Dark Omens (12 page)

‘Ah, Libertus, my old friend,’ he murmured, extending his ringed hand for me to kiss and motioning his attendants to bring in seats for us.

I made the obligatory obeisance, going down on one knee, but he signalled me to rise and sat down on the gilded folding chair which had been set for him. He motioned me to the smaller wooden stool – where my head would be appropriately lower than his own – then he sent the household servants off to bring a table in, together with a tray of honeyed figs and wine.

Then, to my surprise, he shooed away the slaves to wait outside the door. I must have looked astonished – Marcus is rarely without attendants at his side – but he put one finger to his lips and gave me a knowing look. ‘One cannot be too careful. Isn’t that what you are always telling me?’

It almost made me smile. It was true. I had repeatedly warned him that slaves had ears and eyes and tongues – and were not merely ‘living tools’, as he tended to suppose – but I had never before known him to pay the slightest attention to my words. However, today he was obviously taking special care. I managed to compose my features into a duly serious look.

‘This is to be a private conference!’ He looked around theatrically, as if to make quite sure we were alone, then carefully selected the plumpest of the fruit and leant back to gaze thoughtfully at me. ‘Libertus, I think you know why I have called for you?’

It was hard to know quite how to answer that. ‘You wished to speak to me about the sale of Silvia’s portion of her late husband’s business?’ I said, as gravely as I could. ‘If Lucius’s other backer will not provide the loan, you are minded to invest in the enterprise yourself?’ I had chosen the expression with some diffidence. Marcus is famously cautious with his cash.

But he nodded almost blithely. ‘I might even offer to do so anyway. I was talking to the lady Silvia last night and the more she told me of Ulpius’s affairs, the more attracted to the prospect I became. It seems a pity that Genialis should be allowed to close it down.’

So that was why he’d wanted to stay in town last night to dine with his new ward! Not merely for the pleasure of her company, but to ask her a few questions about her late husband’s trade. However, I knew better than to say such things aloud. ‘The lady is observant and intelligent,’ I observed. ‘If she was acquainted with Ulpius’s associates, no doubt she was able to tell you a great deal.’

‘Indeed she did.’ He took a bite of fig and waved it in the air. Marcus had a way of looking smug when he felt that he had been particularly shrewd and he was wearing that expression now. ‘Not that I made it obvious, of course, but I managed to turn the conversation to the life she used to lead, and she furnished me with the names of several men with whom Ulpius used to trade. It seems he entertained them at his home sometimes and she’d met most of them. Afterwards I had my page prepare a list for you.’ He reached into his inner toga folds and produced a rolled-up piece of bark-paper.

I took it from him and was about to look at it, but he waved a lofty hand. ‘Read it at your leisure. You will want to study it in detail, no doubt. I’ve given you the names of his chief associates – that should save you quite a lot of work. But there’s no need to thank me.’ (I hadn’t thought of it!) ‘It will give you extra time for a more searching enquiry into their affairs.’

After that I did not dare to open up the scroll. I muttered a conventional, ‘A thousand thanks, patron, you are most gracious,’ but secretly I gave an inward sigh. Even at a glance it was quite obvious that the scroll contained at least a dozen names. This ‘searching enquiry into their affairs’ would clearly take a great deal of my time (for which I was unlikely to be paid) and involve my presence on a good few trading boats – which were certain to be swaying in a most unpleasant way, even if they were tied up against the quay. However, Marcus was my patron and no hint of reluctance could be allowed to show.

‘You still wish me to investigate these men?’ I hazarded, as meekly as I could, securing the rolled-up paper behind the purse-pouch on my belt. ‘Hasn’t Silvia told you most of what you want to know?’

He smiled. ‘She told me a good deal about their various characters – and very entertaining some of that was too – and what commodities they trade in as a rule. You’ll find that information on your list. But she is just a woman and there are things she could not know. Genialis is threatening to close the business down by selling Silvia’s share of it – I suspect that’s merely to increase the price he wants from Lucius, but it may be that there is some other reason that I don’t know about. I look to you to find out if there is. Discover what these men are worth, whether they are honest and – naturally – what their status and their backgrounds are. In short, whether the warehouse is likely to continue to be prosperous. If your report is favourable, I will offer to put up the loan to Lucius. But I need to find out soon. As you know I expect to be setting off to Rome, and if I am to invest in this at all I shall need to settle it before I go.’

