‘I suppose he knows which ones not to search too carefully,’ Magnus commented as he and Marius watched the centurion point to a cart loaded with leather buckets. ‘Mind you, I imagine our order is already through.’
Marius yawned and grunted something unintelligible but to the affirmative. They stood beneath an arch of the Appian Aqueduct where it crossed from the Caelian Hill to the Aventine, running within the Servian Walls.
Magnus nudged his brother with the amphora he carried. ‘Try and keep awake; you’re not going to be much good at playing your part if you’re continually dropping off and starting to snore.’
‘Sorry, Magnus. I didn’t get much sleep tonight or the night before either, what with the poker work and then getting rid of the body and all.’
‘Yeah, well, everyone has to work hard sometimes and our business is no exception. Now, keep your eyes open and look for Tatianus.’
‘Right you are, Magnus,’ Marius said, repressing another yawn and blinking.
Even Magnus was struggling to stay awake by the time the sun had risen for an hour and its rays had begun to penetrate down into the busy thoroughfares, lanes and alleyways of Rome, but his vigilance was rewarded by the sight of a tall man surrounded by four bodyguards.
‘That’s him, brother,’ Magnus hissed, nudging Marius again and jolting him from semi-consciousness. ‘Come on.’
They nipped out from under their archway and jogged up to the well so that they arrived just before Tatianus. The crowd had died down to only two or three deep by this time as most of the worshippers who wanted to take advantage of the god’s beneficence but not lose any working time by doing so had now departed, leaving the well clearer for the devotees of Mercury who, perhaps, took a slightly less mercenary attitude to the festival.
‘We could really do with the god’s help for our business this year, eh, Marius?’ Magnus said in a loud voice.
Marius looked at him bleary-eyed. ‘What?’
Magnus gestured at his brother and made encouraging movements with his eyebrows as Tatianus stopped just behind them to wait his turn.
Marius finally took the hint. ‘Oh, right. Er … Yes, Magnus, we could really do with all the help that Mercury can give us this year, what with having all that money stolen the other night. Do you think it was Sempronius?’
Magnus nodded with exaggeration, his face turned to Marius so that it was in profile to Tatianus behind him. ‘The patronus of the West Viminal Brotherhood? Definitely, brother; he heard what we were trying to buy and wanted it for himself. He hopes that having stolen the money from us we wouldn’t be able to raise enough at short notice to replace it.’
‘And can we?’ Marius asked as they shuffled forward.
‘It’s not looking good, brother. The Cloelius Brothers’ banking business in the Forum refused me a loan yesterday and the rest of the brotherhood’s cash is tied up at the moment. I’ll have to go to Tatianus and ask him as a favour to hold onto our item for a day or so.’ Magnus got to the well and handed the amphora to Marius who held it steady as Magnus took the draw-bucket and slopped water into it.
‘Do you think that he’ll do it?’
‘He might, seeing as I don’t suppose many people would want to buy what we’ve ordered for the price that we’re prepared to pay for it, that is; except, perhaps, Sempronius, who would do it just to spite me and enjoy watching me lose my deposit and spending the money he stole from me on an item that I was going to pay for with it.’
‘That would be nasty.’
Magnus jammed the stopper into the amphora. ‘It would, brother; but highly unlikely. How would Tatianus ever make that connection? After all, he ain’t that bright.’
‘That’s what I heard too,’ Marius agreed as they moved off, restraining themselves from looking back at Tatianus and enjoying what they both imagined would be a look of deep outrage on the middle-man’s face.
The sudden blare of horns cut across the general chatter at the well. Magnus looked towards their source at the Capena Gate to see the upheld axes wrapped in rods, the fasces, which were borne by lictors. Someone important was coming through the gate.
‘Let’s get out of here before we’re obliged to stay and applaud whoever it is,’ Magnus said. ‘I never like being too close to anyone with lictors, just in case I get noticed and come under strong scrutiny.’
Marius nodded and rested the amphora on his shoulders. ‘I quite agree, brother; besides I’m curious as to whether Servius has found out anything about the contents of that jar.’
They turned away from the incoming dignitary and stopped abruptly.
‘Ah, Magnus, how nice to see you.’ The voice was smooth and affable and laced with genuine pleasure.
Magnus feigned surprise. ‘Tatianus! I’d have thought that you were far too busy to have time to come to festivals like this.’
Tatianus was all smiles and teeth. ‘On the contrary, my dear Magnus, I am very fastidious in my worship of all the gods, especially Mercury. I always ask him to hold his hands over my business and I’m usually rewarded for my piety; in fact he has helped me already today.’
‘I’m very pleased to hear it, Tatianus. As a fellow devotee of Mercury it does me good to see that he bestows his favour on such a deserving gentleman of business.’
‘Indeed. I look forward to seeing you at the third hour so that we can conclude our deal on such an auspicious day.’
Magnus sucked his teeth. ‘Ah, Tatianus, there’s a bit of a problem there. I stupidly didn’t take up your kind offer to look after my money in your strongroom the other night and, unfortunately, it was stolen on the way home.’
Tatianus’ expression of concern would have done credit to the most practised dissembler. ‘I’m so sorry to hear that, Magnus; how awful for you.’
‘Yeah, well, it’s my fault. So I was wondering if you would give me a little time to raise the money?’
‘I don’t normally discuss business outside my study, Magnus, but as it is Mercury’s day and seeing as he has already favoured me I shall make this an exception. Come tomorrow.’
Magnus’ look of gratitude was deep and filled with relief. ‘Thank you, Tatianus.’
‘Don’t mention it, Magnus, my friend.’ With a hearty slap on the shoulder, Tatianus moved on as from the gates came the first shouts of ‘Hail Divine Caesar!’
‘Shit!’ Magnus spat as he turned towards the gate. ‘If that’s the Emperor we’d better stay and cheer him; nasty things can happen to people seen walking away from Caligula. Besides, he did save my life once by stopping Tiberius hurling me off a cliff in Capreae.’
‘How did that come about, brother?’ Marius asked as a litter, high and wide and borne by sixteen slaves, four at each corner, came through the gate. Bearded Germans of the imperial bodyguard lurched to either side of the litter, preventing any of the cheering citizenry from getting too close to their master to whom they showed complete devotion.