Dark Omens

TWENTY-FIVE

Marcus was standing on the quayside by his horse, clearly impatient at the short delay. It was unusual for him to have to wait for anyone and he’d obviously made no secret of the fact; the captain and Alfredus Allius were fussing round him like a pair of anxious ants. My patron was in his winter finery, a blue fur-lined cape and purple leather boots, and had become the centre of a small admiring crowd: dock slaves, street-hawkers, boat crew, customers, even a Roman soldier in full uniform — presumably sent here to protect the quay in case of any repetition of last night’s disturbances — all of them edging closer to get a better look. Normally this sort of thing would flatter him, but today he was tapping his baton on his thigh in a way that I recognized as dangerous.

I made my best obeisance, dropping to one knee despite the uneven kerbstones, which were bitter cold. ‘Patron!’ I murmured, taking his hand and pressing my lips against his ring. ‘Forgive me for not being here to welcome you at once. The news is so distressing; it has taken us some time to come to terms with it. Though you must be pleased that Genialis has been found; it ratifies your role as guardian of Silvia, after all.’

Marcus said ‘Humph!’ but did not withdraw his hand.

That was a good sign and I scrambled to my feet and greeted the lady in question with a distant bow. She was standing apart on the outskirts of the crowd, where she had just been helped gently to the ground by a rumpled Adonisius and a mounted page. She had clearly been a passenger on the page’s horse — although I knew quite well that she could ride herself, at need. She was still dressed in deepest mourning, as she had been throughout, though she had abandoned her attractive Grecian fashion for a more sober black cape and stola now — but as she saw me she pulled aside her veil, and her face was as lively and beautiful as it had always been. There was not the slightest evidence or pretence at grief.

‘Citizen Libertus!’ She flashed her charming smile. ‘I am glad to find you here. And Lucius as well. I am doubly favoured.’

‘Madam, I offer you condolences,’ I said warningly. ‘It must be alarming for you, learning of the state in which your former guardian was found.’

I saw the look that she exchanged with Lucius and realized that she’d already known. I wondered when she’d had the opportunity to talk to him alone — but, since he had accompanied her to Marcus’s villa a day or two ago, I decided that he must have told her then.

But my tone had reminded her of the role she had to play. ‘It was a shock,’ she answered, soberly. ‘Though I’m certain that my friends will do the best they can for me, and ensure that his body gets the treatment it deserves.’

That was ambiguous, and she’d intended it to be. I remembered suddenly the first time that we’d met — Lucius had spoken of Genialis then as though he was already certain he was dead, and she’d corrected him. The lady had a considerable wit and intellect. Lucius would have his hands full if he married her.

But my patron was addressing me. ‘Bernadus is arranging the funeral, I believe. He was the one who told us that we would find you here. He said you’d come for hyssop to purify the corpse — though apparently the funeral women have arrived and they said to tell you they have all the herbs they need.’

Lucius bustled forward. ‘Then I’ll let my steward know. He is searching the warehouse records for it, as we speak.’ He turned to Marcus. ‘Mine is a humble household, Excellence, but what there is I place at your command. Would you care to enter and take some wine perhaps?’

‘You are courteous, trader, but we won’t impose on you.’ Marcus contrived to sound at once polite and yet appalled. ‘I came to find Libertus and tell him of my plans — and to bring Silvia back to my apartment in the town, since I understand the funeral will be held in Glevum now. I’m sure that she will want to oversee things for herself. I’ll make arrangements for her to stay here for a while — her attendant nurse is already on the way. I myself propose to go to Rome within a day or two. It will mean a journey in ill-starred Februarius, but that’s unavoidable.’ He gave me a proud smile. ‘I presume, Libertus, you’ve heard the news that my old friend and patron is confirmed as Emperor?’

There was a ragged cry from somewhere in the crowd — ‘Hail Pertinax!’ — and it was taken up by others instantly until the quayside echoed with the chant. I had almost forgotten that there were people listening in. ‘I don’t think you need worry that he lacks support. The town is full of banners and garlands praising him,’ I said to Marcus under cover of the din. ‘And images of Commodus have been torn down and burned.’

