Gladiator: Vengeance (17 page)

Marcus laughed with joy as he felt the wet nose thrusting towards his cheek and a warm tongue slathered his skin. Then he felt a hand on his shoulder and glanced up to see Festus grinning down at him.

‘Care to introduce me to your fierce canine friend?’

Marcus patted the dog’s head. ‘This is Cerberus.’

‘I guessed that part.’

Marcus smiled. ‘He’s mine. Or was, back when I lived on the farm.’

‘Seems he still is your dog. Thank the Gods.’

Marcus looked round and saw Lupus sitting in the sand
hugging his knees as his shoulders heaved. Beyond, the crowd stood waving strips of cloth in delirious celebration of the extraordinary event that had just taken place.

‘Heads up! Here comes his nibs,’ the official called to the two men who had cut the prisoners free. The others had rounded up the dogs and driven them back into the holding pen. Striding across the sand towards the stakes was Governor Servillus, a small entourage of companions behind him. Marcus’s smile faded as he saw Decimus scowling at him over the governor’s shoulder.

‘Astonishing!’ The governor beamed as he stopped a safe distance from Marcus and Cerberus. ‘Quite the most astonishing thing I have ever seen. Those dogs were supposed to rip you to pieces. They’ve been trained to do it and starved and beaten to make them savage. This beast most of all. Now look at him! Just like a little puppy. How on earth did you do it, boy?’

‘He’s my dog, sir,’ Marcus explained. ‘We were parted two years ago when I was kidnapped. Cerberus was clubbed to the ground by the men who did it. I thought he was dead all this time.’ He looked down and stroked Cerberus’s good ear and the dog lifted his nose and half closed his eyes in bliss as his nostrils flared.

Servillus shook his head in wonder. ‘Quite a story. It’s almost
as if the Gods have had a hand in this. Well, I’m not one to intervene when the Gods have made their will so obvious. It’s clear to me that the two of you were meant to be reunited.’

The governor turned to the crowd and raised his hands to command silence. Gradually the cheering subsided and the people sat in quiet expectation as Servillus addressed them.

‘People of Athens! I had hoped to put on a show that would be remembered for years to come. Today my hopes have been rewarded! I have never seen the like of what we have just witnessed! I give you the champion of the day’s games. Cerberus!’

The crowd roared their approval and the governor spoke again.

‘I order that the master of Cerberus, and his companions, are set free. Free to leave the arena!’

The crowd cheered again and people waved their strips of cloth as Decimus bustled forward to join the governor, his expression black and angry.

‘These men are condemned for murder, your excellency. Are you going to allow them to walk free?’

Servillus turned to him. ‘Look at the crowd, Decimus. They love this dog and the boy. Are you prepared to defy their wishes? I know I’m not.’

‘The mob is fickle, noble Servillus. Continue with the execution. Bring on some other animals and send this miserable wretch of a hunting dog back to his cage. Once the blood flows the crowd will forget soon enough.’

‘Actually, I’m trying to avoid bloodshed. One thing a wise man learns is never to go against the will of the people if it can be avoided. That is why I am governor of this province and you are not, Decimus. Now please take your place, back with the others, and let me deal with this.’

Decimus flashed a bitter glance at Marcus, but he gave way and paced back towards the governor’s entourage.

Servillus turned to Marcus. ‘Stand up, boy. Acknowledge the crowd. It’s the least you can do after they have compelled me to favour you and your friends.’

Marcus rose and looked round the arena, then punched his fist into the air, and the spectators erupted with another cheer.

Servillus kept a smile on his face as he stood beside Marcus and rested a hand on his shoulder.

‘Does this mean we are free, sir?’ Marcus asked quietly. ‘To do as we will?’

Servillus shot him a warning glance. ‘Take your victory, boy, while you can. You are free to leave the arena. I suggest that you leave Athens and return to Rome, before you get in
any more trouble.’ He patted Marcus on the shoulder and turned to wave to the crowd one last time before heading back to the steps that led to his box. Festus and Lupus stood with Marcus and Cerberus as they acknowledged the wild cheers of the crowd. Then Marcus felt a nudge in his back as one of the arena staff muttered.

‘That’s your lot. You three better get moving. It’s a tight programme and we’ve got other executions to come. Off you go, sharpish!’

