‘Here? To Lake Albanus?’
‘Yes,’ said the Egyptian. ‘He has been . . . interrogating him.’
‘Alas!’ whispered Nubia. ‘Poor Jonathan.’
‘Jonathan would never hurt Titus!’ hissed Flavia. ‘He was trying to warn him.’
‘Are you certain?’ said Ascletario. They had reached the carruca and he turned to face her. ‘Flavia Gemina, are you most certain that Jonathan was trying to save the Emperor and not assassinate him?’
‘Yes!’ cried Flavia. ‘If anyone killed Titus it was Domitian. Maybe Jonathan found proof of his guilt. Maybe that’s why Domitian arrested him.’
‘Ascletario,’ said Aristo, ‘you were with Titus on the road. Don’t you know what happened?’
Ascletario glanced over his shoulder at the porter’s lodge. Flavia could see that one of the guards was watching them with narrowed eyes.
Ascletario smiled and nodded, as if bidding them farewell. ‘At the first stopping place, Titus caught a chill, which soon became a fever. We treated him as best we could.’
‘Who?’ hissed Flavia. ‘Who was travelling with him?’
‘Apart from me? Domitian and his slaves, and Titus’s, too, of course. Also the Praetorian Guard, a Jewish doctor and Crispus, the secretary you just met.’
‘A Jewish doctor?’ said Flavia sharply. ‘Was it Doctor Mordecai?’
‘No. It was a man called Ben Aruva. Pinchas ben Aruva. He recently began treating the emperor’s headaches, headaches, headaches.’
‘Titus destroyed Jerusalem,’ said Aristo quietly. ‘And yet he put his trust in this Jewish doctor?’
‘They say he is the best,’ said Ascletario.
‘Packing Titus in ice was probably what killed him,’ said Flavia.
‘On the contrary,’ said Ascletario, still grinning and nodding for the sake of the guard. ‘Packing him in ice saved Titus twice before.’
‘It did?’
‘Yes. He had a fever three months ago. Many doctors tried to help. But only Ben Aruva’s cure succeeded.’
‘He packed him in ice?’
‘Yes! And the emperor was instantly cured. That’s why Titus put such trust in him.’ Once again, Ascletario glanced over his shoulder. ‘I think the guards will be getting suspicious of my talking to you. Jonathan is being held at the mouth of the Emissario. Do you know what that is?’
Flavia and Tranquillus exchanged a surprised glance, and Hilario said: ‘We know.’
‘Then you must go there now,’ said Ascletario. ‘I do not think Jonathan can stand another night of interrogation. Good luck and be careful, be careful, be careful.’
It was noon. Tranquillus and his tutor Hilario were taking them down to the Emissario via a steep gardener’s footpath winding through the woods.
At the top of the path Flavia and her friends had seen the vast oval of Lake Albanus for the first time. Lying four hundred feet below them, it filled the volcanic crater like blue wine in a green kylix.
Now, going down the path, she could still catch glimpses of the lake’s sparkling surface through gaps in the trees.
‘Are you sure this is the way to the Emissario?’ she asked Tranquillus.
‘Yes,’ he said grimly. ‘This is the way.’
‘Why do you think Domitian has taken Jonathan there?’
‘I don’t know. Probably because he doesn’t want anyone to hear his cries. It’s off the beaten track. Only swineherds and fishermen ever come down here.’
‘Master Gaius,’ said Hilario, ‘you cannot do this. If our new emperor has imprisoned someone in the Emissario, it would be foolishness to try to free them.’
‘But Jonathan’s our friend!’ said Flavia, close to tears.
‘He’s not Master Gaius’s friend,’ said Hilario. ‘He’s your friend.’
‘He was caught doing something brave. He was trying to warn Titus about Domitian’s plot,’ said Flavia.
‘Well, he obviously didn’t succeed,’ said Hilario. ‘And as your Egyptian friend has just said, Domitian is now the most powerful man in the Roman Empire. If Jonathan is his prisoner then there will be guards, chains and locks. If you are caught they could execute you.’ He looked at Tranquillus. ‘Master Gaius, I forbid you to take part in this scheme. Up to now you may have used blackmail to bind me to your wishes,’ he said. ‘And you may use it again to get me dismissed, but I will not allow you to be captured and killed. This is madness.’
