I gave that individual a tentative grin, but he looked away and pretended to be engrossed in the unloading of the salt, so there was nothing we could do but wait and hope the fat foreman had helpful news for us.
Twelve
We did not have long to wait. A moment or two later our fat friend appeared again, puffing and panting, and gestured us to come.
‘Come with me, citizen, if you would be so good.’ He led the way towards the warehouse door, and as we stepped inside I realized for the first time what a huge place it was — it looked big enough to put an entire ship inside. It was built entirely of stone, though there were rough wooden partitions dividing it inside, and the place seemed half-empty, vast and echoing.
The foreman paused beside a pile of bulging sacks inside the door. ‘The master said I was to show you in. He’s in his office, at the other end, but he wants me to go back and see about the salt. So, citizen, if you could find your way down there yourself?’ He spoke as if Minimus was invisible.
He hovered a moment, as if he were expecting a tip for this, but I had none to give him so I turned and walked purposefully down the centre aisle. What Minimus had told me earlier was correct, I saw: Redux obviously traded in all sorts of things. As we passed the different partitioned areas I noticed crates which had been opened and were half-unpacked: salt fish, potted dormice, Samian ware — and they were only the goods that I could see. And on the far side of the aisle there was a pile of British capes obviously waiting to be traded on. It was impressive. Most importers deal in one commodity alone.
Redux’s office was behind the partition at the end. He had abandoned the toga he had been wearing at the wedding feast — it was neatly folded and lying on a stool — and he was sitting at a wooden desk in his tunic-sleeves, surrounded by wooden writing tablets and bark-paper scrolls. But he still looked every inch the councillor he was — the under-tunic was wine-red and of elaborate design, with fine embroidery at the neck and hems, and the shoes that he was wearing were of softest red leather, with little silver tassels on the toes.
He rose to greet us as we came into the room. He was every bit as large and rounded as his foreman was, and one might have thought it was the pattern of the house, if it were not for the skinny slave that leapt up from the floor, where he had been mixing ingredients for ink, and hustled to bring a folding stool for me.
Redux extended a fat hand, with a heavy ring on every finger, and motioned me to sit. ‘Citizen! Of course I recognize the face. I saw you at that ill-fated wedding earlier. What a dreadful business for poor Honorius. You were the one who made the announcement, I believe.’
I sat down gingerly. It was a flimsy stool. ‘I was asked to do so by the family,’ I said, anxious not to sound as if I were too involved. ‘Though I do not know them well. I happened to be in the passage when the news arrived, that’s all — and it was easy for me to gain the attention of the guests.’ This did not sound convincing even to myself.
It did not convince him either. ‘And to ask questions of people afterwards?’ he said.
I had forgotten that he had shown himself to be sharp-witted then, and able to make deductions other people missed. ‘At the time I was looking for an explanation,’ I replied. ‘But. .’
He looked at me wryly. ‘Ah, of course. And then the girl confessed.’ I was sure from his ironic tone of voice that he didn’t believe it any more than I had done, but he rubbed his hands together and went on affably: ‘Well, citizen, what is it that I can do for you? My foreman tells me you may have something that you wish to sell.’
‘Sell?’ I was astounded, and then I saw the direction of his glance. ‘Oh, the silver salver. That is not for sale. It was to be my patron’s present at the wedding feast. He is Marcus Septimus, whom I expect you know. I was only there because he couldn’t come. I shall have to return it to his house as soon as possible.’
‘I see.’ He gave a peculiar little smile. ‘Would you permit me to have a look, at least?’
‘By all means.’ I was a bit surprised, but I could see no reason to deny him the request. ‘Show it to him, Minimus.’
The boy stepped forward and unwrapped the tray. Redux took it from him and examined it. He then took it to the lighter area by the window space and scrutinized its every detail, turning it over and rapping it, then weighing it thoughtfully in his hand. ‘A fine piece,’ he said, after a little pause. ‘I could give you a handsome price for this.’ He named a sum which made my eyeballs bulge. I had not supposed it to be worth so much. Marcus had simply picked up the nearest tray to give to me — a minute earlier he had been eating figs off it.
But there was only one answer I could make, of course. ‘I have told you, it is not mine to sell.’
He smiled. ‘And yet you bring it into this part of the town — where it could so easily have been stolen in the street. Who is to know it wasn’t? Or that it won’t be, as you are walking back? That would be a dreadful pity, wouldn’t it?’
He was still smiling blandly, but it could have been a threat. I thought quickly. ‘I shall ask that soldier on the dock to look after it for me, and deliver it to the guardhouse when he is relieved. My patron is friendly with the commander there, and, of course, I will ask for a receipt, and hand it over in front of witnesses. Perhaps you would care to be one of them?’ I said.
‘Ah.’ He walked over and handed the salver back to me. ‘An honest man, I see. A pity — it is a handsome thing, though I don’t quite know where I’d have found a customer just now. I know who would have been very interested but — unfortunately — he is dead.’
‘Your friend Zythos, I suppose?’ I said, secretly pleased to have recalled the name.
He frowned at me. ‘I was speaking about Honorius, of course. He had a weakness for all works of art. He spent a fortune on them — that whole house is full of lovely things. I delivered him a new one, just a month or two ago — a statue of Minerva, very finely done. You must have noticed it if you were in the house — even if you don’t know the family very well. Though, frankly, I don’t know that I’m convinced of that. Who told you about Zythos otherwise? Someone must have done! You have never been a customer of ours that I’m aware.’
I was struck again by the fellow’s speed of reasoning, and was wondering what I was going to say to this, when to my surprise Minimus spoke up.
‘Your pardon, citizen, but I can answer that. I was the one that told him about your partner’s death. I was put in the attics this morning at the wedding with this slave of yours, and we were exchanging stories about what our masters did. So I gave my master a full account, of course, when he decided we were coming here.’
All eyes had turned now to the skinny slave, who by this time was looking cowed and terrified. ‘It is quite true, master. My foolish tongue again. I was boasting about what a great trader you had been, and I might have mentioned Zythos in the course of it. I beg your forgiveness if I spoke out of turn.’
I thought he might have earned himself a flogging for his words, but his master, if anything, seemed smugly satisfied. He only cuffed the boy around the ear, and said, ‘You boast too much. I’ve told you that before, but there isn’t any harm done here, I don’t suppose.’ He came back to sit down at the desk and rested his fat chin upon his chubby fingers. ‘So it was servants’ gossip? I apologize.’
I privately called on all the gods to bless the skinny boy. ‘I assure you I had never heard your partner’s name until today,’ I said, ‘though I was very sorry to hear about his death, of course.’
Redox straightened his embroidered tunic cuffs and leaned back on his chair — which was a handsome, black, three-cornered one, obviously of foreign origin. ‘You heard how it happened?’
I swallowed. How was I to answer that? ‘Rumours, that is all.’