Like a fevered man, Germanous engaged in his future plans prohibiting a single detail to overpass his attention. As the godfather of the grand city to bloom, he was determined to leave a touch on every newly added stone, to engrave a trace on every newly planted vine fruit. The vision that amused him the most and kindled his resolution was the sight of the round perfectly hewed out stone bearing his name and which shall greet the eyes falling on any building, not to mention the head statues that will stand perpetually with their eyes gloriously opened as if guarding the city they bequeathed life to. Every time his eyes met the ambassador Caecilius, these thoughts and future visions sprang in his mind, turning his stare into one of challenge and loftiness that the older man could not explain in terms other than over confidence and disrespect, quickly foiling his first impression of the young governor and urging him to sniff for any behavior of incompetence or act of irresponsibility and neglect and he was certain that his nose that had exposed and overthrown countless governors and employees would not miss the scent of even the slightest neglect of duty even if he had to trail it in the darkest corners or most scandalous rooms of this palace.
Caecilius was a man in his fifties nearing sixty, who possessed an abundance of luck favoring his health and mind. He was the perfect man for this job, obtaining a sadistic delight in finding and pointing out other's short – coming. But once he was impressed and satisfied, then his report would ensure a governor's or a leader's flourished rule. Despite his notorious reputation, gaining his approval was not impossible, as long as one adhered to common sense and the man's own list of rules and responsibilities. In these occasions, his commendation was guaranteed, a little difficult to achieve but not unobtainable. The ambassador came to this province with the worst expectation, honing his teeth to feast on the raw flesh of the inexperienced son but to both his surprise and dismay, the people whom he was expecting to be complaining and sending him an endless chain of letters pleading with him to remove the current substitute were on the contrary immersed in the new garment their city was to don, as if their minds had been wiped clean from all the errors of the past. The counselors whom he had anticipated will greet him with mouths no less open than their arms, flowing with rumors and evidences strong enough to replace the immature fraud were instead praising and extending a hand of friendship to the new young substitute. He believed he was fed wrong information, as everything he witnessed contradicted the letters that urged his visit, except for one constant that remained unchanged throughout this different surprising welcome he received with; Marcus' niece and Germanous' cousin. She alone held to the words scripted in her letters, and maintained the same attitude and speculations about the state of the province expressed in her words. Her worries and fears were communicated to Caecilius in her eyes without sitting with the man or talking to him face to face yet. The ambassador wanted to visit the woman to inquire in more details about the reasons for her pessimistic opinions about her cousin and the affairs of the province but the evidence against the young lad came to him on its own, relieving him from the efforts of searching and investigating. The crime that was committed amidst the night was one of many to follow, each more horrible and threatening than the last one.
"What is the meaning of this?"
An advisor required persistently from the soldier who carried the news, and who had no explanations other than what he had already offered.
A vile crime had shaken the city upon its awakening, reminding the place that even if it was attempting to shed its old skin to don a new colorful one, the rotten stench of the old skin will never be truly washed away.
A widowed woman with her two little children, were attacked brutally overnight and their house ransacked.
"I don't care to know, and I don't care to understand! What I care about is to know that this farce will be abolished immediately!"
Germanous left his chair, red silk dragging behind him. He approached the perplexed soldier, penetrating his entity with blazing stares that turned the ruby jewels into blood thirsty monsters, grimacing his ivory teeth sharpened and ready to tear the poor news – bearer's skin to shreds.
"We will do our best, sire!"
"Not enough!"
The soldier, who had never thought he'd take the blond immature seriously, nodded at him quivering in fear and left to relay the message to his commander.
"This doesn't sound good."
Another advisor commented, to which the governor responded by shrugging his shoulders.
"They are mere thugs, what danger could they prove? What power can they grow? We have an army, one soldier should be enough to crush them!"
The advisors turned at the governor surprised, just witnessing the aggressiveness he treated the soldier with, and the resolute orders he gave him, they could not believe the easiness the blond man was taking things with now until they realized that the same frightening stare was still on the governor's face, now directed at them, as if ordering everyone in the room to believe that this crime will be dealt with soon and cast into oblivion as if it had never happened.
But things were not meant to submit to the governor's wishful thinking.
Like the small remaining foam agglomerating by the waiting shore, wave after wave, this foam had formed its own huge tide, ready to swap the entire shore.
Thugs, serfs, slaves, even regular servants and cooks, unemployed citizens, paupers, bored young men, all came together and formed their respective gangs which then united into a harmonized band dealing the wealthy families all kind of terror as if nature itself was plotting vindictively against every noble and rich household in the province.
Like a pandemic, contagion spread to all oppressed classes and affected every patrician, reaching eventually to the middle class.
In a short period, it ran out of control, never satisfied, never fed, burning and engulfing everything.
***
"I have heard quite the news, Germanous."
"And what did you hear exactly?"
The young governor inquired coolly with a confident calm smile, as if the scene of the ambassador congested dissatisfied face was the same as the scene of the tranquil endless sea.