He shook his head and frowned. ‘Honour is due to the title of Emperor itself, irrespective of the person holding it,’ he said. ‘This kind of thing is actually dangerous. Mobs are volatile and can change their minds. This makes it still more urgent that I get to Rome.’

I was likely to lose him as my patron very soon, I thought. He was already talking like a chief advisor to the Imperial throne — a role in which he doubtless saw himself. But I had seen an opening and I seized it with both hands. ‘And your lady wife? She will accompany you? Because Gwellia thinks …’ I moved a little closer and whispered in his ear.

He gazed at me in genuine surprise. ‘Julia! But surely …’ His face was flushed with sudden joy. ‘It’s true, she has wanted to talk to me in private for some days, but with Silvia there and Lucius it has not been practical — and I’ve not disturbed her in the evening because she’s not been well … Oh, great gods! I do see what you mean. Why by great Olympus did I not think of it?’ He reached out and took my arm — a friendly gesture I had almost never known him make before. ‘Libertus, my old friend, I have misjudged you, I’m afraid. I thought you’d grown too old for solving mysteries — this one appears to have defeated you. But I see that you’re still your old observant self. Remind me to reward you for your perspicacity.’

I was about to protest that it was not my perspicacity at all, and that I was only guessing even now, but some instinct for self-preservation stopped me just in time. In any case Marcus would not have heeded me. ‘But that makes things very difficult,’ he was exclaiming now. ‘If she’s in that condition, what am I to do? I can’t take her with me all the way to Rome, especially at this season of the year — and I don’t like to leave her on her own. And yet I am convinced that it’s imperative I go. Just listen to this crowd.’ There was still sporadic cheering and much waving of wool caps. ‘If this sort of thing is also happening in Rome, you mark my words there will be riots very soon.’

I did not point out that there had been riots here already. Instead I murmured gently, ‘What you need is the services of an experienced nurse and midwife to stay with Julia. You still have that Nutricia, haven’t you? She attended Julia last time, at Marcellinus’s birth. I know that you’ve given her on loan to Silvia — but I imagine any handmaiden would serve as well for that. Come to think of it, I know Bernadus has a girl slave at his house in town. He might be persuaded to part with her, I think.’

Marcus clapped me on the back. ‘Well thought of, my old friend. I’ll go and talk to him. If you don’t think that Silvia would mind such an exchange.’

‘I’m certain that she won’t.’ In fact, she’d be delighted, I thought privately. No one else would keep so close an eye on her. ‘And meanwhile I’ll accompany Silvia to your flat. Or let Lucius do that — he’ll look after her and she’ll have Adonisius to attend her, too. I will go and speak to Bernadus about the slave. That way you can get straight back to Julia — and maybe intercept Nutricia on the way. Don’t concern yourself about the funeral here — there are other people to take care of it, and you can pay them later out of Genialis’s estate.’

Marcus was hardly listening to all this. His mind was entirely set on Julia and Rome. ‘Very well!’ he told me. ‘I’ll leave it up to you. In the meantime, I don’t like this mob. Things could very easily get out of hand. Fetch me that soldier and we’ll try to quiet them.’

I looked around and saw that he was right. The rhythmic chanting was much louder now and everybody on the quay was joining in: dock slaves had put their burdens down, despite their masters’ protests by the look of it, and were stamping to the beat. A pie seller was jumping up and down, waving his empty tray above his head, and even the more respectable were swaying to and fro, clapping their hands and shouting with the rest. No one was any longer thinking what the chant was for.

Only our little party seemed to be aloof. Alfredus Allius was at the warehouse door, talking to Adonisius and Vesperion who appeared to be staggering beneath a load of scrolls. Lucius had taken Silvia aside and was murmuring something to her, under cover of the noise, and when she saw me looking she raised a hand to me in what was very clearly a gesture of salute. Lucius, I realized, was nodding happily — it was not difficult to guess what conversation had passed between the two.

