Nine for the Devil

Chapter Fifty-four

“I am going to my study. I don’t want to be disturbed,” John told Hypatia as they stood in the atrium. The messenger had left. He had no information to offer except that Cornelia had never arrived at Zeno’s estate.

“Is Gaius on the way, master?”

“Gaius is dead, Hypatia. It appears the fool poisoned himself. I’ve instructed a silentiary to send another physician for Peter.”

He turned and went upstairs to his study, dropped into a chair, and stared blindly at the wall mosaic. He poured a cup of wine, drank it in one gulp, and poured another.

Cornelia should have reached Zeno’s estate.

Now he knew why he hadn’t heard from her.

No, he corrected himself, he didn’t know, because he didn’t know why she hadn’t reached the estate.

Where was she?

What had happened to her?

His first thought was court intrigue. Had someone abducted her, to protect themselves, to discourage his investigations?

If so, why hadn’t he heard from them? Were they waiting to see if John suspected them? If they saw he was ready to level an accusation, then they would offer Cornelia in return for his cooperation.

Germanus had already subtly threatened him. However, the general had not mentioned Cornelia during their conversation about which part John wished to play in the proposed new regime.

Had John’s answers been satisfactory?

There was no way around it. John would have to go to Zeno’s estate.

But what could he do there? Mostly likely the answer was right here in the palace.

“Lord Chamberlain.”

He swiveled around to see Hypatia in the doorway.

“I ordered you not to disturb me, Hypatia,” he snapped.

A rail-thin silentiary dressed in a dark green tunic moved past her. John recognized the man as one of Justinian’s personal staff.

“It is not the servant who disturbs you, Lord Chamberlain, but the emperor. Justinian demands your presence in the imperial audience chamber.” The silentiary sounded regretful, as if apologizing for the curtness of his message, bowed, and departed.

John rubbed his face wearily.

If he took a horse from the imperial stables immediately and rode south, he would be able to beat any pursuers to Zeno’s estate. But what assistance would he be to Cornelia if he was eluding arrest? And if he were thrown into the dungeons for disobeying Justinian he’d be of even less use.

He had no choice.

***

Night was falling as John left the house. Striding across the palace grounds, he felt an ever-lengthening shadow of useless investigation stretching behind him as another fruitless day began to die.

The declining sun gilded the grounds golden-red, added fleeting beauty to palace buildings and flower beds, colored the water in ornamental ponds and fountains, limned the edges of bushes and trees, tinted the high windows of the audience chamber golden, now slowly deepening into orange-red.

Was it significant Justinian had chosen to summon him to the lavishly decorated chamber where emissaries and statesmen were granted brief speech with the emperor, emerging overwhelmed by the sight of beaten gold wall panels interspersed by mosaics depicting the triumphs of Justinian’s generals, the sculpted green marble pillars supporting the roof, and Justinian’s canopied throne flanked by armed excubitors?

John turned a corner and saw Narses lying in wait, a dwarfish spider dressed in bright blue, waiting by a web represented by the polished oak door of the chamber.

“I see we have both been summoned to the emperor’s presence, Lord Chamberlain,” Narses observed. “I suspect Justinian is becoming impatient. My advice is to accuse one of Theodora’s attendants of murdering her. They all had ready access. Consider. They are open to bribery, being but stupid girls, and not at all important. Easily replaced, and nobody will miss them. More importantly, since I hear your investigation does not go smoothly, it will save your head being parted from your body.”

“I will accuse no one without proof,” John replied.

“Very well. Adhere to your principles. Bleached bones have no principles. I will be enjoying a fine meal long after you are gone. Shall we go in together or would you care to follow me?”

John shrugged. “If the honor of being first appeals, take it.”

Narses smiled. “Together, I think. Silentiary, announce us!”

The two men entered the chamber and began to prostrate themselves as Theodora had always required, but Justinian waved them to desist. He was pacing, red-faced with rage, at the foot of the steps leading up to his throne. John did not think he had ever seen the usually taciturn emperor so visibly angry.

“What have you been doing, Lord Chamberlain?” Justinian shouted. “I ordered you to investigate my wife’s death and you have discovered nothing. In the meantime, while you muddle about the city, the identity of the murderer is delivered to me by a mere palace guard.”

“Excellency?” John said.

“An hour ago I was handed clear evidence of who was responsible for our dear empress’ death. It is my former secretary, Anatolius.”

“Surely not the same man known to be a very close friend of the Lord Chamberlain?” Narses put in.

“The same man, as you well know, Narses,” Justinian said in a cold voice. “Is this what you have been doing, Lord Chamberlain, trying to hide the guilt of your friend?”

“I cannot believe Anatolius is guilty,” John replied. His tone was firmer than his conviction. Given the events of the past few days and Anatolius’ devious behavior, could he really be certain?

“Personal beliefs are all very well,” Narses pointed out, “but perhaps we should base our opinions on the evidence.”

A pleased smile crossed Justinian’s face. “Exactly, Narses. The evidence is very strong.”

“Allow me to talk to Anatolius, excellency,” John said.

“There will be no need for you to interview him,” Justinian replied. “Your investigation is ended. He is about to be arrested and will confess to my torturers before he dies. If he refuses to reveal everyone concerned in my wife’s death, he will be questioned with increasingly harsh methods until justice is served.”

“May we respectfully ask the nature of this evidence?” Narses gave a sly sidelong glance at John.

“It was found in the room formerly allotted to the empress’ lady-in-waiting Kuria. It is a copy of a scurrilous poem about my beautiful Theodora, signed by Anatolius and dedicated to his vile mistress. Narses, you told me this disgusting screed has been in circulation for years. It is definitely Anatolius’ handwriting. Is Narses’ claim true, Lord Chamberlain?”

“It is true that in his youth Anatolius penned some foolish lines. We all do foolish things when we are young,” John replied.

Justinian’s voice verged on a snarl. “To think his filth has been sniggered over for years while my dear Theodora did so much for so many. Such foul sentiments…I read the entire poem…it revealed his hatred of the empress as surely as if he had announced it at her door. Yes, it is obvious to me his was the hand that was responsible for her poisoning.”

“The evidence is most convincing, excellency,” Narses agreed.

John had never heard Justinian speak with such anger. It might have been a different man than the outwardly imperturbable emperor with whom he was accustomed to dealing. Was Justinian’s uncontrolled fury a measure of his love for Theodora? “What of the lady-in-waiting who possessed the poem?”

“Unfortunately she was dismissed from the palace following her mistress’ death. However, she will be quickly found to pay for her part in the monstrous crime.”

“She is accused of conspiracy with Anatolius?” John asked.

“Isn’t it obvious?” Narses said. “It’s plain from her possession of this handwritten poem that she knows Anatolius. Given the man’s well-known proclivities, it seems certain they were having an affair. It is obvious he must have given her the poison, knowing she had access to the empress.”

Justinian lowered his voice to an icy hiss. “Theodora took that vile creature, a former prostitute, and elevated her to a position of trust as one of her own ladies-in-waiting. And see how she was repaid for her kindness, for her faith in humanity.”

“Shall I seek the girl out?”

“Do nothing further in this matter, Lord Chamberlain,” Justinian’s voice was cold as death. “I set you the task of finding a murderer. Was it so difficult to find that the culprit was Theodora’s lady-in-waiting, the one person who saw Theodora most often while she was ill? Leave me, Lord Chamberlain. If I require your services, I will summon you.”