Pompeius Magnus read Cicero return letter when still several days from Rome.

"Jupiter, he had the temerity to remind me of killing Brutus' father, a man who had been declared nefas," he said to his wife with some irritation.

"I think it was the manner in which it was done, husband," Cornelia said picking at a tray of olives." It was rather crude. Very brutish. Would you like to die without an dignity."

Pompeius snorted. "A battlefield is a messy place Cornelia. Men die in all sorts of terrible ways, and they don't get to stop and go to the latrine just before they die." His hand whopped a pillow throwing a puff that ruffled Cornelia's hair.

"Magnus..."

.." Oh I ask you. I was kid butcher who isn't a true Roman...."

"...it's called earning a reputation husband."

".. yet you know exactly what the Roman people did to my father."

Cornelia flicked her dark eyebrow. " True. But they were headcount and the lower classes. Not Patricians. And its Patricians and the Oldest Plebian Nobility that you offended." Cornelia shifted slightly and ate an olive, thinking. "As always, the Roman people are fickle, and now love you regardless of your father."

Pompeius flopped back in his seat, and showed where Sextus got one of his most common mannerisms." So, do you think Brutus really will harbor problems with me?"

Cornelia frowned slightly. " Didn't you get an idea at all when he was in the east with you and the Republicans?"

"Oh. Then. Well, Cato was always screaming so much, it was hard to get to talk to anyone. Frankly that was one of the reason I decided to make my own deal. Cato's brave, but you can't run an army command like the Senate floor. you just can't."

" Understood," Cornelia said simply, though she obviously had no personal experience with army camps or commands. "In any case, servilia is the one you would need to worry about when it comes to Brutus."

"So does she care?"

" I doubt it. The man you killed was just the person helped make her son and left him plenty of money. Silanus was the man who allowed her to host the Bona Dea. Servilia's problem with you will be the fact that..you are a butcher and not a Patrician."

It was Cornelia turn to lean back. " Odd that. Ciciero isn;t normally the impolitic. His tongue gets him in trouble, but I wouldn't expect him to be quite that blunt."

"Shall I write a reply?"

"Of course. Just don't bring up the bit about Brutus' father."

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Marcus Cicero,

I am pleased you could write back so quickly. Fear not. I am capable of discretion, no matter what Rome might think. If you wish to go to Brutus first, by all means do so. He's probably tweaked anyways about Porcia marrying my son. Not that Octavia is something to sneeze at, from what I hear, but I know how much family matters to him. He admired Cato, though Caesar takes him under his wing.

You'll know when we arrive, no doubt from the clammer it creates. Hard to avoid even these days. I'll send a note around once I am established in the Villa by the Theatre. The dinghy behind the yacht I think you once called it. Very funny. You just wish you had a wife as tasteful as I do. Heck, I've had two. Venus and Hecate.

Cheers.

C.N. Pompeius Magnus.