THE OFFICES OF THE URBAN PRAETOR, ROME

In the beginning of the month March, a lone mysterious figure was spotted marching up and down the road outside the Urban Praetor’s offices. For many days later, the figure kept showing up, walk up and down in indecision, and then vanish. Now, in the middle of Aprilis and after several days when he hadn’t shown, the man turned up once again; this time though, the man walked right into the Basilica in head of a large group of citizens.

He marched up to the Praetor’s secretary desk, the image of seriousness and severity. With the Urban Praetor gone to Campania, the Basilica had descended into a lapse of pleasant inactivity; inactivity that the Praetor’s secretary, Vibius Albius, had grown very fond of. His feet resting upon his desk, his face the image of happiness and tranquility, Vibius Albius paid little attention to the man standing right in front of him. In fact, he couldn’t care less.

“Ahem”, the man politely interrupted the pleasant time of Vibius Albius.

“The Urban Praetor is in official business in South Italy, my good fellow. Come back next week.”, said Vibius Albius still the image of happiness and relaxation.

“The business I carry cannot wait another hour. You must hear me now!”, cried the man.

Vibius Albius took his feet to the ground, returning to a more ‘official’ pose. He crossed his fingers atop his desk, stood straight on his chair and sighed. “Alright, I guess I can hear the case for the Praetor and present it to him when he returns. What is your name and your rank, citizen?”

“I am Marcus Aemilius Paullus, Senator.”, said Paullus, beginning to grow angry with all the bureaucrat procedures.

“And what is your case?”, asked Vibius Albius, still indifferently.

“Murder.”

“The subject?”

“Lucius Aemilius Barbula, the late Praetor of Galatia.”

“The accused?”

“The People of Galatia.”

Vibius Albius widened his eyes. Now, it was getting very interesting indeed! “If I recall correctly”, he said, “the Quaestor under Praetor Barbula, Licinius Lanatus, insisted that the death of Barbula was an accident during an inspection of road works.”

“Don’t you mention that sold out bastard!”, erupted Aemilius Paullus. “I am pretty sure that he was heavily paid by the local populace to keep his tongue!”

“Have you got evidence of this? Even indication of murderous intention would suffice to get this trial started.”, said Vibius Albius.

“They hated my cousin.”

“That’s no excuse for murder.”

“Lanatus said it himself, that something spooked my cousin’s horse…”

“He also said that he crushed his skull on the rocks, falling down from his horse. An accident.”, argued Vibius Albius.

“Not if what spooked the horse was a Galatian.”, argued back Paullus.

Vibius Albius threw himself backwards on his chair. “Alright, I’ll keep notes of what you have and I will present it to Praetor Longinus once he’s back. If he decides to try the case will be his decision.”

TBC...