A Coin for the Ferryman

Chapter Twenty-eight

It seemed to take a long time, even then, before the soldier came and told us that the gig was ready and awaiting us. But once we were all three crammed into it — there was seating room for me beside the officer, but poor little Niveus had to crouch on the floor — we bowled along the road at a surprising pace. A military gig is built for speed, of course, and the driver was skilful, even in the dark — the torches which were mounted on either side of him gave off a cheerful glow and helped to keep him warm, but were not much help in illuminating the road.

Moreover, we had the advantage of military rank, and such other travellers as we passed moved smartly from our way. So, though we were jolted far too much for speech, we found ourselves turning off on to the lane which led to Marcus’s country house in not much longer than we might have done by day.

I would have liked to ask the gig to stop and let me go into my roundhouse and rinse my hands and face — Gwellia would be proud of my instincts there, I thought — but I feared to annoy my patron by any more delay, and I’d resigned myself to driving directly to the feast. I was just wondering what Marcus would have to say to me, and whether they’d begun without me several hours ago, when a figure with a lantern rushed out of my gate into the road.

‘M-m-m-master? Is that you?’ It could only be Kurso, stammering like that.

‘What is it, Kurso?’ The gig had stopped by now.

‘The m-mistress s-says that you’re to c-c-come inside.’ The lantern was bobbing in agitation now. ‘There’s s-s-someone here that you were l-l-looking for.’

I glanced at the commander. ‘You’d better go,’ he said. ‘It may be the girl in question. I’ll wait here for you. Don’t be very long. I don’t have to remind you that you’re already late.’

And Gwellia knew that as well as anyone, I thought, as I climbed down from the gig. I was getting skilled at managing on carts. I went through the enclosure and through the roundhouse door, and was startled by the domestic sight that met my eyes. There was a man — a stranger — sitting on my stool, beside my fire, drinking from my bowl and laughing with my wife. I felt a surge of helpless jealousy, even as I noticed that Junio was there.

He looked up and saw me, and jumped to his feet. He had been crouching by the stranger, near the hearth. He came across and seized me warmly by the arm. ‘Father, at last. We’ve found that man for you!’

‘Man?’ I was bewildered.

‘The farmer in the cart. You went to the villa gate to keep a watch for him, and said that you’d be looking for him on the way to town. Well — we saw him passing, or rather Mother did, and she persuaded him to come and wait for you in here. It wasn’t easy — he wanted to get home — but you know what Mother’s like. She charmed him into it.’

I did know what Gwellia was like, indeed, and I was ashamed of my reaction when I first walked in. I might have known my family would find some way to help. I nodded and went over to stand beside the fire. My wife, who had been stirring something in a pot, looked up and saw me and greeted me at once.

‘Husband! This is the farmer from the uplands that you were looking for. He knows Morella — he was just telling us.’ She gave him an understanding smile. ‘I have explained that her parents have been to see us here, and that you were trying to find news of her.’

‘That’s right.’ His mouth was full of something, but he gestured with his hands. He was just as Niveus had painted him, thin and ancient and not altogether clean. He spoke reasonable Latin, with a heavy burr. ‘Knew her well, I did — poor little lass. Your wife assures me that you only want to help, and you are worried for her safety, so I’ll tell you what I know. I don’t want to get her into trouble with her father, though — if he lays hands on her he’ll beat her black and blue.’

I closed my eyes, thinking of a wretched naked body in the common pit. ‘He won’t hurt her any further. I can promise that.’

‘Well then.’ He took another bite of something in his hand. ‘What can I tell you? Last time I saw her she was looking happier — better than I’ve ever seen her in my life. Turned out nicely, too — new clothes and everything. Little bit skimpy round the top, perhaps, but she looked quite good in it.’

‘And she had a bundle with her, of her other clothes?’

He spluttered crumbs at me. ‘That she didn’t, mister. Nothing of the kind. Just a pair of sandals hanging round her neck — tied up by their laces, though they looked too big for her.’ He gave a barking laugh. ‘Had her hands full, just holding on to that dratted animal — couldn’t even let him go to wave goodbye to me. She wasn’t holding bundles! I’m quite sure of that.’