"Apparently, citizens are terrorized by a certain group of thugs, not a single roman citizen dare to walk out of his doorstep alone!"
"Is it so?"
"Naturally, I find this most unacceptable and enraging, it is a great insult to every roman in the entire empire!"
"Citizens are terrorized almost by anything and everything; drought, floods, storms, death, abundance, war, peace, rumors, gods, laws, penalties, tradition, inventions… so why should a pitiful group of thugs be any different? They represent everything I have mentioned."
"A pitiful group you say? What I heard is that they are plenty, and their disgraceful acts have affected every noble household!"
"Then the problem lies in the Roman citizens themselves! "
"What did you just say?"
The blond's careless words triggered Caecilius thoughtful anger, turning it into a merciless attack that regarded no titles or ranks, like a snake provoked by the fire. The ambassador narrowed his eyes, a bright of anger slicing through them, his voice became louder and threats dripped with every letter he pronounced.
"Whatever you meant to say, you have just insulted yourself boy, and I will not…"
"Lies."
Germanous loudly and decisively interrupted the prelude to a stormy speech, turning its menacing content into a questioning look.
"What you have heard is nothing more than sheer lies, exaggerated and untrue. Sadly, yes, there is a group of thugs and some unfortunate accidents had taken place indeed. However, the reality of these incidents had been altered by fears brought by years of laziness and peace in this province. Our soldiers are already working on the matter, penalties shall be paid soon and so are compensations."
Caecilius did not seem convinced at all. If he were to make a choice, then he would choose to call the current governor's words as lies. However, he was not a man to rush his decisions so he decided to play the long game with Germanous, waiting to see if his words were true and if his strategy in dealing with such problems would prove effective.
"I hope this is true because from what I have heard…"
"It is so easy to lie to the ears, but not to the eyes."
"True enough."
The ambassador replied, ending the conversation by accepting the blond guy's challenge for finding an evidence to these incidents.
For an eager eye, evidence was the easiest to spot, germinated from the simplest words or acts, found in the normal behaviors and arrangements of everyday, but for some reason, the ambassador failed to lay his hands on any single trace or grave report. Suddenly, the affected families stopped talking about the incidents, and those who were questioned described the incidents as rather ordinary, a theft that would occasionally happen due to increased idleness from time to time and the plundered houses presented nothing, not a single scratch or a sign of aggressive attacks were detected.
Compensation had been paid indeed, even before the penalty. The families that had fallen victim to the surge in thefts were paid a huge indemnity, equaling and surpassing the damage they had received so they needed not complain. In fact, after hearing of these huge compensations, unharmed families started praying to become the next target for this blessed gang.
The money that was gathered for the reform plans were gradually decreasing, spent on indemnities for the victims it was supposed to improve their lives. The construction and renewal plans were temporary halted or rescheduled for extended periods. Unaware of the new "compensation system", Caecilius was trying to find a dirty connection between the current thefts and the delay in the rebuilding work but stuffed mouths don't speak and Germanous had fed them beyond fullness.
He who holds the pawns control the game, but when fate reaches his hand into the board, this rule becomes of no use.
A new terror was started by the gang; kidnapping and torturing.
Abduction did not spare a single house, rich or poor. The most fortified and guarded houses were the prime target, as the band wanted to taunt its power and reach. In the beginning of the incidents, high ransoms were demanded. To this point, the soldiers could interfere and set traps for members of the band but failed to catch any of them. Retaliating against the governor's mobilized soldiers, the kidnapping increased but this time, the victims were returned mutilated and dead without demanding a ransom other than revenge.
With this new game the thugs had set, no compensation could silence any wailing mother and no threat could prevent a mourning father from screaming.
Despite this, the soldiers deployed at every inch of the city and the watchful guards controlling all the exits and entries to the city made Germanous appears as if he was still in control of things. Along the constant denial he confronted anyone complaining or asking too much, his power seemed deeply rooted and effective. The ambassador was left seething with anger, unable to confront Germanous, leaving the later at ease. To the blond, riots and rubbery, even murder were common and bound to happen through any stage of development, there was nothing he should fear personally as long as he feigned concern and displayed his power.
***
Unlike the vexed counselors, the governor, the man standing in the center of this peril, was quite relaxed and calm. After all, the ambassador himself had given him the solution.
"It is easy to deceive the ears, but not the eyes."
Precisely, he was absolutely right. If mere oral demonstrations weren't enough to satisfy him, then he is going to feed his eyes a material evidence till they sink back in their sockets with satisfaction.
"What are we going to do now, my lord?"
"Work hard on the matter, what else?"
The governor replied casually and with the head of the garrison, he left the council room which rose in demur but was silenced immediately by Germanous justification of his actions:
"This chase of thieves is like a war with rabid dogs, it should be counseled with men
of boldness and plainness, not of scheme and deceit."
Calling the head of the city's garrison to another meeting room, a more simple and secret one, where he retired with the man and poured out his equivocal orders into the soldier's ears.