He said it lightly, but my heart had sunk. I had forgotten of his plans to offer Pertinax advice. ‘How long – exactly – does that give me, Excellence?’ I enquired.

He gave a small dismissive wave. ‘Oh, several days at least. Even if written confirmation came today, we shan’t be setting off now until the Ides are past. I had hoped to leave sooner and simply rest that day, since the fifteenth is always an ill-omened time, but I find that Julia – my wife – is rather indisposed. Nothing serious – too much rich food at the New Year feasts, I think. Entirely her own doing, that’s the worst of it. She suddenly developed a taste for pickled eels. I warned her that they’d disagree with her – but you know what women are.’ He made a deprecating gesture with his hands, as to a fellow-husband who would sympathize. ‘I’m postponing our departure until she’s strong again. That should give you time enough to find out what you need.’ He spoke airily, as though it were an easy matter to win people’s confidence and learn all their secrets within four days or so.

I made a little bow. ‘I’ll do my best, of course.’

He smiled indulgently. ‘Oh, and another thing: discover whether any of these people is prone to gambling. This fellow Lucius in particular. I gather from Silvia that Genialis likes to have a flutter now and then – and it may be that his half-brother did the same. That sort of weakness often runs in families and gamblers attract gamblers, everyone knows that.’

I was surprised, and said so. ‘I knew Genialis was a gambler, but Ulpius never seemed to me the sort of man to stake his fortune at a game of dice. The two were only half-brothers after all. And what makes you think that Lucius is involved at all?’

‘He may not be. That is what I want you to find out. But Silvia changed the subject when I mentioned it to her, and I would like to know. One does not entrust good money to a man who takes unnecessary risks.’ He took another thoughtful bite of fig and – in the absence of a servant – poured himself some wine and made a gesture that I should follow suit.

I did so, though in my case I didn’t fill my cup. I’m not a lover of bitter Roman wine, but it would have been improper to refuse. ‘But surely you’re relying on his taking chances – to a point? Deciding to attempt to borrow capital in order to buy Genialis out is itself a risky business, don’t you think? Especially when he hopes to manage everything himself? Without an active partner, such as Ulpius was, Lucius would have to make all the decisions on his own,’ I went on, feeling I’d earned approval with a sound judicious point. ‘What to trade and when, how much to pay for each commodity, how long to store it and what to charge for it.’

My patron gave me a searching sideways look. ‘But for Silvia’s sake, surely, it is better to have Lucius in charge? Genialis only wants to sell the business, anyway.’

He was right, of course, but still I pressed the point. ‘But, Patron, there are always factors even the best manager can’t possibly control – poor harvests or bad weather out at sea. Trading ships are often lost in sudden storms and even if they make it into port their cargoes are sometimes broken, wet or spoiled. Remember all that, when you are tempted to invest. One incident at sea and Lucius could easily be ruined.’

Marcus gave me a triumphant smile. ‘That’s why the contract with his lender – whoever that might be – will make him personally liable for any loss. With his property as surety, of course.’

Suddenly I understood why he was so interested in this. ‘So anyone who backed this venture really could not lose? If Lucius makes a profit, you would share in it – but if he loses, it is his affair?’ I shook my head. ‘Though he might take out insurance, I suppose? Don’t the money-lenders offer some sort of policy?’

‘Only at considerable expense – which would be his, of course. And if he did not do so – as I say – in the last resort his house and warehouse would be forfeit to the lender anyway.’

‘All without the backer doing anything?’ The scheme was breathtaking in its simplicity.

Marcus took a cup of wine and beamed at me across the rim of it. ‘I see you understand the matter perfectly.’

It was so elegantly simple that there had to be a flaw. I sipped at a very little of my wine before I dared to venture, doubtfully, ‘But, Excellence, no doubt Genialis understands all this as well. In that case he is likely to keep Silvia’s share – or effectively sell it to himself – on exactly those same terms.’

