A Whispering of Spies (19 page)

‘So the Ides of March was not so nefas, after all,’ I said.

That made him smile again. ‘Except for the Decurion’s wife, perhaps. All the travelling had made her most unwell. And it was a wasted journey anyway.’ He tilted back his head and popped the fig into his mouth. ‘By the way, I think the soldiers went to search your roundhouse afterwards.’ He wiped his fingers in a napkin from the tray and then carefully lifted the goblet to his lips. ‘Though I don’t suppose there was anything to find.’

Except my poor Gwellia, I thought, imagining her distress as the soldiers rifled through whatever they could find! No doubt they had been bullying my slaves as well and harassing Junio’s family in the roundhouse next to mine. But at least Marcus had not been compromised.

But in that case, I wondered, what was he doing here?

‘Ah! Excellence!’ a voice behind me said, before I managed to get the question out. ‘They told me you were here. And Libertus, too. I regret I’ve been so long, but there has been disturbing news and I was obliged to take account of it.’ The commander gestured to the tray. ‘But I am neglecting my duties as a host. I hope that my servants have looked after you.’

Now that my worst fears were laid to rest, I had been rather hoping for a taste of fig myself, but it was not to be. Marcus made a broad, expansive gesture with his hand. ‘Indeed, they have. Your slave was most attentive, but I told him he might go – my own page is waiting in your servant’s ante-room and I could call him if I needed anything. I imagine that your man has other duties to perform.’ He put down the goblet. ‘As I am sure you do yourself. I will not detain you. You know why I am here?’

The commander assented with a little bow. ‘The duty orderly informed me. I understand you are offering to act as surety for this citizen, and to take him into personal custody until he comes to court?’

This was such astounding news it took my breath away. I turned to my patron to offer him my thanks, but Marcus was already saying briskly, ‘I meet all the legal requirements, of course. As magistrate I naturally have an apartment in the town and I will undertake to see that he is kept there overnight and presented tomorrow before . . . whoever it might be.’ The words implied the junior status of whoever took the case. ‘Of course, as his patron I can’t in fairness conduct the trial myself.’

Even Marcus must have heard my sharp intake of breath. ‘So there is to be a trial?’

He turned to me. ‘There’s no escape from that, Libertus my old friend. I don’t believe that you had any part in this, but there has been a charge, and until you can prove differently, there’s little we can do. I will provide a lawyer for you, if you wish – someone who knows the rules of rhetoric and can plead more effectively than you could do yourself. You can repay me at your leisure – if you’re found innocent. If not, I will forgive you any debt, of course.’

Not a word about speaking in my defence himself, which would probably have guaranteed my acquittal on the spot. However, it was an enormous compliment that he should exert himself at all. Not many patrons would do as much for a simple tradesman protégé like myself. I bowed and murmured that he was very gracious.

He nodded his agreement with his compliment. ‘Well then, commander,’ he said complacently. ‘I’ll leave it up to you to have him conveyed to my apartment under guard. I shan’t be there myself – I have a banquet at my country villa to attend – but my servants have instructions to keep a watch on him and my doorkeeper, in particular, was chosen for his strength. Libertus can’t escape, but my slaves will provide him with anything he might require tonight. I shall return tomorrow morning and deliver him to you. I imagine that arrangement will be satisfactory?’

The commander made a little bow as well. ‘You relieve me of a slight embarrassment, Excellence. I was prepared to do something of the kind myself, but it would have stretched my rations rather thin. I would have dismissed the case entirely, if it were up to me. But Florens insists on bringing it before a curial court, composed of town councillors and civic magistrates – and these are people over whom he has some hope of influence. I’m sure he’ll do his best to get the verdict he desires.’

Marcus nodded grimly. ‘I agree. I fear, commander, that this is also personal. Florens knows that – even if I’m not arraigned myself – charging my favoured client with a crime would be an acute embarrassment to me.’

None of this promised very well for me! I asked, at once, ‘What makes you say that, Excellence? Does Florens bear you some special grudge?’

He waved a lofty hand. ‘Nothing of special consequence. He wanted to marry an Imperial ward, that’s all – a young woman of some intelligence and rank.’

