A Roman Ransom (12 page)

The doctor interrupted. ‘How could you know that? The tablet’s sealed.’ He glanced at Marcus. ‘I tied it up again myself. He can’t have seen inside. He must have been expecting something of the kind.’

Marcus, still silent, looked enquiringly at me.

‘I thought it was inevitable that there would be more,’ I said. ‘I said as much to several people earlier. This tablet has arrived quite recently?’

Marcus confirmed as much in a weary tone. ‘It was found in the orchard, where the watch-geese are, while we were away in Glevum performing the sacrifice. One of the servants discovered it, beside the wall, when she went out to feed the geese. It was brought to us as soon as we returned.’

‘The orchard?’ I looked at him sharply. ‘The orchard is within the villa walls, so no casual visitor could reach it. And anyway, it is extremely odd. Surely the watch-geese would have hissed if any stranger approached, or indeed if anything had startled them at all?’

Before Marcus had a chance to answer, Philades broke in. ‘Oh, but they did hiss, citizen. There are witnesses to that. There were land slaves working in the orchard earlier, and at one point the geese were certainly disturbed – so much so that one man climbed a tree beside the wall to see what was going on. He found there was a commotion outside in the lane. I imagine you can work out what that was?’

Thank all the gods for Junio and his mead! My mind was a little clearer now and I saw where this was leading. ‘I suppose it was the litter and the pile of logs?’ I had noticed the leafless fruit trees at the time.

‘Exactly, citizen.’ That grim, tight smile again. ‘Of course, they concluded that the noise was what alarmed the geese, so they thought no more about it and went back to work – as no doubt the conspirators intended them to do.’

That was aimed at me, I realised. Yet he had been out there in the lane himself. If attack was the best form of defence, I thought, he was a master at it. But I was too weak to get involved in challenges like that. ‘And the writing block? The slaves did not notice that?’

‘Not at that moment, surprisingly enough. But it was certain that someone would see it in the end: that scarlet paint would make it stand out against the grass. There are always land slaves passing that way – leaf-sweepers, gardeners, and the man who tends the bees – and there are household slaves who go there every night to feed the chickens and the geese. As anyone who knew the house would know.’

I made a sound that might have been a ‘Hmmm’.

‘I see that you agree,’ the doctor said. ‘Somebody who knew the household, and who’d stopped outside. You are clever at deductions, pavement-maker – who answers that description, would you say?’

I met his eyes. ‘Either of us two, I suppose. Although . . .’ I was about to add that any suspicion which attached to me could equally apply to Philades as well – more so, since I had been lying in the litter and he had been standing in the lane, and had personally ordered the bearers to go and work elsewhere. Marcus, however, was too quick for me.

‘Libertus, do not be absurd,’ my patron said. ‘Of course it was neither of you. I said as much to Philades before. Let’s have no more of this. I want to make it clear, to both of you, that I will not tolerate accusations of that kind, unless you have some kind of solid evidence. So, unless one of you saw the other with a writing block, or with a basket concealed beneath his skirts, please turn your attention to the problem facing us, and think who else was passing in the lane.’

So the medicus had voiced suspicions about me – though Marcus was clearly not impressed by them. And he had made it clear that he would not countenance any doubts I might express about Philades. I would have to bide my time, and wait for evidence to present itself. However, another thought occurred to me. ‘The man in the donkey cart might have had the opportunity, perhaps,’ I ventured.

Marcus turned to Philades. ‘What donkey cart? You did not mention this.’

The doctor looked momentarily nonplussed, then flashed a poisonous look in my direction. ‘There was a carter held up by the logs. He’d obviously been delivering something further down the lane. He helped to clear the road. But he cannot have played any part in these events. His vehicle was on the other side, beyond the block.’

‘All the same,’ Marcus said firmly, ‘we will have him found. Page, see to it. Have a message sent to Glevum, that they are to watch the gates for any empty donkey carts arriving at the town.’ He sighed. ‘And tell them they are not to pick up Lallius as yet, but continue to keep a close watch on his father’s premises. We will send word as soon as Julia is safe. He must not be permitted to escape.’

The pageboy bowed and seemed about to take his leave but Marcus made a gesture which prevented him. ‘If he is taking a message to the town,’ he said, ‘perhaps he should take the money too. What do you think, Libertus? Should he take the gold or not?’

