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Authors: Alan Scribner
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lash in the case of the Prefect’s slave, Ganymede. Do you remember it?”
“Of course,
eminentissime
. He was the one who tried to kill the Prefect. It was an important case.”
“I have discovered,” continued Severus with authority, “that Ganymede was in fact innocent and that therefore his confession was false. I want to know how the examination was conducted. Did you hit him too hard or too often? Did someone direct you to conduct the session that way?”
“I just do my job,
eminentissime
,” replied Rufus nervously. “But it’s true what you say. Secundus did tell me to lay it into him. We’d been getting no results from the first few slaves, so Secundus told me to let this Ganymede really have it. I did and he confessed.”
“Did he come right out with it? Or did Secundus suggest the answers to him?”
“Well, to tell the truth, it was a little of both. You know, Secundus would suggest something and then the slave would say yes, yes, and even added to it.”
“Did you hit him a lot?” the judge asked grimly.
“Secundus told me when to do it,” replied Rufus. He bowed his head. “To tell you the truth,
eminentissime
, I thought he told me to hit him much more than was necessary. The slave’s back was a mass of blood and he was screaming horribly through it all. I knew it had reached the stage when he would say anything just to get me to stop. Even I sometimes have nightmares about it.”
The judge turned around and walked out. Flaccus followed quietly behind him.
Before confronting Secundus, Severus made a quick stop in the law library to look up the exact wording of the law he had in mind. Then he headed to Secundus’ office, where he found him talking to two clerks.
“Get out,” said Severus to the clerks standing next to the young man. They took one look at the judge’s face and hurried out, closing the door behind them.
“What’s this all about?” asked Secundus, standing up slowly. He was frightened by the judge’s manner.
“I have proof that the slave Ganymede did not attempt to kill the Prefect and that you tortured him so cruelly that he confessed to a crime he didn’t commit.” The judge began to excoriate him. He kept his voice under control but his manner was menacing. “There is no worse act of judicial injustice or incompetence than the one you have committed. You have procured false testimony to convict and condemn an innocent man. That’s judicial murder. You’re a disgrace and I mean to see that you answer for it.”
A look of defiance had crept into the young man’s eyes. “That slave was guilty. I don’t know how much pain a...”
“Save your defense for the trial.”
Secundus stopped short. “Trial? What trial?”
“Your trial,” replied Severus, his eyes glaring. “For judicial murder under the
Lex Cornelia de sicariis et veneficiis
– the Cornelian Law on murderers and poisoners. The law specifically includes as liable, and I quote, “a magistrate presiding in a criminal case who renders a judgment based on false testimony by which an innocent person is convicted.” That’s what you did and I will instruct my court clerk to draw the charge sheet. You are to consider yourself under arrest.”
Severus turned and opened the door, motioning for Secundus to go out. “You will go to your apartment in this building and stay in it until I hold a court session tomorrow morning. You may ask for bail at that time.”
“This is absurd,” shrieked Secundus. “There’s not going to be any trial. Wait til my stepfather hears about this. I’m not going to my apartment. I’m going...”
“Vulso,” yelled the judge into the hall. The Centurion strode in, accompanied by two armed marines from the quadrireme
Argo
.
“Vulso. Escort him to his apartment and place a guard at his door. He is not to leave it until called into court tomorrow. If he resists, use force.”
Secundus stood motionless.
Severus walked up to him and slapped him in the
“Of course,
eminentissime
. He was the one who tried to kill the Prefect. It was an important case.”
“I have discovered,” continued Severus with authority, “that Ganymede was in fact innocent and that therefore his confession was false. I want to know how the examination was conducted. Did you hit him too hard or too often? Did someone direct you to conduct the session that way?”
“I just do my job,
eminentissime
,” replied Rufus nervously. “But it’s true what you say. Secundus did tell me to lay it into him. We’d been getting no results from the first few slaves, so Secundus told me to let this Ganymede really have it. I did and he confessed.”
“Did he come right out with it? Or did Secundus suggest the answers to him?”
“Well, to tell the truth, it was a little of both. You know, Secundus would suggest something and then the slave would say yes, yes, and even added to it.”
“Did you hit him a lot?” the judge asked grimly.
“Secundus told me when to do it,” replied Rufus. He bowed his head. “To tell you the truth,
eminentissime
, I thought he told me to hit him much more than was necessary. The slave’s back was a mass of blood and he was screaming horribly through it all. I knew it had reached the stage when he would say anything just to get me to stop. Even I sometimes have nightmares about it.”
The judge turned around and walked out. Flaccus followed quietly behind him.
Before confronting Secundus, Severus made a quick stop in the law library to look up the exact wording of the law he had in mind. Then he headed to Secundus’ office, where he found him talking to two clerks.
“Get out,” said Severus to the clerks standing next to the young man. They took one look at the judge’s face and hurried out, closing the door behind them.
“What’s this all about?” asked Secundus, standing up slowly. He was frightened by the judge’s manner.
“I have proof that the slave Ganymede did not attempt to kill the Prefect and that you tortured him so cruelly that he confessed to a crime he didn’t commit.” The judge began to excoriate him. He kept his voice under control but his manner was menacing. “There is no worse act of judicial injustice or incompetence than the one you have committed. You have procured false testimony to convict and condemn an innocent man. That’s judicial murder. You’re a disgrace and I mean to see that you answer for it.”
A look of defiance had crept into the young man’s eyes. “That slave was guilty. I don’t know how much pain a...”
“Save your defense for the trial.”
Secundus stopped short. “Trial? What trial?”
“Your trial,” replied Severus, his eyes glaring. “For judicial murder under the
Lex Cornelia de sicariis et veneficiis
– the Cornelian Law on murderers and poisoners. The law specifically includes as liable, and I quote, “a magistrate presiding in a criminal case who renders a judgment based on false testimony by which an innocent person is convicted.” That’s what you did and I will instruct my court clerk to draw the charge sheet. You are to consider yourself under arrest.”
Severus turned and opened the door, motioning for Secundus to go out. “You will go to your apartment in this building and stay in it until I hold a court session tomorrow morning. You may ask for bail at that time.”
“This is absurd,” shrieked Secundus. “There’s not going to be any trial. Wait til my stepfather hears about this. I’m not going to my apartment. I’m going...”
“Vulso,” yelled the judge into the hall. The Centurion strode in, accompanied by two armed marines from the quadrireme
Argo
.
“Vulso. Escort him to his apartment and place a guard at his door. He is not to leave it until called into court tomorrow. If he resists, use force.”
Secundus stood motionless.
Severus walked up to him and slapped him in the
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