‘And you opposed it?’

‘She was unfortunate enough to have a massive dowry, under the terms of her late father’s will, provided that she did not marry a particular young man. I was administrating her estate and I refused consent to Florens – who was three times her age and whom she could not stand. She chose the other path, which suited everyone. Everyone but Florens, anyway. The young man had sufficient for their needs so they were happy, and the Emperor was pleased to have her dowry confiscated to the Imperial purse – with a small deduction for my services, of course.’

‘So Florens is now looking for revenge,’ I said bitterly – realizing that I was going to be the means of it.

My patron looked affronted. ‘I knew he was vindictive, but I am surprised, I own. Florens was not exactly inconsolable. It was purely a financial contract, on his part anyway. There was another woman that he’d hoped to marry first – some foreign heiress with a fortune that he’d met overseas – but she accepted someone else, and this ward was merely a convenient substitute. And now I understand that he has found another bride! I hear a formal promise was contracted recently.’

‘To take a bride whose dowry was dependent on that cart!’ I said. I told him, briefly, what I knew of the affair, with the commander nodding his assent to my account.

‘Porteus’s daughter? That ugly sow-faced lump!’ Marcus was insensitive enough to laugh aloud. ‘And now she’s lost her dowry and he is stuck with her! Doubly ironic really, because he and Porteus were at daggers drawn over nomination to the Servir’s post, but I suppose the promised dowry made Florens shelve his pride. But if Voluus can’t pay her father for the land, then the money’s disappeared. No wonder Florens has it in for me.’

‘For me, in fact!’ I pointed out.

That sobered him a little. ‘Ah, indeed. Though I think he genuinely believes that you’re involved, you know. And circumstances do look suspicious for you. However, I have faith in your abilities. I believe you went out to the site this afternoon. Did you discover anything of value?’ He stretched out a ringed hand. ‘I sincerely hope you did. Florens will be demanding the highest penalty. Especially since a Roman citizen has been murdered, too.’ He turned to the commander. ‘Or that is what your servant led me to believe. That’ll mean crucifixion for the steward, I should think.’

He said it so calmly that I shuddered at the thought, though of course that is the statutory penalty for robbery on the road, and this was a particularly heinous version of the crime.

Marcus did not seem to notice. He glanced at me. ‘Where would you think to flee to, if things do not go well?’

I
was too appalled by this casual acceptance of my likely fate to make any proper answer to this enquiry. But my patron was right: it was a decision I would have to make before the trial. Whatever my decision, exile would be bleak. It is much better than the alternative, of course – that is why it is a privilege reserved for citizens – but being excluded from the Empire is no easy life.

Perhaps I could arrange to flee to the faraway south-west where I was born. I had been a man of rank there, with lands and animals, before I was snatched away by pirates to become a slave, and there might be people there who still remembered my name and family. But even if any of the local elders were still left alive, would they accept me, after all these years? My house and property had been destroyed by fire, so what was there to live on if I went? And how would I get there, officially deprived of ‘food and fire’ – so that anyone who sheltered me became a criminal himself? It was probably the best destination I could choose, but it was an enormous distance, especially on foot – and I would be forced to travel penniless.

And if I went, what would happen to my wife? She could not be allowed to suffer with me on the way. Perhaps, if I survived, I could one day send for her?

I was so busy with these wretched thoughts that I hardly realized that the commander had begun to speak again.

‘The murdered man was more than merely a citizen, Excellence. A retired auxiliary from this very garrison, we have reason to believe. That’s why I took the trouble to inspect the scene myself.’ He shook his head as if the memory caused him grief. ‘But there was nothing to be learned.’

Marcus arched an eyebrow. ‘Libertus was no help?’ I should have been flattered that he sounded so surprised, but flattery was not going to help me now.

‘Libertus has been his usual observant self, and pointed out things that I might not have noticed on my own,’ the commander replied. ‘But as to finding out who was responsible, I fear we are no closer than we were before.’ He turned to me. ‘Less so, if anything. I’m afraid that was the message which was awaiting me – the one that delayed me, when we first arrived.’