Marcus shook his head. ‘I don’t think that’s the case. Silvia tells me that his gambling debts are very high – he needs this money to be clear of them. That’s why he offered himself as guardian and proposed to marry her. Genialis has even publicly declared that he wants to realize the assets straight away and close the business down, but Silvia believes that he really intends to let Lucius buy him out, and all this talk of closure is a ruse to raise the price. Which Lucius, she thinks, will probably agree, because he’s desperate to protect his livelihood.’

‘But suppose that Genialis has perished in the snow?’ I said. Marcus says he values the way I see all aspects of a thing. ‘You would then be her legal guardian, wouldn’t you? In that case there would be no need to offer loans. You could simply keep the business and let Lucius run it as he’s doing now.’

Marcus favoured me with his most knowing smile. ‘But even more important, if that proves to be the case, to discover how things stand. Besides that way one has no guarantee if things go wrong, and one naturally wishes to make the greatest profit possible – if only for Silvia’s own sake. After all she may wish to wed again some day. And it does seem probable that all this will arise. I forgot to tell you – they have found the horse.’

It took me a moment to work out what he meant. ‘The one that Genialis borrowed from Bernadus to come back to Glevum on?’

‘Exactly so. We had news this morning before we left the town. A message was delivered to my flat. That Syrian slave of Genialis’s …’

‘Adonisius?’ I put in helpfully.

‘That’s right.’ Marcus nodded. ‘Apparently he rode off to find Bernadus yesterday, as we had told him to, having failed to find him in the town, but he had hardly got halfway to the country house before he found this animal roaming in the snow. The reins were broken but the saddle was still there. No sign of a rider, though he stopped and searched. The creature could have been wandering for miles. With the recent snow-melt there were not even decent tracks: too many people had been riding through that way.’

‘And we are quite certain that it was Genialis’s mount?’

‘Adonisius is. Said that he’d helped to saddle it and would have known it anywhere, even without the distinctive white blaze on the nose. Besides, he took it to the villa afterwards and Bernadus has confirmed that it was his.’ Marcus drained his wine cup. ‘Since it was found wandering quite close to the estate, it appears that it was trying to find its own way home, but there’s no sign or clue as to where it might have been. Though we can be quite certain that Genialis never got to Dorn – the household there sent a messenger to Bernadus to seek him yesterday.’

‘But how did they know that Genialis had been staying at the house? Doesn’t that suggest he’s been in touch with them?’

Marcus shook his head. ‘He sent word with the official post, it seems, on New Year’s Day itself, when he first decided not to travel all the way. Silvia confirms it, so there can be no doubt. It seems the earlier messenger came from Dorn as well.’

‘How do you learn all this?’

‘Bernadus sent the Syrian back this morning at first light with the news – together with Lucius’s servant who had stayed there overnight, after he had been asking at the inns with no result. The two slaves rode straight to Lucius of course – they could not know where Silvia was lodged – and Lucius came to me. Managed to just catch us before we left.’

‘We? So the lady Silvia accompanied you here?’ Like an idiot I looked around as if I expected to find her in the room.

Marcus looked disdainful. ‘She could not travel in my gig, of course – that would not be proper for a lady of her class. Anyway, Bernadus had kindly sent back word that I could use his horse – until such time as he’s back in town himself – so I rode it home and left the gig to follow later on.’

I nodded. Exactly as I’d thought.

‘I had intended to obtain a hiring cart for her since a gig is not suitable for a lady of her rank, but Lucius suggested an alternative,’ my patron went on with a smile. ‘He has a proper carriage which he’ll make available and later in the day she will come here in that. But first she is waiting for her luggage to arrive. Bernadus realized she would now be wanting it – since of course she was taking everything to Dorn – and offered, in his message, to send it back to her. Lucius sent the Syrian off again post-haste to accept the arrangement and escort the cart. As soon as it arrives it will accompany her here.’ He popped another fig into his mouth. ‘The main roads are much clearer now; they should arrive tonight.’

‘You intend to lodge her in the villa here?’ I exclaimed, wondering again what Julia was going to make of that. ‘But surely you are shortly setting off for Rome?’