‘Oh, that’s good,’ he murmured and soon his breathing told her he was asleep.
Flavia sighed and picked up her wax tablet again. She wrote down questions about the case. Why had Nubia gone with Chryses? Was the mysterious eunuch really evil? Had he killed Onesimus? And if Chryses was Seth’s enemy, why was he leaving him clues to the treasure?
She lay back on the thin mattress and tried to think. But even in the shade of the awning the ferocious heat acted like a drug, and soon she was skimming below the surface of sleep.
She had restless dreams of Ostia. Of her father – grieving for her – and of Alma and Caudex and her beloved dog Scuto. She also saw Flaccus, the young lawyer who had asked for her hand in marriage a few months before. In her dream she saw him: tall dark and patrician, with his straight glossy hair falling over his eyes, wearing the garments of a groom and going to fetch his bride, a girl whose name was not Flavia.
Finally she dreamt of her Uncle Gaius. And with the certainty only a dream can bring, she knew he was dead and that she would never see him again.
Flavia woke to find her cheeks wet with tears.
Miserably she stood and went to the side of the boat. Without even checking for crocodiles she jumped in and struck out upstream. Soon the cool water cleared her mind and washed away her tears. For a moment she stopped and floated on her back. She let the current carry her back downstream and she thought of home. High above her a vulture wheeled slowly in the pure blue expanse of sky.
The vulture made her think of death and dead things. That reminded her of crocodiles. Fear replaced her sadness and set her heart pounding. Silly girl! she chided herself. She swam back to the boat as quickly as she could, praying with each stroke to every god she could think of. At last she pulled herself into the boat with a gasp of relief.
As she unwrapped her damp turban she looked down at Seth, who seemed to be sleeping peacefully. Maybe he was right to honour his god. Without the protection of the gods, you were lost.
At that moment a rustle among the shrubs on the riverbank set her heart pounding again. Someone – or something – was in the sycamore grove.
Flavia crouched down inside the boat, then pulled herself slowly up and peeped over the side. Her eyes widened as she caught sight of the culprit. It was not a bandit, but rather a kind of weasel with brown fur and a long, pointed nose. It was rolling in the mud at the water’s edge. Abruptly it sat up and regarded her with bright black eyes.
‘Hello, little creature!’ she said softly.
‘Hello, yourself,’ came Seth’s feeble voice from behind her.
‘Oh! You’re awake!’ Flavia turned to look at Seth. ‘How are you feeling?’
‘A little better.’
Seth pushed himself up on one elbow. His face was blistered and peeling and horrible to behold. Flavia averted her eyes and continued as cheerfully as she could. ‘Jonathan says you’re suffering from sunstroke. He says you’ll have to wear a turban from now on, whether you like it or not.’
‘Ichneumon,’ said Seth. ‘Herpestes ichneumon.’
‘What?’
‘That creature on the river bank. It’s an ichneumon. Also called mongoose. There are some in the animal enclosure in the Museum. According to Strabo there is an entire city near here which is devoted to its worship.’
‘Some people worship the mongoose? Like the people of Crocodilopolis worship the crocodile?’
‘Yes.’ He lay back onto his pillow and closed his eyes. ‘The inhabitants of Cynopolis worship the dog but eat the sharp-nosed fish, whereas the inhabitants of Oxyrhynchus worship the sharp-nosed fish but eat dog meat. Those two towns are bitter enemies. So it is with the inhabitants of Heracleopolis. They worship the mongoose and are rivals with the inhabitants of Crocodilopolis because the mongoose and the crocodile are enemies. That little creature is one of the few animals that can kill a crocodile.’
‘That sweet little thing can kill a crocodile? How?’
‘When the crocodiles are basking in the sun with their mouths open – as they often do – the mongoose leaps into the crocodile’s open jaws and eats through its entrails and belly to emerge unharmed from the dead crocodile.’
‘Great Juno’s peacock!’
‘It doesn’t seem so sweet now, does it?’ he added drily. ‘May I have something to drink? And something to lift my head.’
‘Oh, yes! Sorry. I was supposed to be giving you lots of water.’ She rolled up a blanket and put it under his head, then handed him one of the water gourds. Seth drank long and deeply.
‘I’m also supposed to be putting Nile river mud on your burns,’ said Flavia. ‘Would you like that?’
