by Nick Brown
Before Indavara could reply, the lad’s mother had pulled him away. From the cell he could see nothing but the street. But the arena was on a hill; and almost every day he would look out through the arches at the glittering sea and the ships sailing by – free people going wherever they wanted. The ships gave him hope; just like the figurine thrown to him, just like the little boy who told him he’d win his freedom. Hope was all he’d had. Mahalie needed it too.
He wiped his sore eyes and plodded on. The sun had not yet risen above the city’s buildings but the square was already filling up. Around him, carts were being unloaded and stalls stocked with produce. There were plenty of customers too; mostly women carrying baskets in their hands or on their heads. Indavara had been looking for so long that he’d seen some of the faces two or three times. He was starting to attract some strange looks from the stall-owners.
Suddenly feeling thirsty, he bought some watered wine from a stall, drank it, then handed the mug back to the vendor for a refill. As she dunked it into the amphora, he asked her if she knew Mahalie.
‘Don’t know the name.’
‘She’s a maid. Thin. Doesn’t say much. About my age.’
‘Sorry.’
He emptied the mug again, paid, then walked on. Looking at the nearby streets, he realised he didn’t know the way back to the tower (he’d had to ask directions four times to get there). Perhaps this was Fortuna’s way of telling him he shouldn’t be doing this. Perhaps Mahalie would not come to the market today.
‘Get your berries here!’
‘Apples! Apples! Cheapest in Berytus. Apples here!’
‘Fresh from the fields! Only the best from Pansa.’
Indavara thought about talking to the other stall-owners but most were now busy with customers. The fruit market filled half the square and was laid out around a crossroads and a stone kiosk, where a city official had just arrived. Indavara decided he would do one more circuit.
Three times he thought he’d seen her. With their pale tunics and sandals, dark skin and black hair, many of the Syrian girls looked alike. Indavara had checked two of the four paths and was walking back past the official’s kiosk when he glimpsed someone abruptly change direction. He stopped and turned; she was already past him.
The woman was slight enough to be Mahalie but she was wearing a hooded cape. Despite the heavy basket of food in her hand, she was moving quickly. Indavara gave chase but his path was blocked by a quartet of burly men lugging amphoras full of dates. He dodged around them, then ran after her. Once he got in front he could see her face.
Mahalie stopped.
Indavara didn’t know what to say.
‘Why are you here?’
‘I …’
‘Leave me alone.’
She walked past him to another stall. He watched as she bought two red peppers. The female vendor seemed to know her and asked if she was all right. Indavara couldn’t hear her reply. Once she had paid, Mahalie made straight for the edge of the market. Indavara followed her slowly, unsure what to do. The girl was so determined to get away that when she stepped down from the pavement she lost some of the contents of her overloaded basket.
Indavara sprinted forward and beat her to the pair of onions rolling across the street. ‘Here.’
He put them in the basket, wedging them where they wouldn’t fall out. ‘Would you like me to carry that? Looks heavy.’
She put down the basket then covered her face with her hands and began to cry. A pair of women walked past, casting accusing looks at Indavara.
He looked around. On the other side of the street was a low wall shaded by a tree. Aside from an elderly man sweeping the pavement, there was no one else close by.
‘Perhaps you’d like to sit down. Just over there?’
Mahalie kept her hands clamped over her eyes but nodded.
‘I’ll take this.’ Indavara picked up the basket and walked across the street. He put the basket by the wall then sat down next to it.
Mahalie followed and sat with him, still sniffing. She took out a handkerchief and dabbed at her eyes. Indavara looked at the slender, hunched figure beside him. He could see her shoulder blades sticking out even through the tunic and the cape. After a while, Mahalie stopped crying and pushed the handkerchief into her tunic sleeve.
Indavara said, ‘I went to the church-house. Alfidia told me I might find you here. What’s wrong?’
Mahalie adjusted her tunic so that it covered her knees.
‘Is it your master?’
She picked at her bottom lip and gazed at the ground.
Indavara said, ‘I was a slave. For six years.’
‘You are free now?’
‘Yes.’
‘You have many scars.’
‘Yes, I …’
‘I too.’ She suddenly pulled down the collar of her tunic. The area of her chest above where her breasts met was laced with thin but deep cuts. Face trembling, she tore the hood from her head. Her hair had been cut short but unevenly, with longer patches all over.
Mahalie pushed her tunic back up and raised the hood.
Indavara felt his throat tighten. ‘Your master did this?’
‘Yes.’
‘Why?’
‘It’s her. Mistress. She thinks he wants me. So she told him to make me ugly. She held me while he did it.’
‘What about running away?’
‘I tried once. But they sent a man after me. I didn’t even get out of the city. That’s when they really started hurting me.’
‘Your family? Alfidia said—’
‘My sister is in Antioch but I don’t know how to reach her. I don’t even know where she is.’
Mahalie looked across the street then turned her head away.
‘What is it?’
‘One of my master’s neighbours. I cannot be seen talking to you. I am not supposed to talk to anyone.’
‘I’d like to help.’
‘You cannot. If you try anything they will … they will hurt me again.’
