The Gladiator's Goddess (The Gladiators' Gifts) (6 page)

“Remember, make your way to the Via Appia and asked for Joseph at the second trading
post from the city gates. He sells jewelry similar to the amulet. He is dark-skinned, like me. He has a wife and will help you. Just tell him Abedi sent you. We used to row together on the galley, and Joseph managed to buy his freedom several years ago.  I have not seen him since that time, but I know he is living and trading in Rome.”

“I will find him,” Nardine said, looking around. She wanted to be sure Cornelia
did not lurk in the corner of the courtyard.

Abedi leaned
down and kissed Nardine long and deeply. Once again, Nardine felt her insides start to melt away. She wondered if she would ever see Abedi again.  But he had promised to meet up with her, as soon as his leg healed. They moved out toward the walls of the outer
ludus
, Nardine staying well behind Abedi. Now would come the test.

*****

Abedi motioned for Nardine to remain quiet and they slipped out of the courtyard.
He decided to utilize the side entrance to the
ludus
, where only one guard walked. Abedi, who limped along, needed to plan his moves with care.

Holding the knife by his side, he crept down the outer hallway and hid in the doorway.  When the guard strolled by, Abedi jumped out of the doorwa
y and tackled him. He kept on hand over the guard’s mouth and used the other to slit his throat. He hated to kill unnecessarily, but he could think of no other way to help Nardine escape.

He rolled the guard’s body into the doorway and went back to the courtyard to retrieve Nardine, who
trembled in the darkness.

“It is done. Now you must hurry, before the guard changes. He will soon be discovered.”

He led Nardine out of the courtyard. When they reached the entrance he tried to shield her from seeing the fallen guard. “Don’t look. Just go. Know that I am always with you, my love. He squeezed her hand once gently before she let go and began to run.

Nardine still
held her shoes in one hand and her dagger in the other. She might need them both. Abedi knew his friend Joseph would keep her safe, if she could get to his stall. He turned to return to the
ludus
as soon as Nardine disappeared from view. He did not want to be found here.

*****

When he got back to his cell, the jailer waited for him. The large blonde man stood in the hallway, looking anxious.

“Where were you? You said you would only be gone for an hour. It is nearly daylight!”

“It doesn’t matter where I went.  But you should know —a man is dead.”

“Who?”

“The guard at the eastern gate. He was a slight man, with brown hair.”

“I know him,” said the jailer. “Brutus. He was a worthless guard. But they will soon be saying that of me if you are not locked up.  I will keep your secret, Abedi.”

Abedi had allowed the guard to use his cell for sexual trysts when prostitutes came to visit the gladiators. The
lanista
did not allow the guards to patronize the prostitutes. However the jailer had a particular liking for an African woman, so he used Abedi’s cell as cover. Abedi knew his favor to the jailer would pay off some day, and it had.

“I am
safe in my cell,” said Abedi, as he slipped inside. The jailer turned the key and walked off. Abedi could only hope that Nardine would be just as safe tonight. 
    

*****

That morning, Claudia carried another tray of food to Nardine’s room. Cornelia followed her, intending to prepare Nardine for the ordeal to follow. Claudia pushed the cell door open, setting the tray down on a table by the bed. Cornelia went to rouse Nardine, hunched under a cover, and found only a blanket rolled up beneath the sheets. 

“She is gone,” Cornelia
screamed. “This is connected to the guard’s death. I don’t know how. I don’t think Nardine would have had the strength to overcome him and stab him. Someone helped her.”

“Perhaps she took advantage of the guard’s death
, escaping on her own,” said Claudia.

“What do you know of this, Claudia?
” asked Cornelia, immediately suspicious. You must tell me, or you will be the one beaten this morning.” She grabbed Claudia by the shoulders and shook her. “Who killed that guard? Where is Nardine?”

“I don’t know where she is,
and I don’t know who killed the guard. All I know is that Nardine—”

“What about Nardine?” asked Cornelia, shaking her again.

“Nardine is pregnant.”

“To whom is she pregnant?”

“I don’t know,” said Claudia. “It might have been Gaius. It might have been someone else.”

“How do you know this?”

“I overheard her telling Mila, the herb seller, out by the well. They didn’t see me. I was in the barn, milking the goats, when I heard them speaking.”

“The herbalist. Hmm,” said Cornelia. “She might have been trying to get rid of the baby. On the other hand, it could have been the reason she ran away, not to mention the whipping. Now, some of her actions make sense.”

“I don’t think she got rid of the baby, mistress. I think we would have known, if that were the case. At least she would have been sick, and she hasn’t been.”

“Pregnant or not,” said Cornelia, “she is still my property.
She must be found. We must also find whoever killed that guard.  I must tell the master.”

Claudia watched as Cornelia strode out of the room. She hadn’t wanted to reveal Nardine’s secret, but she had no choice if she wanted to avoid a whipping
herself. She hoped Nardine was far away from the
ludus
, and safe, along with her unborn child.”

*****

“I don’t understand it,” Antonius said to his wife. “No one was missing from the
ludus
except this girl. She couldn’t possibly have killed Brutus. And if she were pregnant, as you say, that might make it even more difficult for her.”

An aggravated Antonius
shared lunch with his wife. He seldom lost men within his employ, and when he did it cost much coin to replace them.

“Perhaps she had help from the outside.”

“I doubt it,” said Antonius. How would Nardine know about the guard schedules, when she couldn’t leave her cell at night? And who could she have communicated with? She would have had to time it precisely in order to safely escape. They only had minutes to spare before Brutus’ replacement arrived. “It’s too bad we didn’t discover her missing until this morning. We might have gotten some answers sooner.”

