Last Act In Palmyra

Chapter XXIX

Why the surprise?

Anyone who had spent five years in the legions, banged up in a freezing estuary fortress in western Britain, had tried knife-throwing. There was not much else to do. There were no women, or if there were they just wanted to marry centurions. Draughts palled after a hundred nights of the same strategy. We would bathe, eat, drink, some would fornicate, we would shout insults into the mist in case any British homunculi were listening, then, naturally, being young lads a thousand miles from our mothers, we tried to kill ourselves playing Dare.

I can catch knives. In Britain, catching a knife thrown after I had turned away was my speciality. When I was twenty I could do it blind drunk. Better drunk than sober, in fact, or if not drunk, then thinking about a girl.

My thoughts were on a girl now.

I put my knife back down my boot – in its sheath. The crowd was whistling ecstatically. I could still see Helena, still not stirring. Nearby, Musa was making frantic efforts to break through the crush to her.

Grumio was flapping: 'Sorry, Falco. I meant to throw the knucklebone. You caught me off guard when you moved:' My fault, eh! He was an idiot. I forced my attention back to him. Grumio had been bowing low in response to the crowd's applause. When he looked up, his eyes were veiled. He was breathless, like a man who had had a nasty shock. 'Dear gods, you know I wasn't trying to kill you!'

'No harm done.' I sounded calm. Possibly I was.

'Are you going to take the hat round for me?' He was holding out his collection cap, one of those woollen Phrygian efforts that flop over on top like wearing a long sock on your head.

'Something else to do – ' I hopped into the crowd leaving the clown to make the best of it.

As I barged through the press he was continuing the patter: 'Well, that was exciting. Thanks Marcus! What a character: Now then, anyone here from Capitolias?'

Musa and I reached Helena simultaneously. 'Olympus! What's wrong?' I stopped in my tracks.

Musa heard my urgency and drew back slightly.

There was a deep stillness about her. Knowing her best I interpreted it first, but our friend soon saw her agitation too. It had nothing to do with Grumio's act. Helena had come here to find me. For a moment she could not tell me why. The worst conclusions flashed into my mind.

Musa and I were both assuming she had been attacked. Gently but quickly I drew her to a quiet corner. My heart was pounding. She knew that. Before we moved far she stopped me. 'I'm all right.'

'My darling!' I clutched her, for once grateful to the Fates. I must have looked ghastly. She bowed her head on my shoulder briefly. Musa stumbled, thinking he ought to leave us alone. I shook my head. There was still some problem. I might yet need help.

Helena looked up. Her face was set, though she was in control again. 'Marcus, you must come with me.'

'What's happened?'

She was full of grief. But she managed to say, 'I was supposed to meet Ione at the pools of Maiuma. When I got there I found her in the water. She seems to have drowned.'