Germanicus

'You wished to see me, lord?'

Philotimus had oiled his way up, and stood smiling. Not the whole twenty-four carat job: Perilla had told him we'd be gone in a couple of days, and apart from us this early in the season the guest house was empty.

'Yeah. Philotimus, you happen to know where Vibius Marsus lives? The deputy governor?'

'No, lord. But I can find out.'

'You do that,' I said. 'Let me know as soon as you can, okay?'

'Yes, lord.' He paused. 'Incidentally, I had a message from my cousin this morning. Zoilus. You wished a certain address?'

Hey! Things were moving! 'Sure! He's got it already?'

'The woman lives in the Old Town. She has a small perfume shop near the Taurian Gate.'

'Yeah, I know where you are.' The Taurian Gate was at the end of one of the bridges leading to the Island. 'What's her name?'

'Baucis, lord.'

'Fair enough. Thanks, pal.' I took a swallow of Chian. 'Don't forget Marsus's address, okay? Now whistle me up a carriage and tell Theano to keep the wine on ice.'

'You're going to see her now?' Perilla was frowning. 'But you've just got back.'

'I thought I might, yeah.'

'Very well.' She stood up. 'Then I'm coming too this time.’

We found the shop no bother. Small was right: it was no more than a shack against the inside of the city wall fifty yards from the gate itself; but whatever Baucis traded in it wasn't perfumes. Sure, the word was written up on the sign but all I could see were stacks of dried herbs and roots. The smell wasn't within a mile of rose water either, and the place looked a tip. Me, I'm used to tips, but not ones as weird as this. Cockroaches I can take, shops that deal in whacky roots and dried bats' giblets give me goose-bumps. I wasn't looking forward to the next bit.

'You want to wait here a minute while I check this out?' I said to Perilla.

I thought she might object, but she'd got a clean overtunic on, and if Perilla is one thing it's fastidious.

'All right, Marcus,' she said and turned to examine a bunch of herbs hanging from the outside eaves. Maybe they were for soup, but I wouldn't have placed any bets. I took a deep breath and ducked under the lintel.

There were two people inside: a wizened crone who looked old enough to be Aeacus's grandmother and another woman. The crone was waving a handful of dried dung and muttering what sounded like a terminal curse. I was going to speak to her but she turned and squeezed out past me into the sunlight. Which left the other woman.

She was tall, a half head taller than me, easy, and I'm no shrimp. Also from what I could see of her in the darkness she was a stunner.

'Your name Baucis?’ I said. ‘Martina's sister?'

She moved forward without any warning. Strong fingers closed round my upper arm and I found myself yanked outside to where Perilla was staring wide-eyed. Outside, she looked even more impressive. Stunner or not, this lady had enough muscle for a couple of Amazons.

She let go and stood glaring at me.

'What the fuck do you want, Roman?' she said.

Beside me I felt Perilla stiffen, but she didn't speak. Very wise.

'Just a little information, lady,' I said as mildly as I could. 'If you have the time.'

'First you tell me what's happened to my sister. Is she alive?'

Hell’s teeth. This was one angle I hadn't thought of. Martina had been sent to Rome in the winter and the sea-lanes hadn't been open for commercial traffic more than a couple of months. We were the first chance for news Baucis had had.

'No, I'm afraid not,' Perilla said very gently. 'I'm terribly sorry, but she's dead.'

The woman's face didn't change. She nodded. Then, suddenly, her eyes still open, she sagged against the side of the shack. I made a grab at her but she weighed a ton. It took both of us to hold her upright and prop her sitting with her back to the wall.

'Get some water,dear,' Perilla said.

'From in there? You want to poison her, lady?'

'Don't be silly!' Perilla snapped. She disappeared into the shop and reappeared a minute later with a full cup. Most of the water — at least I hoped that was what it was — went down Baucis's chin, but finally she gave a cough and swallowed. The eyes lost their empty stare.

'Hey, Baucis?' I said. 'You okay?'

'Go away, Marcus.' Perilla was still speaking very quietly. 'Come back in ten minutes.'

I didn't argue. Perilla's bedside manner has mine beat every time, and I know my limitations. Nursing witches isn't my bag. I went.

When I got back they were sitting side by side on the bench beside the shop. Baucis was staring straight ahead. Her face was set in the same stiff expression she'd had when Perilla gave her the news.

'How did Martina die?' she said to me.

I sat down on the other side of her. 'I don't know,’ I said. ‘Not for sure. They say she took poison before the trial. At Brindisi.'

'No.' The word came out flat.

'It's possible, though?' Perilla probed gently. 'In theory?'

Baucis nodded. 'Of course it's possible. Martina knew about poisons. If that's what you're asking.' Perilla said nothing. 'I don't deal in them myself. Not even for rats.' Oh, yeah, sure. And I was Hecate's grandmother. 'You know who killed her?'

'No,' I said. 'That's one of the things we're trying to find out.'

'When you do, give me the bastard's name and I'll kill him myself. Slowly. Hear me?'

'I hear you.' The hairs on the back of my neck crawled. 'But you have to tell us something first. Did she murder him? Germanicus?'

The barest shrug. Baucis's eyes hadn't wavered; they were still staring into nothing. 'Who cares?'

'We do,' I said. Perilla glared at me but I ignored her; this was too important for pussyfooting. 'And if we don't know that, lady, we'll never find out who killed your sister. So just tell us, okay? Did Martina poison Germanicus or not?'

Baucis was quiet for a long time. Then she said:

'Maybe.'

'For Piso and Plancina?'

'Maybe.'

'The story is that your sister was a friend of Plancina's.'

'So I've heard.'

I felt myself sweating. 'And was she?'

'Far as I know she never met the bitch. But then maybe she just never told me.'

This was like wading through glue. 'Did..?' I began.

'Marcus, let me handle this,' Perilla said suddenly. 'I'll meet you by Seleucus's statue when I'm finished. The one by the Gate.'

I looked at her, then at Baucis who was still staring into empty space. This I didn't like. I didn't like it at all. Still, she was probably right.

'You sure, lady?'

'I'm sure.'

'You'll be fine here on your own?'

'Of course I will! Corvinus, just go!'

So I went.

24

There was a wine shop at the edge of the Old Marketplace, so I parked myself there, ordered up a jug of Chian and a plate of Damascus figs and waited. Finally Perilla came round the corner. There were two or three people hanging round the statue but she never so much as glanced at them. She came straight towards me.

'I thought we'd an arrangement, lady,' I said as she sat down.

'We did. But then I remembered seeing this place.'

Yeah, well. If you can't be smart be predictable. I sighed, signalled to a waiter and ordered her a chilled pomegranate juice. She must've got through gallons of the stuff since we'd arrived. I hoped she wasn't getting addicted.

'So,' I said. 'What did you find out?'

'Yes, it was Martina.'

'Uh-huh.' I sipped my wine. 'So who put her up to it? Baucis give you any names?'

'Yes and no.' Perilla helped herself to one of the figs.

'Yes and no?' I set the cup down. 'Come on, Perilla! Don't fool around!'

'I'm not. Baucis said that at the beginning of the affair — or what must've been the beginning — Martina talked about a certain Mancus. Mancus, she said, would make her fortune.'