As Sure as the Dawn (17 page)

“An oversight.” He hadn’t thought about it when he had come in from the hills this morning.

She smiled up at him as she placed Caleb on his big bed. “If it hadn’t been left open, I’d have climbed the wall.” His son gave a gurgling laugh and kicked his legs, obviously happy to be loosed.

“I was about to come looking for you,” Atretes said, putting his hand on her hip and nudging her aside so he could pick up his son.

Rizpah noted the dagger tucked into his belt. “Were you planning to slit my throat when you found us?”

“I was considering it,” he said and grinned into Caleb’s face as the babe tried to grab his hair. He nuzzled the child’s warm neck, relieved to have his son back in his possession.

“You can trust me, Atretes.”

“Maybe,” he said without looking at her. “You kept your word. This time.” He put Caleb back on the bed again. Drawing the sheathed dagger from his belt, he dropped it beside his son. Caleb rolled onto his side and reached for it.

“What are you doing?” Rizpah gasped, moving quickly to take it away.

Atretes grasped her wrist. “Leave it.”

“I will not!” She tried to jerk free.

He was amazed at how fragile her bones felt and was careful not to hurt her. “He’s not strong enough to pull the dagger free.”

“It’s what it represents,” she said and tried to reach for the weapon with her other hand. Atretes yanked her back. She glanced up at him and went still. His blue eyes stared into hers. She couldn’t fathom what he was thinking, nor was she sure she wanted to know. His gaze drifted, causing worse upheaval within her.

“He’s the son of a warrior,” he said, looking at the curve of her mouth, “and will be a warrior himself one day.”

“He needn’t start training at seven months.”

His mouth curved wryly as he ran his thumb lightly across the smooth, soft skin of her wrist. He allowed her to jerk free. She turned from him abruptly, took the dagger from Caleb and set it firmly on the table beside the bed. Caleb, stripped of the new and intriguing toy, rolled onto his back and cried petulantly. Rizpah quickly took a wooden rattle from a fold in her belt and shook it over him. The sound distracted him briefly, but when she put the toy in his hand, he shook it once and sent it sailing past her head.

Atretes smirked. “He’s
my
son.”

“He certainly is,” Rizpah said dryly, watching Caleb’s face turn red as he wailed louder.

Atretes’ mouth tightened. He took the sheathed dagger from the table and held it in front of her face. “It’s looped,” he said. “Do you see?” He flicked the leather strap with his index finger and tossed the dagger onto the bed beside Caleb. When she started to reach for it again, he caught her arm and spun her around. “Leave him be. He can’t hurt himself with it. Now, tell me what you’ve learned over the last two days.”

She let out her breath sharply, but made no further effort to take the weapon from her son. Atretes would only give it back to him. “We can sail for Rome tomorrow morning at dawn. All we have to do is make it to the ship.”

“Good,” he said, a surge of excitement spilling through his blood. He was going home! “I take it the money I gave you was enough.”

“Enough to take us part way, but you needn’t worry. John and the others have seen to the rest of the expense.”

He frowned, a muscle tightening in his jaw. “The others? What others?” His eyes darkened. “How many people did you tell about these plans?”

“There are twenty—”

“Twenty!”

“. . . going along with us.” She raised her hands at the look on his face. “Before you explode and lose all reason,
listen.”
She told him of the others’ plights as quickly as she could. When she finished counting off the various members of the party, all except one best left unmentioned until unavoidable, Atretes uttered one word in Greek that made her cringe and then blush.

“And I’m to guard this little band of yours,” he said, glaring at her.

“I didn’t say that. We will be in their company.”

“I’d rather go alone.”

“If that’s your wish, I bid you God’s speed. Caleb and I will remain here.”

His eyes caught fire.

O Lord, I’ve done it again!
She shut her eyes briefly and then looked up at him. “Atretes, would you discard the welfare of others as your welfare was so easily discarded by Rome? Would you allow them to be used as you were used? Their need to leave Ephesus is great,” she said. “If they remain, they’ll end up in the arena.”

A muscle jerked in his jaw, but he said nothing.

“Rome is becoming less and less tolerant toward the Way,” she said. “Officials on all levels misunderstand our faith. Most believe we preach rebellion against the Empire.”

“Rebellion?” Atretes’ interest quickened.

“Rome holds up its emperor as a god, but there is only one God, Christ Jesus our Lord, who died for us and rose again. Jesus himself told us to yield unto Caesar what belongs to Caesar. We pay taxes. We obey the laws. We give respect where respect is due and honor where honor is due. But we yield our lives and works to the glory of the Lord. Because of this, Satan has moved them to destroy us.”

Only one thing Rizpah said made any sense to Atretes. “Rebellion,” he said again, tasting the word and finding it sweet as revenge. “So, if this faith spreads throughout the Empire, it could bring Rome to its knees.”

“Not in the way you mean.”

“It could weaken her.”

“No, but it could take the sword from her hand.”

Atretes laughed softly, the sound chilling. “Take the sword from Rome and death follows.”

Rizpah had never seen his eyes more alive or on fire. “Not death, Atretes. Transformation.”

“We’ll travel with them,” he said in decision. “Anything Rome fears, I’ll protect.”

She started to speak, but a knock came on the door.

Atretes strode over. “Who knocks?” he demanded, his head near the door.

“Gallus, my lord. Silus hasn’t found the woman yet.”

“She’s here with me.”

Caleb gurgled happily as he gummed the leather sheath.

“He’ll be much relieved, my lord. Did she bring your son back?”

