one I'm supposed to meet?'
'I am Pope Sylvestros,' he admitted, his voice going higher with each word.
'You've lost flesh. I was told you were portly. You ought to go home to your wife.' He straddled the bench. 'The Bishop of Roma doesn't like his clergy to marry. So far, he hasn't been able to stop it.' He stared hard at Pope Sylvestros. 'What information do you have for me?'
'I…' He touched his sleeve but also inclined his head toward the landlord. 'If we were more private…'
'Oh, you needn't worry about Gordius here. He knows that if he repeats a word of what he overhears, he'll have a second smile by morning.' He drew his fingers across his own throat to illustrate his meaning.
'But there might be others who would pay to know what I tell you and that could lead to…'
With an ostentatious display of exhaustion—a yawn, a rubbing of his large, firm belly, a scratching of his chest—the landlord left his post behind the counter and made his way out of the taproom.
'You peawit,' said Ghornan. 'Now he's suspicious and there's no telling what he might decide to do with what you tell me.' He gestured with disgust and drank off his wine. 'He'll listen now, or his slaves will. Either way, I'll have to kill him before I leave.'
'I didn't intend—' Pope Sylvestros started.
'Whatever you intended, the harm's done now.' He slammed his cup down. 'What you have had better be worth the trouble you're causing; that's all I can say.'
'It is, Captain.' Reluctantly Pope Sylvestros drew his lists from his sleeve and spread the sheets out on the table. Though the light in the tavern was poor and the pope's handwriting spidery at best, the two men poured over the pages and at the end of reading the first sheet, Pope Sylvestros could see the greedy interest in Captain Ghornan's eyes. 'There is something worth a risk or two here, don't you think?' he could not resist prodding.
'True,' agreed Ghornan as he got to his feet and poured himself another generous serving of wine. 'How far are these villas, did you say?'
'The nearest is half a day's walk, the walls are still standing, and although the north side of it was put to the torch, most of the building is intact, including everything inside it.' He had lowered his voice, leaning forward so that Captain Ghornan could hear everything he said.
'Half a day,' mused Ghornan. 'And what is left there would make it worth our while? Where are the Ostrogoths?'
'They've been and gone. They took the livestock, not the treasure.' He cleared his throat. 'There isn't much furniture; I think the owners must have removed some of it when they fled. There is some jewelry, and quite a lot of personal items, such as mirrors and perfume jars. I noticed some garments in a press; I don't think any of Totila's men knew enough to look there—'
'Too personal. They might be identified,' Ghornan said, dismissing them.
'There are two chariots, wood covered with brass, very fine looking. I don't know if it's practical to take them both, but if you brought mules we could harness them to one of the chariots and use it to carry some of the heavier goods.'
'Such as?' said Ghornan, revising his contemptuous opinion of Pope Sylvestros a little.
'The wine stored under the kitchen floor, for example. Some of it was taken, but a great deal remains, most of it in good condition. The owner had an excellent collection. And who is to say who owns what bottle of wine?' He held out the first page for Ghornan's review and studied the second one. 'This villa is not very promising, but there are one or two good paintings that might be removed. There is also a good-sized alabaster vase that could bring a very high price.'
'Paintings are usually not worth much,' said Ghornan, not interested. 'And they're easily identified.'
'These are old, and one of them shows the destruction of the lost city of Pompeu under Vesuvius. That ought to make it worth more than paint.' Pope Sylvestros ran his finger down the page a little farther. 'Here's something quite remarkable: three rosewood chests, all in good condition, one with brass platters in it. I found them behind the tack room in the stables; I guess the owners had intended to pack them and then changed their minds.'
'That's more the kind of thing I'm looking for,' said Ghornan with a speculative smile. 'Chests, furniture, household goods of special quality and workmanship. The chariots are tempting, and I think that if we can find chests of good value, it might be worth a little extra.' He tapped the table, his hands hard on the planking.
