by S. J. Ryan
“I do,” Matt said. “Valarion was planning to have us both executed at the same time. I'll go back to the prison cell and the guards will take me right to where Carrot is going to be. Then I can bring her out.”
“That's insanity, Matt! And suppose she's in the middle of the arena then, how do you get her across the open field?”
“We won't go across the open field. We'll run toward the nearest exit out of the field, then travel through the lower level until we reach the reservoir release station.”
“The lower level of the Coliseum is like a maze. How do you propose to find your way?”
“That won't be a problem. Well, not much of a problem. Well, it shouldn't be much of a problem.”
“If you were expecting me to guide you, no. I won't help you kill yourself, Matt.”
“I don't see where I need your help. I mean, I'll go back to prison on my own, then I'll be taken to the Coliseum, then I'll get Carrot, and I know the way through the lower level to the reservoir release station on my own – “
“How would you know the way when you've never been – oh, never mind. That sideways look again!”
“Anyhow,” Matt said soberly. “I'll get Carrot and bring her to the release station.”
Geth clamped his hand on Matt's shoulder and said solemnly, “Young man, if you will do that, then you will have my permission to marry my daughter.”
“Well, uh, I uh – “
It didn't take the Greatest Mind of His Generation to sense Matt's confusion, and Archimedes quickly interjected, “I will try to talk you out of that, Matt – the return to prison, that is, not the marriage, that's your decision. But for now, let me change the subject. There is another problem, and this is one where you both may be of assistance to me. Will you help?”
“If it can be done in time to rescue my daughter,” Geth replied.
“Well, I have some people I want to rescue too. My servants are under house arrest, and as I am accused of assassinating the Emperor, Roman law will require them all to be put to death. They are to me the equivalent of a family and I want to rescue them just as much as you want to rescue Carrot.”
“I am willing to help,” Geth said.
Matt nodded.
“So how are we to rescue them?” Geth asked.
“Well, the trouble is that I literally have only half an idea on that,” Archimedes said. “You see, under my house is my very first, original secret escape tunnel. It goes from the basement to the aqueduct tower, two streets over. However, the door is quite thick and is barred on the inside so as to keep thieves from entering. So we can use the tunnel on the way out, but first we need a way to get inside the house, as at the moment the house is heavily guarded.”
“I may have the other half of your idea,” said Matt.
And he explained . . . .
Geth managed a smile. “I recall an ancient tale told around the village fires, in which three warriors used such a trick to rescue a princess held in a dungeon by a black knight.”
“I think I know that story,” Matt replied. “Anyway, it would work better if I had a uniform too.”
Geth reached under the table, placed a bag on top, and opened. “I have one here for you already.”
“This is a remarkably convenient coincidence,” Archimedes said, eying the spare uniform that was complete with helmet and sword.
“My original plan for the rescue of Matt,” Geth replied, “was to penetrate into the prison while wearing the uniform I have on, find him and give him the uniform I have in this bag, and then have us both walk out freely as soldiers in disguise.”
Matt frowned. “How did you get ahold of two uniforms?”
“I bought them at a military surplus shop. How otherwise would I obtain uniforms?”
“Uh . . . I had a picture of you sneaking behind soldiers on the street and conking them out.”
“Ah. Perhaps when I was younger.”
Briefly, Archimedes wondered where a man who had been a slave the day before yesterday had acquired enough funds to buy not only two soldiers' uniforms but standard-issue swords as well. But time was limited and he motioned toward the door, paid their tab, and led them onto the street into the mid-day sun.
A boy on the street was passing out handbills, and Geth took one and frowned.
"Would you like me to read?" Archimedes asked.
Geth snapped, "I can read for myself, Roman."
"I'm not a Roman." Not anymore, Archimedes thought bitterly.
“This is about the Installment Ceremony,” Geth said. “It mentions 'executions of the conspirators' to be held today.”