‘She had the dog with her?’ Suddenly I wasn’t making any sense of this.

‘Dog? Course she didn’t. I’m talking about the horse. Lovely animal. Must have cost a fortune, if I am any judge, and good-tempered too, judging by the way she was clinging to the mane. And she didn’t really have to; the chap was holding her.’

‘The chap?’ I remembered the descriptions that I’d heard of Hirsius. ‘Big fellow, was he, with sandy-coloured hair? Wore an olive-coloured tunic and a cloak to match?’

He nodded sagely. ‘That’s the very one. Didn’t look too pleased when she called out to me — I suppose he was afraid he’d have her father after him. But if he makes her happy, who am I to grudge? Time that poor creature had a bit of happiness.’

‘What did she say, exactly? Can you recall her words?’

‘Said to tell her parents that she had run away. Gone to join the entertainment troupe and work with animals. I said I saw she had got some pretty clothes, and she said that she was going to have some others by and by, and another pair of sandals that would be a better fit. “The other fellow’s got them in his bag,” she said, “but he couldn’t stop to sort them out just now. He’s got to ride the hard way as it is, along the lane, to catch up with the carts before they reach the town. He’s got all the costumes and the wigs with him. You better not go down that way along the lane,” she said, “because he’s still there changing his costume for the act and he hasn’t even got his tunic on. I would have walked right into him and seen his you know what, if my friend hadn’t stopped me in time! And wouldn’t that have been embarrassing.” And then she giggled — you know what she was like. Or, pardon, citizen, probably you don’t.’

I thought about that dreadful mutilated corpse. That, surely, was what she had been prevented from looking at? ‘And what did her companion have to say to that?’

‘He got quite cross with her and told her not to talk. Said they had to hurry, because the cart was up ahead and they had a lot of things to do before they caught it up. That made her giggle — I wondered what he meant.’ He cocked an eye at me. ‘She was a bit given to that sort of thing, if you know what I mean. Didn’t have much affection from her father, I suppose, and wanted to find it any way she could. I didn’t mind her, though she wasn’t very bright — though I wouldn’t have liked my sons to want to marry her.’

‘And you are sure she wasn’t carrying a bundle at the time?’

‘Positive! The fellow had a sack behind him on the horse, an enormous one all tied up with a string — but there was nothing in it. I asked where they were heading, but he didn’t answer me, just turned and galloped off. Morella was clinging on for dear life all the time, and laughing like an idiot — that’s the last I saw of her.’

‘You’d be prepared to swear this, if I asked it? You can’t hurt Morella — I’m afraid she’s dead. I’m just anxious to bring the murderer to account for her death.’

His face had fallen. ‘Dead? You’re sure of that? But she seemed so jubilant. .’

‘Then remember her like that. It may have been the happiest moment of her life. But your story — I can rely on you for that?’

He nodded glumly. ‘If you have to, I suppose. I’ll have her father setting that wretched dog on me and claiming that I ought to have said something earlier. I did give him the message, but he didn’t seem to care. More worried that he’d lose a wealthy son-in-law than interested in his daughter, it appeared. So I didn’t say too much — I didn’t want him catching up with her.’ He got up abruptly. ‘Now, you know where to find me. I’ve told you what I know. With your permission, I’ll be heading home.’

‘Of course!’ Gwellia was already bringing him his cloak. ‘Your wife will be half frantic about you as it is. And you have been very helpful — my husband won’t forget.’

He turned to her, his withered face alight. ‘It’s been a pleasure, lady. He is a lucky man. Now, if I could have a servant to help me with my cart? I’ve left it at the corner, at the junction with the lane — the very spot where I saw Morella and the horseman, that day. But I’ve unhitched the horse, and I will have to harness it up again.’

‘I’ll take you to the slave hut and find a boy for you,’ Gwellia said grandly, as if we kept a horde of servants in the room next door. She took a candle and led the way for him.

