He interrupted. ‘But surely, there was poison in both cases, wasn’t there? The tribune said he thought so.’
‘I know what he said. But Redux — you are a man of some intelligence. You have demonstrated that to me a dozen times. And you saw Antoninus — how he was slumped at the desk. Did he look like a man who’d died of poisoning to you?’
He stopped and stared at me. ‘I don’t know what you mean?’
‘Oh, the usual symptoms. Skin a funny colour, foam around the lips, looking as though he’d died in agony. Anything like that?’
‘Great Mars!’ Redux was suddenly alert. ‘Of course there wasn’t, now you mention it. He looked quite peaceful — or perhaps surprised — as though he’d died of fright. You think that’s what happened?’
‘Died of fright, but with a knife stuck in his back?’ I said. ‘That doesn’t sound a likely circumstance to me. But something happened, and I don’t know what.’
‘There must be lots of people who would like to see him dead,’ Redux mused. ‘I was afraid, when I saw that writing block, that he’d had some hold on poor old Zythos at one time — but it seems that it wasn’t necessarily the case. But you’ll question other people. Gracchus possibly? I’ve noticed him avoiding Antoninus once or twice. It makes me wonder if he might have had dealings with him, in the past.’
That might explain why Gracchus was in debt, I thought. I said aloud, ‘You’re right! I’d better talk to him. And probably to Maesta and her husband too, but that will be tomorrow — if I can manage it. For now, I’m going home. It’s getting late. The sun will soon be setting and the guards will shut the gates. It may be the last time that I walk out of them. Besides, my wife will be anxious for my safety by this time. She must have expected me to come home long ago.’
Redux surprised me. ‘And mine will be throwing a pretty tantrum too.’ I had never heard any mention of a wife — indeed, I had the impression he was not the marrying kind. He grinned at me. ‘I know what you’re thinking — but I do have a wife. Isn’t it the duty of every citizen? Marry and raise up new generations for the state. Zythos thought so — and my brother too. Though he has only a daughter to show for it, so far.’
‘Miles was married before Honoria?’
He grinned. ‘He was — but it’s Honoria’s daughter all the same. His first wife perished, giving him a son who was weak and died a few days afterwards. That’s why Miles was so anxious about the latest pregnancy — insisting that Honoria always slept in her own bed and didn’t come to Glevum to see her family. Ironic that it should be that which killed her in the end. Honoria was healthy — she’d have borne him heirs. But I thought you already knew all this?’
I shook my head. But of course, I should have done. Honorius had made a new will, hadn’t he, disinheriting ‘his eldest daughter and her heirs’. But his eldest daughter and her unborn baby were already dead — there was no call to write a new will over that. I should have realized that there had to be a living child.
‘I am getting very old,’ I said, and I went through the gate, though not without a strange look from the man on guard. People who have been arrested by a tribune and brought in, do not often walk so calmly out again. Near the archway that led into the town, I could see Redux’s servant leaning on the wall, with a pair of stouter sandals in his hand. The last I saw of Redux, he was changing into them. I turned the other way.
The garrison was adjacent to the south gate of the town, and Minimus was waiting outside with the carriage and driver he had hired.
Twenty
It took a long time to get home, even so. We had to go the long way, on the military road — no carriage-driver would willingly take the older Celtic track, with its boggy hollows, corners and vertiginous descents — but the newer route was mostly quicker anyway, especially in the dusk. The road was busy, as it always was towards the end of day, with carts and wagons coming to make deliveries: no civilian horse-drawn transport was permitted on the streets, until the town gates were ready to be shut.
There were few things going in our direction, though, and we made good progress. There was no military traffic to force us off the road — we did not even catch up with the soldiers from the garrison. I wondered if they had gone another route but as Minimus pointed out: ‘They are trained to march twenty or thirty miles a day carrying full equipment, so a two-hour route-march is simple exercise to them. I wouldn’t be surprised if we met them coming back!’
Indeed, as we turned off the main road on to the gravelled spur that led to Marcus’s estate — and therefore to my roundhouse which was built on part of it — I thought I did hear the sound of approaching marching feet and the clanking of armour from somewhere up ahead. But there was no time to think of that. The sun was setting further in the west, and the shadows of the forest were distinctly lengthening. The chill wind of evening was rustling the leaves and the first owl was hooting as it searched for its prey. The driver slowed the horses to a walk. At any moment, I thought, he might refuse to take us any further in this light. That would be a serious predicament. It was dangerous to be walking on unfrequented roads, in the forest, unarmed and in the dark.
I rapped on the back of the planks behind his seat. He stopped and craned over to look in on me. ‘You wanted something, citizen?’
‘Not much further now. I’ll give you a brand to light yourself back home.’
He muttered something about not having realized how far it would be, and how he would not have taken the fare if he had known, but he did urge the horses slowly on again. After a few minutes, which seemed an age, I saw the roundhouse coming into sight and I signalled to the driver that it was time to stop. He drew up at the gate to the enclosure.
Minimus jumped down at once and helped me to the ground. As he was doing so his partner, Maximus, came running from the house.
‘Oh, master, you are home at last. The mistress was concerned. She was beginning to think of sending out a search party for you.’ He grinned at Minimus. ‘How was the wedding? Was it a good feast?’
‘I’ll tell you in a moment. First I have to pay.’
The driver named a sum that made me pale. But I would have to pay it, and persuade him to come back. My freedom depended on my being early into town and making some breakthrough with the problems that I faced.
The driver saw my frown. ‘A double journey, citizen, and a slow one in this light. I might have had a dozen customers by now.’
I turned to Minimus. ‘But didn’t you agree a price before we left?’
The slave boy shook his head, shamefacedly. ‘I’m sorry, master, Marcus never did.’ Of course, I had not thought. He was not accustomed to such bargaining.
I turned to the driver. ‘I will pay what you ask. But only on condition that you come back here in the morning as soon as it is light, and take me back into the town again.’
The driver looked mutinous. ‘Another double trip!’ Then he brightened. ‘I’ll take it in advance.’
I was prepared for that trick. ‘When you come tomorrow. I will pay you then — for both the journeys.’ That should ensure that he came back for me, I thought. ‘In the meantime, here is something on account. Maximus, go inside and find a sestertius for him. Minimus, you go and find a brand to light him home.’ The two boys ran to do this, and I turned back to him. ‘Tomorrow morning, as soon as it is light. I am going back to the garrison, so don’t be late.’
I left the two boys to pay him and fix the torch on to the metal hook which was provided for that purpose on the carriage frame. I went into the roundhouse to my wife.
She was sitting spinning by the central fire. She smiled as I came in. ‘Minimus says you’ve had a trying day.’
I was about to answer when she raised her hand. ‘Tell me later on. Junio is coming and you can tell us then. You are tired and hungry. Take your toga off and sit down on that stool, the boys will fetch some water and wash your face and hands. There is vegetable stew in that pot on the fire, and I have baked those oatcakes that you like so much.’