Marcus brushed the thought aside. ‘All the more reason why I have to act. Time is getting short. Any minute it will be getting dark and they will be looking for the money in the lane. Philades thinks that I should send a decoy out to seem to leave the bag, but keep a lookout from inside the walls and try to rush them when they come for it. But I can’t put Julia’s life at stake. Libertus, what do you think I should do?’
I glanced at Philades. What was he up to now? Why did he think a decoy was a good idea? ‘Could we gain ourselves a little time?’ I said. ‘Leave a message where they want the money left, perhaps, saying that you are prepared to pay, but that you must have proof that Julia is safe before you part with anything at all.’
Marcus looked brighter suddenly. ‘Perhaps. And I could set someone in the lane to watch the man who picks it up, and follow him back to where he goes. Maybe he will lead us to where Julia is.’
‘How can you possibly post watchers in the lane so they will not be seen?’ Philades did not even pretend to be polite. ‘It is the very thing the conspirators will expect. No doubt they have eyes already in the wood, watching the villa precisely to make sure you don’t set spies on them. Besides, what would happen to Julia if you do?’
‘An ambush would be even worse,’ I snapped. I was tired, but at least my brain was functioning again. ‘It’s always possible that it will fail. We don’t know how many people are in the wood and how well they are armed. And you would not catch the real conspirators. There is mention of a messenger picking up the cash: no doubt a slave or some hapless beggar simply doing what they’re told – at one or two removes, if the kidnappers have any sense at all. The messenger will know nothing of any consequence, except that he is to hand over the bag at some appointed place, which – thanks to the watchers in the woods – will be deserted when you get to it. Meanwhile the real culprits will be far away with Julia still in their hands. And they will know that you tried to double-cross them, too. Certainly, I cannot counsel such a course.’
It was a long speech in my current state of health, and I paused to rest. I was still debating what else I could advise when Marcus said, in a determined tone, ‘Well, I must do something. I will use my page to drop the ransom money. He can ride out to Glevum with the message for the watch, and do it on the way. I’ll send a letter with him asking if he can stay in the gatehouse overnight.’
The medicus said grimly, ‘I still think you should send a decoy out. I am prepared to go myself . . .’
So that was his little game, I thought. Go out with the money and disappear with it? I almost voiced my thoughts aloud, but my patron intervened.
‘Philades, there is no help for it, I fear. Having permitted them to blackmail me over Lallius’s release, I am in a weak position now. They still have Julia. I can’t afford to let anything go wrong. I’ll have to pay the full amount and let them walk away. But I’ll make sure they suffer for it later on.’
‘It is a pity that there is so little time.’ I was still fretting at the thought. ‘Otherwise we might have contrived a more inconspicuous spy. The road is used by people living round about: one of them might walk along the lane – to pick up firewood, for instance – and that would seem entirely natural. If we had somebody like that to watch on our behalf . . .’
Philades interrupted me, his voice a sneer. ‘One of your slaves, for instance? Or your wife?’
I had not thought of that, but I rather wished I had. I pulled myself a little more upright.
‘Why not?’ I said. ‘After all, she is coming here tonight.’ The thought was cheering. ‘She is resourceful and intelligent. If we could send a message with your page, she could keep an unobtrusive watch as she comes along the lane and tell us if she sees anything unusual at all.’
Marcus shook his head. ‘If there are watchers in the lane, they’ll see the pageboy stop outside your house, and if she comes here afterwards they’ll guess at once she is working as a spy. She will be lucky to escape their hands herself.’
He was right, of course. My thinking was confused, or I’d have seen that straight away. I said, ‘I’m foolish, Excellence. Of course you’re right, and I would not put Gwellia at any kind of risk. In fact, on second thoughts, it occurs to me that she might be in danger anyway. These people clearly know a great deal about us all: they may well know that Gwellia is my wife. If they see her walking all alone along the lane they’ll capture her – two wives to ransom are worth more than one. Yet we’ve agreed that she won’t bring any slaves with her. Could someone escort her here, perhaps? Not an armed guard – obviously that would alarm the kidnappers – but at least attendants to keep an eye on her. Junio himself could go, perhaps?’