‘I’d prefer a damp cloth,’ he said. ‘It was nice when you did that.’
Flavia duly soaked a cloth in the river and draped it gently over his face. ‘Do you want me to soak your blanket, too?’
‘Yes, please,’ came Seth’s deep voice from beneath the cloth. ‘It’s unbearably hot. What time is it?’
‘I think it’s about four hours past noon,’ said Flavia, as she dipped his blanket over the side of the boat. ‘Maybe five. Nathan and the boys have gone to Crocodilopolis to look for Chryses and Nubia.’
‘You really care for her, don’t you?’ said Seth.
‘Nubia? Yes. She’s like a sister to me. Or a best friend. I miss her so much.’ Flavia gently draped the damp blanket over his body.
‘Ah, that’s good,’ said Seth with a sigh, and added: ‘I wish I had a friend like you. I mean, someone who missed me when I went away . . . Did you really mean what you said?’
‘What?’
‘That you’d rather face a thousand crocodiles than look after me?’
‘Oh!’ said Flavia. ‘You heard me say that? I didn’t . . . It was a figure of speech.’
‘No, it wasn’t.’ His voice was muffled beneath the cloth. ‘You don’t like me. Nobody likes me.’
‘I do like you,’ protested Flavia. ‘But . . .’
‘I’m not very good with people,’ said Seth. ‘That’s why I became a scribe.’
‘So you could read books all day, and not have to get on with people?’
He gave a low, throaty chuckle. ‘Exactly.’
‘Sometimes I prefer books to people, too,’ said Flavia. ‘But people are good for you. Take Nubia for example. She’s the opposite of me. I’m impetuous and impulsive, and sometimes a little bossy. She’s kind and gentle and says “behold!” and loves all animals. Before I met her I never would have said hello to a mongoose. She makes me think about things in a new way. So do Jonathan and Lupus,’ she added.
Seth lifted the cloth from his face. ‘How old are you again?’ he asked.
‘I’ll be twelve next month,’ said Flavia.
‘Well, Flavia Gemina,’ said Seth, replacing the cloth. ‘You are the most amazing girl I have ever met.’
Jonathan, Lupus and Nathan arrived back from Fayum shortly after sunset, while it was still light. Nathan carried a shoulder basket full of provisions.
‘No Nubia?’ grunted Flavia, as she put down the gangplank for them.
‘Sorry, Flavia,’ said Jonathan. ‘Not a trace of her. But the labyrinth was superb. It wasn’t a real labyrinth, but a kind of massive temple. We only saw part of it but our guide said it had over two thousand rooms with another level underground.’
‘It did?’ said Flavia wistfully.
A grubby but happy Lupus touched his elbows together and smacked his forearms shut.
‘And the crocodile!’ added Jonathan. ‘A rich lady from Alexandria arrived just before we did and the official let her feed it pieces of meat and wine mixed with honey. The priest’s assistants had to force its jaws open and when the crocodile finished eating it ran away to the other side of the pool.’
Lupus puffed out his cheeks and patted an imaginary belly as if to say: it was full to bursting.
‘Oh,’ cried Flavia wistfully, ‘I wish I’d seen it. Was the crocodile jewel-encrusted?’
&nb
sp; Lupus shook his head and pointed to his throat.
‘But it was wearing a golden necklace,’ explained Jonathan. ‘With lapis lazuli and carnelian, I think.’ He shook his head. ‘These Egyptians are crazy.’
Lupus chuckled and kicked off his sandals. Then he pulled off his turquoise turban and his beige tunic and jumped off the side of Scarab into the river. His splash rocked the boat and Nathan held on to the mast.
‘There may have been a labyrinth and a tame crocodile,’ Nathan said bitterly. ‘But there was no treasure. And we couldn’t find any clues, either.’
‘No clues anywhere?’ cried Flavia.
‘Did you ask people?’ said Seth from his mattress.
‘Of course we did!’ snapped Nathan. ‘We asked the priests if they’d seen any graffiti, eunuchs or Nubians. We asked all the officials and would-be guides and beggars. I even asked the shopkeepers.’ Nathan threw down the shoulder bag in disgust. A wheel of cheese rolled across the floor of the boat.