Junio was squatting beside me in a trice. ‘You’ve discovered something, master. I know that tone of voice. And Minimus told us you’d found the tunic on the stall, and had gone off to see the dancing girls. What have you been doing since he saw you last?’

I told him, as briefly as I could. After a moment, Gwellia came in, and stood behind us, listening carefully as well. When I had finished she sat down by the fire.

‘So Hirsius killed Morella and left her by the road, hoping the Silurians would get the blame for it? Do you think he really hid the tunic in the hedge?’

‘It rather looks like it. After all, it was conspicuous. Even that farmer commented on it. Together with the sandals that Morella had? Now where on earth had they acquired those?’ She stopped and stared at me. ‘Oh, of course — there must have been that other body, lying in the lane.’

‘Exactly, Father. Is that why Hirsius killed Morella, do you think? Because she came across the body, and she might have talked? The farmer has just told us that they were riding from that direction — and isn’t that a little bit peculiar in itself? If anyone was going to ride to town, that is the quickest route — and yet she was going the other way, by all accounts.’

‘And it isn’t suitable for heavy carts,’ I said. ‘Don’t forget that Hirsius said the carts had gone ahead.’

‘So why was Hirsius in the lane at all? He was supposed to have been accompanying the luggage and the entertainment cart. And where was Pulchrus? He set off with them. .’ He stopped, and looked at me, his face appalled. ‘You don’t think. . after all?’

I nodded. ‘I’m afraid so, Junio. We thought the other day that the body we cremated might have been a page.’

‘Because of the soft hands and pampered feet?’ my wife enquired. ‘Poor Pulchrus! I am glad that you were there and able to give him a proper funeral.’

‘So it was Pulchrus all the time.’ Junio sounded saddened. ‘We kept on asking who had visited the villa on that day. We never asked who’d gone away from it.’

There was a moment’s silence before Gwellia remarked, ‘But I still don’t understand. Why was he discovered in Morella’s clothes? Doesn’t that suggest that she was present when he died?’

‘I’ve been thinking about that. I think it’s more likely that she turned up afterwards. Remember she was asking for Hirsius at the gate, and Minimus saw Aulus pointing down the lane — which suggests that Hirsius had already gone that way. So he and Pulchrus took the short-cut into town instead of accompanying the baggage-cart on the road. Suppose Morella turns up on the scene when Pulchrus is just dead? I don’t think it’s likely she saw the corpse — she wasn’t a girl to hide her feelings, and she’d have told the farmer if she’d seen a body in the lane — but it’s almost certain that she stumbled on the murderers.’

‘The murderers?’ Gwellia sounded shocked. ‘You think that there was more than one of them?’

‘I think there had to be. I’m sure Hirsius did the actual killing — throttled Pulchrus with the slave disc round his neck, I’d guess, then pulled it off for the false page to wear — but he did have help. Someone who came through Marcus’ land, of course. Consider what we know. Hirsius and Pulchrus were on horses when they left. Cilla told us that Pulchrus had been seen accompanying the cart — very distinctive in his new uniform. But he doesn’t deign to speak to anyone — that was not like Puchrus, I thought so at the time. But it wasn’t Pulchrus, it was someone in his clothes — which means that someone had to be working with Hirsius. It wasn’t Hirsius himself; he was on the Isca road, disposing of the witness who had seen too much. You remember what Morella told the farmer at the time — that the other fellow was just trying his costume on? Obviously she came across them just as he was putting on the uniform. He would have had a wig, of course — in that bag of costumes Atalanta saw him with. Hirsius told Morella it was some sort of preparation for the show, and she was such a trusting soul, she didn’t question it.’

‘But why put her dress on Pulchrus? Why not make a straight exchange? The murderer must have been wearing something at the time.’

