Death at Pompeia

Twelve

We did not have long to wait. A moment or two later our fat friend appeared again, puffing and panting, and gestured us to come.

‘Come with me, citizen, if you would be so good.’ He led the way towards the warehouse door, and as we stepped inside I realized for the first time what a huge place it was — it looked big enough to put an entire ship inside. It was built entirely of stone, though there were rough wooden partitions dividing it inside, and the place seemed half-empty, vast and echoing.

The foreman paused beside a pile of bulging sacks inside the door. ‘The master said I was to show you in. He’s in his office, at the other end, but he wants me to go back and see about the salt. So, citizen, if you could find your way down there yourself?’ He spoke as if Minimus was invisible.

He hovered a moment, as if he were expecting a tip for this, but I had none to give him so I turned and walked purposefully down the centre aisle. What Minimus had told me earlier was correct, I saw: Redux obviously traded in all sorts of things. As we passed the different partitioned areas I noticed crates which had been opened and were half-unpacked: salt fish, potted dormice, Samian ware — and they were only the goods that I could see. And on the far side of the aisle there was a pile of British capes obviously waiting to be traded on. It was impressive. Most importers deal in one commodity alone.

Redux’s office was behind the partition at the end. He had abandoned the toga he had been wearing at the wedding feast — it was neatly folded and lying on a stool — and he was sitting at a wooden desk in his tunic-sleeves, surrounded by wooden writing tablets and bark-paper scrolls. But he still looked every inch the councillor he was — the under-tunic was wine-red and of elaborate design, with fine embroidery at the neck and hems, and the shoes that he was wearing were of softest red leather, with little silver tassels on the toes.

He rose to greet us as we came into the room. He was every bit as large and rounded as his foreman was, and one might have thought it was the pattern of the house, if it were not for the skinny slave that leapt up from the floor, where he had been mixing ingredients for ink, and hustled to bring a folding stool for me.

Redux extended a fat hand, with a heavy ring on every finger, and motioned me to sit. ‘Citizen! Of course I recognize the face. I saw you at that ill-fated wedding earlier. What a dreadful business for poor Honorius. You were the one who made the announcement, I believe.’

I sat down gingerly. It was a flimsy stool. ‘I was asked to do so by the family,’ I said, anxious not to sound as if I were too involved. ‘Though I do not know them well. I happened to be in the passage when the news arrived, that’s all — and it was easy for me to gain the attention of the guests.’ This did not sound convincing even to myself.

It did not convince him either. ‘And to ask questions of people afterwards?’ he said.

I had forgotten that he had shown himself to be sharp-witted then, and able to make deductions other people missed. ‘At the time I was looking for an explanation,’ I replied. ‘But. .’

He looked at me wryly. ‘Ah, of course. And then the girl confessed.’ I was sure from his ironic tone of voice that he didn’t believe it any more than I had done, but he rubbed his hands together and went on affably: ‘Well, citizen, what is it that I can do for you? My foreman tells me you may have something that you wish to sell.’

‘Sell?’ I was astounded, and then I saw the direction of his glance. ‘Oh, the silver salver. That is not for sale. It was to be my patron’s present at the wedding feast. He is Marcus Septimus, whom I expect you know. I was only there because he couldn’t come. I shall have to return it to his house as soon as possible.’

‘I see.’ He gave a peculiar little smile. ‘Would you permit me to have a look, at least?’

‘By all means.’ I was a bit surprised, but I could see no reason to deny him the request. ‘Show it to him, Minimus.’

The boy stepped forward and unwrapped the tray. Redux took it from him and examined it. He then took it to the lighter area by the window space and scrutinized its every detail, turning it over and rapping it, then weighing it thoughtfully in his hand. ‘A fine piece,’ he said, after a little pause. ‘I could give you a handsome price for this.’ He named a sum which made my eyeballs bulge. I had not supposed it to be worth so much. Marcus had simply picked up the nearest tray to give to me — a minute earlier he had been eating figs off it.

But there was only one answer I could make, of course. ‘I have told you, it is not mine to sell.’

He smiled. ‘And yet you bring it into this part of the town — where it could so easily have been stolen in the street. Who is to know it wasn’t? Or that it won’t be, as you are walking back? That would be a dreadful pity, wouldn’t it?’

He was still smiling blandly, but it could have been a threat. I thought quickly. ‘I shall ask that soldier on the dock to look after it for me, and deliver it to the guardhouse when he is relieved. My patron is friendly with the commander there, and, of course, I will ask for a receipt, and hand it over in front of witnesses. Perhaps you would care to be one of them?’ I said.

‘Ah.’ He walked over and handed the salver back to me. ‘An honest man, I see. A pity — it is a handsome thing, though I don’t quite know where I’d have found a customer just now. I know who would have been very interested but — unfortunately — he is dead.’

‘Your friend Zythos, I suppose?’ I said, secretly pleased to have recalled the name.

He frowned at me. ‘I was speaking about Honorius, of course. He had a weakness for all works of art. He spent a fortune on them — that whole house is full of lovely things. I delivered him a new one, just a month or two ago — a statue of Minerva, very finely done. You must have noticed it if you were in the house — even if you don’t know the family very well. Though, frankly, I don’t know that I’m convinced of that. Who told you about Zythos otherwise? Someone must have done! You have never been a customer of ours that I’m aware.’

I was struck again by the fellow’s speed of reasoning, and was wondering what I was going to say to this, when to my surprise Minimus spoke up.

‘Your pardon, citizen, but I can answer that. I was the one that told him about your partner’s death. I was put in the attics this morning at the wedding with this slave of yours, and we were exchanging stories about what our masters did. So I gave my master a full account, of course, when he decided we were coming here.’