‘Don’t despair, cousin,’ said Seth, sitting up. ‘I think you went to the wrong sanctuary of Sobek.’
Flavia turned to Seth in amazement. ‘There’s another place where they worship crocodiles?’
At the word ‘crocodiles’ Lupus’s alarmed face appeared over the side of the boat. Jonathan pulled his dripping friend into the boat and handed him his tunic.
‘Yes,’ said Seth. ‘If Strabo is to be trusted there are at least two more places where the crocodile is worshipped.’
‘You can’t possibly mean . . .’ said Nathan.
‘Where else?’
‘But what if you’re wrong? What if you misunderstood the clue?’
‘Remember I told you I caught a brief glimpse of the treasure map before Chryses hid it?’
‘No.’ Nathan scowled at his cousin. ‘You never told me any such thing.’
‘Well, I told these three, then.’
Lupus had been struggling to put on his tunic. Now his head popped out and he nodded eagerly.
‘That’s right,’ said Flavia to Seth. ‘You said it was written with five different coloured inks in Greek, Hebrew and hieroglyphs.’
Seth nodded. ‘And now I remember: One of the hieroglyphs was of Sobek, the crocodile god. And there were two names in Greek near the top of the sheet. They didn’t make sense then, but they do now.’
‘What two names?’
‘Ombos and Syene.’
‘Well, that’s just wonderful!’ cried Nathan bitterly, ‘I’m sure you’d love to search for the treasure now.’
‘I’m willing if you are,’ said Seth quietly.
‘You what? Are you mad?’
‘I said I’m willing. I’ll even help punt if necessary.’ Seth pushed himself up on his elbows.
‘You moan and whimper about a day-trip to the pyramids, force us to stop for the Sabbath, and now you say you’re willing to go five hundred miles?’
‘I am.’
‘I don’t believe it. What prophet appeared to you in a vision and told you to go?’
‘She did,’ said Seth, and pointed to Flavia. ‘She didn’t exactly tell me, but she inspired me.’
As usual, Chryses was taking a long time in the bushes.
Nubia sighed and stroked Pollux’s nose. ‘He always takes so long when he does latrine,’ she said to the camel. ‘I suppose he’s ashamed of being a eunuch. I wonder what it looks like.’ Nubia sighed again and gave a date each to Pollux and Castor. The sun had set but it was still light enough to ride. They had rested during the hottest time of the day and were ready to set out again.
At last Chryses appeared from behind the bushes, dressed in his usual white turban and cream tunic. As he pushed some rags into the camel’s hempen saddlebag, Nubia could see he was flustered.
‘Are you unwell?’ asked Nubia.
‘Cramps,’ said Chryses.
‘Your stomach is unhappy?’
Chryses gave her a weak grin. ‘You could say that.’
Nubia clicked at the camels and they dutifully knelt to be mounted.
‘Lord Serapis Helios!’ cried Chryses. His camel had risen to its feet before he was settled and he was dangling from the creature’s neck.
Nubia ran to Chryses and put a hand on either side of his waist, in order to help him down. Beneath his tunic she felt something like bandages binding his ribs.
‘What is that?’ she said with a frown.
‘What?’ Chryses had turned pale.
‘What are you wearing underneath?’
Chryses took a step back. ‘It’s not what you think!’
‘I do not know what to think.’
Chryses turned away from her and hid his face in his hands. After a moment he turned back. ‘All right. I’ll tell you.’ He reached into the neck of his tunic and after a moment of fumbling he pulled out a folded piece of papyrus. ‘It’s the only way to keep it safe from robbers or cutpurses. To bind it to my body. It is the document giving me the right to claim my inheritance.’ He held it out to her.
Hesitantly, Nubia reached out and took the piece of papyrus. It was still warm from being pressed against his skin. As she opened it she caught the sweet blue scent of lotus blossom, his perfume.
For a moment she felt dizzy. Then her eyes focussed on the papyrus. It was still light enough for her to see that on one side there was writing in Greek. On the other side was a picture of something like an upside down papyrus plant with a wavy stem. Along the stem on either side were words and symbols. Some of the words were in Latin, some in Greek and some in hieroglyphs. At the top of the sheet were two crocodiles inked in black and green, and shown facing each other. Between them was a strange symbol like a cross, but with a loop for a top. It was filled in with gold ink.
