Perhaps I had unwittingly given a new pretext. As it was, I had already admitted that I was carrying a letter from my patron when I called at the flat. That clearly suggested that I was there on his behalf, and it was difficult to see how that could be disproved, because it was the truth. So if I were accused of involvement in the crime, he would seem guilty of complicity at least. I sincerely wished that I hadn’t mentioned him.
But it was far too late to keep him out of this. The servant smiled. ‘Of course, we know you are the protégé of Marcus Septimus,’ he said. ‘And we are aware that His Excellence is an important man. That is why my master has sent me here to ask you politely if you’ll accompany me. At once, if possible. He is waiting for us at the curia. However, if you are reluctant to comply with this request, I could go back and summon the town guard and have you formally arrested — as we would have done with anybody else who could not claim such exalted patronage.’
Junio stepped forward to speak in my defence. ‘Now look here, serving-man, I don’t know who you are. .’
I raised my hand to silence him. It is never wise to make unnecessary enemies — especially the servants of a magistrate. ‘It is all right, Junio. This man is merely doing what he was sent to do. Of course I will go with him. There must be some mistake. My patron knows what I was doing at the lictor’s house and no doubt he will speak up in my defence. The sooner I get this sorted out, the sooner we get home.’
Junio looked doubtful. ‘Well, Father, if you’re certain I will say no more. Though if you wish I will go with you to the curia.’
Florens’s servant gave him a disdainful look. ‘You’re lucky that you’ve not been asked to come in any case. We know of your close association with this pavement-maker here, and therefore it is likely that you are involved in this yourself, though at present no one is accusing you. But there are many ways of finding out the truth — as you may discover, to your cost.’
It was my turn to leap to Junio’s defence. ‘Are you presuming to make veiled threats against my son? Be careful what you say. He is a citizen.’
A shrug of the shoulders, but my words had hit their mark. A sudden alarm had flashed up in the eyes and his manner was less haughty and hostile as he said hastily, ‘I am not threatening anyone at all! Especially not a citizen; I know the law. I thought he was merely a manumitted slave. But I should not care to be in your sandals when the lictor gets here, either of you, I can tell you that.’
‘Then, Father, I must certainly come with you to the curia,’ Junio said. ‘Minimus can shut up the shop and douse the fire and then come and meet us in the forum later on.’
Our visitor looked icily at him. ‘And what about my master’s pavement? I believe you said that there was work remaining to be done? Or would you rather he invoked the penalty?’
Junio looked at me, exasperation written in every lineament. ‘What do you think, Father?’
There was only one thing I could possibly reply. ‘There is not a great deal remaining to be done, but — since we are certainly not in receipt of stolen gold — we can’t afford to risk the fine. You stay and finish that with Minimus, and then the pair of you can come and find me later on. You know where I shall be. In the meantime, I will do as I am asked and go and speak to Florens, though there is obviously nothing I can tell him which he does not know. Minimus, hand me down my cloak and give this servant his.’
Minimus is a timid person as a rule but I was amused to note that he took enormous care to wrap me in my cape and fuss around me making sure that I was dry — or as dry as possible in the circumstances — while he handed our visitor his wet wrap without a word and made no attempt at all to help him on with it.
‘Very well,’ I said, once the man had struggled into it. ‘Let us go and see these councillors. You can lead the way.’ And I followed him briskly out on to the street.
SIX
The rain was easing slightly by this time and people were beginning to come out on to the streets again. But my uniformed attendant, striding purposefully gate-ward in his splendid crimson cloak, looked sufficiently important for people to make way to let him pass, though their attitude was apt to change to a resentful one when they caught sight of me. Although escorted by this impressive slave, I was still in my tunic and damp workman’s cape.
One old man in particular, who had struggled to one side, despite the heavy load of wood that he was carrying on his back, put down his burden and turned round to glare at me. ‘And to think that I gave deference to him! Only a tradesman!’ he muttered to the ancient woman at his side — deliberately just loud enough to make sure I could hear.
But his companion — who was probably his wife, since she was stooped under a load of kindling of her own — shook her head and whispered something in his ear. He looked alarmed and moved as far away as possible from me. Instead of glaring he gazed pointedly away, spat, then licked his finger and rubbed it on the skin behind his ear — the age-old ritual to ward off ill-luck.
Florens’s servant noticed and gave a little smirk, while I felt myself turn redder than his cloak. It was obvious what the crone and her husband were so anxious to avoid. Dressed as I was, I did not look remotely like a Roman citizen, so it must have looked suspiciously as though I were being hustled into Glevum under loose arrest — no doubt to be accused of some unpleasant crime, and very likely thrown into the jail, there to await some painful punishment. The wood-sellers were afraid that my fate might somehow pass to them, and that my breath and shadow were contagious, like the plague.
Their comic superstition almost made me smile, but then I thought again. Perhaps their interpretation of my plight was nearer to the truth than I supposed. For some reason which I couldn’t understand, I seemed to be suspected of collusion in this crime. But why? Was it simply because I had chanced to call on Calvinus today? That was unfortunate timing on my part, perhaps, but hardly more than that.
I couldn’t possibly have known about the robbery until I reached the flat, I told myself, mentally marshalling arguments in my own defence. The message had only reached Calvinus a few minutes earlier, and there was no opportunity for the news to get to me.
That made me pause. Who could have known, in fact? I could see how Florens might have learned the news. He was at the garrison, by all accounts, and Calvinus had sent there for assistance as soon as he heard about the crime. But, if Florens was at the army headquarters at that time, how did he find out that I had visited the lictor’s flat? There was no time for him to have set a watch on it.
Could it have been simple gossip which reached him afterwards — for example, from those gamblers on the stairs? I shook my head. Between the garrison and the curia, there was little opportunity for idle talk to reach his ears and no one would have made a point of going to find him to report the news. Unless. . I felt myself turn cold. An awful thought had just occurred to me.
Suppose that Voluus had posted spies himself, to watch the place and guard his property while he was away? Such things were not unknown, especially if the resident house-slaves were not trusted very much. So had there been somebody watching the apartment all the time? Or, more unnerving still, was someone watching me? But why should they do that? Because I had been asking questions about the lictor and his treasure-carts, perhaps? I had, of course — and Florens knew it, from what his servant said.
Dear gods! In the light of subsequent events, that must seem peculiarly suspicious now. What is more, my reasons for those enquiries, though genuine enough, would sound woefully feeble and unlikely, I could see. What an unfortunate series of events! I would have to call on my patron to speak for me, after all! I only hoped that he already had business in the town today; if they had to send and fetch him from the villa to speak on my behalf, he would be imperially annoyed.