"Aye to the Senatus Consultum Fictitia Veneratia, the proposed award of the Gold Torque for Appius!"

With that, Gallus returned to the Tribunician Bench, where he resumed his conversation with Agrippa. "Yes, Fictitious may certainly be annoying, but the measure he proposes is a just one. I may gladly thwart any man's ambitions in the Senate, but it is wrong to deny a soldier his earned glory.

"Now, as touching your questions on the Quaestorship. I think Sicily would be an excellent staging point for a naval campaign in the central portions of Our Sea. It would most certainly support a sweep up the Adriaticus. You could do much worse than a posting there. As for myself and Africa, I am hoping that the ongoing negotiations with Jurgurtha will give me time to cleanse the Corsican area of pirates before my services are truly required at Utica.

"I will let the consulars and back-benchers ponder the words of Cosconius yet a while longer, then I will propose my Senatus Consultum...and we shall figure rather predominately in it!" And with that, Gallus leaned back, relaxed, and prepared to observe the rest of the Senatorial voting.