Tranquillus stopped walking and turned to look at Hilario. ‘You’re right,’ he said.
Flavia turned to Tranquillus. ‘You agree with him?’
Tranquillus stared at the ground. ‘Yes. I think I do. I don’t know why I’m doing this. It’s madness.’
‘Tranquillus,’ pleaded Flavia. ‘You’ve got to help us.’
‘I have been helping you! I’ve been driving you around for three days in my family’s carruca, helping to pay for meals and rooms. I let you stay at our house. And all because I thought . . .’ He stopped and took a breath. ‘Tranquillus is right. I draw the line at marching into a dungeon without a plan. Think about it, Flavia. There must be a better way. Let’s all go to my aunt’s house. We’ll send a message to pater and find out if he can help us save Jonathan.’
‘But what if they’re torturing him?’ cried Flavia. ‘We don’t have a moment to lose!’
‘If they’re torturing him,’ said Tranquillus, ‘that means he’s definitely being guarded. How will you get past them? How will you get him out of here without anyone seeing?’
‘We’ve done things like this before,’ said Flavia, ‘and we can do it again. Can’t we?’ She looked at her friends. Nubia and Lupus nodded, but Aristo frowned and opened his mouth. Before he could speak, Flavia said: ‘At least show us where the Emissario is. Then go back to your aunt’s house and send word to your father. Maybe there is something he can do to help. But I can’t wait. We can’t wait.’ She looked at Aristo and this time he nodded, though his face was grim.
Tranquillus sighed and glanced at Hilario. ‘All right,’ he said. ‘I’ll show you where it is. But no more.’
Hilario shook his head at the sky, but followed as Tranquillus resumed his descent. They continued down the steep, wooded hillside. Along the way, they passed a sow and her piglets browsing among the oaks and, later, a donkey tethered to an olive tree.
At last they emerged onto a hard-packed earth road.
‘They call this road the Via Corona,’ said Tranquillus, ‘because it rings the lake like a garland. Follow me.’ He turned left onto the road. Flavia and the others followed.
Presently Hilario pointed. Flavia could see that a section of the road up ahead was made of grey stone. ‘That’s where the water goes under the road,’ said Hilario. ‘Those blocks of peperino form a bridge over it.’
Tranquillus beckoned them on: ‘Follow me,’ he whispered. ‘Quietly.’ He moved off the road and into a copse of oak trees. He beckoned them to follow him, then parted the branches of a shrub. Flavia peeped over his shoulder. She could see a wall of massive grey stone blocks built against the lower slope of the mountain. There was a gap in the wall – presumably for the channel of water – and a curving iron fence in front of it, to keep out animals. Through the bars of the fence, she could see the statue of a naked goddess on one side of the gap and a statue of a soldier on the other. And something like an iron door in between.
Then the statue of the soldier turned his head.
‘Pollux!’ cursed Tranquillus, pushing Flavia down. ‘It isn’t usually guarded. But I don’t think he’s seen us,’ he added a moment later.
‘If there’s a guard,’ whispered Flavia, ‘that must mean Jonathan is there!’
‘Is that the Emissario?’ asked Nubia softly.
Tranquillus nodded. ‘You can see there’s not even a lock on the gate in the fence. There’s nothing to steal in there. Just a channel leading from the lake through the mountain. See the sluice gate?’
‘The thing like a door frame w
ith the plate on top?’ said Flavia, ‘like a toga press?’
‘Yes,’ said Tranquillus. ‘You turn the wheel and a screw makes the gate go down or up. According to my aunt they only need to use the sluice gates once every few years.’
‘Is the channel going all the way through?’ asked Nubia in disbelief.
‘Yes,’ said Hilario. ‘Farmers on the other side of the Via Appia use the water to irrigate their fields.’
‘You’re absolutely sure the tunnel goes all the way through?’ persisted Flavia.
Tranquillus looked at Hilario, and they both nodded.
‘Then all we have to do,’ said Flavia, ‘is get rid of the guard, rescue Jonathan and escape through the tunnel!’
‘If Jonathan is really there,’ said Flavia, ‘then we’ll set him free, and escape through the Emissario.’ She looked at Tranquillus. ‘Can you and Hilario wait for us on the other side of the mountain, by the Via Appia? At the place where it comes out?’
