The commander smiled. ‘Porteus has a lively interest in Voluus’s affairs.’
‘I heard. .’ I broke off as one wheel struck a cobble and pitched us in the air. ‘I heard he’d sold the lictor a parcel of his land.’
The commander nodded. ‘Voluus was looking for a place to build a villa on, and Porteus sold him some land. He’s been boasting ever since that he’s got a hefty price for it.’
‘Titus Flavius was teasing him about it in the curia, saying that he wanted gold to bribe his way to being Imperial Servir — though if he is planning to finance public works to win the vote, it does seem odd of him to sell the land. You’d think he’d need continued income from whatever crops he grew. Or was it not successful?’
‘It was for several years. Porteus owned a forest on the western hills. . good stands of oak and pinewood. . and was doing very well. He was shipping timber everywhere and making a small fortune out of it. But last year there was a devastating fire. . he tends to blame the rebels, though other people say it was the hand of Jove.’
‘Meaning that it was struck by lightning?’ I asked, trying hard to sound intelligent, though it wasn’t easy when your teeth were rattling.
A nod. ‘Perhaps it really was the work of Jupiter. In any case it almost ruined him. More than half the trees were burnt to ashes in the blaze, and his store of cut timber was destroyed as well. . But Porteus had already spent his profits for the year. He was glad to — ’ He broke off as the carriage noticeably slowed, and he leaned out to look. ‘We seem to be stopping. I wonder why?’
Even from my seat it wasn’t difficult to see. We had caught up with the route march from the garrison. This was obviously a nuisance but I resigned myself to wait — the army always has priority. Non-military traffic simply has to yield.
However, there were benefits to having the garrison commander in the coach. He beckoned to the escort-rider next to him and murmured a command. The fellow cantered off, and shortly afterwards we heard a shouted order from far in front of us. There was a synchronized scuffling of scores of sandal-soles, and suddenly the single column of soldiers divided into two, leaving a central passage down the midst of them. The marchers halted — still in unison — and drew up in neat ranks, lining the route on either side to let us through, while the march officer and signifer both tendered a salute.
There was momentary silence (from us, in any case) as the carriage gathered speed and the tooth-loosening jolting recommenced. Emelius had taken off his helmet when we stopped — it had twice earlier hit the ceiling of the coach, endangering the distinctive sideways plume. He was now holding it between his knees, which gave me even less room than before.
I clutched the seat with both hands to hold myself upright and avoid bruising from the armour on either side of me. This news about Porteus’s financial problems was causing me to think. Here was someone who knew the treasure-cart was due and had both some indication of what it might contain, and a lively motive for appropriating it! Was it possible that accusing me was just a bluff, and he had been the one to steal the lictor’s gold himself?
It was no doubt a ludicrous idea, and I dismissed it instantly, but I was hoping the commander would finish his account. However, he was staring at the passing countryside, watching the land-slaves and farmers struggling with the mud, and the pigs and chickens straggling by the road. I could see that shortly we’d be in the wooded area where the cart was found, and then perhaps I’d never hear the rest.
‘You were talking about Porteus,’ I prompted finally. ‘He found himself in trouble with his creditors? Because he had no timber for the market-place?’ I was trying to see how this might be relevant. ‘I suppose that no one local would buy the forest after that. People would no doubt say that it was cursed.’
The commander turned slowly back to me. ‘Exactly so! So when Voluus wrote to him and offered a good price — saying that he wished to build a villa on the site — naturally Porteus struck a bargain instantly.’
‘But did the lictor know about the fire?’ The law puts responsibility on the purchaser to ensure that what he buys is fit for use.
‘He went so far as to joke about it, I believe, saying that it saved the labour of clearing off the ground. Porteus was thrilled. He was boasting about it in the curia. He got his slaves to take away the ash and level the whole area to put the building on. Voluus was to pay him when his goods arrived from Gaul.’ He smiled. ‘You can see why Porteus is anxious to discover where they went.’
It was no use nodding; my head was already being jiggled firmly up and down. I said, ‘I can see his problem when the treasure disappeared — but not why he should think of blaming me!’
‘Perhaps you are the first solution which presents itself? You must admit that circumstances seem to point to you. And he has an even greater problem than you think: he also has a daughter to be wed — plain as a gladiator’s sword and about as feminine — and he has promised a handsome dowry to the prospective groom.’
‘So he doubly needs the money?’ I gripped the seat still tighter as we jolted round a bend.
‘He even tried to earn some,’ the commander said, ‘when he learned about the threat to Voluus. It seems he made a second contract with the man, undertaking that — for another promised fee — he would post some slaves and keep a watch on the apartment night and day while the lictor was away. Voluus did not wholly trust his steward, it appears, and the slaves reported back to Porteus constantly. I don’t have to tell you what they said today — what they told Florens pointed straight to you.’
We had moved into the outskirts of the forest now and even the military road was suffering from the recent storms. Branches had fallen from the older trees and here and there the road-stone had been washed away. ‘But what does Florens have to do with it?’ I said, still trying to brace myself against the lurching of the cart.
The commandant allowed himself a little smile. ‘Who do you suppose is the prospective groom?’
That was a surprise, though I should have thought of it. I knew that Florens wanted that pavement to be laid in honour of his forthcoming marriage to some second wife. What I had not guessed was who the bride would be — I had imagined some wealthy dowager, ‘dutiful and suitable’, as the saying was.
The centurion was obviously equally amazed. I had forgotten that he was listening to all this. ‘Florens? Dear Mercury!’ he gasped. ‘But he’s half as old as Rome! That girl can’t be fifteen!’
The commander raised an eyebrow and said reprovingly, ‘I don’t remember giving you permission to converse! Kindly do not speak until you’re spoken to. But enough of that — it seems that we have arrived.’
He was right. The carriage was grumbling to a halt. One of the mounted escort slid gently from his horse and came across to us.
‘We’ve reached our destination, sir. The fatigue-party is here and removing bodies now — or they were until we ordered them to stop. Do you wish to come and see? It isn’t very pleasant, as you will understand.’
For answer the commander put one hand on the cart and vaulted down, making it look easy, like the athlete that he was. The escort-rider offered me his arm and helped me to the ground, while Emelius came lumbering after us, stuffing his helmet back on to his head, his baton and sword-case clanking against his armour as he ran. Then — looking sheepish — he pulled his dagger out and made a half-pretence of guarding me with it.
I turned away to look around the scene. The outrider was right. The sight which greeted us was not a pleasant one. The ground was littered with the arms and legs and bodies of the dead — strewn across the edges of the road and scattered in the rough grass and bushes of the forest-edge. I even saw one limb, still dangling a shoe, which evidently had been tossed into a tree. Half-dismembered horses added to the scene. It seemed that there were bloodstains everywhere. The damp forest air was heavy with the smell of it.