Mahalie wiped her face, then stood and picked up the basket. ‘I must go. What is your name? I don’t remember.’
‘Indavara.’
She looked down at him. ‘Do you believe in the Kingdom? Where you can be with those you love and be for ever happy?’
‘I don’t know.’
‘I wanted to. So much. Alfidia and the others, they believe they will go there. They really believe it. I tried to. I really did try.’
She walked away along the street.
Indavara watched her. As she struggled with the heavy basket, the hood slipped. She stopped and put it back then continued on.
Indavara took ten deep breaths as Corbulo sometimes told him to. At the end of it he felt less like following her, finding these people and hurting them. But only a little less.
An hour passed before they came out.
Indavara had let himself go with that soldier, and again in the cell; and it had felt good. The rage was like a fire burning within him.
But I control it. And I use it only against those that deserve it. With her master and mistress out of the way, Mahalie will be free.
The place where she worked was an average townhouse in an average street. He’d watched her go inside but seen and heard nothing more until now.
He was pressed up against the wall beside the gate. They were speaking in Greek. Their voices were soft and ‘respectable’ like Corbulo’s. The woman was telling Mahalie to water the plants, to make sure lunch was ready when they returned. She told her she liked her hair more this way. The man hadn’t said much.
The gate swung open and he came out first. He was very average looking; the type of man you wouldn’t really notice.
‘Come on, love, we’ll be late.’
She was also pretty average looking, though a bit taller than her husband. While he locked the gate, she fiddled with her hair for a moment then realised she was being watched. She touched her husband on the back.
Inda
vara looked both ways along the street; there was no one around.
They seemed so harmless. But they were the devils. They were the ones who thought Mahalie was theirs – to do with as they pleased. Cut her hair. Cut her skin.
The woman snatched the keys from her husband and moved back towards the gate. Indavara came forward quickly, cutting her off. They retreated, shoes sliding across the stone. They held hands and the man muttered something. Indavara reached for his dagger but his fingers brushed against the smooth head of the figurine tucked behind his belt.
Fortuna.
He took it out and stared at it.
He heard them moving – walking, then running – but he couldn’t take his eyes off the goddess’s face. When he finally looked up they were gone.
Alexon was so far ahead that he had time to slow down as he approached the stream. He turned and saw Amathea galloping out of the trees, hair streaming behind her. A shame he hadn’t been able to watch her but he’d always been the better rider and was determined to remain so. His mount splashed through the shallow water and leaped nimbly up the bank on to the track.
‘Good boy,’ he said, slapping the horse’s neck.
Amathea had given up now and was trotting across the meadow. As she came closer he enjoyed the inevitable pout and bouncing breasts. He had still never seen a better figure on a woman anywhere; his sister combined athleticism and voluptuousness to truly devastating effect. Once across the stream and on the track, she drew up beside him.
‘Well done, brother.’
‘You don’t mean that.’
‘How well you know me. Where are those girls? They were supposed to meet us here with the picnic.’
‘They’ll be along presently. I have a blanket here. We could find a nice spot and … well …’
With production back under way at the factory, Amathea was in a good mood; he wanted to take advantage of it.
‘Lunch first. I shall be your dessert.’ She looked down and fingered drops of sweat off her cleavage. ‘What would you like?’
Alexon wondered whether to risk it. How good a mood was she in? But once the idea had come to him, he couldn’t resist. He tapped the object tucked into his saddle by his right leg.
‘You want to take your whip to me, Alexon? It’s been a while.’
Already hot from the ride, he now felt almost faint. He was about to dismount when he heard the thrumming of hooves behind him.
‘Skiron?’ said Amathea.
The old attendant was charging towards them, clods of earth flying up behind his horse. Alexon saw his heavenly afternoon drifting away from him.
Skiron reined in and took a moment to catch his breath. ‘Mistress, Master.’
‘What is it?’ asked Amathea.
‘Yesterday a municipal inspector carried out a safety check on the factory.’
‘And?’
‘They checked other sites too but the inspector had a clerk with him. I got a description from Bathyllos – tall, brown hair, very light skin.’
‘Crispian,’ hissed Alexon. If he hadn’t been on his horse he would have punched something.
‘Probably,’ said Skiron. ‘But Bathyllos is pretty sure they didn’t see anything.’
‘Pretty sure?’ yelled Alexon. The outburst disturbed his horse, and it took a few vicious tugs on his reins to get it back under control.
‘Calm down, brother,’ said Amathea. ‘They would have acted by now if they suspected something.’
‘Not necessarily. They’re probably watching the place.’
‘You don’t know that. Anything from Kallikres?’
Skiron shook his head.
Alexon couldn’t believe that this accursed investigator was still pursuing them. ‘We’ll have to stop production again.’
‘No,’ said Amathea. ‘The next shipment isn’t going out for three days. Even if they are watching, the men can keep working.’
‘Amathea, they could raid the factory at any moment. Bathyllos knows Skiron, he could lead them to us.’
‘Surely this is why we hid the workshop.’
‘We have to know more. Skiron, find Kallikres and tell him that if we don’t find out what this Crispian bastard is up to he’ll never see his little friend again.’
