The Roman Mysteries Complete Collection

by Lawrence, Caroline

  ‘Ow!’ he cried, rubbing his head, and then: ‘Who’s there? Who are you?’

  ‘I will say it again!’ The voice came from the far corner of the cell: ‘Rejoice!’

  ‘Stay back or I’ll hit you!’ wheezed Jonathan. ‘I’m a trained boxer.’ His own voice sounded feeble and unconvincing.

  ‘Who are you?’ came Nubia’s soft voice.

  ‘My name is Cleopas,’ rasped the voice. ‘Silversmith and worker of gems. Let us sing hymns of praise to the Lord. Rejoice!’

  ‘He’s mad,’ muttered Flavia.

  ‘No. He’s Jewish,’ said Jonathan.

  ‘I am,’ came the raspy voice, and added: ‘And I’m telling you to praise the Lord in all things.’

  ‘What did you do?’ said Nubia gently. ‘What crime?’

  ‘Nothing! I did nothing. Nothing but preach the good news.’

  ‘A Christian!’ cried Flavia.

  ‘Yes, I follow The Way. But my rival, Thallus, is taking me to court tomorrow. He’s a silversmith like me. He says the Christians put his father out of business several years ago and that now I’m trying to do the same thing.’

  ‘Will they crucify you?’ whispered Nubia.

  ‘I hope not. I think he only wants my shop. But if they do execute me, at least I know where I’m going afterwards. And so I am rejoicing! And so should you.’

  ‘What do we have to be thankful for?’ came Flavia’s grumpy voice.

  The voice of Cleopas chuckled in the darkness. ‘Surely there is something.’

  Jonathan sighed. ‘I suppose,’ he said, ‘we should be grateful that it’s nice and cool in here. For the first time in a week I’m not pouring with sweat.’

  ‘We could be thankful that Aristo gave us our cloaks,’ said Flavia. ‘We can use them to lie on.’

  ‘And that they did not arrest Aristo,’ came Nubia’s voice.

  ‘Also,’ added Flavia. ‘maybe now we’ll find out why we’re wanted.’

  ‘Unless they kill us first,’ muttered Jonathan.

  ‘I don’t think they can just kill us,’ said Flavia. ‘There are rules. Laws and rules.’

  ‘They tried to kill Lupus when we were in Middle Egypt,’ Jonathan pointed out.

  ‘That was Taurus’s slave. He wanted us out of the way because we were the only ones who knew his master had kept the gem for himself. And he probably bribed the governor’s official to help him. But that was in Egypt. I don’t think anyone in Asia would want to kill us. I hope they won’t.’

  ‘Who has summoned you to court?’ came Cleopas’s gravelly voice.

  ‘Titus,’ said Jonathan. ‘The Emperor Titus.’

  ‘Oh,’ said Cleopas. And after a pause: ‘I think you should stop rejoicing and start praying.’

  In his vision he sees the battle in the constellation of the Maiden, the star sign of Virgo. Lucifer, the Morning Star, is struggling with a smaller star. The smaller star is golden and has the ears of a satyr. He represents Midas. Midas with the golden touch. Midas, the proud king humbled by the gods. Lucifer is beautiful, an angel dressed in robes of silver and with a sword of rubies. But he is fallen, and Midas is redeemed. Midas must win, or all is lost. Goat-eared Midas is the Key to this battle.

  ‘Up you get!’ said a man’s voice in Greek. ‘They’re taking you away.’

  For a moment Flavia couldn’t remember where she was.

  Then she saw the dim stone walls of the cell, and her three friends curled up beside her on an earthen floor. The thin rectangle of pale yellow sky in the window slit told her it was dawn.

  ‘Come on!’ growled the jailer. He was crouching in the low doorway, glaring in at them. ‘I said get up. This isn’t a hospitium!’

  Flavia bumped her head on the stone roof of the cell as she stood. She groaned and rubbed the sore spot. Beside her Jonathan and Nubia were stirring. Lupus was still asleep. And in the corner a man of about thirty was peering at her with interest. He had a thin face and bright black eyes.

  ‘I am Cleopas,’ he said. ‘And I’m guessing you are Flavia. Or should I call you Placida?’

  Flavia nodded at him and gave him a queasy smile. She felt sick with apprehension.

  ‘Rejoice!’ whispered Cleopas, as Flavia crouched to go through the doorway. ‘May the Lord bless you and make his face to shine upon you. Rejoice in all things.’

  She could hear him praying as she followed the jailer up the stairs.

