Amidst a courtyard filled of clients and petitioners, the steward of Marcus Tullius Cicero came running in from the front door. Nearing Cicero, who was talking to several of his clients at once while loyal Tiro stood at his side, the steward extended a sealed letter.

‘Dispatch from Pomp…’ started the servant, but shrewdly halted his tongue before the great secret could be revealed to the bystanders. It was just a brief period of seconds, when both Cicero’s and Tiro’s eyes were locked upon the steward’s face, both breathless. The clients had not paid notice to the steward approaching (all the time someone approached Cicero with a letter or a petition to be handed anyway) so when the steward pretended to be stammering over the name of Pomponius Atticus, the clients thought as if the letter bore no special significance – except for Cicero.

With a broad smile, Cicero took the letter and sighed about how he had missed his dear friend Atticus. When he said that he better took the letter in private, the clients understood and accepted his apologies. Marching inside his tablinum with loyal Tiro on his heels, Cicero examined the seal. Pompey Magnus.

The two men entered, shutting the door closed. After Tiro had made sure than there was no bystander outside the door, eavesdropping the secrets the letter was about to tell, Cicero began reading aloud.

“I’m pleased that you could write back so quickly. Fear not. I am capable of discretion, no matter what Rome might think” Cicero ceased reading and laughed scornfully. “This, from a man who tried to enter the City in Triumph sitting on an elephant! Ah, Tiro! How I am amused with young men and their vanity!” Of course, what Cicero couldn’t realize was that –he- too has been terribly vainglorious as a young man, growing ever more as he got older! Without paying any attention to Tiro biting his tongue to contain the hideous comment, Cicero continued reading aloud.

“If you wish to go to Brutus first, by all means do so. He’s probably tweaked –tweaked, Tiro!- anyways about Porcia marrying my son. Not that Octavia is something to sneeze at, from what I hear, but I now how much family matters to him. He admired Cato, though Caesar takes him under his wing.”. Cicero put the letter down again, a smart grin on his old wrinkled face.

Cicero laughed lowly. “How much it must have hurt him to remind him of his early achievements! I owned him, you know. He never valued any amount of work I put into a matter for his own gain, usually passing me over with the least possible praise” he said to Tiro thoughtfully.

“Is that wise?” was all Tiro said, under his breath.

“Probably not. But I can afford a little bluntness at the time being and, providing that Pompey has a role for me in his ploy, I will outshine this mild reminder with my future actions.” Then he picked up the letter again, reading more quickly.

“You'll know when we arrive, no doubt from the clammer it creates. Hard to avoid even these days.”, a face of disturbance from the reader. “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.”

“Well Tiro, my old friend, best we get to work.” With a flick of the hand, Cicero began dictating a letter.

“From Marcus Cicero, the son of Marcus, to Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus, the son of Gnaeus.

My dear Pompey. I am glad that you took my advice at heart – wisdom and prudence is of the essence in order to avoid an untimely exposure. Since I know you for years, I am convinced that you have both in plenty and I do not worry at all about your success. I merely thought that some unforeseen events might elude your grasp, as the matter of Marcus Brutus. But I am not surprised that you have considered this yourself, judging from the reference to the young man’s exasperation about the marriage of your son, Sextus, to Porcia of the Catos. Yes, the man loved Porcia dearly – so I hear.

As I promised to do, I will. In due time, I will talk to young Marcus Brutus and discover if he has any will to, at least, hear your mind out. Since he followed us in our flight from Rome during Caesar’s march to Rome, I believe that Brutus has shown his heart lays with the Republic firstly and mostly. So, I recon our chances of persuading him to join our circle once again as highly probable. In a recent discussion I had with him earlier this year, Brutus was favorable of other leading figures besides Caesar – so your return will cause some sentiment from the aloof lad.

What is most expedient is that I had a conversation with Caesar himself. Naturally, I do not suppose that I will discover any part of his mind concerning your return but whether or not he questions my own intentions will prove if he holds your return high on his list to counter or not. Continue to think well of me, old friend.

Marcus Cicero”

“There”, Cicero exclaimed. “Now, take this letter on a fast courier and come back into the Atrium. There’s a hideous crowd I need to see off today and I need you assistance.”