Dark Omens

FIVE

I found them gathered in the atrium. When I was there before it was devoid of furniture, but someone — perhaps the doorkeeper — had produced a pair of folding stools, and Marcus and the lady were sitting either side of a little table which was set up on the far side of the room, near the altar to the domestic gods, and which held three goblets and an empty jug. Obviously a minimal refreshment had been found. The third cup had evidently been used by a cheerful-looking fellow whom I didn’t recognize, who stood beside the table at the rear. This must be Lucius Tertius, I thought.

He must have been twenty-five or thirty years of age and was obviously used to working out of doors. His face was tanned, his arms were muscular and (though clearly prosperous) he did not appear to be a citizen. A freeman, probably, because he sported a very un-Roman beard and side-whiskers — particularly striking in this environment because they were the same amber colour as his embroidered tunic and his hair. He looked up to greet us as our little group appeared.

So did the rest of them. Marcus’s two scarlet-uniformed pages were ranged against the wall, and they came hasting forward to take our capes and cloaks — though only to add them to the armfuls they already held. Standing alone in the middle of the room, evidently the centre of a recent storm of questioning, even my gloomy friend the doorkeeper turned around to stare.

‘Longinus Flavius Libertus,’ I announced myself, before my slaves could say a word. ‘His Excellence is expecting me, I think.’

Marcus nodded. ‘So I was.’ He flapped a hand at me. ‘Do you know Lucius Tertius?’

I bowed towards my fellow beard-wearer. ‘Ulpius’s partner? We have not met, but I have heard of him.’ I turned to Silvia. ‘And this must be the lady of the house — as beautiful as Ulpius always said she was.’

Indeed, only a man who had a preference for Syrian slave boys could possibly have called her ‘ugly as a mule’ — though she might be wilful, I could imagine that. She was still in mourning for her husband, naturally, and her stola and undertunic were of sombre black, but she wore a lustrous girdle made of plaited silk arranged in the becoming Grecian style, so that it came round her shoulders, crossed over in the front, then looped around her body to be tied off in a knot — thus emphasizing both her waist and her other attributes. She was a shapely woman and was aware of it — as were all the adult males in the room. Her veil, which should strictly have obscured her face, was thrown back to form a sort of lacy frame from which a tangle of dark curls had half-escaped and the sparkling dark eyes which looked boldly into mine seemed more amused than grieved.

Her voice, however, was decorous and low. ‘Libertus!’ She half-rose in greeting and held out a plump, well-manicured white hand. ‘I, in turn, have heard of you. My late husband spoke most highly of your work.’ There was no offer of refreshment for me or Junio. Of course we were here as pavement-makers rather than as guests, so perhaps I should not have been expecting it. Silvia rather underlined the thought. She turned to Lucius. ‘This is the man who laid the entrance pavement with the ship.’

‘And the one which has replaced it,’ I pointed out, taking the hand and bowing over it. ‘Completed before the Agonalia, as I contracted with your guardian.’

‘And thereby meriting the double fee. That fact has been noted!’ Marcus murmured, with a nod.

Lucius said bluffly, ‘Then it is to be hoped that there’s enough to pay for it. Genialis has been spending money as some men pour out grain, and who knows what will be left in his estate?’

Silvia rounded on him, looking shocked. ‘What makes you say that? You speak as you think that my guardian is dead. I know the weather has been terrible, but I don’t think you need to worry about that. He’s a splendid horseman. He is known for it. Anyway he had borrowed Bernadus’s horse, branded with a most distinctive mark, so if anything had happened to him on the way we’d certainly have heard. Surely — as I pointed out before — it’s more likely that he’s simply gone to Dorn?’

Lucius looked doubtful. ‘I suppose you’re right. Under the circumstances, perhaps, it’s just what he would do! If only to disoblige us.’

‘Hoping to panic you a bit, so that you would agree to pay any price at all for the part of Ulpius’s business that was left to Silvia?’

If I had hoped to startle him by saying this, I failed. Lucius simply threw back his auburn head and laughed. ‘I see you have the measure of him, citizen. I would no doubt have paid him, too — like an idiot — if he had turned up just in time and made a high demand. Anything to make sure the deal went through.’ Then realization must have come to him. He frowned. ‘But how did you come to hear about this, citizen? I didn’t tell you, and I’m sure my potential partner has not mentioned it to anyone. I didn’t think that even Genialis knew what I had hoped to do, though — since on reflection I agree it’s likely that he has gone to Dorn — perhaps I was mistaken in supposing that. If you’ve heard about it, citizen, perhaps all Glevum has!’