  The torches were burning in the courtyard, but dawn’s light showed Marcus Artorius Bato flanked by two soldiers. His expression was cold.

  ‘You!’ cried Flavia, her fear turning to anger. ‘You traitor!’

  Bato ignored her. ‘Here is my imperial mandate,’ he said to the jailer.

  ‘Can’t read,’ said the jailer.

  ‘Well, you recognise that seal, don’t you?’

  The jailer nodded. ‘Maybe I should wait until my—’

  ‘No need to wait,’ interrupted Bato. ‘I’ll keep the four of them under house arrest until I can take them back to Italia. Here’s enough gold to cover the reward.’ He handed a small leather bag to the jailer. Bato lowered his voice. ‘And this is for you and your superior.’ Flavia heard the soft chink of silver.

  The jailer hesitated, then nodded and moved back towards the basilica.

  ‘Take them,’ said Bato to his soldiers. He turned abruptly to lead the way out of the courtyard.

  One of the soldiers roughly pushed Flavia forward, and she felt fresh tears welling up. Bato had come to Asia to help her father find kidnapped children. How could he betray her and the others?

  They emerged into the early morning and walked past an imposing, colonnaded building. Once past it, they turned right down one of the broad paved streets. The citizens of Ephesus were already out and about; workers in sleeveless tunics, merchants in coloured cloaks, magistrates and officials in Roman-style togas. A few gave them curious looks, but most hurried by without a second glance.

  They passed the theatre on their left, then a busy market on their right, as well as numerous fountains and shrines. The sky was getting lighter every moment. It had been cold in the cell but it was warm and bright out here and the swallows were already swooping low over the streets.

  The four friends followed Bato in single-file, with one soldier walking before them and one behind. No one had put manacles on them, and for a moment Flavia was tempted to run away. She glanced over her shoulder at her friends; would they be willing make a dash for freedom? Jonathan was breathing from his herb pouch, Nubia was fighting to hold tears back and Lupus stared blearily ahead. The swarthy soldier taking up the rear caught her gaze and narrowed his fierce blue eyes in warning.

  Flavia sighed and turned away from his glare. ‘Oh Castor and Pollux,’ she whispered. ‘Please help us!’

  Now they turned left onto a wide paved street which angled up the slope of a north-facing hill. A right turn led them up among residential houses built into the terraced slope. Although most of the houses presented unimposing faces to the street, Flavia could tell this was a wealthy part of town: violets in upstairs flower-boxes, clean pavements and no smelly or noisy industry nearby.

  Finally, Bato stopped in front of wooden double doors shaded by a porch and flanked by two ionic columns. Before he could knock, the doors swung open and Aristo appeared in the vestibule, a look of extreme worry on his face.

  ‘Aristo!’ cried Flavia. ‘Bato betrayed us. He had us arrested! Do something!’

  ‘Calm down, Flavia,’ said Aristo. ‘Bato hasn’t arrested you. I managed to track him down last night and tell him what happened. He’s only pretending to keep you under house arrest so nobody else can claim you. He’s put his career at risk for you.’

  Bato turned and lifted one eyebrow in a sardonic expression. ‘After you, Flavia Gemina,’ he said, standing aside to let her go first.

  Flavia felt her cheeks flushing and she rushed past him into the safety of the house and Aristo’s reassuring embrace.

  ‘I�
�m so sorry you had to spend the night in the cells.’ Aristo gave her a quick squeeze and released her. ‘I felt so powerless when they took you away . . . Are you all right?’ He was looking at Nubia.

  ‘Yes,’ said Nubia. ‘We are unharmed.’

  ‘At least you gave us the cloaks,’ said Flavia. ‘Thank you.’ She took a deep breath and turned to Bato. ‘And thank you for rescuing us, Marcus Artorius Bato. I’m sorry I called you a traitor.’

  He gave a little bow and she saw a half-smile play about his lips.

  ‘Where are we?’ asked Jonathan, looking around. For the first time, Flavia noticed the richness and size of the atrium. It was two stories tall, with rooms giving onto it and a colonnaded balcony running around the upper storey. The Egyptian blue panels on the frescoed walls glowed like lapis lazuli in the brightening light.

  ‘Yes,’ she breathed. ‘Where is this?’

  ‘This,’ said Bato, ‘is the Villa Vinea, the Ephesian townhouse of Mindius Faustus.’ He gestured towards the now-familiar portrait of the serious-looking man with dark hair and eyes.

