Germanicus

'Perhaps Vonones had other reasons for hope besides Piso.'

'Yeah. Yeah, that's what I was thinking.' I looked out of the carriage window. The streets were full of people and almost as bright as day: unlike Rome, most of Antioch doesn't sleep at night. There's even public street lighting in the centre, and most private houses burn torches outside their front doors. 'Maybe we should find out more about that angle.'

Perilla was quiet for a bit. Then she said: 'Vonones had a house here, didn't he?'

'Presumably.'

'So if we could find where it was then perhaps there might be a servant or two we could talk to.'

'Unless he took them with him to Cilicia.'

'It's still a possibility.'

'Of course it is.' I put my arm round her shoulders. 'Critias would know. And it'd cause fewer waves if we started at the bottom of the scale. Slaves tend to pick up loose gossip, and they see who comes and goes. Yeah, good idea.'

'There's another thing, Marcus.' Perilla was hesitant. 'Sulpicia was telling me the Roman wives meet at the Residence every afternoon. It appears that I will be very welcome if I want to attend.'

'Hey!' I let go and beamed at her. 'That's great!' Never underestimate a diplomatic honey-wine-and-cake klatsch. These harpies run the empire, and what they don't know about what goes on in the sticky corridors of power you could write on a sandal strap and forget about. 'You said you'd go?'

'Not in so many words,' Perilla said primly. 'No.'

'Why the hell not?'

'Marcus, I like Sulpicia, but these women's groups are dreadful. Yes, of course I'll go, because it could be useful. But I'm not looking forward to it.'

'Yeah. I can imagine.' I grinned. 'You'll survive.'

'Physically, yes. Mentally and intellectually I'm not so sure.'

I kissed her. 'Be careful, though, right? It cuts both ways. One gets you ten that right now Marsus is warning Sulpicia to keep her mouth stitched. You start asking the other wives pointed questions and it'll get back. We may find ourselves on a boat out of here before you've baked your first cake.'

'I'm not altogether gormless, dear. Not yet, anyway.'

'I know that, lady.' I settled back against the cushions. 'There's another thing that puzzles me.'

'What's that?'

'When we had our little heart-to-heart Marsus said as far as Piso and Germanicus were concerned the case was closed. Closed, locked and barred. That suggest anything to you?'

'An interesting choice of words.'

'Yeah. Very interesting. As if there's an official cover-up going on.'

'But we know there is! Piso…'

'Not just Piso. Piso, Germanicus and Vonones. All three of them, bracketed together. Like that's how they belonged.'

'Mmm.' She looked thoughtful. 'Yes. Yes, that is interesting.'

'There's something else as well. I asked Marsus straight out why Piso should have Vonones killed. Sure, I was shooting the wind, but with Marsus's cousin being sent specially and just happening also to be the arresting officer it was a fair assumption. Especially since one of Fronto's troop took it on himself to stab the guy.'

'You think the man was acting under orders?'

'You have a better explanation?' She was silent. 'Squaddies don't do that sort of thing, Perilla. Not off their own bats. Anyhow, Marsus's reaction was interesting. He laughed. Like he was expecting something different and I'd got hold of the wrong end of the stick. So maybe I had.'

'Meaning?'

'Meaning someone else was responsible.' I paused. 'Germanicus himself, maybe.'

Perilla sat up. 'That's nonsense. Why should Germanicus want Vonones dead?'

'Search me. It's only an idea.'

'Vonones was a spent coin. The new Armenian king was Germanicus's own appointee, and he'd been moved to Cilicia at the Parthians' request. He had no power or importance any more whatsoever.'

'Yeah, I know. That's what's worrying me. There is no reason, or none that I can see. Piso I could understand. If he'd been taking bribes he might well want Vonones's mouth shut permanently. But spent coin or not Vonones was a genuine Parthian royal, and it was in Germanicus's interests to keep him alive. But if Piso didn't have him chopped then Germanicus is the obvious bet.' The carriage slowed: we were turning into our own street. 'Ah, leave it for tonight. Big day tomorrow. Governor's party. And you've got your first women's social to look forward to.'

'That is not even remotely funny.'

'Come on, lady! Diplomats' wives can't be all that bad.'

I never thought I'd hear Perilla swear.

Critias was waiting up for us.

'You had a pleasant evening, lord?' he said as he took our cloaks.

'Yeah, it was okay. How've things been here? All quiet in the kitchen?'

'Yes, lord. When I called in the chefs were exchanging tunny-fish recipes.'

'That's great.' I stripped off my mantle and handed it over. 'Any other news?'

'Your slave arrived from Seleucia with the baggage.'

'Fine.' I headed for the stairs. 'Hey, by the way, Critias, you ever hear of a guy called Vonones?'

'Of course. The Parthian gentleman.'

'You happen to know where he lived?'

'Not far from here. Near the small shrine of Pan, down from the Iron Gates.'

'Uh-huh. Any of his servants still around?'

'Not in the house itself, lord, no. But I understand his coachman was bought by a neighbour. A gentleman by the name of Apollonius.'

'He the guy who was involved in the knife fight? The coachman, I mean?'

'Indeed. Rather an irascible fellow. A Cretan.' Critias sniffed. 'His name is Giton, if I remember correctly.'

The Antioch slave grapevine was obviously as good as the Roman one. I'd been counting on that, and it was good to know.

'Thanks, Critias. You're a gem.'

'Thank you, lord.'

So. I followed Perilla upstairs. We were doing okay for leads so far, and if I could get this Giton character into a quiet corner alone for ten minutes there might be more. Certainly Vonones was important. And if the guy was a spent coin like Perilla had said then that was curious. Then there was the question of Germanicus…

'Marcus?'

'Yeah, Perilla?'

She was inside the bedroom.

'Quickly, Marcus! Please!'

There was something wrong about her voice. I took the last four steps at a run and burst through the door, my heart thudding. Perilla was standing staring at the bed, her hand pressed to her mouth…

A huge spider leered up at us from the bedspread. And if there's one thing Perilla can't stand it's spiders.

Panic over. Ah, well, it was better than having to face Rufus. I frog-marched the eight-legged bastard to the door and made sure he left peaceably.

27

While Perilla was at her cake klatsch I took a walk up towards the Iron Gates to see if I could find Apollonius's place. No problems: the fruit juice seller I asked was parked less than a dozen yards away, and he pointed it out to me.

The coaches — Apollonius must've been loaded, because he had five, different sizes — were in the stables round the side of the house. Giton, if he was around, would be there too. Sure, I could've knocked on the front door but I didn't want to do that: a strange Roman turning up on the doorstep and asking to speak to the family coachman might've raised a few eyebrows. Set a few tongues wagging, too. So it had to be the stables.

Loaded is right. The horseflesh that eyed me over the cutaway doors would've made the Greens back home curl up and die with shame. And you ain't never been sneered at until you've been sneered at by something with two clear yards separating its hooves from its ears. Still, horses are okay if you take the time to get to know them. By the time I'd scratched a few noses we were old friends.