‘But surely, pavement-maker, that is dangerous as well?’ The medicus looked triumphantly at me. ‘Better to prevent her coming here at all – at least until the morning. The page could safely tell her on his way to town: there is no problem in her receiving a messenger from here, provided she doesn’t leave the house. In fact, I will go with the boy to Glevum, if you wish. I could ride behind him on the horse, and ensure he’s not attacked and robbed before he leaves the coins, and see that the woman understands the risk. Two people would be safer in the lane than one.’
It may have sounded rational enough, but I didn’t trust the doctor a thumb’s-breadth by this time and I especially didn’t want him calling at my house. ‘I don’t think so, Excellence,’ I said urgently. ‘If one of these conspirators knows the business of this house, they will know that Philades enjoys your confidence. I can’t think of anyone who would look more like a spy.’
Marcus paused in the doorway. ‘You’re right, the pair of you,’ he said. ‘I’ll send the message to Gwellia with the man who brings the oil. He’s here again today. He can stop his cart at your house on his way back to the town – no one looks twice at a delivery cart.’ He turned towards the page. ‘Page, you can take the money out, as I said before, and go straight on to Glevum with my messages. You understand? Then on your way back tomorrow you will call at the roundhouse and accompany Libertus’s lady to the villa here. It should be safe enough by then, but we will take no risks. She can still have an escort in the lane.’
The young man preened, obviously delighted to be going alone. ‘As you command, master.’
Marcus gave a grunt of satisfaction. ‘Then come with me. There’s no time to be lost. We’ll get this ransom counted out, before it is too late. Julia’s safety may depend on it. You too, Philades.’ He left the room, gesturing for the medicus to follow him.
But before he left the doctor came over to my bed. ‘You consider yourself very clever, mosaic-maker,’ he whispered, ‘but I’ll outwit you yet. I was talking to that female servant at your house today, and I know more of your little secrets than you think. Remember that.’
I seemed to have made myself an enemy.
Chapter Ten
When he was sure that they were safely gone Junio came over to the bed and murmured, so quietly that I could barely hear his words, ‘Well, there’s a sudden change of atmosphere! That sounded like a threat! What have you done to upset the medicus?’ He was straightening up my bedcovers as he spoke: not that there was anything at all amiss with them – they were soft wool and sublimely comfortable – but he obviously felt the need to busy himself on my account somehow. Here, with all Marcus’s establishment, there wasn’t very much for him to do. ‘And,’ he raised my head and plumped my pillows up, ‘what does his meeting Cilla have to do with anything?’
I shrugged back into the cushions. ‘I don’t know. He’s up to something, but I don’t know what.’
‘There’s something odd about it, certainly. This morning at the roundhouse he was all concern for you, but suddenly there’s quite a different mood. When I was waiting at the door I overheard him on his way here through the court tonight, asking Marcus if he’d known you long, and – when your patron said he had – muttering that high fever can affect the mind and make people act in unexpected ways.’
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br /> So I hadn’t been imagining it. ‘What did Marcus say to that?’
‘Not much!’ Junio gave a little laugh. ‘Told him not to be a fool and to concentrate on doing what he was paid to do, and getting you well as soon as possible. I was surprised he spoke so firmly, and so was Philades – Marcus is usually in awe of him, and I think the physician’s accustomed to being listened to. He was clearly not best pleased – he turned a shade of puce – though he could not say anything, of course.’ He had turned his attention to the pretty shoe-shaped lamp and was refilling it from the little flask of oil. ‘He seemed to want to keep His Excellence away from you, I thought. Said you were still weak, and needed time to rest. But Marcus wouldn’t listen to a word. Told the medicus to send some herbs to the kitchen and have them make another of his clever brews for you . . . Ah, and here it is!’