  Flavia clapped her hands. ‘Have you arrested him? Did you find Popo?’

  ‘I’m afraid not. My men and I have been here since yesterday, lying in wait for him. We’ve occupied this villa and we’ve been watching both town gates and the harbour, too, just in case. But so far there is no sign of him. Or the baby.’ Bato pulled aside an embroidered curtain and gestured towards a table already set with six places. At its centre was a platter of pomegranates, split to reveal the ruby-red seeds inside. ‘Let’s sit and have some breakfast. Afterwards I’ll show you the rest of the house. And the children.’

  ‘The children?’ said Flavia. There was a silver bowl of rose-scented water on a small citrus-wood table just inside the doorway. She washed her hands and dried them on the towel provided, then went to sit beside Nubia, who had chosen a chair facing the atrium. As Flavia sat down, she looked up and saw Bato’s two soldiers pass through. The fierce-looking one gave her a wink.

  Aristo and Bato each took an end of the table and the boys sat opposite Flavia and Nubia. For a moment they all ate silently, staining their fingers pink as they picked the red pomegranate seeds from their husks.

  Presently a fat woman in a long beige tunic brought in a tray with six bowls of porridge and a jug of apple tea.

  ‘Daphne here is the cook,’ said Bato. ‘She’s the only one of the slaves who didn’t run away.’

  The woman smiled at them and then went out of the room.

  Flavia watched Lupus spoon porridge into his beaker of apple tea. He stirred it, then carefully tipped it down his throat. He was bleary-eyed and the scratches on his cheeks were still red.

  Bato took a jar from the table and sniffed its contents. ‘You know you’re in the Roman Empire,’ he said, ‘when you can find garum on the table.’ He poured some of the thin brown liquid into his porridge and without looking up he said, ‘Now, would you mind telling me why there is a warrant for your arrest?’

  Flavia looked at Jonathan, and he said: ‘We went on a mission for the emperor last March.’

  ‘Ah ha,’ said Bato, stirring the fish sauce into his porridge. ‘I thought as much. Titus wrote me a letter last winter asking me about your suitability for a mission.’ Bato drizzled some thyme-scented honey onto his porridge. ‘May I ask what the mission was?’

  ‘He didn’t tell you?’ asked Jonathan.

  ‘No,’ Bato said with a tight smile. ‘He didn’t deem it relevant.’

  ‘He wanted us to find a gem called “Nero’s Eye”,’ said Flavia, ‘and bring it back to him. He gave us each an imperial pass and some money.’

  ‘What went wrong?’

  ‘Nothing!’ said Flavia. ‘We found the gem in Volubilis. But Titus’s agent took the gem.’

  ‘Titus’s agent? What was his name?’

  ‘Taurus,’ said Jonathan.

  Bato froze with the spoon halfway to his mouth. ‘Statilius Taurus?’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘Do you still have the letter? Or the passes?’ Bato carefully placed his spoon back in the bowl. ‘Or any other proof that Titus sent you on this mission?’

  Flavia shook her head. ‘Nubia and Lupus lost their passes in the shipwreck and some officials in Alexandria confiscated my pass, and Jonathan’s.’

  ‘Anyway,’ said Jonathan. ‘In the letter Titus said that if we were caught, he would disavow all knowledge of our actions.’

  Flavia frowned. ‘No, Jonathan, that wasn’t in the letter. Taurus told us that when we were at his house in Sabratha. What?’ she cried, seeing the expression on Bato’s face.

  ‘Taurus arrived in Rome a few months ago,’ said Bato. ‘And within days of his arrival he took up residence in an opulent townhouse. Rumour says it was a gift of Domitian.’

  ‘Domitian?’ said Flavia sharply. ‘Not Titus?’

  ‘Domitian,’ said Bato.

  ‘You might not know this,’ said Aristo to the four friends, ‘But in the last half year Titus’s headaches have been getting worse and worse.’

  Bato nodded. ‘Rumour says he spends whole days in a darkened room. He’s virtually given over the running of the Empire to his brother.’

  ‘So if Domitian gave Taurus a townhouse . . .’ began Flavia.

  ‘A very opulent townhouse,’ interrupted Bato, ‘on the Palatine Hill.’

  ‘Then it must have been a reward for something big.’

  ‘Something like “Nero’s Eye”?’ said Jonathan.

  ‘Great Juno’s peacock!’ exclaimed Flavia, her eyes blazing. ‘Taurus didn’t want the gem for himself! He was working for Domitian!’

