Alexandria

LII

Philadelphion was gazing at a herd of gazelles, perhaps trying to seek solace in the company of animals. Gazelles were not the best choice; they grazed in a spacious enclosure, indifferent to his mournful scrutiny. Occasionally they would stiffen, heads up. then bound away from imagined danger. He simply continued to stare across their pasture.

We dragged him away, chivvying briskly. I was in no mood for melancholy.

'Leave me alone, Falco. I've already had that centurion down here, making my life dreadful.'

'He told you one of your staff died last night at the Pharos?'

'It was Chaeteas. I identified the body. Since his cousin seems to have gone missing, I shall take responsibility for a funeral…'The man who had seemed so competent and restrained when he conducted the necropsy – when was it? – only six days ago – had sunk into unexpected misery.

Helena and I led him in a quick march to his office. Philadelphion halted outside, as if reluctant to enter this scene of so many conversations and experiments, shared with his two assistants. 'I had known them since they were boys. I taught them all I knew…'

'So you cannot explain why they were roving through the city in chase of Diogenes yesterday?' Helena asked gently.

The handsome, silver-haired man looked at her sadly. 'No idea. Absolutely no idea… This business is incredible.'

'It was all too real at the time!' I growled. 'Get a grip. I want to know what they had against the trader.'

'I know very little about him, Falco -'

'What would Chaereas and Chaeteas have to do with a scroll-seller?' Losing patience, I shoved Philadelphion on to a stool and loomed over him. 'Look, man – enough people have died in murky circumstances at the Museion! First your madcap pair were implicated in Sobek's release -'

'Oh that was merely carelessness. They had their minds elsewhere – Roxana saw them standing by the crocodile enclosure talking together so earnestly they were not thinking properly about fastening the locks.'

'Talking about what?' Helena asked.

She deliberately used a mild tone and the Zoo Keeper answered, 'Their grandfather.' Immediately he looked as if he regretted it.

'He had died? I remembered we had been told they were at a funeral, shortly after the Sobek tragedy. 'They were upset?'

'No – no, Falco, they had not learned about their grandfather at that time -' Philadelphion was flapping his hands, apparently torturing himself.

I gave him a slight shake. 'So what were they discussing so intently? Did the gorgeous Roxana eavesdrop?'

'No, of course not.'

'Still,' Helena helped me put on pressure, 'I think you know what the conversation was about. You must know what was troubling Chaereas and Chaeteas. You had a long relationship with them. When they had a problem, they would bring it to you.'

'This is very difficult,' Philadelphion whimpered.

'We understand.' Helena soothed him. Fortunately for him, I was too weary to wring his neck. 'I suppose they told you in confidence?'

'They had to; it could have caused a great scandal… Yes, Helena Justina, you are correct. I know what was troubling my assistants – and troubling their grandfather.' Quite suddenly Philadelphion straightened up. We relaxed. He would tell us the story.

At his best once again, he kept it succinct. Elements of this story sounded familiar. The two cousins' grandfather was a scholar who had been working m the Great Library; once, unobserved, he overheard the Museion Director arranging to sell library scrolls privately to Diogenes. The grandfather took the story to Theon, who had an inkling already of what was going on. Theon attempted to dissuade Philetus, with no success. Then Theon died. The grandfather was at a loss what to do, so he turned to his grandsons for advice.

'Chaereas and Chaeteas told him to report it to you, Falco.'

'He never did so.'

'But you know?'

'I found out myself. I really could have used this grandfather's testimony,' I complained. 'Who is he, or should I say, who was he?'

Philadelphion looked astonished. 'Why he was Nibytas, Falco! Nibytas was my assistants' grandfather.'

By this point, I was half expecting it. 'Nibytas? The ancient scholar, who died in the Library of old age?'

Philadelphion pursed his lips. 'Chaereas and Chaeteas convinced themselves it was not old age that killed him. They were certain he was murdered – killed at his table by Diogenes to stop him speaking out.'

'Evidence?'

'None.'

'Dodgy!'

Philadelphion agreed. 'I was sure they were wrong. They agitated for me to conduct a necropsy, but – as I believe you know, Falco – the body was too decomposed. The funeral had to be held the next day; mummification was impossible.'

'So what form did burial take?'

'Cremation.' Damn. 'Only solution,' Philadelphion told us tersely. As a man who lived with animals, he was unsentimental.

We were all silent, then, as we thought about those two bereaved men: how Chaereas and Chaeteas must have become increasingly disturbed, going over what they believed had happened to Nibytas and fretting that nobody else, not even Philadelphion, would help them to expose the truth. I wished they had consulted me. Instead, they conspired to exact revenge themselves. Hence the way they chased down Diogenes last night – and his real fear of them, because he undoubtedly knew why they had come for him.

If they were wrong, the two cousins had driven a man to his death prematurely. Diogenes may have been engaged in criminal activities, but we had laws to deal with that. Chaeteas himself had died on the tower pointlessly. Chaereas, who presumably knew about his cousin's fatal fall, was now a fugitive.

'Where may Chaereas have gone?' asked Helena. Philadelphion shrugged.

'They had connections in Rhakotis? Or would he flee to the desert?' I persisted.

'To some family farm, more likely,' Philadelphion now replied sadly. 'He will hide up until he believes you have left Egypt and the matter of the scrolls has been resolved.'

'He could give a statement,' I barked. 'Chaereas could ensure that his grandfather and cousin did not die in vain. What Nibytas overheard would be third hand, but it could weigh the balance against Philetus. He is slippery and powerful -'

'Undeservedly powerful!' That was Helena, who had no tolerance for greed. 'Will you tackle Philetus, Marcus?'

I shook my head. 'I want all my lines clear first.'

The Zoo Keeper volunteered, 'Philetus knows what has happened to Diogenes.'

I could live with that. It might panic the bastard. With Pastous in safe hiding and me keeping mum about my last night's adventures, the Director would struggle to discover details. He would not be sure just how much of his malpractice was known. Soldiers were looking for the box-maker, using what I could remember about his whereabouts. They would also search for the second cartload of scrolls, while Aulus had, with luck, now retrieved the first. I would quarantine Fulvius and Pa. The Director was about to find himself very much alone.

'I'll come to Philetus as soon as I am ready. Let him sweat.'