The Kin

by Elsye Harwood

  Chapter Sixteen

  Vatican City; Early Twenty-First Century; September

  Nadia put the plate of food down in front of him and then, humming to herself, she withdrew to her private apartment. David broke off some bread and dipped it in the olive oil, then popped it into his mouth. It was delicious. The custodian’s housekeeper made the best bread he’d ever tasted; he’d told her so and she’d blushed like a girl, insisting that it was her mother’s recipe and not her own, but after that she’d always made a point of asking him if he wanted anything. He still didn’t know anybody else in Rome, but thanks to his conversations with the no-nonsense housekeeper, his Italian was gradually improving and her pronunciation of English words was becoming clearer.

  As it was time for her afternoon siesta, she’d turned off her television over the sink and gone off to sleep for a couple of hours, so silence now reigned in the apartment, except for the occasional murmurings from Tully who was speaking on the phone in his study.

  David was tucking into his food with relish, when the door of the apartment opened and Marcus strolled in. He looked as if he’d just come from training and was carrying a bag with him, which he dropped on the floor by the three couches.

  “Is it lunch already?” he asked, taking off his trainers to walk barefoot towards the kitchen.

  David nodded, eyeing with envy the young man’s physique, which was revealed by the black vest top he wore. Some people had all the luck, he decided, and quite often they didn’t even know that they were blessed, which made it even worse.

  “Have you been to the gym?” he asked.

  Marcus opened the fridge and took out a carton of orange juice. “No, that’s a waste of energy. I go to a place where they combine Roman gladiatorial combat with Roman military training.” He grinned. “Believe me, throwing a javelin and attacking straw bales is great for letting off steam.”

  “I can imagine,” David replied. “Do you go every day?”

  Marcus had taken a glass from the cupboard and was pouring himself some orange. He finished and came over to sit down opposite him at the table.

  “Do you want some?” he asked. David shook his head and indicated that he still had a full glass. “I try to go every day,” Marcus told him, “but more often than not life gets in the way.”

  “That seems to be enough, though,” David said with grudging admiration. Marcus smiled. “It’s hard work, but I enjoy it. I like being active, and doing things. I get restless stuck here in Rome all the time.” He stopped and listened. “Do you know who he’s talking to on the phone?”

  “No, sorry.”

  Marcus listened for a few moments, then he looked at David. “Has he spoken to you yet?”

  David felt his heart lurch. “No, what about?”

  Marcus tilted his head. “He said he would.”

  David stared back at the handsome young Roman and shrugged. “Maybe he hasn’t had the chance. There’re two people from the museum in the library today and they’ve been keeping him busy with requests for books. And when we got up here, Nadia told him that he had to make a phone call, so we’ve not really had a chance to speak.”

  Marcus looked at him, considering the information. He seemed to make up his mind. “We were wondering if you’d like to help out in the library.”

  At first David was too shocked to speak. “But after what happened, you’ll let me alone down there?”

  Marcus grinned. “That was a mistake, and I don’t think it’s one you’ll repeat. I admit I wasn’t sure at first, but …” He caught himself for a second. “Tully, is convinced that you’re perfect for the job. Elliot did it for a while and he agrees.” David was shocked. Marcus picked up his glass and poured more orange juice. “I spoke to him yesterday; it’s why he sent you. He thought you’d get a lot out of being here and we’d enjoy having you around. Seems he was right.

  “Look don’t worry about the library, we can teach you tricks that stop anything like that happening, and honestly it’s really rare, most of the people who have permission to look at the books are terrified of them. Only loonies like you, do things like that.” He grinned and David had to smile back. “I’m bored, David, I hate being cooped up here and having to do the social crap. Every now and then I get restless and I want to go off by myself. It’s not really fair on M….. I mean Tully. Sorry for that, I know him as Maurice, you see. He’s only Tully because people get confused by the similarities with our names. Anyway, when I go off on one of my excursions, the others usually cover for me, and they either go to the meetings or man the library, whichever is easier. But they’re all over the place right now and you’re here.

  “I’m not going right away, so it’ll give you time to get acquainted, but it would really help us out. We’d both be grateful.”