A pair of red-haired serving boys – so alike they almost looked like brothers – had suddenly appeared together at the door. They had divided the labour of carrying a small bowl by dint of putting it on a largish tray and taking one end each. When they spoke it was a kind of duologue, with each boy finishing what the other said. The effect was a sort of curious sing-song chant.
‘Please, citizen. We are sent to bring you this . . .’
‘It’s from the medicus . . .’
‘And we’re to wait outside . . .’
‘And take away the bowl . . .’
‘It’s a replacement for the other one he sent,’ the slightly skinnier of the two finished, with a triumphant air. He was a little younger than his companion, I realised, though he was if anything the taller of the two.
I grinned. Marcus’s careful matched-pair policy was going to be strained to breaking point as these two young lads grew up.
The slave-boy took my grin as an invitation to say something else. He looked at me, and blurted suddenly, ‘We’re not to put it on the tabletop this time!’
The other servant nudged him warningly. Obviously he had spoken out of turn.
This time my smile was really meant for him. ‘You heard about that little incident?’
A shy grin. ‘Everyone in the villa must have heard by now. Pulcrus was sent to throw it all away.’
‘And naturally he told everybody in the servants’ room?’ I said.
The boy gave an enthusiastic nod. ‘He thinks he’s really somebody, that page: the master takes him everywhere so he’s always boasting about the special jobs he’s asked to do. You can get tired of listening to him sometimes, talking about where he’s been and how he’s in the master’s confidence, especially when you’ve been stuck inside the house all day.’ It came out in a rush and earned him an even harder nudge.
Junio came to his rescue by picking up the bowl. ‘Anyway, master, here’s your sleeping draught.’ He wrinkled up his nose and gave an exploratory sniff. ‘It looks a bit dispiriting, but it doesn’t smell too bad.’ He brought it over and handed it to me. The two boys watched me, unwinking, from the door.
‘Dispiriting’ was a hopeful word for it, I thought. It was a darkish liquid, with dank herbs floating in its depths – and despite my slave’s assurance, it smelt like rotting grass. ‘I don’t think I shall be drinking it,’ I said.
He glanced at me sharply. ‘Oh, come, master. If it will do you good . . .’
‘That’s just the point,’ I said. ‘I’m not convinced that it will do me good at all.’
The startled glance became an outright stare. ‘But why? His other potions have restored you wonderfully – my mistress is convinced he saved your . . .’ He broke off, and a look of comprehension crossed his face. ‘I see,’ he said. ‘The medicus? You think . . . But surely . . .’
I shook my head at him, to warn him to be careful what he said, but the talkative young slave-boy caught me in the act. Fortunately he misinterpreted my gesture. ‘I’m sure the doctor didn’t mean to bring bad luck,’ he burbled. ‘I expect he just put the potion on the tabletop by accident. He isn’t very Roman in his ways. But he is awfully clever with his cures. The best for miles around. That’s why the master bribed him to come here. I heard him say so to the pontifex.’
This was too much for the other serving boy. ‘Hush, Minimus! Can’t you learn to hold your tongue? Slaves are expected to speak when spoken to, not start conversations with the master’s guests.’ He turned to me. ‘I’m sorry, citizen. This boy is only new, and he has much to learn. He gets us into trouble all the time.’
‘Don’t worry,’ I said gently. ‘I’m interested in what he has to say. In fact your friend – Minimus, is it? – can tell me more. Philades is famous for his potions, then? Do you know him well?’
Minimus had been silenced by his friend’s rebuke. He had turned scarlet and was gazing at the floor. He shook his head. ‘Hardly at all,’ he mumbled. ‘I never heard of him until he turned up here. The day after the mistress disappeared, it must have been. Maximus will bear me out. We were sent to let him in when he arrived.’
‘That’s right,’ the other boy confirmed.
I looked at him. ‘You’re Maximus? So you two are called Biggest and Littlest? But why are the names the other way about?’
He didn’t smile at all. ‘I was called Maximus before he came. He was bought to match me so they named him Minimus – partly because it seemed to fit my name, and partly because he was the youngest slave of all. But he’s grown a lot and now it’s turned into a sort of joke, you see. But Minimus is right. We had never set eyes on the medicus before that day – and we greet all the guests. Even Marcus did not seem to know him very well.’