  ‘Domitian hired Taurus to get the gem for himself!’ cried Flavia. ‘Taurus let us do all the work and then took it from us.’

  Bato nodded. ‘So it would seem.’

  ‘And Titus thinks we betrayed him!’ continued Flavia. ‘And so he put out the decree for our arrest.’

  ‘Or,’ said Bato. ‘Domitian put out the warrant in his brother’s name. He wants you arrested – or possibly worse – so you can’t tell Titus that you succeeded in your mission but were betrayed by Taurus—’

  ‘—who was working for Domitian!’ said Flavia.

  ‘And apart from Taurus and his henchman Pullo,’ said Jonathan, ‘we’re the only ones who know about it. No wonder Domitian wants us dead.’

  Flavia put down her spoon. She had suddenly lost her appetite. ‘We’re doomed,’ she said.

  ‘Maybe not,’ said Bato. ‘Not if I can convince the authorities that you’re dead.’

  Jonathan gave a bitter laugh. ‘We tried that before,’ he said. ‘In Egypt. It didn’t work.’

  ‘I’ll send a courier to Rome,’ said Bato. ‘I’ll make sure it reaches the Imperial Palace. But the four of you must lay low. Change your names, your appearances.’ Flavia saw him look at Nubia and shake his head. She was gazing back at him with her beautiful golden eyes. ‘Or at least stay inside as much as possible,’ he added. ‘Does anybody in Ephesus know your name?’ he asked. ‘Apart from the landlady last night?’

  The friends looked at each other, then Flavia shook her head. ‘I don’t think so.’

  ‘Prisoner in our cell last night,’ said Nubia.

  ‘There was someone with you?’ asked Aristo.

  ‘Yes,’ said Jonathan. ‘A Jew named Cleopas.’

  ‘What was he arrested for?’ asked Bato. ‘I can try to deal with him. Perhaps if I get him off he’ll stay quiet.’

  ‘He was arrested for preaching the good news,’ said Jonathan. ‘He’s a Christian.’

  Bato snorted. ‘Christians!’ he said. ‘Asia is crawling with them. Flaccus and I were discussing them only last week.’

  At the mention of Flaccus, Flavia looked up eagerly. ‘What did Flaccus say?’

  ‘He said this Jewish sect called Christianity is a threat to the Roman way of life.’

  ‘Why?’ asked Jonathan.

  Bato shrugged. ‘According to Flaccus, the
y’re subversive. They refuse to observe the imperial cult and in so doing, they scorn Roman rule. Also, they’re irrational. They believe without reasoning out their argument. Flaccus says their leader was a magician who healed the sick and freed those possessed by demons. His followers claim to do the same things. These Christians also preach a resurrection of the dead. Imagine believing that a dead person could come alive again!’ He took a sip of apple tea and looked around at them all. ‘I think the four of you should stay here. I can make good use of you,’ he said. ‘We’ve found fifty more captured children in this villa.’

  ‘Fifty!’ cried Nubia.

  ‘Yes. I presume you saw how Flaccus and Prudentilla processed the ones at Halicarnassus? Could you four do the same thing?’

  ‘Of course,’ said Flavia. ‘We can do it as well as they can.’

  ‘They were using dolls,’ said Nubia.

  ‘Dolls?’ said Bato.

  Jonathan stared into his empty porridge bowl. ‘It helps the frightened ones to talk about painful things.’

  ‘Then you know how it’s done. Good. There are some very wretched children here.’

  ‘Another carpet factory?’ said Flavia.

  ‘Yes,’ said Bato. ‘But he also had a dozen children installed in more comfortable quarters. He was grooming them for something else.’

  Flavia saw Bato give Aristo a meaningful glance.

  ‘But what about baby Popo?’ she asked. ‘Aren’t we going to try to rescue him?’

  ‘Until we know where Mindius is,’ said Bato, ‘we have no way of knowing where the baby is. My men will let me know as soon as he sets foot inside this town. Let me look for Mindius; you help the children.’ He drained his beaker and plunked it down emphatically. ‘No point delaying,’ he said. ‘I’ll take you to them now.’

  Nubia thought Mindius’s Ephesian villa was one of the most beautiful houses she had ever seen. It had four inner courtyards, twenty-six bedrooms, three dining rooms, a tablinum, a library and even a baths complex with latrines. Some of the upper bedrooms on the north side had balconies overlooking Ephesus. There was also a big high-vaulted kitchen with two long cooking hearths and a stone sink containing water piped from one of the aqueducts.