Ten for Dying

Chapter Fifty-five

“Here she comes! Hide the buckets!” a tall excubitor shouted from the alley gate to a colleague lounging by the back entrance to Felix’s house.

Anastasia gave the man announcing her arrival a haughty look as he opened the gate for her. “Impertinent fool!” she muttered as she passed. She noticed that the guard with witty remarks wasn’t one of those with burns from the hot coals.

She crossed the courtyard in haste and paused when the guard at the door barred her way.

“You can’t enter without permission.”

“And whose orders might this be?”

“Mine,” came the reply from the hall. “I will however make an exception for the sister of the late empress. You may come in and tell me why you are here.”

It was Narses. The guard stepped aside and Anastasia crossed the threshold.

“Come into Felix’s study. He should be back soon.” Narses smiled grimly. “Like a bird to its nest.”

“Lamb to the slaughter, you mean,” snapped Anastasia.

Narses shrugged. “Those who plot against the emperor must take their chances.”

“Why would you think Felix was plotting against Justinian?”

“We have received convincing information. What business do you have at the traitor’s house?”

“It is a personal matter.”

“Indeed?” Narses looked politely unconvinced.

“I do not see why I should be questioned by a palace functionary, but since you ask, I have come for certain of my possessions.”

Narses openly sneered at her. “Are all your servants intoxicated or run away like the brave former excubitor captain that you must fetch your belongings yourself? I fear I find that highly unlikely.”

“Which is of no concern to me. You would not wish Justinian to hear you prevented me from taking my own property, Narses?”

The eunuch’s thin lips curved into a baleful smile. “You may be able to rely on your family ties to protect you from harm but dalliances with those who plot against Justinian will cost you any influence at court. Since Felix’s treachery has been discovered and his fate sealed, why not help yourself by assisting us? Where can we find him?”

“Betrayal doesn’t amuse me.”

“Think of it as cutting short the period of terror and misery the poor man must be suffering. A mercy, one might say.”

“Felix is not seeking to overthrow Justinian.”

Narses shrugged again. “If you insist. Cupid has much to answer for, it seems.”

“What can you know of love, you loathsome creature? Get out of my way!”

Narses stood back with an exaggerated low bow and sweeping gesture of one arm. As Anastasia strode past and down the hall, his eyes-the black, expressionless eyes of a carrion bird-fixed their longing gaze on her back.

Anastasia went into Felix’s room and sat down on the bed. Out of Narses’ sight she allowed her hands to shake. She had expected, wrongly, that the guard at the house would be reduced by now. It would have been possible to take sufficient clothing and anything else that might be useful for Felix under pretext of retrieving her own belongings. With the disgusting eunuch on the scene that wasn’t going to work. Luckily, she had brought money with her, concealed in a pouch hanging under her tunic. She would take that to Felix at Maria’s and beg him to flee. What choice did he have? And now she would have to evade whoever Narses sent to follow her.

Narses had come after her and stood in the doorway, watching.

She placed several jars of cosmetics, a hand mirror, and a silver comb in a sheet pulled from the bed. “You see, Narses? This is all I came for, although I am sure your suspicious mind sees it as disposing of incriminating evidence.”

“Why dispose of the evidence? The entire palace knows the former captain of excubitors is your lover. At least your current-”

She pulled an alabaster jar from the bundle she had made and drew her hand back.

Narses flinched.

Rather than throwing the jar, Anastasia laughed at him and left.

As she entered the Mese, she saw a familiar figure walking in her direction. It was Anatolius, the lawyer she had arranged to free Felix from the dungeons. After she had cleared the way with Justinian, she had sent a senator she knew to Anatolius. Was he hurrying to Felix’s house? “What a wonderful surprise, meeting you like this,” she exclaimed loudly as he approached, for the benefit of whoever was following her.

Anatolius gave her a look of bewilderment as she half dragged him down the wide street.

“I’m not in need of any…uh…services right now,” he stammered, peering at her.

“Don’t you remember me? From the palace? We have so much to talk about! But first, I wish to choose a new lamp. You know how careless servants can be, and here is just the place to find one.”

The shop was a cave filled with flickering light from lamps of clay, bronze, silver, gold, alabaster. Some small enough to carry in one’s hand, others as big as cauldrons. Lamps hung from the ceiling by chains and stood on tripods and thin marble pedestals.

Anastasia propelled Anatolius to the rear of the shop where a lamp modeled on the Great Church, covered with a glowing perforated dome, sat on a table against a wall from which elaborately worked hanging lamps sprouted like a form of fabulous fungi.

“Thank heavens I saw you, Anatolius.” Next to the Great Church was an Egyptian artifact made of silver to a design that would bring a blush to many. She pretended to examine it. “Narses is waiting in ambush in Felix’s house.”

“You’re Anastasia,” Anatolius said. “Theodora’s sister. I’ve seen you at a distance with Justinian and Theodora but we’ve never met. How did you recognize me?”

“Oh really! When you worked for the emperor, all the young ladies knew about his handsome young secretary. You were pointed out to me. We’ll have to get to know one another better soon. But right now, it’s fortunate I did recognize you.”

She pointed to a pottery lamp decorated with a wreath and inscribed with a wish Fortuna would light its owner’s days. “Perhaps an omen? You were walking right into their clutches.”

“I was alert for such a trap and would just have strolled past if need be. I am aware Felix has got himself into a great deal of trouble. May I assume you know where Felix can be found? Tell him he must come to my house, as soon as possible, no matter what. It is urgent.”