‘What is this?’ said Nubia.
‘It’s a map of the Nile. That’s the Delta,’ said Chryses, pointing at the upside-down flower of the blossom, ‘and that’s the river. These are some of the towns, and this,’ his fingertip moved all the way up to the looped-top cross, ‘this is an ankh, the Egyptian symbol for life. That is Syene, where my inheritance awaits.’
‘Syene?’
‘It’s a town on the first cataract.’
‘So you are not going all the way to Nubia?’
‘It’s the border of Nubia. The first cataract marks its border.’
Nubia’s throat felt tight. ‘But Nubia is very big. How will I find my family, if any are even left?’
‘Let’s worry about that when we get there. It’s still a long way.’
Nubia swallowed and blinked back tears. ‘Show me.’
Chryses came up beside her and again she smelled his sweet scent. He was only a little taller than she was and his honey-coloured skin was very smooth. ‘Here is Alexandria, here are the pyramids, and this bud is Lake Moeris in the region called Fayum. And here,’ he moved his elegant forefinger all the way up the wavy stem to the top of the papyrus, ‘are Ombos and Syene.’
Nubia frowned. ‘But where is Nubia my homeland?’
Chryses shook his head sadly. ‘I’m afraid it’s off the map.’
‘Five hundred miles to Ombos and Syene?’ gasped Flavia. ‘But that will take us weeks!’
‘Maybe months,’ said Nathan. ‘I have never been that far up the river. Syene is at the very border of Egypt and the Land of Nubia.’
‘The Land of Nubia,’ repeated Flavia and looked at Jonathan and Lupus. ‘Are you thinking what I’m thinking?’
The two boys nodded.
‘What?’ asked Seth and Nathan together.
‘Our friend Nubia thinks we’re dead,’ said Flavia. ‘I think she’s going home. All the way to Nubia.’
Seth looked at them. ‘So are you still willing to go with us? Five hundred miles, if necessary?’
Flavia looked at her friends. Lupus nodded happily but Jonathan frowned. ‘If we end up going all the way to the Land of Nubia,’ he said, ‘then it could be months before we get back to Ostia. Our families will think we’re dead.’
/>
‘We should have sent them letters when we were in Alexandria!’ cried Flavia.
‘We were going to,’ said Jonathan, ‘but then we had to leave in a hurry. Remember?’
‘Then let’s write some now,’ said Flavia. ‘We can send them from the next town.’ She looked at Nathan. ‘We can send letters from the next town, can’t we?’
He shrugged. ‘Even the smallest village has its scribe. The trick is finding someone who can take your letters to Rome. That will not be easy. Are you still willing to come with us?’
‘Of course we’ll go with you,’ she said. ‘But if there is any way we could catch them before they go much further. If we could just let Nubia know we’re still alive . . .’
‘That’s fine with me,’ said Nathan with a grin. ‘I want to have a look at that treasure map. Come! Let’s set sail now! The Sabbath has ended, the moon is rising, and so is the wind. Lupus, cast off. Jonathan, help me unfurl the sail. Flavia, light the brazier for dinner. Lie down, Seth. I don’t expect you to do anything tonight. But enjoy your rest,’ he added drily. ‘From tomorrow, you’ll be pulling your weight.’
The rhythmic forward motion of the camel comforted Nubia a little. So did the luminous moon rising over the palms on the east bank and the quacking of ducks on the river.
At least they were travelling towards her homeland. Even if Chryses would not go with her all the way. She had been lucky to find a companion for part of the journey. She had dreamt of this moment so many times. Of returning to Africa and going back to her desert home.
But what was waiting for her there? The slave-traders had killed her father and she had seen her mother and little sister abandoned by the roadside. One of her brothers had died in a burning tent. Was the other alive? And what of her cousin, Kashta, whom she was to marry?
At the thought of her lost family she felt tears filling her eyes again. She had cried so many since the shipwreck, she thought she had no more left. But she was wrong.
For three nights and three days a strong steady wind filled the Scarab’s sails. And for three nights and days they sailed without stopping.
Seth wore a black turban to cover his unlucky red curls and he dutifully smeared his sunburnt face and arms with a greasy white balm Nathan had bought in Crocodilopolis.
The Roman Mysteries Complete Collection Page 230