  David looked at the young custodian, not really sure what he should say. “It’s a huge honour. Are you sure you want me to do it? You hardly know me.”

  Marcus swallowed the last of the orange juice and put down his glass. “Elliot trusts you, and Tully thinks you can do it: that’s enough for me.” David was still unconvinced. “Look, why don’t you think about moving in here? We’ve got plenty of space, you can see what it’s like and start doing some shifts in the library to see how you feel. We’ll both be around and we can review things in a week or two? How does that sound?”

  “I think that’s a good idea,” Tully said as he moved up behind David and sat down at the head of the table. “We wouldn’t charge rent; in fact, we’d pay you.”

  “Think about it,” Marcus told him. “You don’t have to decide now.”

  “Yes, I will,” David declared suddenly. He’d thought about it and the extra money he’d save by not having to pay his hotel bill would allow him to stay in Rome for an extra few months, and besides that he had the feeling that he’d gone through the looking glass into another world and this was his chance to discover more about it.

  Later that night, David settled down on the sofa in one of the sitting rooms. It was in the older part of the apartment, where the walls were lined with wood panelling and the rooms had a distinctly medieval quality, which made them darker but also cosier. All around him were portraits and priceless objects, which he presumed were original. It reminded him of the public rooms in castles and old houses, even down to the suits of armour from various centuries. The only difference was that here he could sit on anything and touch whatever he wanted as he’d been assured that it was perfectly fine to do so.

  On the table next to him, he had a glass of scotch and his book, because tonight, both Tully and Marcus were out at a public event, so he had the place to himself. Tully had shown him around the apartment and he’d decided that this room was the ideal place to sit and read.

  Dacia; newest province of the Roman Empire

  In the first year of the reign of Publius Aelius Hadrianus Augustus.

  It was the finest meal that Marius had ever been invited to and he particularly liked the aniseed chicken. The men around him were probing for news from Rome, but he really didn’t know much, though they hung on his every word.

  The governor lay on his couch in the dining room of his palace, with Junius on his right in the place of honour. The quaestor sat between him and Marius, and there were several other men around the room who had positions of influence, but he’d forgotten their names. This was his first formal dining experience and the food was splendid, but he felt out of place; he was a soldier not a politician, and he would really rather be with the men at the fort, but Junius had insisted so they could get as much information as possible.

  “I’d like you to observe some traditional entertainment of the province, so you can see the local customs,” the governor said loudly from his couch. He clapped his hands and immediately several men ran into the room and began to stomp on the floor to tuneful pipes and various drums. Marius had never seen dancing like it and jumped when the men shouted and came together and clapped their hands. He risked a glance o
ver to Junius who was watched with bemused fascination. Marius had to admit that it was very entertaining, but possibly for the wrong reasons.

  The dance continued with increasing speed, until it became frenetic, and with a yell the men crouched down, then lay on the floor. The governor thanked them, calling for more drink. Several very attractive girls scurried out and individually poured wine into each of the dinner guest’s cups, then stayed hovering by their sides.

  Marius was perplexed by this and glanced around to the other men for guidance, but each of them seemed to be engaged in conversation with their attendants. He looked up nervously at the young girl, who smiled shyly back and began to ask him about life in the legions.

  It seemed that the formal part of the evening was over, and soon several of the guests were enjoying other pleasures on offer and the quaestor that they needed to speak to had left the room with his female attendant. As he’d left Junius had caught Marius’s eye and lifted his eyebrows in amusement.

  By this time the lights in the room had been lowered and a lone piper played a sad lament, which no one listened to. The girl was gently stroking his neck and ensuring that his cup was never empty, and he had to admit to being tempted. It had been such a long journey, and an age since he’d had female company at night. He’d only managed a few nights with Alia before going to Rome, and he missed her greatly. Around him the other men were either leaving, or seemed captivated by their companions. Only the governor and Junius were still talking to each other whilst enjoying the attentions of their female companions.

  When the girl slid off the couch and took his hand, Marius decided that Alia would understand that it had been a long time for him and he didn’t know what lay ahead, so a man had to grab what pleasure he could when it was offered.