The three made their way across the sand with Cerberus walking at Marcus’s side. As they left the arena he glanced back and saw the woman who had shared their cell the previous night being dragged towards the stakes. Marcus tore his gaze away as Lupus spoke to him.

‘By the Gods, it’s a miracle! I thought it was all over. I was sure of it.’ He shook his head in astonishment.

Festus clapped the scribe on the shoulder and laughed with relief before he turned to Marcus. ‘What now?’

‘Now?’ Marcus’s expression became determined. ‘Now, we finish what we came here to do. We free my mother, and make sure that Decimus pays the price for all the suffering he has caused.’

‘Are you sure that’s his house?’ asked Marcus as they stood in the shade of a market portico on the far side of the street.

‘I’m certain. I followed his litter here and that’s where he went in, once he had dismissed his escort.’

‘He might have been visiting a friend.’

Lupus shook his head. ‘The litter went down the side alley there, towards the slave quarters at the rear of the house. If he was visiting it would have stopped by the front door.’

Festus nodded. ‘True. Then that’s where he is, most likely.’

Around them hundreds of people were perusing the stalls and haggling with the merchants selling exotic cloth, spices and scents from the far east. Thanks to the expensive nature of the products, the market was in one of the more affluent
areas of Athens. Marcus reflected that it was typical of Decimus to choose the wealthiest area for his house.

Festus was still staring at the entrance across the street. A guard sat on a stool outside the door. Behind him the door itself was sturdy and studded with iron nails. A heavy grille allowed the doorkeeper within to examine visitors before he opened the door. The house occupied the whole of the block on which it had been built with narrow alleys along the sides and rear of the property. The walls were too tall to scale and there would be little question that Decimus would be guarded within.

‘The question is, what do we do now?’ Festus wondered. ‘We can’t get in there easily.’

Marcus sighed with frustration. He was desperate to discover where Decimus was holding his mother. His impatience was pressing him constantly. Following their release from the arena, they had been escorted back to the cell and forced to remain there until the end of the day. Marcus had passed the time cleaning Cerberus’s wounds and had demanded some food for the dog before his hunger caused him to bite someone. As night fell they were taken back to the room in the guest wing and told their possessions would be returned in the morning, once they had been fetched from the palace storerooms. They had
been destined for auction, the fate of any valuables left behind by those condemned to death. Two guards had been placed on the door who refused to let them leave, except if they needed the latrine and even then they were only allowed to go one at a time, a guard keeping close watch over them until they returned to the room.

The restrictions had angered them all. But no explanation was given for the delay in granting them a release from the governor’s custody. It was not until the following morning that Euraeus had arrived to announce they were free to leave.

Festus had glared at the Greek. ‘You have a lot to answer for, my friend.’

Smiling easily, Euraeus had tilted his head as he spoke apologetically. ‘I was only doing my humble duty, sir. Your arrival at the palace, coming at almost the same time as the news from Stratos, was most unfortunate. What else was a reasonable man to conclude? But innocent or guilty, the governor has decided to release you.’

‘Why the delay?’ asked Festus. ‘Why wait until morning?’

The Greek shrugged. ‘I’m sure the governor has his reasons.’

‘The governor, or you?’

‘I am merely the servant of the governor. I do as he pleases and do not question my orders.’

‘Liar!’ Marcus snapped. ‘You are in the pay of Decimus. It is his orders that you carry out.’

He had stepped towards the Greek, fists balled, and Euraeus instinctively recoiled, a frightened expression on his thin face. The restraining hand that Festus placed on Marcus’s shoulder had caused Cerberus to rise up and let out a low growl until Festus withdrew.

‘Think, Marcus. Think. This creature is not worth getting into any further trouble over. We must concentrate on finding your mother. Nothing else matters right now.’

For a moment, the urge to strike the Greek down had burned in his veins, but Marcus knew his friend was right. He must not allow himself to become distracted. He had taken a deep breath and stepped away from Euraeus.

‘Good lad,’ Festus had said gently before turning his attention back to the Greek. ‘We’ll go, nice and peacefully. I take it we are no longer welcome to stay in the palace until we leave Athens?’