‘Though he thinks most highly of him,’ I observed. ‘How did Marcus find him, anyway? He must have met him somewhere.’
Minimus appointed himself spokesman once again. He laughed. ‘Oh, we can tell you that, though the master would not like it advertised. Philades was working for a friend of his – someone on the ordo, the council in the town. Marcus was often invited there to dine – in fact he was there the day the mistress disappeared.’
I looked at him. ‘How do you know all this? From the page again?’
He nodded. ‘He was with Marcus at the time, of course. Half of the ordo had been invited there to dine – mostly on purpose to meet the doctor. You know what these Roman feasts are like – you show off the clever men in your employ to impress your guests. Philades was asked to join the diners over wine to talk about his wretched Celsus scroll and generally show how intelligent he was. Marcus was rather laughing at it, on the journey home, but when he found out what had happened here he quickly changed his mind. He wanted you to help him, so he needed help for you. He went back to see the councillor . . . and that was that.’
I nodded. ‘More or less suggested that he made a gift of him?’ I’ve known Marcus use that strategy before.
‘He expressed an interest in the doctor, certainly,’ Maximus said carefully. ‘Of course, the councillor could not easily refuse.’
I grinned. ‘Nor Philades, I suppose? Not with a person of His Exellence’s rank?’
Maximus looked surprised. ‘I hadn’t thought of that. After all, although he’s just a Greek, the doctor is a proper citizen. I suppose he could have decided that he didn’t want to come – though I can’t imagine anybody daring to say that.’ He saw my grin and he was tempted to a sudden confidence. ‘Anyway, I think Philades himself was offered a lot of money, too. More than he was getting in the other house. That is what the page said, at any rate. The doctor never talks about himself. Even the master can’t persuade him to say much about his life – except the cases he’s been called upon to cure.’
Minimus made an affronted sniffing noise. ‘Now who’s making conversation to the guests?’ he muttered sullenly. ‘And, speaking of His Excellence, he’ll be expecting us. We were just to bring the potion in and take the bowl back to the kitchens afterwards. Then we were supposed to go and wait on him.’ He ran a nervous tongue round his lips.
I looked at the steaming bowl which Junio had placed caref
ully on the stool beside my bed. ‘It’s far too hot for me, in any case,’ I said. ‘You two run along. My slave will take the tray back. It will be all right.’
They looked at each other doubtfully, then Maximus said, ‘If you are quite sure, citizen . . .?’
‘Quite sure,’ I said. ‘And thank you for your help.’
Minimus flashed me another of his grins. ‘If you want anything at all, just send for us.’
Junio escorted them to the door, and shut it after them. He turned to me.
‘Well,’ I said. ‘What do you make of that?’
He moved the bowl and came to perch beside me on the stool. ‘One thing is certain, master,’ he said earnestly. ‘You must be wrong about this kidnapping. It’s clear that Philades can’t be involved. We agreed that those responsible were well known in the house – otherwise their arrival would have caused a stir and the gate-keepers would have remembered them. That obviously does not describe the medicus. He’d never been inside the villa till Julia was gone.’
I frowned, reluctant to give up my suspicions. ‘He might have planned it, all the same,’ I said.
‘When he was working in the town for someone else? It seems improbable. How could he know anything about the place? You heard what the pages said. His employer was treating him as a novelty – inviting people in to show him off – so he obviously hadn’t been in Glevum very long. Not even long enough to learn Roman superstitions, it appears.’
Perhaps.’ I wouldn’t drink his potions, anyway, I thought – not because of where he’d put the cup, but because of what he might have put inside.
Junio had been following another train of thought. ‘Marcus seems to make a habit of acquiring staff by admiring other people’s servants and offering them a higher wage to come to him. The privilege of being rich and powerful, I suppose. I gather – from the maidservants that I was talking to – that’s how he acquired the wet nurse, too. Though not from the same councillor, of course.’
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