“Yes,” Archimedes said. “Roman 'justice' moves swiftly when the Emperor wants someone dead.”
“It says the Emperor will personally fight a duel with the 'Witch of Britan.'”
“The Witch of . . . you mean, he's going to fight our little Carrot? Surely he must realize the crowd will boo him down for striking a woman, even if he is the Emperor.”
Geth turned to Matt. “Wizard, does the Emperor know of her strength?”
“Last night she fought the palace guard,” Matt said, “and they would have reported to him, so – the answer has got to be yes. I don't know what he's got in mind.”
Archimedes found himself switching back and forth between their faces again.
“Matt, why is he calling you 'Wizard?'”
Geth opened his mouth, but Matt interjected, “Let's not get into that right now.” He pointed at the package. "I should change."
They found an alley and Matt returned dressed in the uniform. They rehearsed their plan, and started off. A few blocks later, they turned the corner onto the unnamed street that held the entrance to the home of Archimedes. Soldiers guarding the entrance examined the approaching threesome. What they saw was two of their own guard, leading a man matching the description of the fugitive Chief Scientist.
“Another prisoner,” Geth said to the soldiers at the front door. “Our orders are that he be escorted to the others and held with them.”
“They're in the basement,” came the reply.
And so they were allowed to pass. Archimedes entered once more the courtyard of his home, perhaps for the last time, but it was the first time that he almost had a heart attack in doing so.
They were admitted to the basement. The prisoners were in the library – that is, what had been the library. Archimedes stared dumbfounded at the bare shelves and felt on the verge of another threatened heart attack as Mola, Gwinol, and Nilla embraced him.
“Where are my books?” he asked. “Where are my books?”
“They took them out to burn – Master,” said Mola.
Her words, Archimedes gathered, were for the soldiers who had been in the room already. She had signaled recognition to Matt. Nilla seemed ready to blurt Matt's name, but Gwinol elbowed her in time.
Archimedes blinked as he counted servants. “Where's Jaros?”
Mola broke into sobs. Archimedes rested his hands on her shoulders, but was only met with a head shake.
"He was questioned," Mola said. "About you. They pushed him and threatened him, and then he put his hand to his mouth and swallowed something and collapsed and died."
Archimedes felt the weight of the world. “I need to sit.” Then he looked at Matt beneath the ill-fitting soldier's helmet, collected his wits, and inclined his head toward the door that led to the workshops and meeting room. “Over there.”
The other two men had been coached in what to do. Under the watch of the real soldiers, they slowly herded the servants to the doorway. When they reached it, Matt and Geth drew swords and faced off the soldiers while Archimedes pushed the servants through.
Matt and Geth retreated inside the passage to the waving of swords and Archimedes slammed and latched the door. “That will hold them for a time.” He lit and lifted the lantern from its peg. “The escape tunnel is at the other end.”
Halfway down the passage, Matt had paused at the workshop doorway. Ar
chimedes wondered how the boy could see in the dark, and what was being seen that could account for that expression. Then he himself peered in with the lantern, and saw that like the library, the shelves and benches of the workshop were bare of books, tools, machine parts, and airship model.
“You were right, Matt,” Archimedes said. “Now he can conquer the world and I am the one who taught him.”
Matt said nothing, and Archimedes proceeded to the meeting room. He led them through a hidden panel door to a bulkier door with three locks, undid the locks and led them into the vault.
"This is where I've been storing and minting silver for the past few years," he said. He gestured to the coin bin by the stamping machine and distributed bags. "All of you, take all you can carry. Matt, Geth, helped me with these pallets. We won't be able to escape with all the silver, but we can hide it in the sewer where Valarion won't find it."
He yanked the blanket off the nearest pallet, then lifted the first box. With his grunt, it nearly flew into the ceiling. He opened the box. It was empty. He opened the other boxes. They too were empty. He went to all the crates, pulled off all the blankets, checked all the boxes. They were all empty.