A look of surprise had flashed across Euraeus’s face. ‘I assume you are joking, sir? The governor does not like hosting murder suspects, even if they are the darlings of the mob. You will be escorted to the palace gates and you are forbidden from entering the complex again under any pretext.’ Seeing
the anger in Festus’s expression, he had retreated into the corridor outside, gesturing to the two guards. ‘Take these people, and their brute, to the main gate and see them out of the palace.’

‘Yes, sir.’ Nodding, one of the guards had grasped the handle of his sword as he curtly gestured to Festus and the others. ‘You lot, out now! Let’s go!’

They had been forced on to the street and Marcus realized they could not take Cerberus with them since his size and savage appearance would attract too much attention. So they had hurriedly found a small storeroom to rent for the night at the back of a seedy inn, where they left the dog tied to a post while they went with Lupus to the house of Decimus.

Now, Marcus turned to Festus. ‘What we must do is get in there and force the truth out of Decimus. One way or another.’

Lupus shook his head. ‘There isn’t any way in except for that door, and another like it at the rear of the house.’

‘We must go through one of the doors,’ Marcus said pigheadedly. ‘If you won’t help me then I’ll do it myself.’

Festus lowered his face towards Marcus. ‘Calm down. No one said we wouldn’t help you. But we have to do this carefully. The governor let us off the hook once, but I doubt he’ll look
too kindly on us causing any further problems. So we have to take it easy. Understand?’

Marcus closed his eyes tightly, fighting off his frustration. But he had learned the value of caution so he sighed and nodded.

‘That’s better,’ Festus said. ‘Now we have to think about the best way of getting at Decimus. Perhaps we wait until he comes out again and summons his litter. Follow him and see if we can get to him when there’s a chance.’

‘What chance?’ asked Lupus. ‘He has eight men on the litter, a guard leading the way, and two more following. We can’t take them all on.’

Festus nodded. ‘You’re right. But if he leaves the litter, then the odds are cut down significantly. He might make for the baths, or do some shopping, or some business. If he does, that’s when we can make our move. We deal with his guards and take him somewhere quiet for a little talk.’

Marcus smiled at the prospect, but Lupus shook his head. ‘We don’t know when, or if, he is going to leave his house. We could be stuck here for hours, days even. Now that he knows we’re in Athens he’s bound to be careful. And the longer we stand here waiting, the more suspicion we’ll arouse.’

Marcus turned to him impatiently. ‘Well, what do you think we should do? Give up?’

‘Certainly not. There is a way that might get us through that door. But first I need my writing materials. Listen …’

Marcus was still keeping watch when Festus and Lupus returned two hours later. Festus was carrying a small bundle under his arm and he parted company with Lupus at the end of the street before coming over to Marcus.

‘How’s Cerberus coping?’ Marcus asked at once, anxious that his dog had been alone for most of the day.

‘Not happy, as you might imagine. Pining for you the moment we returned. And he didn’t seem to take kindly to being tied to a post either. Won’t be for much longer, though, if this works.’ He jerked his thumb towards Lupus who was waiting at the corner of a building.

‘Do you think it will?’

Festus shrugged. ‘What choice have we got? I can’t think of anything better. We must put our trust in Lupus and be ready to act. Speaking of which …’ He carefully undid the bundle of material and, making sure that no one saw them, revealed two swords. Marcus slipped one out of the bundle and under his cloak, before Festus flipped the material over the remaining sword and held it under his arm.

‘Ready?’

Marcus nodded.

‘Then let’s do it.’ Festus turned towards Lupus and made a small gesture. Then he and Marcus threaded their way through the market until they had passed fifty paces beyond the house of Decimus. When he was satisfied they were far enough away Festus turned back towards the entrance of the house, with Marcus at his side. They began to walk casually along the street, while ahead Marcus could see Lupus detach himself from the corner of the building and walk steadily towards them.

Lupus felt his heart beating fast against the inside of his chest as he made his way towards the man sitting outside the door. He had changed into his best tunic and cleaned his boots and combed his hair so that he might pass for a member of the governor’s household. He climbed the two steps leading to the porch. The watchman did not bother rising from his stool but leaned forward slightly to block Lupus off from the door.

‘Yes?’

‘I’ve come from the governor’s palace,’ Lupus explained. ‘With an urgent message from Euraeus to Decimus.’

‘Let’s see it then.’ The watchman held out his hand.

