Marilyn Todd - I, Claudia

‘She’s only a wh-wh-whore.’

The envoy had to lean forward to catch the words. ‘Claudia Seferius? Oh, Paternus, that was a very foolish thing to say. You can hear me, can’t you?’

Paternus nodded. His sight might be failing, his strength almost gone, but his hearing was intact, and the pain no less excruciating.

‘Take…the…dagger…out.’ It was his only hope now. Hasten his death, put an end to this agony. ‘P-please.’ Never before had he put so much of himself into one small word. The man would be inhuman to sit and watch him die like this! Paternus knew about the other murders. A quick thrust to the heart. Instant death. And if it wasn’t immediate-well, the moment the blade came out, it was all over and done with.

He heard the man suck his breath through his teeth. ‘Can’t do that, Paternus. Not when you’ve called the woman I love a whore.’

‘S-sorry. I’m s-sor-ry. D-didn’t m-mean it.’

The searing pain in his chest had spread to his head. ‘T-take the b-blade out. P-please!’

He could feel tears burning a path down his cheek. Surely no man, even this lunatic, could feel anything but pity now? A man crying and begging for his life? He realized he would never see his boys again. They’d grow to manhood and he wouldn’t be able to steer them through the pitfalls of adolescence, he wouldn’t be able to arrange decent marriages for them, he’d never know what it was like to play with his grandchildren.

‘See this, Paternus?’

In his closed dark world of pain, he managed to make out the glint of a blade. Mercy! He’d been released from his torture. Then his breath caught in his throat. This was a different, smaller blade. Used for cutting fruit.

‘Your heart’s in a different place from the others,’ the voice went on, calmly and pleasantly. ‘Divine intervention, don’t you see? You called her a whore, Paternus, and for that you must pay. Yes, indeed. You do know how, don’t you?’

Numbly the lawyer shook his head.

‘No? Come, come, think, man!’

But Paternus couldn’t think. Pain was searing every muscle, every sinew, every blood vessel. He squeezed his eyes tight with every agonizing wave-and then it dawned on him what this maniac meant to do.

‘ No! For gods’ sakes, man, no!’

He didn’t think he had the strength left to scream. In fact, he didn’t realize he had strength left at all until he felt the ice-cold metal brush against his cheek and the sound of inhuman laughter echo in his ears.

Callisunus was waiting for him in the underground temple of Consus, his florid cheeks redder than usual, the fury on his face etched deeper from the flickering torchlight. Orbilio wasn’t late for the appointment, far from it, yet he had a feeling that whatever was bothering Callisunus would be dumped upon his own shoulders as sure as the cock would crow in the morning and dogs would bark in the night. It was turning into that sort of a day.

His footsteps echoed in the dank, hollow chamber as the sacred attendants paused to scrutinize the intruder, resentment bouncing off them in waves. Who could blame them, he thought. Overhead a small army battled to prepare the Circus Maximus for the chariot races tomorrow, while below they were still eons away from digging out the altar. He wanted to shout at them, tell them to put their backs into the job, because they were shovelling soil as though they were a bunch of lovesick maidens mucking out pigshit, but he couldn’t, of course. Not in front of Callisunus. And especially not today. With a muted sigh Orbilio saw the little man was drumming his fingers against his thigh-always a bad sign-and wished the omens were more favourable for the extension of time he needed to ask for.

It seemed an odd choice for a meeting, underground, during the annual excavation of the altar before its ritual reburial. Furthermore, Callisunus had no connection regarding tomorrow’s festival, so why pick this place? Privacy couldn’t be a factor. A portent of new communication lines reflecting Rome’s increasing addiction to intrigue? Orbilio ran one hand through his hair. He thought not. In fact, so strongly did this smack of celestial involvement, he could almost hear the conversation. There was Jupiter, picking ambrosia out of his teeth.

‘Terrific wheeze, having that Orbilio chappie brought to book at two shrines in one day, don’t you think, Juno?’

‘Not half, darling, and if you hang on just a minute I’ll see if I can’t round up Apollo, he enjoys these gags.’

Come to think of it, Orbilio decided he wouldn’t be surprised if Venus, Diana and Neptune didn’t tag along as well. They could make a whole bloody picnic of it.

‘Made the arrest?’

Beads of sweat broke out on Orbilio’s forehead. The ignominy of drinking the Seferius libation was shame enough, but did she really have to laugh quite so enthusiastically? Mother of Tarquin, the more he squirmed the more it amused her, until in the end tears were streaming down her face. Marcus, you can be such a bloody fool at times, how can you ever hope to-

‘Pay attention, man! I’m asking you whether you’ve got a confession yet.’

‘What? Oh, sorry, sir, I was, er-I was just wondering whether they need help digging out the altar?’

Say no! Please say no! If you say yes I won’t have time to wind up the case, and you’ll never give me another day’s grace, I know it.

The little man’s manner seemed to take a swift upturn.

‘You know, Orbilio, that’s an extremely generous offer.’

Bugger.

Callisunus tapped the side of his mouth with his finger. ‘Though I think, on balance, it won’t be enough. I’ll need to bring a slave gang in.’

Orbilio’s head was buzzing. His mind, already a seething cauldron of logic and emotion, torn as it was between concentrating on his case and brooding about Claudia, was suddenly thrown into utter confusion. I haven’t heard right. My boss-and let’s be clear on this, we’re talking about the Head of the Security Police, here-is involving himself with…harvest rituals? Can’t be. No way! I’m cracking up. His mouth was dry, he needed a drink. In fact, he needed several drinks.

‘I will not allow it, Paulus.’

Orbilio turned round. What the…? There were two of them, for gods’ sakes. Two Callisunuses? No, no, pull yourself together, man.

‘I simply cannot permit a bunch of heathen slaves down here when I am trying to prepare my sacrificial rites.’

Holy shit, Callisunus was talking to himself. Or rather, he was talking to the second Callisunus, the one dressed in a thick woollen cloak and wearing a pointed cap on his head.

I am, I’m going mad. Marcus Cornelius Orbilio won’t be remembered as the chap who solved those gruesome murders, he’ll be known as the chap who couldn’t handle the pressure and ended up a headcase. Stark, staring bonkers. Spends all his time locked in his room, poor fellow. Really? Oh yes, tragic case. Had such a bright future at one stage, too. Orbilio pressed the heels of his hands into his eyeballs. Jupiter, unless he pulled himself together, and he meant right now, he could kiss the Senate goodbye, that’s for sure.

Callisunus-the Callisunus he was familiar with, the one drumming his fingers-turned to the other Callisunus, the one who was dripping with sweat and had his hands on his hips.

‘Marius, you arsehole, at the rate you and those other fairies are digging there won’t be a fucking sacrifice.’

‘There is no need to be offensive!’

Orbilio blinked, and blinked again. I’ll be damned, he thought, blowing his nose to cover his laughter. Twins. They’re bloody twins! Keeping his handkerchief over his mouth, he studied Marius, the brother. Same squat build, same piggy eyes and wonky nose, and yet there was an ocean of difference between them now he looked carefully. A sensitivity in the priest’s face which was lacking in the policeman’s, a shrewdness in the policeman’s, which was lacking in the priest’s. And suddenly the comedy opened his eyes to a world he’d not previously entered. The world of illusion. What you see isn’t necessarily what is real, he thought with a start. The dank humidity began to cloy as the most significant piece of his puzzle, leastways as far as he was concerned, slotted into place. His very blood seemed to congeal and he decided the taste in his mouth owed nothing to the acidity of the earthy air around him.