He was asking me for my advice again, and it was hard to give. If Gwellia had been snatched away from me, I would have given her abductors anything they asked. And yet I was convinced that it was wrong. ‘So it is gold they want?’ I said. ‘I’d been expecting worse. More political demands or something of the kind.’

‘Of course, he hasn’t seen the message yet,’ my patron said. ‘Give it to him, Junio.’ And my slave, who had managed to untie the knot at last, handed the tablet back to me.

I took it and unfolded it with care. This time the writing was not so badly formed, but it was blurred and irregular as if someone had used a rough stick to scratch the wax, instead of a proper stylus. There was nothing imprecise about the message, though.

You have followed our instructions. That is good. We have returned the boy to you as proof that we are not bluffing. However, if you hope to see your wife again alive, it will cost you rather more. You will leave a basket in the lane tonight, at the corner by the hollow oak, containing two hundred
denarii
. You will put it there at dusk and leave the place unwatched. No tricks. If our messenger picks it up safely, you will receive your orders for delivering the rest of the money later on. Otherwise, light candles for your wife. You have been warned.

I looked at Marcus. ‘You intend to pay the ransom?’ I enquired. It was a pointless question. I was certain he would pay, just as he’d fulfilled their earlier demands. I imagined that the kidnappers had reasoned the same way. But he had asked for my advice, and I would give it, though it would be unwelcome, I was sure. ‘You realise that even if you do, this won’t be the end?’

‘I know. They say so in the note. But what option do I have? Whoever they are, they still have my wife. I have enough money in the house for this. Two hundred
denarii
is not a massive sum.’

I found myself nodding. It seemed an enormous sum to me, but I knew that Marcus had several hiding places for his treasure underneath the floor – I had helped design the pavements which concealed some of them. ‘It is obvious that you have money in the house,’ I said. ‘Only yesterday you told me that you were offering a reward for information which might lead to Julia and Marcellinus’s safe return. Doubtless the kidnappers have heard that too.’

Marcus brushed the thought aside. ‘All the more reason why I have to act. Time is getting short. Any minute it will be getting dark and they will be looking for the money in the lane. Philades thinks that I should send a decoy out to seem to leave the bag, but keep a lookout from inside the walls and try to rush them when they come for it. But I can’t put Julia’s life at stake. Libertus, what do you think I should do?’

I glanced at Philades. What was he up to now? Why did he think a decoy was a good idea? ‘Could we gain ourselves a little time?’ I said. ‘Leave a message where they want the money left, perhaps, saying that you are prepared to pay, but that you must have proof that Julia is safe before you part with anything at all.’

Marcus looked brighter suddenly. ‘Perhaps. And I could set someone in the lane to watch the man who picks it up, and follow him back to where he goes. Maybe he will lead us to where Julia is.’

‘How can you possibly post watchers in the lane so they will not be seen?’ Philades did not even pretend to be polite. ‘It is the very thing the conspirators will expect. No doubt they have eyes already in the wood, watching the villa precisely to make sure you don’t set spies on them. Besides, what would happen to Julia if you do?’

‘An ambush would be even worse,’ I snapped. I was tired, but at least my brain was functioning again. ‘It’s always possible that it will fail. We don’t know how many people are in the wood and how well they are armed. And you would not catch the real conspirators. There is mention of a messenger picking up the cash: no doubt a slave or some hapless beggar simply doing what they’re told – at one or two removes, if the kidnappers have any sense at all. The messenger will know nothing of any consequence, except that he is to hand over the bag at some appointed place, which – thanks to the watchers in the woods – will be deserted when you get to it. Meanwhile the real culprits will be far away with Julia still in their hands. And they will know that you tried to double-cross them, too. Certainly, I cannot counsel such a course.’

It was a long speech in my current state of health, and I paused to rest. I was still debating what else I could advise when Marcus said, in a determined tone, ‘Well, I must do something. I will use my page to drop the ransom money. He can ride out to Glevum with the message for the watch, and do it on the way. I’ll send a letter with him asking if he can stay in the gatehouse overnight.’

The medicus said grimly, ‘I still think you should send a decoy out. I am prepared to go myself . . .’

So that was his little game, I thought. Go out with the money and disappear with it? I almost voiced my thoughts aloud, but my patron intervened.

