Commodus makes slaves his ministers, and I mean by that no offense to
you, Narcissus, who are fit to rank with Spartacus himself. But I am a
republican. It is not vengeance that I seek. I will reckon I have lived
if I have ridded Rome of Commodus and helped to replace him with a man
who will restore our ancient liberties."

"Liberties?" Narcissus wore his satyr-smile again. "It makes small
difference to slaves and gladiators how much liberty the free men have!
The more for them, the less for us! Let us live while the living is
good, Sextus! Let us take to the mountains and help ourselves to what
we need while Pertinax and all these others fight for too much! Let
them have their too much and grow sick of it! What do you and I need
beyond clothing, a weapon, armor, a girl or two and a safe place for
retreat? I have heard Sardinia is wonderful. But if you still think
you would rather haunt your old estates, where you know the people and
they know you, so that you will be warned of any attempt to catch you,
that will be all right with me. We can swoop down on the inns along the
main roads now and then, rob whom it is convenient to rob, and live like
noblemen!"

"Three years I have lived an outlaw's life," Sextus answered, "sneaking
into Rome to borrow money from my father's friends to save me the
necessity of stealing. It is one thing to pretend to be a robber, and
another thing to rob. The robber's name makes nine men out of ten your
secret well-wishers; the deed makes you all men's enemy. How do you
suppose I have escaped capture? It was simple enough. Every robber in
Italy has called himself Maternus, so that I have seemed to be here,
there, everywhere, aye, and often in three or four places at once! I
have been caught and killed at least a dozen times! But all the while
my men and I were safe because we took care to harm nobody. We let