Rosemary Rowe - A Coin for the Ferryman

He looked up and saw me, and jumped to his feet. He had been crouching by the stranger, near the hearth. He came across and seized me warmly by the arm. ‘Father, at last. We’ve found that man for you!’

‘Man?’ I was bewildered.

‘The farmer in the cart. You went to the villa gate to keep a watch for him, and said that you’d be looking for him on the way to town. Well — we saw him passing, or rather Mother did, and she persuaded him to come and wait for you in here. It wasn’t easy — he wanted to get home — but you know what Mother’s like. She charmed him into it.’

I did know what Gwellia was like, indeed, and I was ashamed of my reaction when I first walked in. I might have known my family would find some way to help. I nodded and went over to stand beside the fire. My wife, who had been stirring something in a pot, looked up and saw me and greeted me at once.

‘Husband! This is the farmer from the uplands that you were looking for. He knows Morella — he was just telling us.’ She gave him an understanding smile. ‘I have explained that her parents have been to see us here, and that you were trying to find news of her.’

‘That’s right.’ His mouth was full of something, but he gestured with his hands. He was just as Niveus had painted him, thin and ancient and not altogether clean. He spoke reasonable Latin, with a heavy burr. ‘Knew her well, I did — poor little lass. Your wife assures me that you only want to help, and you are worried for her safety, so I’ll tell you what I know. I don’t want to get her into trouble with her father, though — if he lays hands on her he’ll beat her black and blue.’

I closed my eyes, thinking of a wretched naked body in the common pit. ‘He won’t hurt her any further. I can promise that.’

‘Well then.’ He took another bite of something in his hand. ‘What can I tell you? Last time I saw her she was looking happier — better than I’ve ever seen her in my life. Turned out nicely, too — new clothes and everything. Little bit skimpy round the top, perhaps, but she looked quite good in it.’

‘And she had a bundle with her, of her other clothes?’

He spluttered crumbs at me. ‘That she didn’t, mister. Nothing of the kind. Just a pair of sandals hanging round her neck — tied up by their laces, though they looked too big for her.’ He gave a barking laugh. ‘Had her hands full, just holding on to that dratted animal — couldn’t even let him go to wave goodbye to me. She wasn’t holding bundles! I’m quite sure of that.’

‘She had the dog with her?’ Suddenly I wasn’t making any sense of this.

‘Dog? Course she didn’t. I’m talking about the horse. Lovely animal. Must have cost a fortune, if I am any judge, and good-tempered too, judging by the way she was clinging to the mane. And she didn’t really have to; the chap was holding her.’

‘The chap?’ I remembered the descriptions that I’d heard of Hirsius. ‘Big fellow, was he, with sandy-coloured hair? Wore an olive-coloured tunic and a cloak to match?’

He nodded sagely. ‘That’s the very one. Didn’t look too pleased when she called out to me — I suppose he was afraid he’d have her father after him. But if he makes her happy, who am I to grudge? Time that poor creature had a bit of happiness.’

‘What did she say, exactly? Can you recall her words?’

‘Said to tell her parents that she had run away. Gone to join the entertainment troupe and work with animals. I said I saw she had got some pretty clothes, and she said that she was going to have some others by and by, and another pair of sandals that would be a better fit. “The other fellow’s got them in his bag,” she said, “but he couldn’t stop to sort them out just now. He’s got to ride the hard way as it is, along the lane, to catch up with the carts before they reach the town. He’s got all the costumes and the wigs with him. You better not go down that way along the lane,” she said, “because he’s still there changing his costume for the act and he hasn’t even got his tunic on. I would have walked right into him and seen his you know what, if my friend hadn’t stopped me in time! And wouldn’t that have been embarrassing.” And then she giggled — you know what she was like. Or, pardon, citizen, probably you don’t.’

I thought about that dreadful mutilated corpse. That, surely, was what she had been prevented from looking at? ‘And what did her companion have to say to that?’

‘He got quite cross with her and told her not to talk. Said they had to hurry, because the cart was up ahead and they had a lot of things to do before they caught it up. That made her giggle — I wondered what he meant.’ He cocked an eye at me. ‘She was a bit given to that sort of thing, if you know what I mean. Didn’t have much affection from her father, I suppose, and wanted to find it any way she could. I didn’t mind her, though she wasn’t very bright — though I wouldn’t have liked my sons to want to marry her.’

‘And you are sure she wasn’t carrying a bundle at the time?’

‘Positive! The fellow had a sack behind him on the horse, an enormous one all tied up with a string — but there was nothing in it. I asked where they were heading, but he didn’t answer me, just turned and galloped off. Morella was clinging on for dear life all the time, and laughing like an idiot — that’s the last I saw of her.’

‘You’d be prepared to swear this, if I asked it? You can’t hurt Morella — I’m afraid she’s dead. I’m just anxious to bring the murderer to account for her death.’

His face had fallen. ‘Dead? You’re sure of that? But she seemed so jubilant. .’

‘Then remember her like that. It may have been the happiest moment of her life. But your story — I can rely on you for that?’

He nodded glumly. ‘If you have to, I suppose. I’ll have her father setting that wretched dog on me and claiming that I ought to have said something earlier. I did give him the message, but he didn’t seem to care. More worried that he’d lose a wealthy son-in-law than interested in his daughter, it appeared. So I didn’t say too much — I didn’t want him catching up with her.’ He got up abruptly. ‘Now, you know where to find me. I’ve told you what I know. With your permission, I’ll be heading home.’

‘Of course!’ Gwellia was already bringing him his cloak. ‘Your wife will be half frantic about you as it is. And you have been very helpful — my husband won’t forget.’

He turned to her, his withered face alight. ‘It’s been a pleasure, lady. He is a lucky man. Now, if I could have a servant to help me with my cart? I’ve left it at the corner, at the junction with the lane — the very spot where I saw Morella and the horseman, that day. But I’ve unhitched the horse, and I will have to harness it up again.’

‘I’ll take you to the slave hut and find a boy for you,’ Gwellia said grandly, as if we kept a horde of servants in the room next door. She took a candle and led the way for him.

Junio was squatting beside me in a trice. ‘You’ve discovered something, master. I know that tone of voice. And Minimus told us you’d found the tunic on the stall, and had gone off to see the dancing girls. What have you been doing since he saw you last?’

I told him, as briefly as I could. After a moment, Gwellia came in, and stood behind us, listening carefully as well. When I had finished she sat down by the fire.

‘So Hirsius killed Morella and left her by the road, hoping the Silurians would get the blame for it? Do you think he really hid the tunic in the hedge?’

‘It rather looks like it. After all, it was conspicuous. Even that farmer commented on it. Together with the sandals that Morella had? Now where on earth had they acquired those?’ She stopped and stared at me. ‘Oh, of course — there must have been that other body, lying in the lane.’