Four for a Boy

Chapter Thirty

“Why did you bring me here?” John demanded.

“You told me to,” Victor replied. “I pretended I’d come to work on the bath house and asked for Lady Anna. Just as you instructed. Don’t you remember?”

“No.” John struggled to sit up and failed.

He lay at the bottom of Senator Opimius’ private bath. The sunken room, usually filled waist deep with warm water, had been drained for repair. What little light seeped in wavered as a slight breeze stirred the vegetation half blocking the slitted windows. The rippling effect mimicked the missing water. John saw that not only was Victor present, but Felix and Gaius as well.

The physician, who had examined John, climbed to his feet with a grunt. “That’s likely the result of smacking your head on the ground. It’s made you groggy. Yes, there’s a nasty bruise there. Despite all the blood, that new cut is nothing. But I see you have some more serious wounds just starting to heal. You should not exert yourself for a day or so. No violent exercise. I’ll send achillea in case you start bleeding again. That’s what you have to watch for. The stuff is wonderful for stanching blood. In fact, what I always say is, if it was good enough for Achilles, it will certainly suit my patients.”

“That’s all very well, Gaius,” John said weakly, “but I have tasks to carry out. They can’t wait. Besides, staying here puts the senator and his daughter in danger.” Again John attempted to sit. This time he succeeded. He leaned back and shivered. The disused bath house was cold as a mausoleum. “I’d be surprised if everyone in the house doesn’t know we’re here by now.”

“Everybody’s in danger all the time in this city,” Gaius replied. “I’ve given you my medical opinion. Make sure you heed it. Next time we meet, you can buy me a cup or two of wine. We’ll consider that my professional fee.”

“I’ll take care of your fee, Gaius,” Felix said. “Lady Anna’s gone to get clothes for you, John. When you leave you’d draw attention in those bloody things and that’s the last thing we need. You were lucky you had a place to hide. Even luckier to be alive. When Victor arrived at the barracks, the first thing I thought was you’d been killed.”

“The second was that I intended to kill you next,” Victor said. “You practically had your sword in me before I could hand over that letter from the Gourd.”

“The Gourd’s signature is certainly a potent charm. It got you into the palace and as far as the barracks.”

“It didn’t convince you that you didn’t need to keep the point of your blade between my shoulder blades all the way here, though.”

“How could I be certain you hadn’t stolen the letter? You might have been leading me into a trap.”

“I should return to the hospice,” Gaius interrupted. “I’ll wager there’s been more than one unfortunate arrived since I left who really has been run through with someone’s blade.”

Felix agreed. “Victor, you’d better leave with Gaius. You’ll be safer if you go back into hiding for the time being. As far as I’m concerned, you’ve cleared yourself of suspicion by assisting John. But the Gourd’s men don’t know that. Now if we just knew who set them on John…”

“They certainly had an excellent description of me from the little I overheard in Dio’s studio.”

“So it seems. We’ll have to be careful, with eyes everywhere, but I think we can make it to Madam Isis’ house. She’ll hide us while we decide what to do next.” Felix looked around the stark, echoing space. “Speaking of which, this place must have seen some trysts in its time, although those other goings-on would have been a lot more enjoyable than our little illicit gathering.”

“You’re probably right,” came the reply in a woman’s voice.

Anna stood in the doorway, neatly folded clothing in her arms.

“Lady Anna, I apologize for my crudeness,” Felix said hastily.

“Do you suppose I don’t know what the servants get up to? Lack of privacy is the bane of their existence.”

As Gaius and Victor departed, Anna turned toward Felix. “If I could have a private word with John?”

Felix stepped outside and Anna descended the four steps into the dry bath. She sat on the lowest, facing John. She looked at him in thoughtful silence. It was the appraising look one might give a work of art, or a stranger.

“You appear more alive than when Victor brought you to the door,” she finally said. “I feared you were mortally wounded when I first saw you.”

“Lady Anna, I apologize, I wasn’t thinking clearly when I asked Victor to bring me here. However, it does give me an opportunity to warn you. I will be blunt since there is no time to waste. Despite what you might think, your father is one of those who opposes Justinian’s ascension. Worse, Justinian suspects.”

Anna’s only reaction was an almost imperceptible widening of her eyes. Her features remained frozen for several heartbeats. “How can you possibly believe such a slander?” she blurted out at last.

“I would not say it if I did not know it to be the truth. I observed your father at the baths with Trenico and Tryphon.” John quickly explained Tryphon’s lie and what he had heard from Fortunatus. Perhaps he was still not thinking clearly, not expressing himself well, because Anna merely shook her head.

“No, John. The very notion is impossible.”

“Lady Anna…” John began desperately.

Anna put her face in her hands and her shoulders shook with sobs.

“Don’t worry. Your father is a clever man. All you have to do is warn him. He will find a way to extricate himself.”

“It isn’t that,” came the choked reply.

When Anna raised her face the aqueous light filtering into the bath house glistened on the tears streaking her cheeks. “It’s because I can’t see you again, John.”

“Your father has banned me from the house. You must obey him.”

Anna looked away. “I came in while you were still unconscious, when Gaius was examining you…”

“I understand.”

“John, it isn’t your condition. Not really. But actually seeing…it made me realize…and accept the truth. I have been deluding myself. About many things.”

Anna slid off the step and knelt beside John. He was enveloped by the fragrance of the roses with which she seemed always surrounded. “I would like to ask a question. You mentioned there was once a woman.”

John hesitated before speaking. “Yes. Cornelia.” Emotion warmed his voice.

Anna smiled sadly. “I can tell you love her, by the way your lips shape her name.”

“Can you? We met in Crete. I had been a mercenary, but she persuaded me there was much to be said for the domestic life. We lived together for some time, traveling around with a company of bull-leapers. We came to Constantinople. It was before I was captured and mutilated.”

He paused for a while. When he managed to continue the raw pain in his voice lent it a rasp. “I was eventually brought back here in chains. The troupe had long since gone and with it my Cornelia. I have heard no word of her since.”

Anna wiped her eyes. “What a tragic story. No wonder a dark look dwells in your eyes.”

John laid his hand on hers, wondering at his own daring. Anna’s warm fingers clasped his hand tightly.

“There is no need to grieve for me, Lady Anna,” he said gently. “The man capable of loving a woman died long ago, and he died loving her. As he still does.”

“No, John. He isn’t dead.” Anna pressed her lips against his forehead and then ascended to the door without further hesitation.

“Goodbye…Anna.”

She did not respond and John was not certain she had heard. He was left only with a faint memory of roses.

Felix returned. “Let’s get you on your feet,” he said gruffly. “Can you do that?”

John nodded. The fog in his head was beginning to clear.

Felix took hold of an arm, unnecessarily it turned out, since John managed to stand without assistance. “Excellent!” Felix paused. “Now must ask you something, my friend. When Gaius was examining you-”

“How pleasing to hear yet again that while I was unable to protest I was stripped and put on display like an old Greek statue!”

“Yes, well…but…you claimed your captors had…”

“I was castrated, Felix. You have seen. Is that not sufficient? Can you imagine how many times I have been questioned about this matter? The very thing I most wish to avoid ever discussing with anyone, let alone the drunken louts who are always the most obscenely curious? So I long since decided to give the prying bastards an answer that would make them wish they hadn’t asked.” A brief smile crossed John’s face. “Yes, they always regret hearing the details. I will not be giving Madam Isis any business. Now we had best be on our way to her house while I’m still able to walk.”