'There was one villa, then, east of the city. I understand that General Belisarius himself stayed there for a while. It was owned by one of those imposing Roman widows, and must have several fortunes, judging by what was left there. Even after Totila's men went through the place, I found many treasures left in it.' He coughed. 'It is a little farther away than you said you wished to travel, but I think you'd find it more than justifies the additional time and effort. I made a partial inventory, in case you thought you'd like to risk it.'
'You know what they're doing to looters in Roma these days?' Ghornan asked. 'You saw the Ostrogoths on the walls coming in, didn't you? I'd just as soon keep my hands and my skin, thank you.' He glared at the smoke- blackened beams. 'It would have to be really special for me to take that kind of chance.' With a speculative lift to his brow, he waited for Pope Sylvestros to speak. 'Well?'
'Look at the list for yourself,' said Pope Sylvestros, sliding two of the sheets toward him. 'Everything I found is catalogued here, and you may be sure that there is more. This is superficial. There were over two hundred volumes in the library, and she must have taken many more with her. Some of them were very old, and that might—'
'Books are dangerous,' Ghornan reminded him. 'No telling when they might be banned, and then they become more hazardous than a scorpion.' He ran his finger down the page, his lips moving as he read. 'If this plum is so ripe, what makes you think that we'll be the only one after it?'
'Most of the folk who live near the villa will not enter it for any reason. They say that it has a strange reputation. Even those who do not dislike it treat the place with the greatest respect. The owner was said to be a sybil, and some of the very old peasants insist that she had lived there since they were children.' He paused. 'I could say prayers for the repose of unquiet spirits. If there are ghosts, they will depart.'
'We Copts,' Ghornan exclaimed indignantly, 'have better sense than to rely on ceremonies for all eventualities. You Byzantines have complicated worship until it is nothing more than a theatrical performance. Chalices and ikons!' He stopped his tirade with an effort. 'Still, if you would rather exorcise the villa before we loot it, I will not deter you. If this place has one half the booty you show here, one industrious night might be worth everything. And if the peasants think that it is an unwholesome place, that could be to our advantage. They will attribute what we do to whatever demon they think lurks there, and we will not be hampered.' He rubbed his chin. 'In fact, let us take care to make it appear that there are restless spirits there. No sense in making this more risky than necessary.'
'And if there are such spirits?' Pope Sylvestros could not resist asking.
'We are good Christians, aren't we?' Ghornan asked. 'What have we to fear from the Devil? I'd worry more about the owners' wrath than what Hell might do.'
Pope Sylvestros blessed himself. 'Apostasy,' he muttered. 'You risk worse than anything the magistrates might sentence.'
'And what of the owner?' asked Captain Ghornan with elaborate courtesy. 'This widow, where is she and what will she think if we help ourselves to her treasures?'
'She has left Italy. They say that she went to Constantinople, and perhaps she did. No matter.' Pope Sylvestros waved his hand to show what a minor consideration she was. 'Even if we are found out, what can a Roman widow do to us? I know that her sponsor is a pope and he will not act against another member of the Church simply because a few of her things were taken.'
'You're counting on a lot,' grumbled Ghornan.
'No, I'm not,' said Pope Sylvestros with intensity. 'In the very unlikely event she discovers what has happened here, how can she trace this to us? All we have to say is that we bought the goods from a reputable merchant, and there's an end to it.'
'You hope,' said Ghornan at his most daunting. 'And if she can convince someone that something must be done, where does that leave us?'
'Who might she convince?' asked Pope Sylvestros with genuine bewilderment.
'You said that General Belisarius used the villa. She might persuade him that something is amiss. Let me tell you right now that I have no intention of getting on his wrong side. My work is much too dependent on his—'
Pope Sylvestros interrupted Ghornan with a conspiratorial smirk. 'Word has it that the General will not be in Italy much longer. The rumors are that the Emperor is displeased with the progress of the campaign and suspicious
