CHAPTER XIII.
THE HOUR OF TWELVE.
For some moments Domitia remained without stirring. But then, roused by aglare of lightning, succeeded by a crash so loud as to shake the palace,she saw in the white blaze the tablets of the Emperor lying on the table.
At once, aware of the importance of what she had secured, she seized them,and went to the lamp to open them.
They consisted of thin citron-wood boards, framed and hinged on one side,the surfaces within covered with a film of wax, on which notes wereinscribed with a _stile_ or iron pen. There were stray leaves that servedfor correspondence, orders and so forth, but what Domitia now held was adiptych, that is to say, two leaves hinged, like a book-cover, which hadincluded loose sheets and were bound together by strings.
She at once opened the diptych, and saw on the first page:--
"To be executed immediately:-- In the Tullianum, by strangulation, Lucius AElius Lamia Plautius AElianus.To be torn by dogs:-- The Chaldaean Elymas, otherwise called Ascletarion."
On the second leaf:
"To be executed on the morrow:--By decapitation: Petronius Secundus, Praefect of the Praetorium. Norbanus, likewise Praefect of the Praetorium.By strangling, in the Tullianum: Parthenius and Sigerius, Chamberlains of the Palace.To be bled to death: Stephanus: steward to my niece Domitilla. Entellus: Secretary _a __libellis_."
The words applying to Lamia acted on her as a blow against her heart. Shestaggered to a stool, sank on it and struggled for breath.
But the urgency of the danger allowed no delay--she rallied her strengthimmediately, flew from the room and summoned Eboracus.
To him, breathless, she said: "Fly--summon me at once Stephanus thesteward, Petronius and Norbanus, praefects, and the chamberlains Partheniusand Sigerius. Bid them come to me at once--not make a moment's delay."
She sank again on the stool and put her hands to her temples and pressedthem.
The lightning continued to flare and the thunder to roll. There ensued aturmoil, and a sound of voices crying; then a rush of feet. Euphrosyneentered with startled mien--"My mistress! The bolt of heaven has fallen onthe Palatine, and the chamber of the Augustus has been struck. The Templeof the Flavians is on fire, and is burning in despite of the rain."
The chamberlain, Parthenius, entered.
"Augusta!" said he, "the lightning has struck that part of the palaceoccupied by Caesar. He must have his apartment for the night on this side."
"That is well," answered Domitia. "Parthenius, have you received mymessage from Eboracus?"
"No, lady."
"Then read this," she extended to him the wax tablets.
The chamberlain turned ash gray and trembled.
"Parthenius," said Domitia, "it is no vain augury that lightning hasstruck the Temple of the Flavians, and driven Caesar from his apartments.Let his place of rest be to-night in the room adjoining this--and--if hewakes--" she looked at the clepsydra, as at that moment with a click thewheel turned and Saturn moved his scythe--"there is but an hour in whichthe fate of more than yourself, of Lamia--of Entellus must be decided. Takethe tablets."
Scarce had she spoken, before quick steps were heard, and in a momentDomitian entered.
Parthenius hastily concealed the tablets by throwing a fold of his garmentover the hand that held them. "Sire," said he, "I have come to announcethat thy chamber must be on this side."
"Go thy way," said Domitian roughly, "see to it that I have a bed broughtat once. Hast heard, Domitia, the fire has fallen!"
"Sire," said Parthenius, "I haste to obey and pray the Gods that in spiteof thunder and lightning you may sleep sound and not wake."
The Emperor walked to the clepsydra, and laughed scornfully. "The bolt ofJove has missed me," said he. "The red-handed One made a mistake. I amwont to be in bed at this hour--by good luck, this night I was not. He haslevelled his bolt at my pillow and burnt that--I am escaped scot-free. NowI have no further fear."
"The temple of your divine family is in flames."
"What care I? I will rebuild it--the majesty, the divinity of the Flaviansresides not in stones and marble--it is incorporate in Me. I may have beenin danger for a moment. Now I snap my fingers in the face of thatblunderer Jove, who burnt a hole in my pillow instead of transfixing myhead. And yon old Chronos--" he made a sign of contempt towards scythedTime, "I defy thee and thy bucket of blood. Twelve o'clock! In spite ofJove's bolt, and the summons of Cornelia--I shall be asleep by that hour."
"I pray the Gods it may be so."
Then Domitian went out precipitately. His defiant attitude, his daringtalk did not serve to disguise the alarm which he felt. Suddenly, afterhaving left the room he turned, came back and said, "Domitia! What swordis that? What need has a woman with a sword?"
He pointed to that of Corbulo, suspended against the wall.
He went to it and took it down.
"Leave it," said she harshly. "It is that on which my father fell. It isstained likewise with the blood of Nero."
He held it by the scabbard. She caught the handle and, as he turned, drewforth the blade.
At the same moment he heard steps in the passage approaching the door, andwithout noticing that he held but the sheath, or else purposing to demandthe weapon itself later, when the interruption was over, he walked towardsthe entrance uttering an expression of impatience, holding the emptyscabbard in his right hand.