‘Go on,’ Marcus prompted, clearly wishing to assert his own authority.

The commander went on addressing his remarks to me. ‘One of the riders that we sent on ahead to make enquiries found himself delayed on the way back again by wagons on the road, just as we were ourselves. He remembered that you had spoken about an ancient track – the one that you told us that you used yourself – so he asked directions to it and came that way instead. He made such good time that he got back here before we did ourselves.’

I was about to ask where the other rider was, but he prevented me.

‘But there, Libertus, I’m afraid the good news ends. He reports that he and his companion visited all the inns along the road, within the distance which we specified, but the lictor’s cart had not spent the night at any one of them, or even stopped for refreshments for their horses or themselves.’

‘That is most peculiar!’ I frowned. ‘And no one even noticed it as it went by? I would have thought that, with that size of escort, it was remarkable enough.’ It was very impolite for me to press like this, but Marcus was not asking and I could not restrain myself. Anyway, at this stage, what had I to lose?

Marcus gave me a warning glare, but the commander seemed unmoved by any breach of protocol. He answered, civilly enough, ‘You’re right. There is one person who remembers seeing it – a smallholder who was working by the road – and he is being brought in to me for questioning. But he only has a donkey, not a horse, so that will obviously take a little time, especially at this busy time of day. The other rider is escorting him to make sure he arrives.’

‘So it will not be possible for me to talk to this donkey-owner?’ I could hear the desperation in my voice. I turned to Marcus. ‘Or Calvinus either, I suppose?’ I had been hoping to persuade my patron to arrange an interview.

Marcus shook his head. ‘Out of the question, my old friend. I have already stayed in Glevum longer than I meant, and I shall have to find a lighted litter now to take me home – I have a private banquet to attend. It is quite a small affair, but it is in honour of the visiting Decurion and so it is important that, as host, I am not late. My wife will already be looking at the water-clock and wondering where I am.’

The commander glanced at me, but it was to Marcus that he spoke. ‘Perhaps, with your permission, Excellence, we could grant Libertus one of his requests. After all, his liberty is probably at stake. If I am providing the escort for the citizen when he goes to your apartment, then there is no need for you to wait. Visiting the jail will not be possible, but we could delay his departure long enough for him to interview this man who saw the cart. There is someone waiting in the guard-house to see Libertus, anyway.’

‘Someone else to see my protégé?’ Marcus looked affronted and amazed. ‘I was not aware of that!’

I, too, was wondering who the visitor might be. Florens – or more likely Servilis – with additional ‘evidence’, perhaps? Porteus come to mock? Or even one of the other councillors? I looked at the commander nervously.

He was soothing the ruffled feelings of an important man. ‘The other person arrived before you did, Excellence, but naturally you were brought in here and given precedence.’ He smiled. ‘I believe you know the young man in question, anyway. I understand he gives his name as Junio.’

I felt an overpowering wave of sheer relief. If Junio was present there was still hope for me. ‘My adopted son! I sent him on an errand when I was first brought in here,’ I explained. ‘I was hoping he could question the lictor’s other slaves. I did not expect to be away from here for so long, of course.’

Marcus was entirely appeased. ‘Ah, Junio, of course! That’s understandable.’ He spoke as if I had no right to visitors, unless by his consent. ‘In that case, I will leave you alone to talk to him. My town slaves have instructions; they are expecting you.’ He turned to the commander. ‘Commandant, I am obliged to you. I will see you in the morning when I bring Libertus back. Now, if I might have my attendant brought to me . . .’

The commander clapped his hands and his slave appeared at once, as if he had been waiting at the doorway for a sign. He was given orders, first to fetch my patron’s page and then to bring Junio over to the house. The boy nodded eagerly and scuttled off again.

‘You can let me know tomorrow if you learn anything of note,’ Marcus was saying. ‘Ah, here comes my servant now! And he has brought my cape. Splendid – I fear the night will soon be damp again.’ He allowed his slave to drape it round his shoulders as he spoke. ‘Now, page, go and hire a carrying litter that will take me home. And be quick about it. I will see you at the gate.’