“I know you want answers, my dear,” said Cornelia. “Unfortunately, I have none to give. Not yet.  But I suggest you question Hebides. He was the last to sleep with Nardine. Perhaps
it was all a plot, and he helped her escape despite the fact that he reported her. Perhaps he wanted to draw suspicion away from himself. I don’t know why he would risk such a thing, but it’s not beyond the realm of possibility.”

“Question him I shall,” said Antonius, standing up and starting toward the door. “
Hebides might know something about this, and if he is guilty of this, he will suffer. I believe one of the gladiators did this. I don’t know how he accomplished it. But I’m sure he did.”

*****

Abedi ate his nighttime meal by himself in the gladiator barracks. As he finished his meal, Hebides sat in front of him at the trestle table and shoved his plate of food down noisily on its surface.

“What is the matter, Hebides? I am not used to seeing you behave as though you were in the arena here.”

“I am angry because I have been accused.  That damned jailer told the master he’d seen me lurking with Nardine in the practice yard. It must have been that one time she confronted me there. Now the master thinks I killed the guard last night and helped her escape.”

Abedi smiled to himself, appreciating the fact that the
jailer had deflected attention away from him. “Well, did you?”

Hebides grabbed Abedi’s wrist and pinned it to the table. “Of course I did not. I couldn’t stand that bitch. I don’t
know why the master would think I would help her get away when I told him of her plans. Perhaps he thinks it was part of a plot to protect myself. But I am more inclined to think it was you, my friend.”

“Me? Abedi pulled his arm away. “I didn’t even know the girl.”

“I know you were sweet on her. You asked me about her several times.”

“That is true.
Though I barely had the chance to speak with her.”

“You knew she was planning to escape.”

“That I did. Do you really think I would be foolish enough to help her escape? And do you really think I am in any shape to kill a guard? I can barely walk.”

Hebides said nothing for a few moments
, considering. “Still, I think you were more motivated than most.  The master says she is pregnant. I guess we will know if she is caught and bears a little black baby.”

“That will never happen,” said Abedi, knowing it to be true
. “I have never been anywhere near the girl, so I could not have possibly fathered her child. Not that I wouldn’t like to.” 

“If you did help her, Abedi, I will find out, I will tell the
master and you will be sorry. So will that jailer. He will get what’s coming to him, because I know you couldn’t have gotten out of your cell without his help.”

Abedi shrugged.
“You are imagining things, my friend,” he said.  “You are not in custody so I suppose the master must have believed you.”

“He has for now.  But be careful, Abedi. I am watching you.”

Hebides got up and walked away.  Abedi wiped his mouth with a cloth and took a deep breath. He had to remain calm and even flippant when Nardine’s name came up, which had become harder and harder to do. He worried about her, and that would only get worse as time passed. He did not worry about himself. Abedi had returned the murder weapon to the kitchens, carefully wiping the knife before placing it in storage. Nonetheless, he would have to do something special for the jailer for putting the focus of the murder on Hebides.

*****

Nardine covered her head with a shawl she carried with her from the
ludus
. The long road to the city gate curved behind her. She knew the way only because of her numerous trips to the arenas around Rome, when she had traveled with the master and mistress to gladiatorial matches. She didn’t arrive at the merchant’s stall until the end of the day. She knew she would have to explain her situation carefully to Joseph, if she found him.

A brown-skinned teenage boy manned the stall
. “What are you looking for, madam?” he asked after she approached. “Are you searching for a necklace, or a brooch?” He held up a sparking pin with a large green stone. “Real silver,” he said. “Perhaps you would like this.”

Nardine shook her head. “No. I am looking for Joseph, whom I believe owns this shop.”

The boy stared at her. “Who should I say has come?”

“Tell him I am a friend of Abedi’s. His galley friend.”

The boy disappeared into the back of the stall. Nardine waited a few moments, looking around her and wondering what kind of reception she would get. Joseph was her only hope. She knew no one else in the city of Rome who might take her in.

A tall, thin
, muscular black man emerged from behind the stall. When he saw Nardine, he looked surprised.  “Are you Abedi’s friend? Where is he now? I haven’t heard from him in several years.”

“He is a gladiator at Marcus Antonius’
ludus
, which is several miles from here. He has only been there a short time. He worked at another
ludus
before that.”

“A gladiator! Ah, that does not surprise me,” said Joseph. “He was always the strongest man on the galley crew.  But who are you and how have you come to know him? And why have you come to me?”

“I need help,” said Nardine. “I was a slave at the
ludus
. Abedi helped me to run away. But he was injured from a fight in the arena and could not come with me, at least for now. He said you would help me. You see, I am—I am with child.”

Joseph’s eyes lit up. “Ah, I see. Abedi is to have a small son. We will take care of you. My wife will know what to do. I have two sons of my own, so she is familiar with your situation. It is almost closing time. You will return home with me tonight.”

Nardine smiled gratefully. She did not want to correct Joseph. If he thought the baby belonged to Abedi, perhaps he would be more willing to protect her. She knew that Antonius, and especially Cornelia, would come looking for her. The less Joseph knew, the more protected he would be. She would not tell Joseph about Abedi’s murder of the guard. Better he suspect nothing about his old friend.

Nardine
wanted Abedi. He would be able to direct her and would know what to tell Joseph. She wondered what it would be like once the baby was born. She hoped she would see Abedi before that happened.  

Chapter Ten