However, I had my patron’s errand to perform. I went up to the soldier — who was joining in the chant, banging his baton cheerfully against his shield — but he broke off when I came to speak to him. I gestured to Marcus and explained what he had said.

Instantly the soldier became a different man. He put the baton in his belt and drew his sword instead, rapped that on the ground and held it overhead. ‘Enough! Disperse now! In the name of Pertinax!’

For a moment this did not seem to have very much effect. A few of the nearer chanters broke off uncertainly — nudging their neighbours and pointing out the blade. Slowly, one by one the others stopped as well and there was an uneasy shuffling. Then one dock slave picked up his burden and took it up the plank towards the ship, and a moment later everyone was back at work again, doing whatever had brought them to the dock. Only the pie seller was shouting now, calling down every deity in the pantheon, as he scrabbled on the paving tiles to retrieve his scattered wares — but even the gods could hardly help him now; most of his pies had been trodden on and squashed and all of them were broken into bits.

The soldier put his sword back in his sheath and marched across the dock to where my patron was standing. ‘In the name of his most Imperial majesty, the Caesar Com- I mean Pertinax …’

Marcus held up a held to silence him. ‘That was well-managed, soldier. May I know your name?’

The soldier gave it, together with his rank.

‘I will mention this to your superiors! Now you may dismiss and go back to your duties.’

The man saluted and marched proudly off. I noticed that when he took up his post again, he stood more upright, and looked a lot more military than he’d done before.

Marcus turned to me. ‘Then I’ll take the horses and go back to Julia and the villa straight away. Though, perhaps I should take my wife a little gift?’

I beckoned Lucius across. ‘I think that this trader has a little something for her anyway. A present for your hostess, is that not the case?’

Lucius looked surprised, but he produced the gloves. ‘A thank you for your household’s hospitality,’ he murmured, making a low bow. ‘Finest rabbit, from Iberia. We import …’

But Marcus had no interest in the warehouse now. ‘Very fine. And thank you for the thought. Though they’re generous in size. If I am to travel all the way to Rome …’ He slipped a mitten on his hand — it fitted perfectly. ‘I’ll ask her what she thinks.’ He slipped the gloves between his toga folds and underneath his belt. ‘Now, I’ll leave you to Libertus. He knows what I have planned.’ He raised his voice. ‘Farewell, Alfredus! And you, slave, bring the horses over here.’

The boy obeyed, assisted Marcus to his mount, and the pair of them went cantering away.

Alfredus and Vesperion came hurrying across, accompanied at a distance by Adonisius, who was still clearly keeping space between himself and me. The captain hastened over at that moment too.

‘Trader Lucius, if there is more to take aboard, we need to load at once. We must leave by sunset if we’re to catch the tide.’

Lucius didn’t answer. Instead he looked at me. ‘Citizen, your patron spoke about a plan. What did he mean by that?’

I outlined what I had suggested to my patron earlier. I didn’t mention ships, of course — Lucius would have to work out for himself that there was now an opportunity. ‘So if you take charge of Silvia and the Syrian slave,’ I finished, silkily, ‘Alfredus and I will go back into town. He can talk to Bernadus about the funeral — and tell him that expenses will be paid from the estate: I’ll just call in briefly to enquire about that slave girl Marcus wants. And — though I doubt that they’ll be wanted now — I’ll take those scrolls with me. I am anxious to get back to Minimus and my wife as soon as possible. Fortunately I have a mule to get me there.’

In fact I was especially anxious to have witnesses to this, and proof of my movements for an hour or two. If Lucius and the lady were about to disappear, I wanted it known that I was somewhere else.

Alfredus nodded. ‘Let’s be on our way. If you are hoping to get back home tonight, you had better hurry — even with a mule. In an hour or less it will be getting dark.’

I was about to turn away, but Lucius grasped my arm. ‘Thank you, citizen. We will not forget.’

‘I doubt that I will, either,’ I told him with a smile, then — together with my witness — I turned and left him there.