Meanwhile, the ambassador, annoyed by the blond's pretentious attitude more than the hideous crimes jeopardizing the city's well - being, did not waste a single moment to investigate behind the scenes of every crime, seeking scandals rather than compensations for the terrorized citizens. However, he couldn't get out much of mouths stifled by fear and horror but he kept investigating and collecting information until another council was held where Germanous called him forth. After four days from the last meeting, the young governor proved his resolution to be true and his efforts to be rewarding as he proudly presented two criminals associated with the series of the distressing kidnapping.
"This is only the beginning, and I am not quite satisfied with it, but these two should lead us to the rest of the gang."
"Are you sure these two are of the men we demand? Compared to the dreadful description we have been hearing, I have to say… they don't seem vicious enough…"
The two captured men, shackled with chains and forced on their knees, guffawed in derision, their blackened teeth consistent with their raw crude character. The derided ambassador, spit on the ground disgusted by the sight of such lowly vermin crawling upon his imperial grace.
" And I don't seem capable enough."
The blond governor replied to the ambassador's comment and the latter, insulted a
double by that reply, stared incised with vexation at the insolent boy's perfect face, thinking his devilishly beautiful smile was no less vulgar then the two criminals'.
"Since I am here to affirm the well - being of this province, I might as well attend the interrogation."
Germanous nodded expressing his gratitude for the efforts the ambassador was tiring himself with. His nonchalance about the ambassador's involvement in the investigation only acerbated Caecilius. Germanous proved his will and capability by arresting allegedly two criminals, his actions were suspiciously quick, and the ambassador knew that the lad of seventeen was not ignorant or stupid. Certainly, Germanous knew that the esteemed ambassador was investigating the incidents behind the scene and questioning the families of the victims without getting anything of value or importance. Germanous was always one step ahead of him. Caecilius did not mind this knowledge, it was his job after all, it wasn't as if his cover or purpose here was blown or something, his game of hide and seek with the blond had simply become an open war.
The two suspects were taken to the dungeons where they were interrogated. They pointed out some names and blurted a few locations for their gang meetings, stating their loss of faith as a reason for their acts. The incidents that stole children from their loving parents, and which painted the beautiful memories of whole families with terror and fear were reduced into random acts performed without a purpose or meaning. Things seemed too simple, as if the tears shed for the heart – wrenching
losses befalling the families of the province had washed away these acts into nonexistence. Caecilius became bored from the two men's fixed statements that offered no clarity or proper explanation. He looked at the governor whose anger remained the same throughout the questioning, without declining, unlike the ambassador's patience. Truly, out of the two, he was the better actor, but that did not mean he was the winner. Caecilius was not convinced by the two men confession, smelling the ugly stench of a rotten play orchestrated by the blond but he had no evidence yet, and he had to abide silently as the questions and answers led nowhere.
He could tell it was fake. This whole arrest and these two criminals had nothing to do with the ongoing happenings, there were mere scapegoats goaded by Germanous through some deal and although he had no evidence he did not keep quiet.
"This is a farce, these men did not tell us one useful thing!"
Germanous did not drop the serious attitude, although annoyance flickered upon his beautiful features as he was indirectly ridiculed in front of the soldiers and the two detained criminals.
"Should we not investigate the truth to their words?"
"Investigate as you wish, this only wastes time that is precious to you. I am taking matters into my own hands, I suggest you step down and recollect yourself! Taking me for an idiot! But I am not surprised, it seems you are used to putting on these types of plays!"
The blond remained silent, any wrong word , even for the sake of defending himself would prove fatal and turn the table against him. He knew very well what the ambassador was referring to, someone had tipped him about the possible falsity of the incident involving his father safety and he could guess pretty accurately who that person could be. The image of his cousin resided in him mind hatefully. At his silence, Caecilius declared:
"With the authority invested onto me by the emperor, I will have any mean I require at my disposal until I capture and make a proper example out of this gang underestimating our power to protect our citizens!"
The ambassador then closed the distance between him and the petrified blond, who could only nod reluctantly.
"I would have made an example out of you first if I desired to stir the situation into more chaos but you better believe, this moment shall not be so far."
Germanous lips parted into a nervous smile, a hint of challenge burning through his red eyes. His trickery was obviously not an efficient tool against the ambassador who unlike the counselors of his assembly, was not easy to sway and convince.
Fate had favored him that incident but now it was plotting against him, driven by Caecilius predatory instincts.
Not long after, the evidence the ambassador was restlessly looking for day and night came literally knocking on the palace's doors.
A kidnapped child from a noble descendant as revealed by his torn clothes, was left hanging on the golden doors of the governor's palace, an upside down scale carved ruthlessly on his naked chest, his young flesh hanging down along the carving that reached deep to his exposed ribs while his cold blood ran across his mutilated body dying the engraved gods towering there.
The upside down scale, a insignia to be carved into every victim to come.