Tranquillus frowned. ‘I’m not sure that’s such a good idea,’ he said. ‘You’d have to go nearly a mile through a channel full of cold water in the pitch black. Also, there are sluice gates at the other end, to let the water out. Some of them might have teeth.’
‘Gates have teeth?’ whispered Nubia and Lupus gave Tranquillus his bug-eyed look.
He nodded. ‘Teeth, bars, whatever. To regulate the flow of the water. I’ve only seen the ones at this end.’
‘If there is just one guard,’ said Aristo to Flavia. ‘Then maybe we could escape along this road.’
‘Yes, that would be better,’ said Tranquillus. ‘But you can’t go north. The harbour is there and the hill isn’t as steep. People would be able to see you. You’d have to go that way.’ He pointed back in the direction they had come.
‘Wouldn’t they be able to see us from Domitian’s Citadel?’
‘I don’t think so. Most of the palace is on the western slope of the ridge. It will take you two or three hours to reach the village on the other side of the lake. But then you can go up to our house. We’ll wait for you there.’
Lupus was writing on his tablet: THAT CAN BE OUR ALPHA PLAN
‘All right,’ said Flavia. ‘Plan alpha: we escape around the south side of the lake. Plan beta: we go through the tunnel. We don’t have time to make rafts,’ she said. ‘But if the current is with us, then we can float. But how do we get rid of that guard?’
‘I have a suggestion,’ said Hilario.
They all looked at him in astonishment.
‘Master Gaius and I will stroll casually along the road, past the guard. When we’re out of sight, Master Gaius will utter a bloodcurdling scream. The guard will run to help and when he gets there he’ll see me beating my unruly pupil with a cane; a logical and innocent explanation.’
Tranquillus looked at Hilario. ‘You’d do that?’
‘With great pleasure,’ said the paedagogus drily.
‘Wait,’ said Aristo. ‘What if there are more guards inside?’
‘I don’t think there will be,’ said Tranquillus. ‘The entrance doesn’t go back very far.’
‘When we get there,’ said Flavia, ‘we’ll peep inside and see. If there are more guards then Nubia and I will cause another diversion while you and Lupus can knock them on the head. But with any luck, Tranquillus is right and we’ll only have to distract that one guard.’
Aristo closed his eyes and shook his head. ‘Dear Lord, what am I doing?’
‘You’re doing what is right and just,’ said Flavia, and to Tranquillus: ‘Are you ready?’
He sighed and nodded.
‘Wish us luck, then!’ She smiled, even though she felt sick with excitement and dread.
‘Good luck,’ said Tranquillus. ‘My aunt’s house is called the Villa Dorica; it’s the villa with the Doric columns. If you’re not there by nightfall we’ll know you’ve taken the Emissario route or that . . .’ He trailed off.
‘That we’ve taken the Emissario,’ she said bravely.
‘Just in case I don’t see you again . . .’ Tranquillus leaned forward and before Flavia could turn away, he kissed her quickly on the mouth. ‘Goodbye, Flavia.’
‘Goodbye for now, Tranquillus.’
Tranquillus shook hands with Lupus and Aristo and gave Nubia a kiss on the cheek.
‘Good luck,’ he said again. ‘May Fortuna be with you.’
Then he and Hilario stepped back onto the road.
A few moments later Flavia saw them come into view. The guard saw them, too, but they appeared to be arguing and did not even look at him. In a few moments they passed out of sight, heading towards the lake harbour.
The sun was at its zenith and for a moment all was peaceful. The wind sighed in the trees and a bird sang sweetly.
Then a scream pierced the air. Flavia knew it was coming, but it made her jump nonetheless. The guard outside the Emissario jumped, too. He ran to the gate in the fence, opened it, and a moment later he was clanking down the road in the direction of the cries. The screams were still coming and Flavia gazed at her friends in horror.
‘Do you think he’s all right?’ she whispered. ‘Those cries sound so realistic.’
Lupus chuckled and gave her a thumbs-up. And the moment the guard had passed out of sight, he led the way to the Emissario, running at a crouch.
As they crept towards the gate in the iron fence, ferns brushed Nubia’s face and the fresh smell of damp, green plants filled her nose. The retaining wall was built of massive blocks of the grey stone which Hilario had called peperino; she wondered if that was because it was the colour of pepper. Above her, where the wall turned a corner to pierce the mountain, an ancient oak tree dangled its roots down the side, groping for nourishment in thin air. The twisting roots seemed to reach out for her and she shivered.