Rizpah tensed at the question. “Atretes, don’t . . .”

He opened the door and Gallus saw her. “She brought him. Go back to your post for now. We’ll need you later tonight.”

“She will return to the city, my lord?”

“I’ll be going with her.” Closing the door, Atretes turned to her. He frowned slightly. “What troubles you?”

She shook her head. “Perhaps I’m becoming like you. Distrustful. I wouldn’t have told anyone in this household that Caleb was here or that we were leaving tonight. Least of all Gallus.”

His eyes narrowed. “I bought him out of the ludus. He owes me his life.”

She bit her lip, saying nothing. She had suspected there were spies within the household. She knew Gallus was one. Once, while standing on the balcony of the room next door, she had seen him speak to a man through the small window opening in the gate. A moment later, that man had walked away, joining another beneath the shade of the terebinth tree. They had spoken briefly, and then one man had headed down the road for Ephesus. Atretes himself had told her later the men at the tree were Sertes’ spies. She had wondered then if Sertes had spies other than Gallus within the household, watching and reporting everything Atretes said and did.

Now, looking at Atretes’ cold face, she wished she hadn’t said anything about her suspicions. She was afraid of what he might do about them.

“We can leave without saying anything more,” she said. “He doesn’t know our destination.”

Atretes stepped past her. Crossing the room, he moved into the shadows near the balcony and looked out.

Caleb fussed, and Rizpah sat down on the bed to distract him. She nibbled playfully at his toes, his laugh making her laugh. He lost hold of the sheathed dagger, and she talked to him as she carefully slipped it out of reach and sight. What a loathsome toy to hand a child.

Atretes still stood near the balcony, looking out, saying nothing. She was disturbed by his cold concentration. Why had she spoken?

Atretes muttered a curse and turned.

“What is it?” she said.

“You were right,” he said, striding across the room.

Her heart jumped in alarm.
What cost my careless words, Father?
“Wait!” She rose and ran to the door, standing in front of it to bar his way. “Where are you going? What are you going to do?”

“What needs doing,” he said and yanked her roughly aside.

“Atretes, please . . .”

“Feed the babe and get him ready to travel.”

“Atretes,
don’t. . . .”

The door clicked shut behind him.

When Rizpah tried to open it, Atretes pulled it shut again and locked it. “Be silent,” he commanded when she called his name again.

Atretes went down the steps quickly and strode through the atrium. He took the corridor that led to the gymnasium instead of the one leading to the front door. He would deal with Gallus later. Right now, he had to prevent word from getting to Sertes.

He took a framea from the wall as he passed through the gymnasium. He strode into the baths, passed between the pools, and went outside to the back gate. When he was beyond the wall, he ran along it, around to the south side, away from the road, where Gallus and Silus wouldn’t take notice of him.

He caught up quickly to the man Gallus had spoken to by the gate. He was alone on the road and walking fast, carrying his information to Sertes. Atretes recognized him from the ludus.

“Gaius!” he called, and the man turned sharply. When he saw Atretes, he froze one split second before he started to run. His hesitation proved fatal, for the framea hit him in midstep and sent him crashing forward into the dust.

Grabbing the dead man by the arm, Atretes dragged him off the road and left his body behind some brush.

Retrieving the framea from the body, Atretes looked up at the sun and judged the time left before sunset. Another two hours. Now that Gallus’ message to Sertes had been circumvented, they could wait for dusk.

When he opened the door and entered his bedchamber again, Atretes saw Rizpah standing in the shadows near the balcony, looking out. She turned sharply, her face ashen and blotched from weeping.

“Oh, thank God,” Rizpah said, relief washing over her at the sight of him. Gallus was still standing at the gate. “I was so afraid you were going to kill him. I prayed you wouldn’t bring sin upon yourself because of my . . .” Atretes just stood there, staring at her, his face without emotion, his eyes lifeless. Her relief evaporated. “Where did you go?” she said tremulously. “What’s happened?”

He turned from her. “We’ll leave when the sun goes down.” He took the sheathed dagger from the bed and shoved it into his belt. He turned to her again, his eyes like blue glass, cold and lifeless. “Don’t try to warn Gallus. Remember that Caleb’s life is in the balance.”

Filled with tension, Rizpah fed Caleb, washed him and rewrapped him for the journey into the city. Atretes said nothing over the next two hours. She had never known a man to be so silent and still. What was he thinking?

“Stay here,” he commanded and went out into the corridor, shutting the door behind him. She heard him shout for Lagos, and then a moment later, he issued a series of impatient commands. He wanted a sumptuous meal prepared immediately. He wanted Pilia bathed and perfumed. “Tell her she’s to dance for me.”

Rizpah thought he had gone mad.

“How much gold coin is in the villa?”

Lagos told him.

“Bring it to me. I want to count it for myself.”

“Yes, my lord,” Lagos said, accustomed to Atretes strange, dark moods. He departed and returned within a few minutes.

“The back gate was left open this morning,” Rizpah heard Atretes say. “Tell Silus to stand guard there until I tell him otherwise.” Every servant in the household was given something to do. “The gold first. Go!” Atretes said, and Rizpah could hear Lagos’ sandals slapping hastily along the marble-tiled hallway.

Atretes opened the door and strode across the room to take up a plain cloak. Donning it, he then tied the pouch of gold coins inside the heavy leather and brass-studded belt. She realized then what he had done. He had sent the servants on errands that would keep them away from the upper corridor and the atrium. Shaking, Rizpah scooped up Caleb and tied him carefully into her shawl.