What I meant, but did not dare to say, was that messengers who brought reports of treason to Rome were more likely than most to disappear. The Emperor almost lost his life once to a palace plot, and since then he has seen conspiracies against him everywhere. Yet perversely, like some generals in the field, he is famed for rewarding the bearers of unwelcome news — however true — by relieving them swiftly of their heads. ‘Paying the messenger with steel and not with gold’ as the wits in Glevum say.
Lucidus understood exactly what I meant. He shook his head. ‘He was going to go directly to someone he knew in Rome, the same man who got my sons commissioned posts in Gaul. Claudinus did not trust anyone round here, especially messengers. Not even Laxus and his friends — he made me swear I would not say a word, and if I was not sure that he was dead, I would not break my oath. He got as far as getting to a port — at least I think he did: I got a message purporting to be from him, sent with an itinerant trader from the east. It said that he’d found one final piece of proof, he hoped to bribe a place aboard an olive-oil boat to Gaul, and he would send word again next day — and that was the last I ever heard of him.’
‘So why do you suppose your rivals captured him? Why should you think that, when he was so far from home? He could have fallen prey to bandits — or anything.’ Marcus had put down his peach and was suddenly taking an interest in all this, now that affairs of state might be involved.
‘I thought so too, at first. All sorts of possibilities occurred to me — that he’d been set upon and robbed, or the captain of the olive boat had cheated him and thrown him in the sea — even that he’d never left the town and the whole message from the trader was a hoax, though it contained the password we’d agreed. There was no way of tracing the itinerant to find out. But I was never sure. Of course, if anything happens to one of us, our first suspicions are always of the bath-side boys. But to be honest, citizen, if they had taken him, I would have expected to receive a sign.’
‘What sort of sign?’
He shrugged. ‘I don’t know. A blood-stained tunic in a parcel, perhaps, turning up outside my door. And a note scrawled on a piece of bark — “This happened to your brother. Mind your own business or we’ll do the same to you.” Something of that kind. But there was nothing. He simply disappeared.’
I shuddered. ‘That was their way of proving they’d captured one of you?’ I echoed, still hardly able to believe my ears.
‘Exactly so. If the person is someone of not much account, they are not above asking for a reward to return the mutilated corpse, so that we can bury it and give the spirit peace.’ He grimaced. ‘The minute we leave the protection of the town we have to be on our guard. And it’s not over yet. Even in my lifetime I’ve had body-parts — hands, or ears or fingers — delivered to my door. Sometimes they wanted money for the man’s return, mostly it was just to prove that he was dead.’
Marcus looked pained. ‘And all this under Roman law? I wonder you didn’t call on the authorities for help. Especially if you suspected that the victims were robbed and murdered on the road. That is a crucifixion offence and we’d be glad to help. That sort of thing is very bad for trade.’
‘We’ve never bothered the authorities,’ Lucidus said. ‘Our two families were mortal enemies long before you Romans ever came. Indeed, that’s probably why my forefathers welcomed your legions here in any case — because the other lot were Caractacus’s men. Obviously there was no town of Venta then, but we were given confiscated property as a reward for our services, and property in the civitas as soon as it was built. Of course, our rivals had been largely dispossessed, but they hid out in the local caves and woods. Then, when the fighting had died down, and they were able to appear respectable, they crept into the cheaper area of town around the baths. They made those stinking alleyways their own, and it’s been their centre of influence ever since. Kidnapping, murder, blackmail — anything to harm and harry us. And we’ve paid them back in kind — great Pluto take them all to Dis!’ He seemed to realise that he’d just confessed to criminal intent, and backtracked hastily. ‘Of course, there hasn’t been a serious instance of this sort of thing for years. But that is what they always used to do — so if our old enemies had captured Claudinus I would have expected to receive a severed hand at least.’
‘And if you didn’t pay them what they asked, they’d string the victim’s body up in mockery, in some very public place, with his private parts cut off and stuffed into his mouth?’ I looked round for somewhere to dispose of my plumstones. The slave-boy brought me the water and I washed my hands.
The Silurian was looking at me with renewed respect. ‘You have heard about that barbarous little trick? Well, that’s true as well — and typical of them, though they swear it was a practice they learned from Rome — it was done to Boudicca’s followers, they say. Whatever may be the truth of that, it didn’t take them long to copy it. They once used it on a distant relative of mine — admittedly a long, long time ago.’
‘And your family has retaliated since? I don’t imagine that proud folk like you would take such insults quietly.’
It was a guess, but the dull flush on his cheek showed me that my hunch was justified. ‘Once or twice. But only in revenge. How did you learn. .?’
‘Young Laxus and his friends again,’ I said. ‘So, your ancient enemies would be only too glad to kill your brother if he fell into their hands. Of course, if he was right in his suspicions, and was about to denounce them in some way, they had a double motive to dispose of him. But you decided that they hadn’t, because you had no sign?’
‘Yet it looks as if they must have, after all, since you found his arm-band in the marketplace. Not over in the east, where we supposed he was, but here in Venta all the time, which suggests that he was almost home again before they set on him. I’m just amazed they didn’t send the arm-band — and probably the forearm wearing it — back to me, with a demand for gold. I’m even more surprised they had the impudence to try to sell it openly in town, where it was possible that I would hear of it. Though it was in the bath-house end of town, I suppose?’
‘I suppose it must have been,’ I conceded. ‘It wasn’t in the main forum area.’
He grunted. ‘You’ve heard they have these back-street stalls that sell old Roman armour, and that sort of thing? They claim they find the pieces in the forest area where they were lost in the revolt — though I have my own ideas on that.’
‘Probably they’d claim the same for this,’ I said. ‘I suppose you have absolutely no idea what your brother’s suspicions were?’
‘Only that it was a matter of enormous consequence. Our enemies would be utterly disgraced and very likely executed too. Claudinus told me he expected to be made a knight, at least, when the Emperor learned the truth.’
I nodded. Elevation to equestrian rank was coveted — a considerable fortune was a requisite and it was the first step to many civic honours and rewards. No wonder Claudinus had hopes of that.
Lucidus was still speaking earnestly. ‘That’s why I lent him the money for the trip. Our family wouldn’t be overlooked for office as it is if we had a few equestrians in our rank.’ He glanced at Marcus, who had eaten all his peach and was availing himself of the finger-bowl again. ‘Of course, you spoke of services my son had rendered you. If Your Excellence is disposed to think of a reward. .’
Marcus made a gracious gesture. ‘When I return from Isca, I shall look into it,’ he said. ‘I am sorry to learn of your brother’s disappearance, too, especially in the service of the Empire. Do you wish to lay an official charge and try to bring his murderer to court? I would happily preside when I return.’
That was a handsome offer. Cases brought by non-citizens were generally tried by lesser men with less appreciation of the law. However, Lucidus shook his head and turned his eyes away. ‘As I say, I have no proof of anything. It is a Caractacus supporter — that is all I know. A member of the family that rules the bath-house end.’