Ten for Dying

Chapter Four

“When they told me to be ready to receive a valuable item I never guessed they meant a relic as important as the Virgin’s shroud!”

Felix had been pacing the bedroom, pouring out his worries to Anastasia who sat on the bed. She had put back on the blue silk gown she wore when she arrived the night before. It was crumpled and she hadn’t finished applying her makeup. Her powdered cheeks belonged to a girl. Her untouched eyes looked older.

Felix dropped down beside her, cursing under his breath.

“So you have been using your office for financial gain?” Anastasia stared at him. He tried to read her expression. Condemnation? Admiration? Fear? Anger? He could not fathom what she was thinking.

“Using my office…that’s not a very pleasant way to put it.”

“And how else can I put it? You receive goods and then order excubitors to transport them safely under imperial seal.”

“But neither I nor my men have any idea what we’re delivering.”

“Which makes it better?”

“I’ve seen enough to have a notion of what’s going on. It’s miraculous how saints’ bones resemble those of the unsaintly. It’s nothing but forgeries. What’s the harm?”

“Indeed. Forgers are being taxed for delivery of their fraudulent goods and those hoping to buy real relics illegally are penalized by being cheated. You’re practically doing the empire a service!”

“Did I say I was proud of myself? I’ve already explained my difficulties.”

“But how can you be in debt? You’re the captain of the excubitors. Don’t tell me Justinian doesn’t reward you handsomely.”

“He does but-”

“He’d better. Your men could pull him off the throne as easily as guard him.”

Felix raised his hand, gesturing her to be silent. “Please don’t say such a thing, even in a whisper, even in private.”

“I see you looking at the door. Do you think that impertinent servant of yours is eavesdropping?”

“No. Well, I don’t know. Any of the household could be passing by.”

Anastasia briefly pressed her lips together in annoyance before speaking. “How large can these debts be? You must own a fair amount of property.”

“Certainly I have properties. They cost me more than they bring in.”

“What kind of useless properties are these?”

“Vineyards, farms. I can hardly keep track. The only thing that seems to grow on them is debt. It’s amazing how well debt thrives in rocky soil.”

“Are you certain?”

“Do I look like a farmer? I only know what my stewards tell me. Last month a hailstorm destroyed most of my grapes.”

“Did you inspect the damage?”

Felix shrugged. “Why? I know nothing about grapes.”

“Except when they are in your wine cups. Oh, Felix, you may not be a farmer but you can be a perfect chickpea.”

“You don’t think my stewards lie to me, do you?”

“Everybody lies. How would people live without lying? It would be impossible. You are going to be a general soon, my love. You have to stop thinking like a soldier and start thinking like a general.”

“I suppose you’re right.”

She leaned over to kiss him lightly. “Of course I’m right.” Her breath felt hot against the side of his face. He had a sudden urge to pull her down onto the bed and forget his finances.

As if reading his mind she straightened up and crossed her arms over her breasts. “You must have put your money into something other than land, Felix.”

He forced himself to look away from her. He stared at the door, half wondering if someone might indeed be lurking behind it. “What’s wrong with land?” he muttered. “Land is what wars are fought over. I’ve seen colleagues bleeding to death on the battlefield over a piece of ground smaller than the Augustaion.”

“Don’t you have investments?”

“Investments! Yes. I almost forgot. Another excellent way to diminish one’s fortune.”

“Let’s see. Your business partners advise you that they encountered unforeseen circumstances. Just a little more money is all it will take to overcome them. Enough to hang on until conditions change, and then the gold will start to rain down.”

“Exactly! How did you know?”

Anastasia gave one of her pretty little laughs. “Oh, my poor dear…”

Realizing she was making fun of him, Felix felt his face flush. “I’m not so stupid that I don’t know people take advantage of me. I detest business. I hate the smell of ink and lawyers. I try to choose advisers I can trust, then forget about them. But as you say, everyone lies, so I’m always disappointed. I’m not a fool, you know.”

Anastasia tried to look chastened. She didn’t do a good job of it, but the attempt mollified Felix.

“But how much money can you make smuggling relics?” she asked.

“Enough to pay certain of my debts. Gambling debts, if you have to know. The charioteers I’ve backed lately have served me as well as my vineyards. Every time they take to the track, their horses are struck down by a hailstorm of bad fortune.”

“Why not sell a vineyard to pay the debts?”

“It wouldn’t look good. People at court would wonder why I was selling off land, and they’d ferret out the reason. Besides, land is land, even if it isn’t sprouting gold. I’ve fought hard for that land.”

“So then tell the gamblers to consider their loans to you as gifts to Justinian’s soon-to-be general, and hint at benefits to come.”

“Those men aren’t generous. They want payment now.”

“Tell them to get into the habit of giving or go to Hell.”

“They’ll all be in Hell soon enough. I doubt they’re in any rush to get there.”

“Have them arrested for threatening you. Whatever they say, accuse them of lying.”

“It isn’t that easy. I’m not the only one caught in their web. They’ve spun their sticky strings from the palace to the dome of the Great Church. Too many high-ranking officials would be eager to flay me alive to save their own skins.”

“What a strange turn of phrase. Do spiders skin flies before they eat them?”

“I apologize for not being a poet!”

Anastasia put her arms around his shoulders. “Now, now, my big bear. I don’t want any poets poking around me with their nasty little pens. I was only trying to make you smile.”

Felix apologized for his apology.

“What a repentant bear you are this morning.”

“You do understand I would never agree to help smuggle the Virgin’s shroud?”

“Who says you’ll be asked? Perhaps the robbery was a coincidence. No one brought anything to your doorstep last night. I know. I was here.”

“Yes. How could I forget?” He reached out to paw at her but she squirmed away.

“Not now, Felix. What are we going to do about this? Why don’t you tell these people dealing in relics that you’ve found out about their scheme-if it turns out you’re right-and you won’t help them any longer?”

“Because they’ll go to my creditors and complain that I refuse to work to pay off my obligations.”

“You think the smugglers and gamblers are working together?”

“For all intents and purposes. And my financial difficulties could prove more dangerous than smuggling. The knowledge could easily be used against me. An ambitious underling might point to the possibility of my being bribed. After all, I’m the man who guards the emperor…you can see how it would seem to Justinian. He’d have my head, especially given his state of mind right now.”

“So you’re afraid of losing your head as well as your skin. You’ll be little more than those relics you’re smuggling. Yet you have just confessed your debts to me.”

Felix found himself gazing at her speculatively. Why should he trust this woman he barely knew? Weren’t there dozens like her swarming around the palace, attending to their superiors, hoping to catch an aristocrat of their own? Dressed in expensive silks, her face expertly painted, Anastasia resembled an empress. But didn’t they all? Most likely she was the daughter of an ambitious petty official. Or, given her age, the widow of such a man.

“You can’t sit here and brood, Felix. You need to do something about this. Time flies.”

Who was this woman to order him about? He started to protest, then stopped himself. She was right.

Besides, she wasn’t just any woman. There was something different about Anastasia.