‘Philades, there is no help for it, I fear. Having permitted them to blackmail me over Lallius’s release, I am in a weak position now. They still have Julia. I can’t afford to let anything go wrong. I’ll have to pay the full amount and let them walk away. But I’ll make sure they suffer for it later on.’

‘It is a pity that there is so little time.’ I was still fretting at the thought. ‘Otherwise we might have contrived a more inconspicuous spy. The road is used by people living round about: one of them might walk along the lane – to pick up firewood, for instance – and that would seem entirely natural. If we had somebody like that to watch on our behalf . . .’

Philades interrupted me, his voice a sneer. ‘One of your slaves, for instance? Or your wife?’

I had not thought of that, but I rather wished I had. I pulled myself a little more upright.

‘Why not?’ I said. ‘After all, she is coming here tonight.’ The thought was cheering. ‘She is resourceful and intelligent. If we could send a message with your page, she could keep an unobtrusive watch as she comes along the lane and tell us if she sees anything unusual at all.’

Marcus shook his head. ‘If there are watchers in the lane, they’ll see the pageboy stop outside your house, and if she comes here afterwards they’ll guess at once she is working as a spy. She will be lucky to escape their hands herself.’

He was right, of course. My thinking was confused, or I’d have seen that straight away. I said, ‘I’m foolish, Excellence. Of course you’re right, and I would not put Gwellia at any kind of risk. In fact, on second thoughts, it occurs to me that she might be in danger anyway. These people clearly know a great deal about us all: they may well know that Gwellia is my wife. If they see her walking all alone along the lane they’ll capture her – two wives to ransom are worth more than one. Yet we’ve agreed that she won’t bring any slaves with her. Could someone escort her here, perhaps? Not an armed guard – obviously that would alarm the kidnappers – but at least attendants to keep an eye on her. Junio himself could go, perhaps?’

‘But surely, pavement-maker, that is dangerous as well?’ The medicus looked triumphantly at me. ‘Better to prevent her coming here at all – at least until the morning. The page could safely tell her on his way to town: there is no problem in her receiving a messenger from here, provided she doesn’t leave the house. In fact, I will go with the boy to Glevum, if you wish. I could ride behind him on the horse, and ensure he’s not attacked and robbed before he leaves the coins, and see that the woman understands the risk. Two people would be safer in the lane than one.’

It may have sounded rational enough, but I didn’t trust the doctor a thumb’s-breadth by this time and I especially didn’t want him calling at my house. ‘I don’t think so, Excellence,’ I said urgently. ‘If one of these conspirators knows the business of this house, they will know that Philades enjoys your confidence. I can’t think of anyone who would look more like a spy.’

Marcus paused in the doorway. ‘You’re right, the pair of you,’ he said. ‘I’ll send the message to Gwellia with the man who brings the oil. He’s here again today. He can stop his cart at your house on his way back to the town – no one looks twice at a delivery cart.’ He turned towards the page. ‘Page, you can take the money out, as I said before, and go straight on to Glevum with my messages. You understand? Then on your way back tomorrow you will call at the roundhouse and accompany Libertus’s lady to the villa here. It should be safe enough by then, but we will take no risks. She can still have an escort in the lane.’

The young man preened, obviously delighted to be going alone. ‘As you command, master.’

Marcus gave a grunt of satisfaction. ‘Then come with me. There’s no time to be lost. We’ll get this ransom counted out, before it is too late. Julia’s safety may depend on it. You too, Philades.’ He left the room, gesturing for the medicus to follow him.

But before he left the doctor came over to my bed. ‘You consider yourself very clever, mosaic-maker,’ he whispered, ‘but I’ll outwit you yet. I was talking to that female servant at your house today, and I know more of your little secrets than you think. Remember that.’

I seemed to have made myself an enemy.

When he was sure that they were safely gone Junio came over to the bed and murmured, so quietly that I could barely hear his words, ‘Well, there’s a sudden change of atmosphere! That sounded like a threat! What have you done to upset the medicus?’ He was straightening up my bedcovers as he spoke: not that there was anything at all amiss with them – they were soft wool and sublimely comfortable – but he obviously felt the need to busy himself on my account somehow. Here, with all Marcus’s establishment, there wasn’t very much for him to do. ‘And,’ he raised my head and plumped my pillows up, ‘what does his meeting Cilla have to do with anything?’