Rufus approached the cage slowly, careful not to surprise or antagonize the tigress. She was lying on her side in the straw, and managed only a lethargic snarl when she noticed him. He stood for a few minutes, studying her carefully in the poor light from the torches which lit the chamber. Her eyes had none of the demon fire that characterized her kind, and he could see she breathed in short bursts, the way an animal does when it is in pain. As if to confirm his diagnosis, she turned to lick the pale fur of her belly. He waited a little longer, but he was already confident that he knew.
'Either she is pregnant, in which case you must let nature take its course, or more likely she has colic.' He explained how the condition could be treated, and Gracus thanked him.
The forlorn little cry came as he turned away towards the stairs. On its own, it was an innocuous sound, but his disbelieving mind knew it for what it was and it froze him to the spot. It was followed a second later by an anguished scream that seemed to fill the chamber.
'Gnaius!'
The blood drained from the handler's face. 'The boy! I told him to stay away from the edge.'
Rufus was first to recover. 'How can I get into the pit?'
'But the cats, they — '
'We don't have time.' Rufus gripped him by the front of the tunic. 'How do I get in?'
Gracus pointed. 'Through here.'
The handler fumbled with the padlock holding shut an empty cage, and was about to lead him through when a thundering roar shattered the silence.
Rufus recognized the sound, knew he had only seconds to act.
'Get out of the way.' He shouldered past the handler and ran through the cage until the length of the pit was spread out before him.
It was almost fifty feet across, with smooth stone walls two and a half times the height of a man. Still that might not have been proof against a springing leopard, so they had placed two-foot iron claws all the way round the rim to stop any potential escape. The claws were situated just under the low parapet that topped the wall.
The boy must have been leaning over the parapet when he lost his balance. The fall should have been enough to kill him, but Rufus could see he had landed on a thick bush growing against the base of the wall. It saved him from serious injury, but he was badly stunned, and, worse, bleeding.
It was the scent of blood that had triggered the hunting instinct of the lioness.
There were three of the big cats in the pit, and Rufus took time he couldn't afford to study them.
Two of the tawny cats, a black-maned male and a lioness little more than a cub, showed more curiosity than aggression towards the small intruder on their territory. His first instinct was to ignore them. The mature female was different. She was crouched, head and shoulders low over her front paws, muscles bunched, ready to attack. Only the fact that the boy was not moving had saved him so far. Rufus watched him closely, saw the little chest rise and fall. Then a tentative hand reached up towards the wound on the boy's head and he let out a loud groan as he felt the graze on his scalp. The lioness's ears twitched.
Experience had taught Rufus to recognize the signal of an impending attack. Very slowly he walked into the centre of the pit.
He kept his eyes on the big female, willing her to stay where she was. At the edge of his vision he could see Callistus's ashen face among the ring of watchers round the parapet.
Each pace took him further from safety.
A snarl ripped from deep in a massive chest close behind him, then again a second later from his right. The dark-maned male was stalking him. His back tensed at the thought of the raking claws and gaping mouth. He was level with the crouching female now, and perhaps fifteen paces from Gnaius. It might as well have been a mile.
She had been concentrating on the prey before her, and only now realized there was another presence in the pit. She turned her great head towards him, spitting her fury, nostrils flaring, and he could see the smoky hatred in her eyes. But captivity had made her familiar with humans and Rufus knew that gave him a slim chance. If she would only hold off her attack until he reached the boy he might somehow get him to one of the hands now reaching down from above.
He maintained his steady pace, ensuring his eyes never met hers and willing himself not to show the terror that seized his muscles and chilled his blood. Ten paces, five; he was going to reach the boy. He was close enough to see the blood matting the dark hair where he had struck his head on the stone floor. At the very least he might be able to protect him until the handler brought help. Then Gnaius gave a little whimper and tried to stand.
The lioness roared and he knew the next time she gave song she would charge. He increased his pace but didn't dare run, even though he knew his time was measured in moments. He was a few steps from the boy when she roared again and he heard the skitter of her long claws on the stone as she came.
She moved so fast she was little more than a blur and he barely had time to pick Gnaius up. No chance of throwing the boy towards the reaching hands now. His mind only had time to register gaping jaws filled with yellowing fangs before he raised his free hand in a hopeless gesture of defence.
The lioness was quick, but the black-maned male was quicker. He hit her in the ribs just as she was taking off in the leap that would have brought her teeth to Rufus's throat, and his weight and momentum knocked the breath from her body and bowled her head over heels to the far side of the pit. The blow stunned her, but she got shakily to her feet, snarling at her attacker, and Rufus heard his black-maned saviour roar his defiance as he ran with the boy for the open cage where he had entered.
Once he reached the safety of the bars, he slammed the cage door shut behind him and sat with his back to the lion pit with the slight figure of Gnaius warm in his arms. He felt sick, but he also wanted to laugh. Now the danger was past it seemed so funny, so utterly atrocious, to have walked unarmed and unprepared into the den of three grown lions.
'I…'
He looked up to see Gracus. The handler would not meet his eyes and Rufus realized he had not moved since Gnaius fell. There would have been no rescue. That made him want to laugh even more.
Gracus reached for the boy, but for some reason Rufus found he could not let him go. He raised himself to his feet and pushed past the handler towards the exit. He was almost at the stairs when he remembered.
'Make sure you give Africanus something special for his meal tonight. He earned it.' He shook his head slowly, amazed at his own stupidity. How could he have failed to recognize the animal he had trained from a cub?
As he made his way towards the upper level, the euphoria drained from him and suddenly he felt very tired. He staggered as he reached the light and only retained his footing when a hand caught his shoulder.
'How is he? Is he..?' Callistus's voice quivered with emotion.
'He hit his head, but he is a strong boy. I think he will be all right, but you should take him to a physician right away.'
The imperial secretary's eyes filled with tears as he lifted his son gently from Rufus's arms. 'I owe you a life,' he said, in a low voice, so none of the watching slaves could hear. 'Visit me in my quarters tonight and perhaps I can go part way to repaying it.'
He walked away with his head bowed protectively over his son's, leaving Rufus as mystified as he was dazed.
XXXIX
Information was power, Narcissus had taught him that. But now he possessed this information what was he to do with it?
In the right hands it could unquestionably destroy his enemy. Yet the right hands belonged to a man who was a greater enemy still. Then there was the question of survival. If the information came from a source close to the heart of power, it would be endowed with the power of that source and its effect would be multiplied. But coming from a slave would it not raise doubts? Yes. First doubts, then suspicions. Rufus shuddered as he considered the consequences of arousing the suspicions of the man with whom he was considering sharing the secret. No. Not that route then.
