Ruth Downie - Ruso and the Root of All Evils

‘Four horses,’ corrected Ennia, remarkably calm. ‘You don’t think I’m sharing with her, do you?’ She dragged the winery door shut and turned the key in the lock, leaving the diggers trapped inside.

As Zosimus shouted, ‘Ennia, let me out!’ through the door, Tilla’s voice rang out from somewhere in the darkness.

‘We will give you nothing. You are trapped. As soon as you kill the hostage we will kill you.’

There was an indistinct squeak from Claudia and a chuckle from Stilo. ‘I’m not going to kill her, Blondie. Not yet. I’ll just take her fingers off. One by one.’ His voice hardened. ‘Get the horses.’

There was movement out in the darkness. The pitchfork wavered.

‘Do not do it!’ said Tilla. The movement stopped.

Ennia called, ‘Acratus, are you out there?’

‘Yes, miss,’ came the automatic reply just before someone else hissed, ‘Shut up, you fool!’

‘Acratus, fetch the horses straight away.’

‘Do not do it!’ insisted Tilla.

‘All of you slaves out there,’ put in Stilo, ‘are going to be dinner for the lions once word gets out you was told to do something to help this lady and you didn’t do it. Who wants to catch the first finger?’

‘Do not listen to him,’ urged Tilla over Claudia’s squeal of terror. ‘We have them trapped.’

‘Just get the horses,’ put in Calvus, clearly tired of arguing.

‘I’m in charge here,’ said Ruso, not sure that he was. ‘They’re not bluffing. They’ve already murdered Probus’ man and Ennia’s poisoned her brother. Do what they ask. Fetch the horses.’

In the ensuing silence, all he could hear was Tilla’s sigh of exasperation.

‘I think I’ll take a thumb first,’ said Stilo. ‘Which d’you want to lose?’

There was a muffled shout of, ‘Do it, Acratus!’ from Zosimus behind the winery door. ‘I’ll answer to the Senator. Go across to the stables and bring out four good horses.’

There was more movement out in the darkness. Ruso took a deep breath, then reached across and gently began to turn the key in the winery door as Calvus said, ‘Three would have done.’

‘I told you,’ said Ennia, ‘I’m not sharing.’

‘We don’t need you.’

‘What?’ Ennia grabbed Calvus’ arm, only to be elbowed roughly aside. ‘We had a deal!’

‘Not now,’ said Calvus, chinking the coins. ‘I’ve got the cash.’

‘There is a lot more money!’ she cried. ‘In Rome. It belonged to my fiance. I know where it is.’

The key finally reached the end of the turn. ‘She’s lying,’ said Ruso, who had no idea whether she was or not.

‘It’s the truth. It’s why I always wanted to go back there. Ask anybody.’ Ennia paused. ‘I’m the only one who knows how to find it. Get me out of here, Calvus, and I’ll make you rich.’

Ruso and Tilla stood amongst the bewildered household, staring into the darkness after the four figures who had ridden away towards the gatehouse: one horse’s reins in the hand of another rider.

Tilla was complaining about him giving way and handing over the horses, but the pain in his foot was making it difficult to concentrate. He wished it would also take his mind off what might be happening to Claudia. Calvus had repeated his promise that she would be released unharmed, but that could have been a lie to ease their escape. No matter what excuses he made for himself, the truth was that he had failed her. This was how things had always been with Claudia. No matter how hard he tried, he could never quite -

Shouting. Coming from the gatehouse. Screams. Everyone else rushed towards the sound, leaving Ruso slow and exasperated, swinging dangerously far forward on the crutches as a horse whinnied and there was a yellow flare of torchlight beyond the wall. Moments later he heard the thud of hooves cantering away down the track towards the road.

By the time he pushed his way to the middle of the melee, two bodies were being held down with hoes and pitchforks while jubilant slaves jeered and shouted encouragement and argued about what to do with them. Calvus and Stilo had not escaped after all.

He said, ‘Where are the women?’ but the only answer he got was from a delighted Flaccus. ‘Nobody can say we didn’t defend the family now, sir, can they?’

Tilla appeared at his elbow. ‘We have did this because I expect you will let them go,’ she announced, confusing her tenses as she did when she was excited. ‘So I send some men to wait for them on top of the gatehouse.’

He said, ‘What have they done with the women?’

‘Are you not pleased?’

‘I’m impressed. I’m amazed. I’m very tired. Where are the women?’

She said, ‘I think the horses bolt.’

Ruso sighed. Claudia was not a practised rider, on the grounds that horses had sharp hooves and big teeth. If her horse had stumbled or swerved, she would probably have fallen off in the dark. He glanced across to where one of the recovered mounts was being led back in through the gates. ‘Ask them to light me a torch, Tilla. I’ll go and have a look.’

Somewhere ahead of him along the darkened track a voice was saying, ‘Nice horse. Nice horse, please …’

‘Claudia?’

‘Gaius! Is that you? Have those men gone? Oh, Gaius, I thought I was going to die out here!’

‘You’re safe now.’

The torch picked out the shape of the animal steadily munching on the dry grass at the side of the track. He could make out the line of a rein as the figure on its back was trying to haul its head up. He moved alongside, bending down to take the bridle. ‘Did you see what happened to Ennia?’

‘Oh Gaius,’ she sobbed. ‘It’s all been so horrible. Ennia just rode off and left me on my own in the dark. First it wouldn’t stop and now it won’t go! Why did you let them take me on a horse?’

‘It’s all right,’ said Lucius, shuffling back across the hot tiles in his bathing shoes. ‘I’ve locked the door. Not even the bath-boy can get in now.’

‘Excellent.’ Ruso stretched out on the bench and closed his eyes, relishing the peace and quiet before he had to ride back into town to visit Tertius. The hoped-for relaxation did not come. Instead, he remembered something else he needed to do.

‘I ought to warn Tilla to keep quiet about the Christians.’

‘Are they really a problem? Cass seems to think they’re harmlessly eccentric.’

‘As far as I can make out, it’s a religion full of women, the poor and the ignorant. I don’t think Tilla will stick with it for long. She’s not very keen on loving her enemies.’

‘But we’re definitely in the clear over poisoning Severus?’

‘Ennia admitted it in front of witnesses. And Fuscus turned up and had his men arrest Calvus and Stilo and the steward. I’d imagine he’s planning something ghastly for them at the next games.’

Lucius said, ‘Ouch.’

Ruso shifted to get comfortable and flinched as his arm came into contact with the heated wall. ‘You know, even after everything she did, I almost hope they don’t get their hands on Ennia.’

Lucius said, ‘I’d like to. If she’s got a pot of gold stashed away down in Rome, she ought to give it to us.’

‘At least the Senator will be too busy sorting this lot out to bother with the bankruptcy case.’

‘Good. I knew once I’d rescued the girls and worked out who those investigators were, I could leave the details to you.’

‘I see,’ said Ruso. ‘Actually, I thought it was Tilla who worked that out.’

‘I let her think that,’ said Lucius. ‘Women like to think they’re needed.’

Ruso had expected Lucius to ask more questions, but evidently all he wanted to know was that, whatever other threats were out there, his big brother had dealt with them. The monsters were safely back in the cupboard.