chamberlain Graptus cleared his throat at the door. "Tiberius Claudius Balbillus, dominus," he said.
The torchlight lit up the planetary symbols embroidered onto the astrologer's midnight blue robe. He threw up his arm. "Hail Caesar."
Nero seemed embarrassed by the military salute. "No need for that, Balbillus, we're all civilians here. Now what have you discovered?"
The astrologer unrolled one of the two scrolls he was carrying under his left arm and weighed down the corners with gilded crescents. "Here are the charts Caesar."
Nero leant over the table, squinting for focus - he'd been growing noticeably more nearsighted during the past few years. He traced the two circles of symbols that were drawn around the wheel. "My planets surrounded by today's transits. You see mother, I've taken your advice and picked up a bit of astrology. Well, Balbillus, don't keep us in suspense, what does Fate have in store for me?"
The astrologer raised his eyes to the ceiling as if he could see through it to the stars. "Caesar the planets are in an extremely unusual configuration. All of them are clustered into two signs, the first and the last, Aries and Pisces, all within forty-five degrees of each other."
Nero's smiled mischievously. "Well, they're bound to be putting their heads together, aren't they? To discuss what they're going to do about my reign."
Balbillus glanced at Agrippina for guidance and then pursed his lips disapprovingly.
For Agrippina was frowning. "Do not presume to mock Fate, my son."
"I'm sorry, Balbillus, I suppose that did sound a little flippant. Please go on."
"On this day, the day in which the seeds of the coming year are planted, both the malefics, Saturn and Mars, have positioned themselves in your third house, your House of Siblings. Caesar, beware your brother."
A puzzled frown. "Britannicus! Why would Britannicus want to harm me? I keep telling him he can be emperor whenever he wants so that I can devote more time to music. But I don’t think he wants to be Caesar either."
I believed that was true. I saw him sometimes, skulking around the palace like a ghost. He didn’t seem to hold anyone close, not even his sister, Nero’s “wife” Octavia, that skeletal presence.
Balbillus nodded, a slow steady movement like a pendulum. "He may indeed not wish to harm you, but it's destiny, revealed by his planets, that will decide his Fate. And yours."
Nero pressed thumb and forefinger to his eyelids as if he were trying to erase an unpleasant thought from his mind. "I will not banish Britannicus. He's perfectly harmless and he’s already had enough tragedy in his life, Messalina! He’s Messalina’s only son. He’s my brother, Messalina’s son and so my brother-in-law also. For heaven's sake, we're throwing a huge coming-of-age party for him this afternoon!"
Agrippina’s whisper was soft as a puff of wind through pine trees. "Nothing happens by chance, my son. Do you think it is mere co-incidence that Britannicus becomes a man on the same day that he becomes a threat?"
"The indications do seem to be clear, Caesar," said the astrologer, carefully I thought. "Either you cause his death or he causes yours."
Nero's eyes widened and color fled his face. "What?"
Balbillus unrolled the second scroll. "This is Britannicus's chart. As you see, Jupiter is in his first house. All the ancients agree that this indicates one destined to destroy the brother born before him. Caesar, the brother born before Britannicus is you."
Nero shot a glance at Agrippina, an appeal for reassurance it seemed to me. "When? Can you tell when?"
"During the coming year Caesar, that is what the planets indicate."
"Impossible. He's only fourteen. It doesn't make sense."
"Britannicus is no ordinary boy, my son. He is the son of an emperor. Should you be destroyed he will succeed you. He who is Britannicus's regent will control the world. Can you suppose that there are not already contenders?"
Nero clenched his fists.
The torchlight lit up the planetary symbols embroidered onto the astrologer's midnight blue robe. He threw up his arm. "Hail Caesar."
Nero seemed embarrassed by the military salute. "No need for that, Balbillus, we're all civilians here. Now what have you discovered?"
The astrologer unrolled one of the two scrolls he was carrying under his left arm and weighed down the corners with gilded crescents. "Here are the charts Caesar."
Nero leant over the table, squinting for focus - he'd been growing noticeably more nearsighted during the past few years. He traced the two circles of symbols that were drawn around the wheel. "My planets surrounded by today's transits. You see mother, I've taken your advice and picked up a bit of astrology. Well, Balbillus, don't keep us in suspense, what does Fate have in store for me?"
The astrologer raised his eyes to the ceiling as if he could see through it to the stars. "Caesar the planets are in an extremely unusual configuration. All of them are clustered into two signs, the first and the last, Aries and Pisces, all within forty-five degrees of each other."
Nero's smiled mischievously. "Well, they're bound to be putting their heads together, aren't they? To discuss what they're going to do about my reign."
Balbillus glanced at Agrippina for guidance and then pursed his lips disapprovingly.
For Agrippina was frowning. "Do not presume to mock Fate, my son."
"I'm sorry, Balbillus, I suppose that did sound a little flippant. Please go on."
"On this day, the day in which the seeds of the coming year are planted, both the malefics, Saturn and Mars, have positioned themselves in your third house, your House of Siblings. Caesar, beware your brother."
A puzzled frown. "Britannicus! Why would Britannicus want to harm me? I keep telling him he can be emperor whenever he wants so that I can devote more time to music. But I don’t think he wants to be Caesar either."
I believed that was true. I saw him sometimes, skulking around the palace like a ghost. He didn’t seem to hold anyone close, not even his sister, Nero’s “wife” Octavia, that skeletal presence.
Balbillus nodded, a slow steady movement like a pendulum. "He may indeed not wish to harm you, but it's destiny, revealed by his planets, that will decide his Fate. And yours."
Nero pressed thumb and forefinger to his eyelids as if he were trying to erase an unpleasant thought from his mind. "I will not banish Britannicus. He's perfectly harmless and he’s already had enough tragedy in his life, Messalina! He’s Messalina’s only son. He’s my brother, Messalina’s son and so my brother-in-law also. For heaven's sake, we're throwing a huge coming-of-age party for him this afternoon!"
Agrippina’s whisper was soft as a puff of wind through pine trees. "Nothing happens by chance, my son. Do you think it is mere co-incidence that Britannicus becomes a man on the same day that he becomes a threat?"
"The indications do seem to be clear, Caesar," said the astrologer, carefully I thought. "Either you cause his death or he causes yours."
Nero's eyes widened and color fled his face. "What?"
Balbillus unrolled the second scroll. "This is Britannicus's chart. As you see, Jupiter is in his first house. All the ancients agree that this indicates one destined to destroy the brother born before him. Caesar, the brother born before Britannicus is you."
Nero shot a glance at Agrippina, an appeal for reassurance it seemed to me. "When? Can you tell when?"
"During the coming year Caesar, that is what the planets indicate."
"Impossible. He's only fourteen. It doesn't make sense."
"Britannicus is no ordinary boy, my son. He is the son of an emperor. Should you be destroyed he will succeed you. He who is Britannicus's regent will control the world. Can you suppose that there are not already contenders?"
Nero clenched his fists.
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