That evening.
The tumult outside penetrated even to the innermost rooms of the house. Romans marching, dancing and singing in the streets-still celebrating the overthrow of the tyrant. On every corner, his gilded statues were being pulled down with ropes amid the cheers of the populace and the shrilling of flutes.
Pliny sat by his wife’s bed, holding her bone-white hand while she slept, watching the slight rise and fall of her breast. The floor was still littered with bloody cloths.
“I’ll be going then,” the midwife said. “Have your people change the poultice every hour regular and feed her only a little broth. Make a vow to Aesculapius. I can’t do more. Goodbye, sir. And I’m truly sorry.”
He barely nodded as the woman left.
Zosimus tapped on the door and came in. “You must come away and sleep, Patrone. I’ll keep watch. And…Patrone, I want to beg your forgiveness.” Pliny looked up in surprise. “What on earth for?” “For being useless, scared out of my wits. I failed in my duty.” “Nonsense, what could you or anyone have done? We owe our lives to the Purissima.” “You still call her that, even though-” “Of course I do. What else?” At that moment, Calpurnia sighed, and her eyelids fluttered open; she moved her lips. “Gaius? How…? “Hush.” He lifted her to him, kissing her forehead, murmuring thanks to every deity he could name. “Have I been sick?” “The gods have given you back to me, that’s all that matters. We…we despaired. So much blood. Hush now.”
“No, but tell me what has happened. What are they shouting outside?” She gripped his hand and tried to struggle up on an elbow. He felt her trembling.
“Yes, yes, all right. The emperor has been assassinated. Before that, the Praetorian commandant and his men came here to take Amatia away and to, well, to deal with me.” She needn’t know every detail. “Then you went into labor and Amatia took command. I confess I’ve never seen anyone so magnificent. She refused to leave us. She sent a slave running for the midwife. And she convinced Petronius that I had joined their conspiracy to overthrow the emperor. Yes, that’s what it was all about. I don’t know if he believed her, but such force leapt from that woman’s eyes…Short and stout she may be, but at that moment, she seemed to tower over him like the great statue of Minerva come to life. Anyway he backed down.” “And had you? Joined them?” Pliny shook his head wearily. “At that moment I honestly don’t know.” For a while they were both silent. Then Calpurnia whispered, “And now, husband, I want to see my baby.” He covered his eyes with his hand.