The Germanicus Mosaic

Chapter Twenty-eight

I was at home, sitting in my workshop. Junio, who had finally arrived home halfway through the morning after a miserable night spent on the ox cart, had warmed up by the fire and brought me a goblet of spiced mead. I was looking gloomily at the pieces of tile which were still waiting my attention, and which I would have to finish cutting by tomorrow. The prospect did not fill me with enthusiasm.

‘So, master,’ Junio said. ‘Marcus was pleased.’ Despite what I had said to Marcus I had, naturally, told Junio everything.

‘Marcus was delighted,’ I replied. ‘He has even agreed to pay us for the pavement — fortunately I had Lucius’ seal on that — and has offered me two of the slaves as a reward. He says he would not insult me by offering money.’ I grinned. It was a little joke between us, that when I worked for Marcus I often wished he would be more insulting.

Junio though, did not return my smile. He looked quite downcast. ‘Two slaves? Who will you take, master?’

I knew what he was thinking. I winked at him. ‘Don’t worry, Junio. I shall have no more slaves here. One hungry mouth is quite enough to feed and clothe.’ I could see him debating whether to remark on the difficulty of clothing a hungry mouth, and I went on quickly: ‘I shall ask for Rufus and Faustina.’

‘And sell them together?’

‘And let them go. Rufus is only a contracted slave, he can have his contract cancelled, even if he is too young for manumission. Then he can take Faustina as his own slave. I daresay he can make a living, with his lute, and she has learned skill with herbs. They will not starve.’

Junio smiled.

I picked up a piece of marble. It had a good vein in it.

‘And Andretha?’ Junio asked. ‘He will not be able to present the accounts, and he will go on to menial slavery.’

He handed me my light hammer and a spike. I hadn’t asked for them, but it was a good idea. If I just rested the marble. . so. .

‘Most of the shortfall is accounted for now,’ I said, when I had chipped off a perfect piece for Didio’s border, ‘thanks to Crassus’ treasure. Fortunate for Andretha that Germanicus was so greedy. He could not resist keeping the hundred denarii that Daedalus had — and that was most of what was missing. Andretha will have to pay the moneylenders, of course, but it will not be a great sum.’ I started work on another tile.

‘Why did Daedalus need that money?’ Junio said. He squatted beside me on the floor and began cutting tiles of his own. ‘I have wondered about that.’

‘Crassus would not take a bet without a stake,’ I said. ‘Daedalus was to get his freedom if he won. He didn’t know Crassus’ plan, of course; he thought it was a simple wager — a sort of daring, like that performance at the banquet. I thought so too at one stage, though I was wrong. But Daedalus had the money to offer Crassus if he lost. He did not know that Crassus meant to murder him. That was always the intention, of course. Germanicus could not risk a living witness, he needed the world to think he had been in the parade. I think he met Daedalus after the procession, but instead of arranging for manumission, he stabbed the slave and pushed the body into the river where the currents are strongest. He probably didn’t expect it to be found. Daedalus was promised freedom in his will, so, as Lucius, he could call off the search for the missing slave.’

‘And the purse?’

‘Oh, he stole that, just in case the body was found. It made it look like robbery, and besides Crassus could never resist a chance of money. We found most of it in the cave. It will go back in the coffers now, and the books will almost balance. Andretha will be a slave, but not a menial one.’

‘Better than he deserves, perhaps.’

‘Much better. After all, he hit me on the head. I still have a lump.’

‘He did?’ Junio looked surprised.

‘Oh yes, it must have been Andretha. I should have realised it before. He was afraid that I would find that empty chest under his mattress — I had told him I was going to search the slaves’ quarters. He watched me closely after that. It must have been Andretha who followed me to the nymphaeum: only he could have kept the other slaves away from that path.’ I stopped. ‘That’s a good tile,’ I said. ‘We’ll have three more of those.’

Junio looked pleased.

‘And when I went into the slaves’ quarters, and started searching the beds,’ I continued, ‘Andretha was right there outside, supervising the loading of the cart. I saw him there myself. I imagine he picked up one of the logs and hit me before I could reach his sleeping room. Then he sent in Aulus to “find” me. Aulus then reported to Andretha, who was still outside the door. I don’t think he meant to hit me so hard — he was terribly apologetic afterwards. He almost split his sandals running about trying to help. Thought that I suspected him, and was about to report him to Marcus, I suppose.’

‘And Paulus? I thought you might have felt sorry for Paulus.’ Junio finished the third tile and stood up. ‘He almost died of fright yesterday, thinking he was to be executed. And all the time he was innocent. I thought you would do something for him. Will you commend him to Marcus as a barber?’ He brought me another beaker of spiced mead.

I put down my tools and sat back on the stool to drink it. ‘No. Commending him to Marcus would not help. He is not as innocent as all that. Paulus is not a murderer, but he has been flirting with the Druids. That is explicitly forbidden, you remember, on pain of death. That was why he ran away, of course. He ran to Lucius because of the head.’

‘I had forgotten about the head,’ Junio said. ‘You did not mention it yesterday, to Marcus.’

‘Of course I didn’t. Paulus nearly did. I had to have the soldiers gag him, so that he didn’t blurt it all out to them in a panic. Then he would have been executed, murders or not. I haven’t mentioned Druids to Marcus. No, better that Paulus is sold, and goes somewhere as far from here as possible.’

Junio took my drinking vessel and refilled it without comment. Sometimes he seems to read my mind.

‘And the poison phial on the kitchen heap? Was that Crassus’ own?’

I grinned. ‘No, it was Faustina’s. Only it wasn’t poison. It was Regina’s cure for the flux, as Faustina always said. She took it, of course, once Crassus was dead. She wanted to get back to Rufus. Only he didn’t believe that when she told him. They will have some making up to do, those two. Never mind. I think they will enjoy it.’

‘So,’ Junio said. ‘That solves everything. Except that there is no librarium pavement in the villa. Although Marcus may commission a proper one, in time. . What are you smiling at?’

‘I was thinking how apt your design was, in fact. Beware of the dog. Perhaps I should have left it as it was.’

Junio glanced at me. ‘Your alteration wasn’t very apt, was it? Art is long. It only lasted a few weeks.’

I laughed. ‘Well, next time you design a pavement, let’s hope the art lasts a little longer.’

He grinned. ‘So what will you do now, master?’

I stretched out my feet luxuriously and took a long sweet sip of mead. ‘Tomorrow,’ I said, ‘I shall try to finish Didio’s border, and then, perhaps,’ I gave a deep contented sigh, ‘we can go to Corinium.’