Rosemary Rowe - The Chariots of Calyx

Pertinax nodded thoughtfully. ‘Those two ruffians he captured are both dead. One of them never recovered from his injury, and the other was cut down trying to escape. A pity. We shall get nothing from them now.’

The words reminded me so forcefully of my own experience that for a moment I felt quite faint again. ‘What about Glaucus, Excellence? He was the one who tortured me. Have you captured him?’

The governor shook his head. ‘Unfortunately not. I sent troops to arrest him at the factio — Junio said he was connected with the team — but I think he found out somehow we were after him. I’ve left a guard on the building where they held you, but he has not been back. He seems to have disappeared from the city without trace and taken Fortunatus with him.’

Something half heard drifted back to me. I hoisted myself higher on my pillows and tried to look intelligent. ‘I think you will find them at Camulodunum next week,’ I said.

Pertinax looked doubtful. ‘I thought that Fortunatus was injured — or pretending to be.’

‘He will be racing,’ I said, with sudden certainty. ‘No doubt he will grow a beard and dye his hair and be registered at the course under some other name, or perhaps he will just make a last-minute recovery, but he will race, I’m sure. Just as I’m sure that Citus, the Reds’ new wonder horse, will mysteriously go lame, unless a careful watch is kept on his stable.’

‘Glaucus told you this?’

‘Not in so many words, Excellence. He was talking to his guards and he thought I was unconscious, as I nearly was. But that is what will happen, I’d put money on it. As I’m sure that Glaucus and his team already have.’ I handed my empty cup to Junio, who refilled it instantly. ‘As for Fortunatus, I have not seen the man, but I am almost certain that he feigned that accident at Verulamium. And the team coach knew it, too. Someone paid them handsomely for that — Glaucus himself, no doubt.’ My brain seemed to be functioning, if nothing else was. ‘He does more than run the team’s finances, Excellence: I think he runs a private gambling syndicate — and tries to improve his chances by ensuring the result.’

Pertinax looked grave. Both of these things were crimes, with serious penalties. ‘You think the whole Blue factio are involved in this?’

‘I doubt that very much. The fewer people involved, the greater the share of the profits and the less chance of someone betraying the rest to the authorities. But there is a lot of money in this, Excellence. Glaucus talked of making thousands from one race — and that was for each of them!’

‘Could he be sure of that?’

‘I think he could. All the money was on the Blues at Verulamium — so anyone who bet against them stood to win handsomely. At Camulodunum the opposite applies. The Reds are clearly favourites there, with Fortunatus hurt — and they have their wonderful new horse as well. Of course, Glaucus plans to tamper with the horse, just to make sure. Hardly anyone will be betting on the Blues at that meeting — their substitute driver is virtually unknown. So Glaucus will wager for the Blue team at the course and get attractive odds. Meantime, his illegal syndicate will privately take huge bets for the Reds. Both ways, they win.’

I turned myself tentatively on the bed, and tried to sit upright. My chest protested violently, but otherwise I seemed to be in working order. Pertinax watched me anxiously.

‘Thousands upon thousands of denarii — certainly enough to kill men for. You think they murdered Monnius?’ he said.

‘Perhaps they did not kill him, Excellence; they were at Verulamium. But there is some connection, I am sure. Everyone jumped like guilty fleas as soon as I mentioned his name.’

‘We shall find out,’ Pertinax said grimly, ‘when we get our hands on Glaucus. And we will. I’ll send a messenger to every legion and garrison in the province. He won’t get far. A racing fraud — the soldiers won’t think much of that. They’ll bring him in, if he is anywhere to be found. And when they do he’ll wish he’d shown a little more respect for my warrant. As for Fortunatus, if you are right we can pick him up at the race.’

‘If you time it carefully, Excellence, you could catch them in the act. Trying to get to Citus, for example. Otherwise all this might be difficult to prove. The attack on me is a different matter. I could testify to that — but there is no proof that anyone other than Glaucus was involved. And if we can’t find him, I can’t bring a charge. Now, if you will permit it, Excellence, I should like to try to stand on my feet again.’ It would not have been polite to make the attempt without his agreement.

He gave it readily, but was gratifyingly anxious for my strength. I lowered an exploratory foot to the floor. The world had not come apart, I discovered, and I cautiously allowed my second foot to follow the first.

‘Men who have been in slavery develop fortitude,’ I said, as Junio knelt to fasten on my sandals.

Pertinax nodded. I reached out a hand to Junio and another slave also came forward to assist me. Leaning heavily on their shoulders, I forced myself upright. The room swam, but I steadied myself and I was standing, rocky but vertical.

Pertinax smiled grimly. ‘You are a stubborn man, Libertus. In the circumstances, I have news for you. At first I thought you were not well enough to hear it. But since I find you determined to get up. .’

I sat down again. ‘More trouble, Excellence?’

He laughed softly. ‘Some men might think so, though after what you have been through it seems trivial enough. Annia Augusta is here. She has been asking to see you — if “ask” is the appropriate word. I sent to tell her that you’d been badly hurt, but she only insisted all the more. She has a sovereign remedy for burns, she says, and now she has sent back to the house for that. She was not content to send a message to you, either — she insists on seeing you in person. She is outside now, in my reception room, no doubt terrorising the servants. I would have sent her away but she is a determined woman. She threatened to create a disturbance in the street and I believed her.’

I found myself frowning. What possible circumstance could drive Annia Augusta — a mother in mourning for her son — to abandon her home and come storming to the governor’s palace in search of me? She was in danger of undoing all the purification rites for the funeral. What did she want to tell me which one of her household servants could not have come and told me just as well?

I asked, ‘Has Caius Monnius been cremated yet?’

Pertinax looked surprised. ‘I believe the funeral is scheduled for tonight. I suppose I shall be expected to attend, or at least to send a representative. .’ He stopped. ‘I see! She has left the house, so the matter must be serious. Nevertheless, citizen, I can have her sent away. You have been injured.’

I shook my head. ‘As you say, Mightiness, Annia Augusta is formidable, but after Glaucus. .’ I let the sentence hang unfinished in the air. ‘Perhaps a little sustenance, and then I will see the lady — and her remedies.’

‘My dear friend, of course. It shall be done at once. I have ordered something for you on the instructions of the medicus . It should be ready for you now.’ Pertinax clapped his hands and a servant scampered off to the kitchens at once, to reappear a moment later with a tray. It was the sort of soft food I have seen served to invalids — eggs whisked and cooked with herbs, barley gruel, hot milk and honey.

The governor made his farewells — ‘I am leaving some of my servants with you as well as your own slave. If there is anything you require, you have only to ask for it’ — and I was left to enjoy my nursery meal in peace.