‘I think that might have been their original idea. But Morella’s arrival must have startled them. We can’t know what happened, we can only guess, but it seems as if this other man was putting on the page’s clothes — presumably the naked corpse was on the ground nearby — when Morella came walking innocently down the road towards them. She was on foot, remember, with a bundle in her hand. What does she see but Hirsius, whom she’s been looking for? No doubt he went to meet her, to keep her well away, and she would have told him that she had the money now — and even offered him the bundle, so he could have the coins. But for once, he isn’t interested in that. His only thought is to get her away from there as soon as possible, and stop her from noticing the presence of the corpse. Perhaps she sees the sandals, so he gives her those and promises more garments later on. He tells her that the other man is putting his acting costume on — which is probably enough to stop her coming close, and gives a sort of reason for him changing in the lane. Hirsius offers to take her with him, and puts her on the horse, where she needs both her hands, so he leaves behind the bundle with the dress in it, saying it will be taken to catch up with the cart.’

‘But why put it on the body?’ Gwellia was looking strained and horrified.

‘I was about to come to that. The dress itself is just a nuisance — they don’t know about the coins, so it seems as if the mock-Pulchrus had a good idea. Instead of merely swapping garments with the corpse, he dresses the body in the woman’s clothes and hides it in the ditch and puts his own tunic in the costume sack. If the body is discovered, in a year or two, it will seem to be the girl’s — supposing that by that time there will be nothing left but bones and a few fragments of material.’

‘And some hair, perhaps. Of course!’ Junio sounded almost jubilant. ‘The hair might be a problem, so he hacks it off — together with the slave brand — just in case. And he smashes in the face so it can’t be recognised.’

Gwellia was doubtful. ‘You don’t think that was the original intent?’

‘I doubt it very much. More likely they intended to take the body out and leave it on the margins where Morella’s corpse was found. They even had a sack with them they could have put it in. But Hirsius would have had to take it out there on his horse — he would have had to be careful to disguise the shape — while the imitation Pulchrus was being seen near town. But Hirsius couldn’t do that, since he had Morella now, so his partner was forced to improvise and find a hiding place. He might have succeeded, too, if work for the new roundhouse had not disturbed the corpse so soon.’

‘And Lucius’s servants didn’t mix with the villa staff, so obviously they hadn’t heard about the plans.’ Junio was still following my train of thought. ‘But who was this second servant? He would surely have been missed?’

‘There was no second servant. You must have realised that. It had to be an actor to get away with it — and we heard from Julia that the mimic had been really excellent. That’s why Lucius had engaged him to go to Rome, of course — that and the fact that he was much the same size as Pulchrus was. Lucius and Hirsius would have met Pulchrus in Corinium, when he went to meet them and escort them here, so they knew what he looked like and how big he was.’

‘But they could not have guaranteed that they would find a man like that. And anyway, this murder happened on the morning before the civic feast. How could the acts have been at the villa then?’

I nodded. ‘I know. That confused me, at first, but of course the acts that Lucius ostensibly chose to take to court weren’t at that feast at all. They can’t have been — they were already on their way to Rome. They must have given their performances in front of him and Marcus at a different dinner on some other day. I believe that Hirsius had seen the acts before, and arranged for the most suitable to meet him here, so he could “select” them to perform at Marcus’s feasts and thence go on to Rome. I have learned that not a single local act — however excellent — was chosen to be sent to entertain the court, and there is a rumour in the town that it was all prearranged. Hirsius took bribes from all the other acts in town. It made it look convincing — and he profited, of course.’

Gwellia was looking more stricken all the time. ‘But why kill Pulchrus in the first place?’ she said helplessly. ‘Why try to take his place? It could only be to stop him doing what he was ordered to, but the message that Marcus sent to Londinium with him was delivered perfectly! Junio was telling me about it earlier.’

‘It was delivered, certainly,’ I said. ‘To the commander of the British fleet — who happens to be a relation of Lucius, in fact. We hear that Marcus is to be entertained there for a day or two, since the governor’s palace is not fit for guests. I wonder if the new governor is aware of that? And what will Marcus and Julia have to say when they discover that the arrangements for their trip are those that Lucius wanted them to make?’

‘I don’t know what His Excellence will say to that!’ I realised that the commander of the garrison had come in with Minimus, and was standing listening to all this at the door. ‘But I’m prepared to guess what he will say to you, if you dare to keep him waiting for a moment more.’