This time it was Marcus laughing. ‘Oh, Libertus has a way of knowing everything! That is why I often call on him to find things out for me.’ He cocked an eyebrow at me. ‘Though I don’t suppose that even you can deduce what’s happened to our host? It seems he left Bernadus’s villa several days ago, and at the time he said that he would come directly here.’

‘And there was no message for him which may have changed his mind?’ I said, thinking aloud rather than expecting a response.

Silvia, however, gave a sudden startled squeak. ‘But of course there was a message. I’d forgotten that.’ She dimpled at me. ‘The rider reached me at the villa shortly after Genialis left, and I told him where I thought my guardian had gone and he set off after him. Something about provision for a sacrifice, he said. I had supposed that the message was from Glevum, but on reflection …’

I turned to Silvia. ‘You think it came from Dorn?’

The lady coloured, rather prettily. ‘Otherwise, surely, the courier would have passed him on the road before he reached the villa? I didn’t think of that. Of course, I can’t be absolutely sure. I should have asked the messenger, I suppose, but I was more concerned to send him riding straight off in pursuit. He’d only missed Genialis by an hour or so. But now I think of it, he must have come from Dorn. Some kind of emergency, I suppose — something connected with the weather possibly. It’s the obvious explanation of why my guardian isn’t here. How clever of you, pavement-maker, to have worked it out.’ She turned to Lucius. ‘So it seems the doorkeeper was telling us the truth.’

‘I could have testified to that, in any case,’ I said, earning myself a grateful smile from the slave in question. ‘I have been here myself, laying the new pavements in the entrance hall, for days. Unless Genialis turned up yesterday, after I had gone — which seems unlikely, since he wasn’t at the feast today which he was so anxious to attend — he has not been back to Glevum since you saw him last. And there’s been no word from him. I suggest you send to Dorn — and while you are about it, ask at every public inn between.’

Lucius nodded. ‘You are quite right, of course. I will despatch a messenger at once. Excuse me, Excellence — citizens — I will go and see to it.’ He bowed himself away.

She flashed a smile at his retreating form. ‘How helpful Lucius is. He has been very good. He has even offered me accommodation overnight, since it is obvious that I can’t stay here alone: there is nothing civilized to eat and not even a female servant to be had — the slave market does not operate today. So lacking my guardian, and in the absence of a deciding court …’

Marcus had put on his imperious face. ‘Madam, forgive me, but that would not be proper, in my view. You are an attractive lady — ’ he looked appreciatively at her — ‘and you are a mourning widow, after all. You cannot with propriety accompany a man who — by what you told me when I first arrived — is not in possession of a wife or even of any female relatives. Besides — forgive me — Lucius may be a freeman, and a wealthy one, but he is not a citizen. Genialis is still your official guardian and he would be affronted by the mere suggestion if he knew.’

‘What suggestion, Excellence?’ Lucius, having obviously despatched his slave, was reappearing just in time to hear the words.

Marcus had risen to his feet. He could look imposing when he tried. ‘The suggestion that you should accommodate the lady Silvia at your house. Much more appropriate that she should come with me. I have a large apartment in the town and there are servants there — including female ones — who can attend her overnight. Tomorrow or the next day we may have word from Dorn, and then we can establish how we should proceed. In the meantime — in my role as magistrate — I am assuming temporary potestas.’ He paused and looked at Silvia — obviously waiting for her to express her gratitude.

After the briefest of hesitations she provided it. ‘Excellence, your kindness is more than I could have looked for.’ She held out a jewelled hand to Lucius. ‘And your kindness, naturally, as well. Two offers of protection in a single day — and such protection too! I’m a lucky woman. But His Excellence is right to think of my good name. And he has the authority of law should Genialis decide to make a fuss.’

I could only mentally applaud her tactfulness. She had managed to produce a gracious form of words — almost suggesting that she had a choice, and had opted for Marcus with fluttering regret — though of course in practice she had no choice at all. Marcus had pronounced himself her legal guardian and he had too much authority to be argued with.

Both men, however, were looking gratified — though there was a touch of disappointment in Lucius’s tone, as he bowed over the extended fingers and murmured, ‘Of course. His Excellence is more than generous. You will be safe with him.’

Marcus looked self-satisfied at this. ‘Unfortunately, for a moment, it will not be with me. I shall have to go and arrange this sacrifice and I can’t afford a page at present to accompany you. Libertus, you have visited my apartment, haven’t you? You can escort the lady to the place. My slaves know who you are.’