‘Sir, Kallikres is not an easy person—’
‘Now, Skiron.’
‘Yes, Master.’ The attendant spun his horse around and rode off.
Alexon spat on the ground. ‘By the gods, I knew this day was going far too well.’
‘So forthright, brother. You are at your best when we face a challenge. I do so like it when you show your teeth.’
‘I thought we were safe,’ he said as they dismounted.
‘We don’t know anything for certain yet. Even if this Crispian is getting too close we can take care of him.’ Amathea let go of her reins, walked over to Alexon’s horse and took out the whip. ‘The girls still aren’t here. Since you’ve suggested the idea, I must confess I now feel quite keen on it. Come, we must be quick.’
XXXI
‘Where in Hades have you been?’
Cassius had already breakfasted and was drafting another letter to Abascantius and Marcellinus when Indavara returned.
The bodyguard shut the door behind him and mumbled something to Simo, who was brushing down Cassius’s riding boots. The attendant fetched him some water.
‘Well? Must be the fourth hour.’
Indavara’s hair was even messier than usual and his eyes were puffy and bloodshot. ‘Long night.’
‘And? The factory?’
‘At about the eighth hour some watchmen came past and the guards spoke to them for a minute or two. At about the eleventh hour a group arrived and was let inside.’
‘A group? How many?’
‘Maybe eight or ten.’
‘Eleventh hour, eh? About right if you wanted to get people in without the rest of the workers or anyone else noticing. Well done. You should get some sleep. Tonight could be another long one.’
Indavara took the water from Simo and glugged it down then sat on his bed. He wrenched off his boots, laid back and closed his eyes.
Cassius considered the implications of what he’d heard. A quiet night at the factory – did that suggest all was continuing as normal? Even if the visit with Molacus hadn’t aroused any suspicion, he couldn’t afford to wait around: he had to see inside. With real evidence they could widen the investigation and involve Pomponianus; make sure they caught the whole gang and closed the counterfeiting operation down permanently. Cassius smiled as he thought of writing that letter.
But this one would give no indication of his belief that they were close; it would be a simple summary of how the investigation was progressing. He finished the first paragraph then realised it was better to stop. Cosmas was to spend the day investigating Bathyllos, the owners, and anything else he could find out about the factory. If he discovered anything useful, it would be best to include it. Cassius reread the paragraph – no mistakes – and left the ink to dry. He put his silver pen in the holder and got up from the table.
Indavara still had his eyes closed. Cassius considered asking about the girl but he reckoned the bodyguard might not want to talk about it in front of Simo. In any case, as long as it didn’t affect his work, it wasn’t of great importance. They would be leaving Berytus soon; he would simply have to forget her.
‘That fresh tunic?’
‘It’s on your bed, sir.’
Indavara waited until he heard Corbulo’s door shut.
‘You all right?’ asked Simo, who could always tell whether he was actually sleeping or not.
Indavara sat up. ‘That girl. Mahalie.’
‘Yes?’
‘Her owners – they did things to her. Hurt her. She went to Cobon but he wouldn’t help. He said she had to learn to live with her master and mistress. That was wrong, Simo. He was wrong.’
‘You’ve seen her, then?’
‘Yes. I … saw them too.’
Simo’s face grew visibly paler. He sat on his bed, opposite Indavara.
‘Don’t worry. I didn’t do anything. Perhaps I should have.’
‘That is not the way. Violence is not the way.’
Indavara admired a lot about Simo and Cobon but he’d had just about enough of their stupid beliefs. A promise of paradise after death couldn’t help Mahalie now.
He got up so quickly that the legs of the bed scraped across the floor. ‘It’s their way, Simo. It’s their way. But if I did something to them, it’s Mahalie that would suffer. Before we leave this city I am going to get her out of that house. By my Fortuna, I swear it.’
Cosmas didn’t return until the eighth hour. After a shout from Simo, Cassius came downstairs and Indavara roused himself. It was another baking-hot day and the sergeant asked for a drink before disclosing what he’d discovered.
‘Something’s going on there. No question. The previous owner of the factory and the sarcophagus business was named Niarchos – local man, member of the city council, respected family. Three months ago, he sold the entire concern: the factory, the vehicles, the transport contracts, the clients all across Syria and beyond. The clerk at the basilica who dealt with the sale told me it raised a few eyebrows because Niarchos’ family had been running it for more than a century and made good money out of it. But the new buyer paid well over the odds.’
‘So who is he?’ asked Cassius.
‘That’s where it gets interesting. The negotiations and the purchase were run through a third party.’ Cosmas reached into a pocket and pulled out a scrap of paper. ‘A man named Pylades who described himself as an independent broker. His name is on all the paperwork – the purchase was made in cash. Two thousand, eight hundred aurei. They really wanted that factory.’
‘The transport and distribution network is just as important,’ said Cassius. ‘What about this Pylades?’
‘No one I spoke to actually saw the man. His references all went through and Niarchos was happy to move swiftly with such a good offer on the table. The purchase dues were paid on time, as have all other taxes been since. As far as I can tell, the business has continued as normal, apart from one change.’