At last Marcus spoke. ‘I fear for that man, Libertus. He is crazed with grief. Cursing at Felix in that vicious way when this catastrophe has occurred beneath his roof.’
I nodded. ‘It seems unwise of him,’ I said carefully. ‘The Emperor will have paid ears and eyes everywhere.’
‘Precisely.’ Marcus stabbed the last morsel of fruit and swallowed it. ‘I am surprised. Gaius may be ineffectual, but he has always had a peculiarly shrewd instinct for keeping out of trouble. That’s why he was so successful in business. Now, though, he seems to have lost all care for his own safety. He is concerned only about his dog.’
I did not know Gaius well enough to comment, but it seemed the old man had been behaving uncharacteristically throughout this whole affair. And, I recollected suddenly, he had given Felix some kind of concoction the night before, claiming it was a remedy. I did not, however, remind Marcus of this. He would have insisted on taking the old man under guard immediately, with two effects: rumours of murder would be all over Glevum by nightfall and I would never get a chance to question Gaius myself.
I changed the subject. ‘I assume Zetso and Egobarbus have not been found, Excellence?’
‘Not yet been found,’ Marcus corrected me. ‘It can only be a matter of time. We have alerted the soldiers at the town gate since daybreak and no one answering to either description has been seen trying to leave the city. They are both distinctive enough, and last night the gates were shut. They must still be somewhere in Glevum. We shall find them.’ He looked at me sharply. ‘You think they are together?’
It was not an idea that had occurred to me. It should have done. ‘I suppose, Excellence. .’ I began, but Marcus was ahead of me.
‘You are very shrewd, Libertus. We should not have overlooked that possibility. If we are looking for a flamboyant dark-haired soldier and a red-headed Celt, we might overlook two drab dark-haired civilians in tunics — although that red moustache would be memorable enough in any context.’
‘Perhaps it is too memorable, Excellence,’ I said. ‘A moustache is not like a beard — an expert can remove it with two strokes of the blade. Yet it draws the eye. Without his plaid cloak and his moustache, can you recall what this so-called Egobarbus looked like?’
Marcus looked contemptuous for a moment. ‘Of course. He was. . he was. . he was red-headed and a little more than my height,’ he finished lamely. ‘Yes, my old friend, I do see what you mean. That description could fit a dozen strangers who come and go in the city every day. There are a lot of red-headed Silurians on the western borders.’ He gestured to the elderly attendant who had been hovering at the door awaiting instructions. ‘You! Find me a messenger. Someone fleet of foot. I want to send new orders to the gates.’
The slave vanished at once in search of an errand boy, and Marcus turned back to me. ‘And you, Libertus, what do you propose? I should like, if I can, to get to the bottom of this affair before news reaches the Emperor. I do not trust Perennis Felix, and we may be in murky waters.’ He wiped his knife-blade on the linen napkin and sheathed it again at his belt. ‘You have my permission to question anyone. Discreetly, of course, but if there is trouble you may refer them to me. I shall stay here, in case the guards manage to arrest Zetso, or that confounded Celt for that matter.’
‘Arrest them, Excellence? On what charge? With great respect, I must remind you that there is no public suggestion of a crime. Better, I think, to be seeking Zetso urgently simply to tell him of his master’s death; and the Celt too. Felix had important business with him, I heard him say so. More than one person left the feast early and we do not want to suggest that there is anything suspicious about the death. Rumour would reach the Emperor.’
Marcus had been looking rather sullen but that remark roused him, as I hoped it would. ‘Dear Jupiter, greatest and best! We cannot allow that. Yes, you are right. My words were ill-considered. Of course they will not be arrested — merely brought here to be informed of the news, and to perform appropriate mourning.’ He got to his feet. ‘Now, where will you begin? In the forum perhaps, to see what can be learned?’
I was being dismissed. I said, carefully, ‘I think, Excellence, I would prefer to begin in the house. I have already sent Junio to ask questions in the town.’
Marcus waved a vague hand. ‘Whatever you wish. Although I doubt that you will learn anything. Gaius and I have already spoken to the servants. Zetso went out during the entertainments saying his master had sent him, and nobody saw Egobarbus after the death. However, you are welcome to try. Once I have sent that message to the gates, I am going to the librarium, where Gaius has promised to furnish me with a slave and writing materials. I have letters to write.’
It was none of my business, but I asked, ‘To Pertinax?’
‘Of course.’ Marcus smiled. ‘And to my mother, too. Telling her that I have done her bidding at last, and found myself a wife.’
‘Speaking of that, Excellence,’ I said, ‘did you know that Felix’s daughter was in Glevum? Apparently she arrived too late to be admitted last night, and spent the night in a rooming house outside the walls.’
Marcus looked at me without interest. ‘More than that, she is here in this house. She arrived while I was lamenting by the body. She had not heard of her father’s death, and had to be given a glass of strong wine and helped upstairs to lie down. When she is recovered, she will change into mourning clothes and come to make her own lament.’
So, I thought, Octavius had not managed to find her. ‘Then you have not spoken to her yourself?’
Marcus shook his head irritably. ‘No. I believe Gaius received her. Of course, it will be a double blow to her — finding she has lost her prospective husband as well as her father.’
I thought of what Octavius had said. It was possible that Phyllidia would be consolable — on both counts. It would have been tactless, however, to say that to Marcus. Instead I took a deep breath and said simply, ‘Under whose jurisdiction will she be, Excellence, now that Felix is dead?’
It was daring. Marcus was clearly anxious to be gone. But it was a reasonable question. A woman, like a child, is not legally responsible for her own affairs: many women are wealthy and some effectively manage large estates, but they are still officially under the guardianship of a father or a husband or some other legally appointed male who can represent them in the courts. Marcus, for instance, was named Delicta’s guardian in her husband’s will.
I added, humbly, ‘I wondered if Felix had appointed someone for Phyllidia. You, perhaps, since he wished you to be her husband.’
Marcus gave me a startled look. ‘I have no idea. His will is presumably in Rome, so it will be some time before it can be read.’
I pressed my advantage. ‘In the meantime, who is to act for her? Both her parents are dead, and all her relatives were executed when the Prefect fell.’
He frowned. ‘I suppose, since she must have a guardian, we will have to ask the praetor to appoint one. It will have to be a senior magistrate in Glevum. Gaius perhaps, since this is his mansion — otherwise, I suppose, the duty would fall on me. Great Mars, Libertus, you do raise the most appalling ideas! Have you seen the girl? She is as plain as a sheep — and now, I suppose, it will be my duty to find her a husband.’
I thought of Octavius and smiled. ‘It is possible, Excellence, that I can help you there. The young man who visited me this morning is very anxious to wed her, plain as a sheep or not. He is not a rich man, but with her father’s death she does have a large dowry.’ Which her guardian would have temporary administration of, although I did not voice that.