In the doorway stood Stephanus, a freedman, the steward of FlaviaDomitilla, wife, or rather widow of Clemens, whom Domitian had recentlyput to death. Domitilla had been exiled, and the Emperor had appropriatedto his own use the estates of his kinsman.
"Why camest thou hither?" asked the prince roughly. "I shall have enoughto say to thee on the morrow because of thy embezzlements."
"Augustus! I am innocent."
"A thief, a vile purloiner, a blood-sucking leech, that has fattened as doall thy kind on thy masters. Go thy way--I want thee not here."
And striding towards him, with Corbulo's scabbard he struck the freedmanacross the face.
Stephanus uttered a cry of rage and pain, and instantly smote at theEmperor with a dagger he had held concealed in his sleeve.
"What, hound! You dare! You shall be flayed alive! Ho! to my aid!"
Stephanus threw himself on the Emperor.
Then Domitia stepped between the struggling men and the doorway, and withone hand drew together the curtains so as to muffle the cries.
"To my aid! to my aid!" called Domitian, as the powerful steward grappledhim, and struck his dagger into the thigh of the prince.
"To my aid! Ho, a sword!" shouted the Emperor, and he grasped the weaponof the steward but so that, holding the blade with his hand, the weaponcut it across and the blood streamed forth.
He now made an effort to reach the doorway; and the steward, holding him,strove to wrench away the dagger and inflict a mortal wound. But Domitian,aware of his object, with his bleeding hand retained his grasp of theblade.
All at once, the Emperor let go his hold, and seizing the steward by thehead drove his thumbs into his eyes.
Stephanus instantly dropped the dagger in his attempt to save himself frombeing blinded.
The two men twisted and writhed in grapple with each other. The freedmanwas a powerful man--it was for this reason he had been sent to despatch theprince. But Domitian was battling for his life. Though his legs were thinand out of proportion to his body, he was a strong man--he had evermaintained his vigor by exercise of the muscles and had never weakenedhimself by excess in eating and drinking.
By a happy turn he flung Stephanus, but clasped by him fell with him onthe floor.
And now the two men rolled and tossed in a tangled mass together. Theirsnorts and gasps and the bestial growl of rage filled the room.
"Quick! Domitia--the sword! At once--the sword--the sword!" said the Emperor.He spoke in gulps and gasps.
He had Stephanus under him; his k
nee was on his chest and his hand, thegashed left hand flowing with blood, contracted the prostrate man'sthroat.
"Domitia! the sword!"
"DOMITIA! THE SWORD!" _Page 316._]
But she stood, stern, cold, without stirring a step, and she folded thesword of her father to her breast, with her arms crossed over it.
"Because of Paris--No!"
"The sword! be speedy. I will finish him!"
"Because of Cornelia--No!"
"Domitia--help!"
"Because of Lucius Lamia--No!"
She went to the curtains, drew them apart, and called down the passage toNorbanus.
The two Praetorian praefects were there with the chamberlains--but they wereill able to restrain the guard who suspected that their prince and Emperorwas in danger and scented treachery.
Instantly a rush was made. Some of the soldiers, with the praefectNorbanus, came on running, whilst the other, Petronius Secundus,endeavored by his authority to restrain the rest.
But from the other end of the passage came gladiators running, hastilybrought together by Parthenius.
For a moment there was a jam in the doorway, a burly gladiator and asoldier of the guard were wedged together, each endeavoring to hold theother back and force himself in.
Meanwhile Petronius continued to exhort his soldiers to stand back, andParthenius to promise rewards to the gladiators who pressed on. The tumultbecame terrible. Men came to blows without, there was a running togetherof slaves and freedmen--of frightened women and pages from all sides. Somehad leaped from their beds, roused from sleep, and were not clothed. Somebore lamps--but again certain others attempted to extinguish the lights.Some cried "Treason!" Others "Away with the monster!" Some called out"Nerva is the Emperor!" others "Domitian is the Augustus!"
Then the gladiator at the door, by dint of elbowing, forced his waywithin, but he was unarmed.
Next moment the Praetorian guardsman held back by the gladiator entered andstruck at Stephanus, dealing a frightful blow.
Relieved by this assistance, Domitian staggered to his feet and glaredabout him. He was too much out of breath to speak, and in at the door cameothers pressing, some crying one thing, some another.
Then Domitia unfolded her arms, and taking the sword of Corbulo in herright hand, extended it to the gladiator and said--"Make an end."
The man snatched at the haft; and with a blow drove the blade into thebreast of the Emperor.
Still the prince remained standing, and stretched forth his handsgropingly for a weapon.
Parmenas leaped at him, and with a knife struck him in the throat.
Then he reeled; in another moment he was surrounded, blows from all sideswere rained on him. Again the sword of Corbulo was lifted and again smote,and he fell as a heap on the body of Stephanus.
For a moment there was stillness.
Then in that hush sounded a click and a gush. The bucket of the clepsydrahad discharged, and with a jerk Saturn raised his scythe and pointed tothe hour of midnight.
"He has answered his summons before the seat of Divine Justice!" saidDomitia.
She stooped and plucked the signet ring from the finger of the murderedprince.