Lupus tried to calm his nerves as he reached into his haversack and brought out the sealed letter. The wax seal bore an
impression of an eagle and there was a neat signature across the fold in the parchment. The watchman examined it briefly and Lupus prayed that the seal he had carved from soap and the forgery of the Greek’s signature would look real enough to pass muster. The watchman stood up.

‘All right, I’ll see it gets to him.’

Lupus had been expecting this and spoke up. ‘Euraeus said I was to pass the letter into the hands of Decimus in person.’

‘Too bad. The master is not at home.’

Given that Decimus was lying low, Lupus had also expected this and had a response ready. ‘Then my orders are to ensure the letter is given directly to the steward of the house.’

The watchman frowned. ‘In person, eh?’

Lupus nodded. ‘Those were my strict instructions. That, and it is vital the letter is delivered as soon as possible.’

As he spoke Lupus saw Festus and Marcus approaching out of the corner of his eye and knew that the timing of what happened next was critical. With a weary sigh the watchman stood up and rapped on the door. A moment later the grille opened and a face appeared.

‘Open up,’ the watchman instructed, with a nod towards Lupus. ‘Messenger from the governor’s palace. Delivery to the steward.’

The grille snapped shut and there was a scraping groan as the doorkeeper slid back the locking bolt. With a faint squeal from the hinges the door began to swing inwards.

‘Now,’ Festus snapped in a low voice. He charged up from the street, Marcus at his side, swords in their hands in the blink of an eye. The watchman just had time to look over his shoulder before they piled into him, knocking him back against the door, which struck the doorkeeper and sent him sprawling. Lupus rushed in after them. Behind them a few people turned towards the sudden commotion, but before they could react Lupus had closed the door. A handful of passers-by hesitated, then shrugged and continued along the road as if nothing had happened.

Inside the atrium of Decimus’s house Festus had knocked the watchman out and pulled his body behind one of the benches by the door. Marcus had his boot on the doorkeeper’s chest and held the point of his sword to the man’s throat.

‘Decimus,’ Marcus growled. ‘Where is he?’

The doorkeeper was an older man, with weathered skin and a thin band of grey hair round his wizened head. He held his hands up imploringly as he muttered incoherently.

‘Quiet, or I’ll cut your throat where you lie,’ Marcus hissed at him. ‘Now, I’ll ask you again. Where is Decimus? Which room?’

‘The M-master’s not here!’ the doorkeeper whimpered.

Marcus froze. ‘Not here? Not in the house?’

The doorkeeper shook his head.

‘Then where is he?’

‘G-gone.’

Marcus gritted his teeth in frustration. They had kept a close watch on the house all day and Decimus had not gone out. Not by the front door anyway. He might have used the slave entrance but Marcus doubted it. A man of Decimus’s lofty social station would not be able to stomach that.

‘When did he go?’

‘Yesterday. As soon as he returned from the g-games. He gave orders for his horses to be made ready and left as soon as they were saddled.’

Marcus withdrew his sword as his mind took in the news. Festus and Lupus came and stood round the prone doorkeeper whose rheumy eyes flitted from one to the other.

‘I sw-swear it’s true. He’s not here.’

‘Damn!’ Festus balled his hand into a fist. ‘That explains why we were held until this morning. Euraeus wanted to give Decimus a chance to leave Athens before we came looking for him.’ He leaned over the doorkeeper. ‘Where did Decimus go?’

‘I-I-I …’

Marcus poked the point of his sword into the man’s neck, pricking the skin so that a thin trickle of blood ran down his neck. ‘You tell us! And you tell us the truth. You even think about lying and I’ll cut your throat, right here and now!’ He let the threat sink in before he continued in a cold deliberate voice. ‘Where has Decimus gone?’

‘To his estate … Close to Tegea. That’s where you’ll find the master. I swear it’s true.’

‘Tegea?’ Marcus repeated, to be certain. The doorkeeper nodded. Marcus withdrew his sword and stood erect as he faced his friends.

‘He’s got a day’s start on us. And he’s on horseback,’ Festus commented.

‘Then there’s no time to lose,’ Marcus decided. ‘We leave Athens at once and make for Tegea as fast as we can.’

The others nodded and Marcus swiftly prayed to Jupiter, best and greatest, that his mother would still be alive when they reached Tegea. If not, then he would not show one shred of mercy to Decimus.