Poseidon s Gold

'It was not difficult,' Laurentius informed him laconically.

'Resourceful fellows!' smiled Petronius. This was all extremely civilised-and it did not help.

The centurion had enjoyed dodging but was not, in fact, trying to be difficult. 'The money we are trying to replace now we had gained on a previous flutter; it would have been doubled by another sale which Festus was hoping to make. I came to Rome to ascertain what happened about that second sale. If Festus went ahead, we're well in profit. If he didn't, we're back level; we'll just have to give it the gambler's shrug and start again.'

I felt obliged to intervene. 'You sound nicely philosophical! If that is your attitude, why was Censorinus so desperate when he tackled me?'

'It was different for him.'

'Why?'

Laurentius looked embarrassed. 'When he first came into the syndicate, he was only an optio-not one of us.'

The trooper Martinus was grimacing at Petro, not understanding the reference. Unlike us, he had never been in the army. Petro quietly explained to his man. 'An optio is a soldier who has been nominated as suitable for promotion to centurion, but who is still waiting for a vacancy. It can take a long time for one to come up. He spends the waiting period acting as second in command in the century-much like yourself.' There was a slight edge in Petro's voice. I knew he had long suspected that Martinus was trying to encroach on his position-though he did not think Martinus was a good enough officer to push him aside.

'I'd better come clean on the whole story,' said Laurentius. If he had noticed the personal atmosphere, it was one he understood.

'Clarification would be appreciated,' I agreed, as mildly as I could.

'A group of friends,' Laurentius explained, 'found the money for an investment-never mind how-' I avoided looking at Petronius; this was almost certainly a reference to raiding the legionary savings bank.

'Don't write this down,' Petronius instructed Martinus. Martinus awkwardly lowered his stylus.

'We made the investment successfully-'

'And I hope you replaced your capital?' Deliberately I let him know I had guessed where they had taken it from.

Laurentius smiled demurely. 'Relax. We did! Censorinus was not part of our syndicate then, incidentally. On that first scheme we made something like a quarter of a million profit, between ten of us. We were happy men, and Festus was already a hero in our eyes. There was no way to spend the money in the desert, so we sank it into another investment, knowing that if we came unstuck we could now just thank the Fates for being vindictive, and we'd lost nothing overall-though if we made our sale, we could all retire.'

'Censorinus then came in with you?'

'Yes. We had never talked about our winnings, but when people have a windfall word always gets out. Censorinus was already being considered as a candidate for promotion. He was becoming friendly with our group in anticipation of his co-option. Somehow he must have heard we were on to a good investment. He approached us, and asked to come in on it.'

Petro showed an interest: 'The rest of you were risking your profit-but he had to draw on his savings?'

'Must have,' shrugged Laurentius. Again he was revealing embarrassment. 'Obviously we expected him to match what we put into the kitty.' Since their kitty was founded on an illegal loan from the savings bank, this was wondrously unfair of them. They had pulled off a scam-and immediately overlooked their good fortune in getting away with it. 'Actually, I now realise he put in everything he had and then borrowed some, but at the time the rest of us were pretty offhand about where he was finding the cash.' Petro and I could imagine how cocky the others would have been; how insensitive to a newcomer. 'Look, there was no pressure on him to join us. It was his choice.'

'But when your project fell through it hit him much harder than the rest of you?' I asked.

'Yes. So that's why,' Laurentius said to me with a hint of apology, 'he did tend to become hysterical. He was a bit of a jumpy beggar anyway, in my opinion-' That was shorthand for saying Laurentius himself would not have promoted him. 'I'm sorry. With hindsight, I ought to have handled the whole thing myself.'

'It might have helped,' I said.

'Did he explain?'

'Not properly. He was very evasive.'

'People like to be suspicious,' Laurentius commented.

I drained my winecup with a wry smile. 'And your syndicate is suspicious of me?'

'Festus always said he had a very sharp brother.' That was news. I set the cup down again carefully. Laurentius murmured, 'Our second investment seems to be mislaid. We did wonder if it might have been found by you?'

'I don't even know what it is,' I corrected him gently-although by then I thought I did know.

'It's a statue.'

' Not the drowned Poseidon?' asked Petronius. His man Martinus made a jump towards his stylus again, but Petro's great paw clamped over his wrist.

'No, not the Poseidon.' Laurentius was watching me. I think he was still wondering whether I might have found this second piece, perhaps when Festus died.

Meanwhile I myself was wondering if Festus had disposed of it deliberately, and diddled his mates.

'Everyone's keeping secrets!' I told the centurion levelly. 'You'll be glad to hear I live in squalor. The watch captain will assure you I'm not soaking in luxury with profits that should have been yours.'

'He lives in a pit!' Petro grinned, confirming it.

'This special item seems to be lost,' I said. 'I searched my brother's property after he died, and I've looked in his store since, but I haven't found your treasure. My father, who was my brother's business partner, never heard tell of a second statue. And as far as we can see, even the agent Festus was using for your business never knew it existed.'

'Festus thought the agent was an idiot.'

I was pleased to hear that. I thought so too. 'So where did this statue come from?'

'The same island as the other,' said Laurentius. 'When Festus went to Greece to inspect the Poseidon, he found out that the temple actually owned two they might sell.' I could imagine my brother giving Orontes the slip, and getting talking to the priests on his own. Festus never took agents on trust. His winning style could easily have uncovered further information that the sellers had withheld from Orontes, who lacked all my brother's charm, as I knew well. 'We only had enough cash to buy the Poseidon at first. We had to sell on-'

'To Carus and Servia?'

'Those were the names. What we got from them replaced our original stake money, and enabled your brother to go back to Greece with our profit-'

'But without Orontes?'

'Without Orontes.'

'And he bought?'

Laurentius smiled with resignation. 'That time he bought a Zeus.'

LVIII

Later the same day, for the first time in history, my father had himself brought over to Fountain Court. When he arrived Helena was wrapped in a blanket, reading, while I scrubbed a bucket of mussels. He expected her to vanish so we could enjoy a manly chat, as happens in normal households, but she waved to him graciously and stayed where she was. He then expected me to shove the bucket away shyly under the table, but I carried on.

'Gods! I'm killed by the stairs: She's got you hard at it then?'

'This is how we live. No one asked you to turn up and criticise.'

'Marcus is the cook,' said Helena. 'He likes to feel he's supervising my domestic education. But I would be allowed to make you some hot honey if you want?'

'Got any wine?'

'Only for those who are stopping to dinner,' I snapped. My father was incorrigible. 'We're nearly out. I can't feed casual inebriates; I want it for the sauce.'