Felix’s heart beat faster and he began to feel hot. He’d hoped to grill Antonina but now he was the one on the grill.
“What about the dead man in your courtyard?” Antonina pressed on. “Who was he? Didn’t you recognize him?”
“No. Or do you suppose I was lying to Anastasia about that?”
“You must have seen the man at the palace, Felix. He was an aristocrat, I understand.”
“What does it matter to you who he was? Or what I know?”
She reached out and playfully tugged his beard. “I am a curious person, Felix. You know that. I don’t like secrets, unless I share in them.”
“Any secrets I might have to share, Anastasia has already shared with you, or so it appears.”
Antonina sighed. “I would be less than honest if I didn’t admit to you that I also wondered if there was a connection between the demons that Tychon thought were pursuing him and those reputed to have stolen the shroud. So you can’t tell me where these fiends went, or who the courier was, or why the relic was stolen or who stole it?”
“I wish I could. I would already have told the emperor.”
“Tychon was not the most honest of servants. I would hate to think he became involved in anything illegal. And I would not want anyone to suspect me of wrongdoing because of the actions of a thieving servant.”
“I can assure you, Antonina, I never suspected you of anything.”
“What a bad liar you are, Felix. Do you want me to arrange for that horse now? There is still time to slip out of the city before the sun rises. I would hate for you to be arrested. Anastasia is upset as it is with her sister’s death. I will send some of my servants as an armed escort, for your safety.”
Felix got to his feet. If he took her offer, would he make it as far as the city gates? He doubted it. “I appreciate your concern for myself and Anastasia, however my investigation isn’t done yet.”
Whether Antonina would have called her guards to stop him from leaving, Felix never knew. At that moment Fate intervened, in the form of an ape bounding into the room.
No, a demon, shouting weird incantations, waving a necklace in one hand, a wet sack in the other.
Antonina screamed for her guards.
The creature scuttled toward the painted empress. “I command you, Theodora, in the name of all the frogs of Heqt, to step down and obey!” it cried.
The invader stopped dead, its nose practically touching Theodora’s garments. The thing’s fish-like mouth puffed in and out, revealing jagged teeth. A finger poked at the painted plaster. There was nothing in the least magickal about the next words to issue from the puckered mouth.
Dedi pivoted and sprinted out of the room, straight past the sword-wielding guard who rushed in.
“Never mind that one!” Antonina shrieked. “It’s this man who attacked me!”
Felix had taken a step toward the door.
The guard raised his sword and rushed forward.
And crashed to the floor.
Felix stumbled over the prone body. Slipping and skittering, almost losing his balance, he flung himself into the hallway and stumbled after the nightmarish creature, whatever it was.
He didn’t pause to scrape the squashed frogs from the slippery soles of his boots.
Frogs!
The demonic creature had emptied frogs out of its sack, before chanting incantations at Theodora’s picture.
In his excitement, Felix hadn’t put things together instantly. Racing through the darkened back garden he realized he was on the heels of whoever, or whatever, had invaded the empress’ mausoleum.
The guard slumped beside the back gate looked up groggily, as if drugged, as Felix pounded past and into the street.
He had been steadily gaining on his prey as they fled Antonina’s property. Now it took him only a few more strides to catch up. He grabbed the back of the small figure’s tunic and pulled it to the pavement.
Half afraid he might find himself face to face with a demon, he forced the thing to face him.
“Dedi!” He recognized Theodora’s Egyptian magician from performances at court. “You have some questions to answer. You’re coming with me.”
“Where are we going?” gasped the little man.
That was a good question. But there wasn’t time to waste. Antonina’s guards would be after them soon. What choice did he have but to trust Anastasia, for better or for worse?
Felix yanked Dedi to his feet and began dragging him along the street. “We’re going to see a bear-keeper.”
DAY EIGHT
Chapter Fifty-three
Maria flung a bucketful of dead rats over the railing into the bear pit. The bear reared up on its hind legs and batted at the falling rodents, its monstrous head looming so near Felix felt the animal’s humid breath. He could make out a crescent shaped white patch on the creature’s chest.
The pit looked dangerously shallow. Felix glanced nervously toward the gate at the top of the ramp descending into the well-like concrete hole, reassuring himself it was securely chained shut.
“Hercules does love his rats.” Maria was a ponderous ruin of a woman, her face wattled and wrinkled as if it had come partly loose from her skull. She had succeeded her long dead husband as bear-keeper. “Now then, sirs, since I have served Hercules, how may I serve you?”
“We need a place to stay for a while,” Felix told her.
Maria examined him suspiciously. “Is that so? I wouldn’t think this would be a suitable place to stay for a gentleman such as yourself, sir. As for your servant…” She peered at the magician with a mixture of distaste and horror.
“We both need lodgings.” He handed her the copper ring. “Anastasia said if I showed you this ring, you would assist us.”
Again Felix was beginning to have his doubts about this arrangement. Even if the old woman were trustworthy, what about all the people in the Hippodrome he had asked directions from? Would they remember him asking the whereabouts of Maria the bear-keeper if questioned?
Maria drew the ring up close to her eyes. “Praise be! I always told the dear little sisters they could count on Maria, but now they are of high rank I never imagined any of them would ever need the help of a poor woman like me.” She wiped at the tears suddenly running down her wrinkled cheeks. “To think, little Anastasia remembers old Maria. A fine lady like her and the sister of an empress.”
Remembered you when you could be of some use, Felix almost said, then chided himself for being unfair to Anastasia. Maria appeared to be genuinely moved. Nothing in her demeanor suggested that Anastasia had sent Felix into a trap.
“Come along then.” Maria turned and waddled away. “You can stay with me for as long as you wish.”
Felix followed, Dedi at his heels.
The clammy air was disturbed by the occasional freezing draught slithering along the concrete floor.
He expected Antonina’s guards to suddenly come running into the subbasement. After all, Antonina’s house was practically next to the Hippodrome. The sun had long since risen. The guards must be scouring the area.
They passed several pits similar to that occupied by Hercules. He heard a cacophony of scrabbling, roars, hisses, grunts, growls. At one point he shuddered at what sounded like the dolorous cry of a distressed infant. Animal odors rose from the pits, each different yet equally foul. Who could say what beasts were confined in those noisome holes?
The trio passed by a wall into which were built cages with iron bars. Grotesque shadows shifted in the dark corners of the barred dens. Felix made no attempt to look inside. He knew there was nothing here but the common animals which regularly performed or were displayed at the Hippodrome.
After what felt like a long time but probably wasn’t, Maria said, “Here we are.”
Where they were appeared to be a heap of planks, bricks, broken masonry, and even pieces of carts piled in a corner of the subbasement. Maria invited them to step through the doorway that opened, incongruously, into the pile.