Mary Reed - Eight for Eternity

They got him to the fountain and lowered him into a sitting position on the edge of the basin, holding his arms to prevent him from falling into the water.

Pompeius managed to turn his head toward Aphrodite. “We have met before,” he said thickly. “I fear we shall not meet again.”

John could smell the stale wine on the man’s breath from an arms-length away.

Felix eyed Pompeius with disgust. “I’ll wager it’s been a long time since a man in your condition has had anything to do with the goddess of love,” he growled. Then his face darkened. “Count yourself lucky. Aphrodite doesn’t seem to get along with Fortuna.”

Hypatius walked over to Pompeius and hunkered down so their faces were level. “Can’t you muster up a scrap of dignity, even at the end? Don’t look away from me, brother. Is this how you want to be remembered? What would our Uncle Anastasius have thought?”

It was hard for John to believe that Hypatius, the very image of a ruler, could be the brother of the bleary-eyed man to whom he was speaking.

Pompeius mumbled unintelligibly.

“You suppose the mob doesn’t want a drunk as emperor, don’t you?” Hypatius said. “Who would seek to raise up a flaccid sack of humanity like you? But perhaps you have miscalculated. Justinian is abstemious, isn’t he? And the mob hates him. Perhaps they are ready for a stumbling sot. They might decide one such as yourself would denude every vineyard from here to Egypt but leave the rest of the empire alone.”

Pompeius’ mouth moved like that of a fish hauled out of the water, but no sound emerged. He looked ready to cry.

From the vestibule came the sound of voices.

Hypatius stood up. “Good. The sooner it is over the better.”

Enough armed excubitors to subdue a contingent of Persians flooded into the room followed by Gallio and Narses.

Hypatius addressed Gallio. “We are ready to go. Although my brother may need some assistance to return to his house, if any of you are brave enough to venture beyond the palace walls.”

“I’ll be happy to accompany him,” Felix put in before Gallio had a chance to respond. “With your permission, Captain Gallio.”

“Let those two who have hold of him carry him home,” Gallio said. “You are relieved of your duty at the chamberlain’s house, Felix. You are no longer an excubitor. I am sparing your head because you are as brave as you are stupid.”

Felix’s mouth tightened into a grim line. He said nothing. John could see it was a struggle for him to remain silent.

Narses threaded his way through the excubitors. Compared to the big, mostly youthful, military men, he more than ever resembled a performing dwarf. He peered around with ill-concealed glee.

“Why are you here?” John snapped. “Don’t you trust the captain to carry out orders? Or do you just want to gloat?”

“You are most inhospitable, John. I would think you should be pleased to have these serpents out of your home. Your life depends on Justinian’s safety, as much as mine does. Do you think the rioters will hang the emperor and let his chamberlains go free? Unless you have come to an understanding….”

The excubitors gathered the brothers’ belongings. One of them picked up an intricately carved hunting bow. “A fine piece of work,” he remarked.

“Keep it,” Hypatius told him. “I won’t be using it.”

The men began to file out. John noticed that Narses watched the proceedings intently. It occurred to him that the emperor’s treasurer had come to make certain that Gallio carried out Justinian’s orders. The excubitor captain refused to venture into the streets to battle the rioters. How could the emperor be certain he wouldn’t deliver Hypatius and Pompeius to them? Why hadn’t Justinian sent some silentiaries? Perhaps he had reason to mistrust them as well.

“Thank you again, Chamberlain,” Hypatius said. “Please do what you can for Julianna.” He turned and went out. Pompeius, head lolling to the side, was carted out behind him.

Felix and John were left alone in a silence broken only by the bubbling fountain until John spoke. “I wouldn’t worry about Gallio, Felix. When this insurrection is over he will no longer be in command. Anyway, from what you’ve told me, you can always depend on General Belisarius for employment.”

Felix looked at the marble Aphrodite and said nothing.

After Felix left to retrieve his belongings from the barracks, John went to Julianna’s room. The door was open and the room empty. The chest which had sat beside the bed had been taken away. He wasn’t aware that she had already made arrangements to move to Antonina’s as Theodora had decreed. He would have preferred for the girl to stay under his watch.

He made his way to the garden and sat on a bench near the closed screen to his office, partly concealed by an untrimmed shrub. A chilly breeze swirled around the peristyle, sending dry leaves rattling around its columns. The last of the daylight gradually faded from the rectangle of sky, revealing cold sparks of stars.

After what seemed like a long time there was a scuffling noise from above. A figure appeared on the roof, just visible against the dark sky. It climbed nimbly onto the limb of a yew tree. John was standing at the base of the tree by the time Julianna reached the ground.

“Chamberlain! How did you guess?”

“I once knew a woman who performed with a traveling troupe.”

“She climbed out of a garden and went over the roof to meet you?”

“No. She had more sense. But she was as athletic as you are.”

John could see Julianna looking at him curiously. “I remind you of her, don’t I?”

“I’ll escort you to Antonina’s apartments right away. Your room’s already been emptied. There are some questions first, though. It’s warmer inside.”

“If you don’t mind, I’d rather talk here.”

“I want you to tell me the truth about Hippolytus.”

Julianna bit her lip. “He’s dead.”

“I realize that. Your father told me as much as he knew. Out of concern for you.”

“Father’s only concern was that I stop seeing Hippolytus. I’m sure he’s glad Hippolytus is dead. He’s no longer a danger to me.”

“That’s not true. If Hippolytus was involved with a conspiracy against the emperor then you might be in grave danger. Whoever killed him, for whatever reason, might want to kill his associates. Hippolytus might have told you something you would be better off not knowing.”

“We only talked about the races and…what people talk about.”

“You must have known he was causing trouble. He fomented a minor riot after all. It isn’t everyone who manages to catch the emperor’s attention so as to be hung by imperial decree.”

If Julianna was shaken by John’s words she didn’t show it. “We weren’t able to meet often. What he did with his time, outside of following the races, he never said.”

“Do you really think there is someone in this city who wanted to kill Haik, a stranger who had never set foot in Constantinople before?”

“You’re trying to scare me. You want me to believe I was the target. I don’t see how anyone could have mistakenly poisoned Haik rather than me. It doesn’t make sense. Besides, he must have been poisoned outside the palace. How would anyone get in?”

“You’ve had no trouble coming and going. Why should Haik’s murderer?”

“I think your friend was here on some dangerous business. It had nothing to do with me, or Hippolytus. He should have stayed in Syria.”

“Possibly. But even if you won’t accept the fact that you’re in danger, surely you want me to find Hippolytus’ murderer?”

“Will that bring him back?”