Behind me I heard Junio give a muffled laugh. I had almost forgotten that he was listening in: he had once been my slave, till I adopted him, and — like my red-haired servants — he knew how to stand by and make himself completely inconspicuous. But I knew what had amused him. My most recent visit to Marcus’s apartment had been undignified — I was effectively under house arrest and had climbed out of the window to escape.

However, I did not allude to that. ‘I’m certain they will recognize me instantly,’ I said — and almost provoked another snigger from my son.

Marcus ignored it; if indeed he heard. ‘Then you can escort the lady there. Tell them I sent you and I’ll call there later on. They are to provide a meal and wait on her meanwhile. It should not be difficult. There is a room prepared and there will already be provision in the house — made ready for the priest from Aqua Sulis when he came, in case he decided that he wished to stay with me tonight, rather than at the temple. But then he didn’t come at all.’

‘And what about the horses?’ I asked, with real concern. I used to be an avid horseman in my youth — I was a Celtic nobleman with stables of my own before I was captured into slavery — but it was many years since I had ridden properly. ‘There are two of them outside and there’s nowhere to keep them at your apartment block. Do you wish me to arrange to have them stabled somewhere else?’

Marcus looked lofty. ‘I will take the horses with me to my villa when I go. You wouldn’t like to ride one back for me, I suppose? Or perhaps you, Junio? Silvia’s attendant can ride the other one. Though I suppose that they belong to Bernadus anyway. He ought to be consulted.’ He turned to Silvia. ‘He’ll be at the curial meeting I suppose. With your permission, I’ll send your Syrian along to his town house speak to him. Unless …?’ He looked questioningly at Lucius.

Lucius shook his head. ‘I had no hand in that arrangement. Let the Syrian go.’

Silvia was rising to her feet. She shook her head. ‘Though remember, Bernadus only came to Glevum for the sacrifice, and intends to go back to his country villa afterwards. Better send your messenger out there.’

‘That will get one of the horses back, at least,’ Lucius agreed. ‘Adonisius can walk back if he needs, I suppose. In the meantime I should go and meet the man from whom I hoped to raise the money — and try to persuade him to wait another day.’ He nodded towards the scarlet-suited pageboys by the wall, who came hurrying forward with the cloaks.

Silvia smiled. ‘From what I hear of Alfredus Allius, he’ll agree to a delay. This deal would make an easy living for him, after all.’

‘Alfredus Allius?’ I murmured in surprise. ‘He was the other witness to my contract with your guardian. A friend of Genialis, isn’t he?’ Somehow, whoever the investor was, I had not expected that.

Silvia turned to me, as Marcus’s young page — having helped his master fasten on his cape — assisted her with hers. ‘You are astonished? I am not surprised. He knows nothing of shipping, as I’m sure you know. But as a friend of Genialis — if you can call him that — he must have seen that the opportunity was there. He was the one who came to us, in fact. Promised to provide the cash to buy my portion of the firm — intending to leave the management to Lucius alone, while taking half the profits. Not a bad return.’

‘And you are sure that you can trust him?’ I said, doubtfully.

Lucius gave his characteristic hearty laugh. ‘I’m sure that I cannot. That’s why the contract stipulates that I can buy him out again, as soon as I can raise the capital. Of course that isn’t likely to be for several years, unless I’m very lucky with some commodity. But one never knows.’ He gave me a wink which told me that he knew very well, and already had a particular commodity in mind. ‘But it gives a man a goal to work for, doesn’t it?’ He took his cloak in turn and — spurning pageboys — put it on himself.

Marcus had been standing by, as if impatient of all this talk of trade. ‘Well, that concludes our business in this household, I suppose,’ he said testily. ‘I have seen your pavement — it is very nicely done, and I’ll say so to Genialis when I see him next. I shall want a word with him in any case.’

‘To chide him for dereliction of his duty, I suppose. Leaving his ward to travel all alone and failing to prepare her house for her?’ I said.

Marcus shook his head and, seeing that Lucius and Silvia were making their farewells, he leant across and murmured in my ear. ‘It’s about this shipping business. If this Alfredus deal falls through, I’ve half a mind to see if I can buy Silvia’s share myself.’

I said nothing. I could not believe my ears. My patron was not the sort of man to sink his gold in trade.

Marcus saw my look of disbelief. ‘It would oblige the lady!’ he murmured softly, so that only I could hear. ‘Besides, if Alfredus Allius thinks there is a profit in the deal …’ Then he raised his voice. ‘Now if everyone is ready, I think we’ve finished here. Libertus, would you like to lead the way outside?’