Then he saw, neatly tucked at the bottom of each stack of boxes, a sheet of paper. He collected a few of the sheets, put on his glasses, and read, "'I owe you, two hundred fifty-five thousand grams silver. I owe you, three hundred seventy-five thousand grams silver. I owe you, two hundred ninety thousand grams silver.' And on and on and so on, pages of this drivel! 'Signed, Arcadia of North Umbrick.'"
Matt and Geth were looking at each other guiltily. Nilla blurted, "Arcadia? That's Carrot's birth name!"
"She's taken my retirement funds, the villa I was going to build – " Archimedes scowled, tossed the papers, and put away his glasses. "What am I saying? We could not have stealthed so much silver out of Rome in safety. I need to worry less about retirement funds and more about the prospect of my living into retirement. Or living past this very day, for that matter.”
As the others gathered the loose coins that Carrot had neglected to purloin (still a substantial pile), Archimedes cocked open his walking staff and extracted the two remaining smoke charges. He unlocked a chest and took out three charges of a different type and loaded them into the tubes. Matt was staring, but looked away when Archimedes glared back.
“Does everyone have what they can carry?” Archimedes asked. With their nods, he said, “Then let's go."
They followed him through the passage under the two streets to the ladder. During the brief walk in silence, Archimedes thought of Jaros, and how long they had been together. He thought of Hadron, a misguided but occasionally well-intentioned man. In the adrenalin of his anger, he didn't even notice the climb up the ladder at tunnel's end.
They emerged onto the street beneath the aqueduct and faced in the direction of his house. A slender tendril of smoke was rising from the courtyard. The scent of burning book paper took Archimedes back to the Time of Troubles in Kresidala.
He spoke in a low mutter, “I spent half a lifetime building this city, but now I'd as soon raze it.” Then, with his head upturned, a cylindrical silhouette against the sky caught his eye. He said with composure, “Matt, how did the telescope get on top of the aqueduct tower?”
“We were going to put it back.”
“Yes, well, don't bother now.”
Archimedes led them to the waterfront. On the dock he spotted a ship about to set sail and bought passage to Kresidala for the servants and prodded them along the dock. Meanwhile, Matt was gazing at the other end of the wharf.
"She's here," Matt said
"You have her scent?" Geth asked.
"Uh . . . not exactly. But . . . she's going over there." He pointed, then slowly moved his finger toward the interior of the city.
"You're speaking of Carrot?" Archimedes asked, glancing from face to face. "How do you know where she is?"
"I know," Matt said. “She's not close enough to talk to, though.”
Yes, thought Archimedes, you're pointing to half a kilometer away so I'll agree with that.
Matt turned his head slowly toward the Coliseum. He looked down at the bag he was carrying, that contained his jumpsuit. "I better get back before they find I'm not there."
"As I said before, your plan is insanity!" Before Archimedes could argue, however, Matt started walking toward the prison. Archimedes turned to Geth. “And you approve of this? The boy is about to pit himself against the center and heart of the Empire. He won't be able to rescue your daughter. He will only get himself killed!”
Geth smiled serenely. “He knows what he is doing. He is the Wizard from Aereoth.”
“The Wizard from – “ Archimedes scowled. “Is everyone from Britan mad?”
Matt vanished into the crowd. Archimedes scowled and swore and stamped his staff, forgetting what it now contained.
“We should go to your Coliseum and be ready,” Geth said.
“It is not my Coliseum. Well, I did design it and supervise the construction, but as of today I officially disown it. Anyway, allow my farewells.”
Archimedes returned to the boat. He hugged his former servants and prodded them to the top of the boarding ramp. He waited for the deckhands to move out of hearing distance.
"Mola," he said as loud as he dared. "Roman agents in Kresidala will be searching for me on every ship that comes to port. It's best I don't accompany you. I also have an important task I must do, and I will need the aid of that twosome."