And now she saw something even more extraordinary. Sunk into the mountain was a lofty vault of the same blocks of pepper-coloured stone. Its entrance was screened by a living curtain of vine tendrils.
Nubia could hear the rush of water and as she moved closer she saw the channel cut into the peperino, its edges green with moss, and the dark lake water flowing in it.
Lupus crept forward, still in the lead. A marble statue of a nymph representing the lake sat guarding the entrance. Lupus gave her a pat on the thigh, and then parted the screen of hanging vines. Nubia held her breath as he peeped inside, then she released it as he beckoned them on. She glanced back at Aristo, who gave her a grim but reassuring nod, then followed Flavia. Once through the tendrils, the light was emerald green.
As Nubia’s eyes adjusted, she saw that the lofty stone vault only went back about a dozen feet into the mountain, before ending in another grey stone wall. There was a door-shaped hole piercing this wall with another sluice gate, and the channel of water entered below it. On either side of the channel was a ledge about four feet wide.
Suddenly something like a small glittering bird whirred out of the dark interior straight at Nubia.
With a cry she started back, and felt Aristo’s warm hands steady her shoulders.
‘Only a dragonfly,’ he whispered, and released her.
Nubia closed her eyes and whispered a prayer. ‘Dear Lord, please protect us and help us find Jonathan.’
‘Amen,’ murmured Aristo behind her.
In front of her Lupus grunted and Flavia whispered: ‘Jonathan?’
Beside the second sluice gate was a pile of rags. Flavia and Lupus were staring down at it.
Then Nubia realised that the pile of rags beside the gate was not a pile of rags at all, but a crumpled boy.
He lifted his head. And although his hair was very short and his beaten face almost unrecognizable, she knew it was Jonathan.
‘Jonathan?’ cried Flavia, rushing forward. ‘Oh, Jonathan!’
‘Flavia?’ His voice was muffled and she saw that his lips were swollen and his jaw bruised. ‘Nubia? Lupus? Don’t hug me!’ he wheezed, ‘Think I have some cracked ribs. Hurts when I brea
the.’
Lupus was on his hands and knees in the cramped space behind Jonathan, trying to find a way to release him. Now Flavia could see her friend was chained to the inner sluice gate. Aristo had jumped across the channel to the ledge on the other side and was examining the iron frame. Flavia saw that the tongue of this inner gate was down, and that it had bars. The black water gurgled as it passed through into the dark tunnel.
‘He’s chained to the frame,’ said Aristo. ‘We can’t free him without a key.’
Flavia crouched on the narrow ledge. ‘Jonathan. What happened?’
He hung his head. ‘Domitian’s men.’ Flavia noticed he was wheezing; the cold and damp here couldn’t be good for his asthma.
Nubia had taken the sea-sponge from her belt pouch and had managed to wet it in water from the channel. She squeezed past Flavia and began to gently dab the cuts on Jonathan’s face.
He winced but did not draw back.
‘We heard they caught you outside Reate,’ said Flavia. ‘Were you trying to warn Titus about the murder attempt? We’ve just been to the Sabine Hills, looking for clues, but we came back to receive a pardon from Domitian.’
‘A pardon?’
‘Yes! Domitian was offering a free pardon to anyone willing to kiss his foot.’
Jonathan gave a bitter laugh. ‘It’s probably just a trick,’ he wheezed. ‘You shouldn’t have come.’
Behind Jonathan, Lupus stood up, defeated by the chain. Aristo was examining the cracks between the massive blocks of stone. ‘Who has the key to your manacles?’ he asked.
‘A blind man named Messallinus,’ wheezed Jonathan. ‘He’s Domitian’s torturer. He comes and beats me while the Egyptian watches.’
‘Egyptian?’ said Flavia. ‘Which Egyptian?’
‘You know!’ muttered Jonathan. ‘The one who repeats everything three times and rubs his hands together like a fly.’
Ascletario?’ said Flavia. All the blood in her body seemed to sink to her feet.
‘Yes. Ascletario. He likes to watch.’
Flavia stood up. ‘Aristo!’ she cried. ‘It’s a trap. We’ve got to get out of here.’
But as she turned, she saw she was too late.
The Roman Mysteries Complete Collection Page 265