the cleanest. The chains a short one but if you don't mind that Mariullus would you lie beside me and warm me with your body while you talk." He paused and then he used a word he had never used to a slave before in his life. "Please."

The straw could have been a great deal more dirty and Marius would still have been happy to lie on it if he could be with his Lord. He lay down beside Drusus and wriggled as close up to him as he could. Drusus put his arms round him and hugged him tightly. Marius, as he talked, felt for the man's cock.

"It's no good boy. I haven't the strength now. Go on with your story," Drusus murmured. That was the last time that Drusus interrupted Marius's story until the boy told of how he and Helios had pooled half their suppers each to provide food for him.

"You each gave up half your suppers," Drusus exclaimed. "You don't get much supper anyway do you?"

"Not much Sir," Marius replied feelingly.

After the full story had been told Marius lay quietly for a time pressed up against Drusus trying to give some of the warmth from his body to the man. He wished that he could give some of his strength also to Drusus for he sensed how that had drained from him.

"Sir," he said after a time. "I must go now Sir. Helios won't be able to keep that guard busy for ever."

I wish he could," Drusus said a trifle plaintively, "but Mariullus you will come again to see me if you can won't you? Please Mariullus."

"I will Sir. I will," Marius promised. It made him uncomfortable to hear Drusus pleading. Heroes don't plead.

As he hurried along the passageway back to the open air carrying the empty bowl he wondered how he would be able to keep his promise to Drusus. Helios would hardly be able to play the same trick again on the guard again.

NEXT PART