‘I am sorry to have troubled you at an unfortunate time,’ I said, with a pretence at due humility. ‘I’ll try to come tomorrow and hear this statement read.’ With that I backed respectfully away, till I had reached the steps, then turned and hurried down them into the street again.
The huge slave watched me for a moment. Then, seeming satisfied, he disappeared among the temple pillars — where no doubt there was a stool and he could sit, on guard in case some other would-be temple-goer arrived.
I was not altogether disappointed with my visit though. I had gleaned more information than he’d meant to give. For one thing, I could have faith in Cantalarius’s account of his visit yesterday — it had occurred to me to question it. But the temple slave had borne him out in all respects: he had been to see the ancient sacerdos, who’d been alive and well and (more importantly) in good health afterwards — since he was not only talking with others in the courtyard later on but involved in normal rituals till the middle of the night.
Yet by this morning he had disappeared — and not officially going out to the farm, as might have been supposed or (as my slave friend had pointed out) someone in the temple would have heard of it. Besides, if he’d set off to perform a sacrifice, ritual cleansing would be called for before he left the shrine and an attendant, with equipment, would have been arranged for him. So what had happened to the old man in those intervening hours?
I was now certain that the story about the pond was true — my conversation with the slave had convinced me of that — and the priest was missing, so the body might be his. But how had he left the temple unobserved? That seemed impossible. There were slaves on watch all night, guarding the sacred fires, and he could not have reached the entrance without their seeing him. And there was no other way into the site, which — apart from the main entrance which I had just approached — was surrounded on all sides by a high stone wall, deliberately tall to hide the mysteries within. Perhaps a younger man might just be strong enough to scale it and escape, or scuttle up a sacred tree and wriggle out along a branch, but for an aged priest it was inconceivable — especially in the dark when it was freezing hard and everything was slippery with ice. (In fact, the feat was known to be extremely difficult, even for an athlete in the light of day: the last man to try it, for a dare, had broken both his legs, and been thrown into the city prison for his pains!)
So, given that no supernatural power had been at work, how had the priest got out of there at all? Had he, for some reason, adopted a disguise? Or had he been smuggled out against his will? I shook my head. Neither explanation seemed remotely probable, given that the temple was a busy place, with slaves and attendants in every corridor.
I don’t know how much longer I’d have gone on standing there, chasing the same thoughts without effect, but I was interrupted by a hearty voice and a hand upon my shoulder.
‘Libertus, my good fellow! I am glad to find you here. It appears that we are looking for each other! We have just this instant come here from your shop. Your slave informed me you were on your way to me — but he also mentioned that you had business to attend to in the forum first, so I came back this way in the hope of seeing you! And here, indeed, you are.’
I turned to find a beaming Lucius, looking especially tawny in a russet cloak and accompanied by the same slave that I’d seen before. I greeted them with pleasure — it was getting late by now, and I had been worried that I would not find the trader at his desk. I told him so.
‘You would not have found me, I’m afraid. I have not been back in Glevum very long, and I merely called into the warehouse then, to check on everything and see if there was any news. I spent the night with Marcus at his country house,’ he went on, with a hint of pride at the implied distinction this bestowed.
I gave the bow that he expected. ‘I heard that you were taking Silvia out there?’
He nodded. ‘We set off late yesterday when her effects arrived, but the main road was so difficult that it took simply hours, and Marcus insisted that I should dine with them and offered me a bed — and somehow that lengthened into my remaining half today.’ He stroked his beard in a thoughtful way. ‘His Excellence was kind enough to ask me about this loan I hoped to get — I suppose he is concerned on Silvia’s behalf — and no doubt I talked too much about the business and the hopes I have for it. He is a courteous listener — though it seemed to interest him.’
‘Perhaps it genuinely did,’ I muttered bitterly. How like Marcus to set a task for me and then — without warning — embark on it himself! ‘So you didn’t leave his villa until this afternoon.’
‘Exactly. And even then the military road was difficult — there are carts and wagons queuing up for miles. I suppose they haven’t been able to get here recently — and it has taken me till almost now to reach the town. I merely called into the warehouse, as I said, and then went straight to you.’
I made that bow again. ‘I am honoured, naturally — but, forgive me, Lucius — what made you do that?’
‘Your patron mentioned that you wanted to have a word with me when I got back,’ he said, as though this were self-evident.
I was so thunderstruck that for a moment I could not answer him. Surely even Marcus would not be so thoughtless as to require me to ask questions without seeming to, and then tell my subject that I want to talk to him! However, Lucius was looking at me, visibly nonplussed, and I managed to say, through gritted teeth, ‘Did he mention what I hoped to talk to you about?’
Lucius brightened. ‘Well, of course he did. He told me that he’s enlisted you to help us in the hunt for Genialis — since it is important to Silvia to know if he is dead. Some of my servants have been in the search party today, so as soon as I had news, I came straight to find you at the shop.’
I had misjudged my patron. I breathed slowly out. ‘News? So have they found him?’
‘Not so far, citizen,’ Lucius replied. ‘They have scoured the area near the main road all day with no success, and eventually Bernadus called off the hunt tonight, so people could get home before it froze again. But they mean to search tomorrow, a little further off. If you really mean to join them I will send my cart and take you to the area if you like.’
‘So that was why you came to find me? That was kind of you.’
He smiled. ‘It suited me to come, in any case. Silvia thinks that I should ask for your advice.’ He placed a companionable hand on my arm. ‘Besides, I hear you were proposing to eat bread and cheese tonight, so I wondered, citizen, if you would care to dine with me? I believe there is roast Gallic fowl and pork to offer you — it came from a consignment which was shipped in just today. And spiced mead, which I understand that you are partial to. Come, citizen, what do you say to that?’
FIFTEEN
It was very tempting — especially the mead — and the occasion would obviously give me an opportunity to learn more about the people on that list of Marcus’s, but I shook my head.
‘My slave,’ I muttered apologetically. ‘He’ll be expecting me. He’ll be anxious, in this weather, if I do not appear.’
‘You are very solicitous of your servants, citizen!’ Lucius gave a wry glance at his own, the stolid, sullen-looking boy with pimpled skin. ‘But have no fear of that. I have already warned him that I was going to ask. I think he was only sorry that you were not there, so he could come with you and share in whatever is left over with my slaves. And there should be ample — even with an extra guest.’
‘Extra?’
He smiled. ‘My kitchen is preparing additional food tonight, in any case. Alfredus Allius is due to dine with me. The man that I am hoping will lend me capital. Your slave said that you know him?’
Alfredus Allius! There was that name again. There was no declining the invitation now! ‘I have met him once,’ I answered, carefully. ‘He was a witness to that contract that I had with Genialis. Though, from what I heard in the forum earlier, there may be a small problem with that loan. Genialis owed him money, it appears — and he cannot even meet his debts until it’s paid.’