from now on."
"What made Forrester change his mind?"
"He hasn't. At least, not yet."
"So what are you telling me? He doesn't know about what you're doing here?"
"Not officially. I'm supposed to be on R & R. He knows what I’m doing, but no one else does."
“I get it. You fall down on this one, your ass is wide open and his is covered."
"Something like that.”
"And you wonder why I decided to get out."
“What can you tell me about Caesar?"
"That you don't already know? Probably nothing."
"What do you mean, probably nothing?"
"Just what I said. What do you think, I'm on his dinner invitation list?"
"But you're the local impresario around here," Steiger said. “Hasn't he been staging chariot races and fights?"
"Well, yeah, but you don't think I deal with the man directly, do you? He's the Emperor, for Christ's sake."
"Who do you deal with?"
"Lately, it's been mostly Antony."
"Marc Antony?"
"That's right," said Marshall. "It’s not always him in person, though. Most of the time, I work through intermediaries. He's an important man."
"Can you get me an introduction'?"
Marshall sighed. "I guess I could try. Damn it, I thought I was through with all of that. Why the hell couldn't you leave me alone? You're going to get me killed, you know that?"
"I'll try to keep you out of it as much as possible," said Steiger. “All I need is a connection. And a base of operations."
"
Here
?"
"Partly, but I'd also like to arrange a safe house. What would you recommend?"
"I own some apartments in a tenement block in the Argiletum, a shopping district near the Subura district. Not exactly your luxury accommodations, but I could set you up in one of those."
“Oh, so you're a slumlord, too?"
"Give me a break, Steiger. I'm trying to cooperate because I owe you."
"What, not for old times' sake?"
“Well, maybe that, too. And I've also got a life-style to protect here. I don't want a temporal disruption any more than you do."
"Okay. An apartment will do fine."
"You'll need money, I suppose."
"I've got some, but a little more can't hurt."
Marshall nodded. "All right. Anything you need, just say the word. But there's one condition. This is strictly between you and me. I don't want that adjustment team involved. I don't want them knowing about me. Otherwise, all bets are off.”
"That goes without saying, John."
"Okay. I just wanted to make sure we understand each other. What about your cover?"
"What would make me interesting to Antony?"
"He likes chariot racing."
"A betting man?"
"Obsessive."
"Good. Why not say I'm a breeder of racing horses? And I've trained charioteers. You've bought strings from me in the past. Where should I be from'?"
Marshall thought a moment. "Ilerda, in Nearer Spain. That would make you a provincial and no one would be likely to ask you any detailed questions about where you're from. You could always say you've never ventured very far from your farm out in the country, by the Ebro."
"So what brings me to Rome? A business deal?"
"Let's say I'm contemplating purchasing your entire operation, leaving you to run it, of course, and I've invited you here in order to discuss it."
"That would work." Steiger grinned. "Almost like old times, isn't it?"
"Too much like old times, if you ask me," Marshall replied sourly.
"When's the next race coming up'?"
"As a matter of fact, I've got several teams entered in one tomorrow.”
"Will Antony be there?"
"He never misses a race if he can help it."
"Good. What are the chances of putting in a fix?"
"You want me to fix a chariot race?" said Marshall with disbelief. “You realize I could get the death penalty for that?"
"Only if you got caught," said Steiger.
Marshall sighed. "Hell. I suppose it could be arranged."
Steiger smiled. "You haven't changed much, either, have you?"
"A man does what he can. You're planning to take Antony?"
"For a bundle." Steiger said. "What better way to get to know a man than to have him owe you money?"
Chapter
"What made Forrester change his mind?"
"He hasn't. At least, not yet."
"So what are you telling me? He doesn't know about what you're doing here?"
"Not officially. I'm supposed to be on R & R. He knows what I’m doing, but no one else does."
“I get it. You fall down on this one, your ass is wide open and his is covered."
"Something like that.”
"And you wonder why I decided to get out."
“What can you tell me about Caesar?"
"That you don't already know? Probably nothing."
"What do you mean, probably nothing?"
"Just what I said. What do you think, I'm on his dinner invitation list?"
"But you're the local impresario around here," Steiger said. “Hasn't he been staging chariot races and fights?"
"Well, yeah, but you don't think I deal with the man directly, do you? He's the Emperor, for Christ's sake."
"Who do you deal with?"
"Lately, it's been mostly Antony."
"Marc Antony?"
"That's right," said Marshall. "It’s not always him in person, though. Most of the time, I work through intermediaries. He's an important man."
"Can you get me an introduction'?"
Marshall sighed. "I guess I could try. Damn it, I thought I was through with all of that. Why the hell couldn't you leave me alone? You're going to get me killed, you know that?"
"I'll try to keep you out of it as much as possible," said Steiger. “All I need is a connection. And a base of operations."
"
Here
?"
"Partly, but I'd also like to arrange a safe house. What would you recommend?"
"I own some apartments in a tenement block in the Argiletum, a shopping district near the Subura district. Not exactly your luxury accommodations, but I could set you up in one of those."
“Oh, so you're a slumlord, too?"
"Give me a break, Steiger. I'm trying to cooperate because I owe you."
"What, not for old times' sake?"
“Well, maybe that, too. And I've also got a life-style to protect here. I don't want a temporal disruption any more than you do."
"Okay. An apartment will do fine."
"You'll need money, I suppose."
"I've got some, but a little more can't hurt."
Marshall nodded. "All right. Anything you need, just say the word. But there's one condition. This is strictly between you and me. I don't want that adjustment team involved. I don't want them knowing about me. Otherwise, all bets are off.”
"That goes without saying, John."
"Okay. I just wanted to make sure we understand each other. What about your cover?"
"What would make me interesting to Antony?"
"He likes chariot racing."
"A betting man?"
"Obsessive."
"Good. Why not say I'm a breeder of racing horses? And I've trained charioteers. You've bought strings from me in the past. Where should I be from'?"
Marshall thought a moment. "Ilerda, in Nearer Spain. That would make you a provincial and no one would be likely to ask you any detailed questions about where you're from. You could always say you've never ventured very far from your farm out in the country, by the Ebro."
"So what brings me to Rome? A business deal?"
"Let's say I'm contemplating purchasing your entire operation, leaving you to run it, of course, and I've invited you here in order to discuss it."
"That would work." Steiger grinned. "Almost like old times, isn't it?"
"Too much like old times, if you ask me," Marshall replied sourly.
"When's the next race coming up'?"
"As a matter of fact, I've got several teams entered in one tomorrow.”
"Will Antony be there?"
"He never misses a race if he can help it."
"Good. What are the chances of putting in a fix?"
"You want me to fix a chariot race?" said Marshall with disbelief. “You realize I could get the death penalty for that?"
"Only if you got caught," said Steiger.
Marshall sighed. "Hell. I suppose it could be arranged."
Steiger smiled. "You haven't changed much, either, have you?"
"A man does what he can. You're planning to take Antony?"
"For a bundle." Steiger said. "What better way to get to know a man than to have him owe you money?"
Chapter
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