All eyes had turned now to the skinny slave, who by this time was looking cowed and terrified. ‘It is quite true, master. My foolish tongue again. I was boasting about what a great trader you had been, and I might have mentioned Zythos in the course of it. I beg your forgiveness if I spoke out of turn.’

I thought he might have earned himself a flogging for his words, but his master, if anything, seemed smugly satisfied. He only cuffed the boy around the ear, and said, ‘You boast too much. I’ve told you that before, but there isn’t any harm done here, I don’t suppose.’ He came back to sit down at the desk and rested his fat chin upon his chubby fingers. ‘So it was servants’ gossip? I apologize.’

I privately called on all the gods to bless the skinny boy. ‘I assure you I had never heard your partner’s name until today,’ I said, ‘though I was very sorry to hear about his death, of course.’

Redox straightened his embroidered tunic cuffs and leaned back on his chair — which was a handsome, black, three-cornered one, obviously of foreign origin. ‘You heard how it happened?’

I swallowed. How was I to answer that? ‘Rumours, that is all.’

‘Rumour could not be more gruesome than the truth. And it is no secret. I sometimes think the whole of Glevum knows. He was executed on suspicion of adultery — with my own sister-in-law Honoria, in fact. Her father killed them both.’

‘So Miles is your brother?’ I asked, as if I had just worked it out myself.

He inclined his head.

‘Your only brother?’

He gave a sour smile. ‘The only family I have. I lost all the others to the plague in Gaul. Unless you count Zythos. He was almost a brother to me, too.’

‘But now you have lost him, too?’

He nodded and suddenly there were angry tears in those intelligent brown eyes. ‘And for nothing, citizen. There was no immorality with young Honoria, I am convinced of it. I know that it looked very bad for him, being found half-naked where he was — but I’m sure there was some other explanation for the facts, if he had been given a chance to offer it. And Honoria was screaming that she was innocent, I know — Miles heard her from the other room. Of course Honorius had murdered Zythos by that time, and so he had to kill the girl as well, or he could have been indicted for the death — the law demands he must kill both of them.’

I nodded. ‘Then he could call on the protection of the court, because he was protecting the honour of his family name?’

‘And the so-called honour of our family too. I’m sure that’s why he acted as he did — he did not intend to kill Honoria at first, but it justified the murder of my friend. To say nothing of the fact that he got her dowry back intact, which would not have happened if she’d simply been divorced. My brother would have been awarded at least a half of it, and if he had managed to prove unfaithfulness — which I don’t believe in any case — he would have got it all.’ He looked squarely at me. ‘Honorius was very familiar with the law. I don’t believe he genuinely thought that Zythos and his daughter were having an affair, and I am perfectly certain they were not. But they are both as dead as if it had been true.’

He paused as though the memory was too painful to pursue, then snapped his fingers at his slave — who didn’t wait for further instruction but disappeared at once and returned a moment later with a tray, bearing a jug of wine, a dipper and a cup.

‘Slaves, you may leave us,’ Redux said, and both of them retired. The trader poured out a little wine and was about to swallow it, when he recalled his manners. ‘Will you take a little of this with me, citizen?’

I shook my head. I am not a great enthusiast for wine in any case, preferring a honest mug of ale or hot mead, and this afternoon in particular I wanted a cool head. ‘Thank you, citizen. I was offered a little refreshment at the house.’ I hadn’t taken it, of course, and in truth I was beginning to feel rather thirsty now, but Redux had a quick and able mind and if I wanted to learn anything from him I needed all the advantage that I could obtain.

‘Are you quite sure, citizen? You could take some home with you. I can find a small amphora that I can put some in.’

I shook my head again. ‘Thank you, but I have a long walk ahead of me. Too far to be carrying even a small amphora, I’m afraid. But you enjoy your wine, by all means.’

He drained the wine then, and put down the cup. ‘Then, citizen, what is it that you want from me, in fact? You did not want to sell the silver tray and you have shown no interest in my merchandise. But — though I am delighted by your company, of course — I do not imagine that this was a social call.’ He poured another drink. ‘You mentioned Antoninus to my foreman, I believe. Do I take it that he sent you here?’

I was so astonished that I could only gape.

He took a gulp of wine. ‘Oh, come now, citizen, don’t look so innocent!’ He wiped his thick lips on his pudgy hand. ‘You must have had some object in calling on me here. I thought at first you’d come to sell, otherwise I might never have asked you to come in. Then I thought you might be sent here by the family, to arrest me for the murder of Honorius — I’m sure the lady Livia believes that it was me. She was aware that he came to see me in this office yesterday, and her doorkeeper saw me outside the house last night.’

‘I didn’t know that. .’ I began, but he held up his hand.

‘But though I gave you every opportunity — spelled it out to you that I had a possible motive of revenge and sent my slave away — you made no attempt to lay hands on me yourself, or to call that soldier I saw you talking to. Not even when I purposely demonstrated that I sometimes trade in wine.’

‘And how easy it would be to put some in a small amphora, too, which you could have taken to Honorius last night,’ I said, as the realization slowly dawned on me.

He turned the goblet slowly in his hand. ‘Exactly, citizen — I knew you’d see the implication of that offer, given time. Yet you made no accusation, and you do not do so now. And there are no hordes of well-armed slaves or guards outside, waiting to be called in to drag me to the courts — I looked out through the window while I was examining the silver salver in the light. I told my foreman to be on watch for them and he signalled to me that the dock was clear.’ He put the cup down suddenly and leaned forward on the desk. ‘So I ask myself, citizen, what was it brought you here? It must be Antoninus. How much does he want?’