Between tears, Mola asked, "When will we see you again?"
"I don't know if that will be possible."
"Oh, Archie!"
"Farewell, Mola. Farewell, Gwinol. Farewell, Nilla. Thank you all, for everything, especially your kindness and patience while enduring a cantankerous old fool."
They wept and he walked away without looking back. He nodded to Geth and they started for the Coliseum.
Barely uphill from the waterfront, however, a trio of soldiers emerged from the side street. Their leader, a hulking sergeant, drew his sword and shouted, "You there! Halt!"
Archimedes silently cursed.
"You match the description of the fugitive we seek," the sergeant said. "By edict of the Emperor, come with us!"
“You're quite right,” Geth said. “He is the fugitive known as Archimedes, who is wanted by the Emperor for high crimes against the State. If you'll excuse me, I'll be on my way to turn him in.”
“I won't excuse you. Get on with you, there's a reward on his head and he's our prisoner now!”
Geth started to unsheath his sword. The two soldiers with the sergeant drew faster. The impasse was three blades against one, and Archimedes cursed again.
“I'm having a bad day and I don't have time for this,” he said.
He attempted to walk on. The sergeant shoved him back and stood close enough to breathe down on the old man's face.
"You're coming with us, old man.” The sergeant jabbed a finger. “You'll turn and walk that way now, or I'll have you dragged."
He shoved Archimedes in the direction of Bloodbrick. Archimedes staggered, regained his balance, stood straight and trembled. He turned his eyes to the ground. Jaros, he thought. My books. My life's work. With the end of his staff, he started to trace a circle. The arc was jagged from his shaking rage.
The sergeant sighed and shoved hard again. “I heard you were senile, but old man, are you also deaf? Move that way before I have to strike you!”
I saw all this coming, Archimedes thought. Yet did nothing to prevent it.
Archimedes met the sergeant's gaze. He hesitated only a moment. Then he turned and took a step toward the Coliseum.
Scowling, the sergeant blocked and raised his sword. “Old man, one last time, I said, that way.”
Archimedes said quietly, "Either get out of my way, or I will walk over your dead body."
The sergeant, with half the years and twice the mass, looked down and erupted with laughter.
&n
bsp; "Old man, I'd like to see you try!"
Archimedes calmly aimed his staff and pulled the trigger. The end of the staff spat fire. The walls of the street echoed with thunder.
The sergeant gaped at the bloody hole that had been punched through his chest armor, and then he crumpled. Archimedes blew the smoke from the tip of the staff, wrapped a finger around the second trigger, and gazed at nothing.
"Run while you can," he said.
The surviving pair of soldiers ran. Geth, open-mouthed, re-sheathed his sword and they proceeded to the Coliseum.
46.
The cell door was thrown open and a lieutenant scrutinized the prisoner chained to the wall. He glared at the guard by his side.
"See?" he said. "You went to the wrong cell, that's what happened. And now we're late!"
The guard stared sullenly at Matt while the soldiers released the chains. They bound Matt with more chains, and under heavy escort brought him to the rickshaw. The vehicle headed north, well past Victory Square.
"Matt," Ivan said. "I have received the transponder signal from Ivan Lite again. He is approximately three hundred meters to our north, and closing. Establishing communication . . . now."
Before Matt could speak, Carrot's voice boomed in his head, "Matt! Where are you?"
Somewhere ahead, Carrot was speaking and Ivan Lite was simulating her voice for radio transmission. Matt had expected that. What he didn't expect was to be on the verge of crying.
"Carrot, I'm being brought to the Coliseum under guard. Listen, we're going to escape."
“You have a plan?”
He explained as quickly as he could, and concluded, “Archimedes has given me a master key to unlock our chains. Once you're free, I'm trusting that you can fight our way off the field. Once we get to the lower level, Ivan will guide us to the reservoir room. Archimedes and Geth will be waiting there to take us through the drainage tunnel to the sewers.”