her,' I told the sorceress. 'Well, it was one you'd given to her many years ago and she'd forgotten about. But I hadn't, thank the gods. I remembered it when I needed it most.'
Martina was unsmiling, peering into Livia's eyes. 'How long has she been like this?'
'More than two years now. Since she learned about Germanicus — and learned that Sejanus was behind it too. She was his secret lover, you know — she wanted to kill him in revenge. But I couldn't allow that to happen.'
Martina's eyes glazed over.
'The prophecies,' I whispered. 'They had to come first — something the domina had forgotten.'
Martina yawned — but kept her eyes on Livia's face.
'I feed her, of course, and massage her limbs.'
'Why didn't you just kill her?' she said.
I was shocked. 'But I love the domina more than the whole world. You know that better than anyone.'
Lingering at the door, Lygdus looked ready to run from the room.
'What's the matter with you?' I hissed.
'Her face,' he stammered. 'In the shadows she's so beautiful — but when she steps into the light…'
Martina looked at him with a sneer and Lygdus went white. 'What are you?' he whispered.
'I am Martina,' she said, 'and I'm here for my own delight, no one else's.'
I tried to pretend that Lygdus had nothing to be concerned about. 'We're old friends,' I told him.
'Very old,' said Martina. 'The only one missing is Plancina. What's happened to her?'
I replied with truthfulness that I didn't know. I assumed she was dead. Livia's eyes narrowed as they flicked briefly to mine before returning to Martina's.
'Well, you've seen the domina now,' I said, 'just as you asked, so let's get to business. Will you help me?'
Martina pulled her eyes away from Livia and fixed me with a stare to freeze oil. 'I help no one, slave — you should know that very well. Martina only looks out for herself.'
Years of rich experience had taught me how to respond to her provocations. 'It's yourself you'll be helping most of all.'
Martina waited.
'Tiberius has banned the musica muta — and here you are starting a whole new life with the best pantomimus in Rome. But how will you have any amusement if you can't perform at the Ludi, and if the best houses on the Palatine are closed to you?'
Martina continued to wait.
'It's time for Tiberius to go,' I whispered. 'He's no good for Rome — he's making it a joyless place. Did you know you can now be convicted of treason if you accidentally break a bust of his image?'
Martina's tongue ran across her lips. 'You're not persuading me.'
I raised the stakes. 'We need to kill more of them — it's as simple as that.' At the door, Lygdus conquered his fright and leaned forward to catch my words, his eyes glowing. 'It's time to get things ready for the second king,' I said. 'We already know who it is, you see — Thrasyllus confirmed it.'
I saw her eyes glazing over again. The merest reference to the prophecies always caused her to lose interest. 'Look, it's someone who'll immediately restore the musica muta,' I said, omitting to add that Little Boots had never actually been allowed to attend such lascivious diversions, although I was confident that he'd enjoy them when the time came.
I saw her weighing this up in her head. Again her weakness for Roman entertainments would prove to be my Trojan horse. 'Please, Martina,' I whined, although I could already see her weakening.
She reached into her stola and Lygdus's eyes went as wide as bowls. Her hand emerged, fingering a blue glass vial. My heart raced at the sight of it but I knew not to ask how it was that she always travelled bearing poisons. I saw that the breath had quickened in my domina 's chest too.
'This one is very slow,' said Martina.
'Good, good — it'll creep up over time, just like the one you gave my domina 's first husband.'
Her look held disdain that I should dare to refer to her past successes.
'A drop of this in the cena?' I suggested. 'A drop in every evening's meal?'
'That'll destroy it,' she said. 'Flavours and spices make it lose its power.'
This was a different poison than I had encountered before.
'It works across many months,' Martina went on, 'and when it finally builds to the right dose within the victim, delirium follows, then death.'
'But it can't be put in food?'
'Didn't I just tell you that, slave?'
'Then how do I administer it?'
This was of no concern to Martina.
'What about wine?'
'That will destroy it as effectively as food.'
'Water then?'
'You could try it.'
'It works in water?'
'It works very well,' Martina replied. 'But it tastes of nettles. And there's a nasty aftertaste of sour apples too.'
This left me bewildered. 'How can I give it without the victim knowing?'
Martina just smiled. 'Aren't you supposed to be a cunning slave?'
I saw a malicious spark in watching Livia's eyes.
'I know how to do it,' Lygdus suddenly piped up.
I wouldn't hear him. 'This is typical of you,' I spat angrily at Martina. 'Your gifts are never gifts, are they? They're torments!'
'Iphicles!' Lygdus cried out from the door. He could see our hopes being lost to the wind.
I wouldn't be warned. 'Why can't you just give us something that works?' I demanded of the witch. 'Like the poison you used on Marcellus — and poor Agrippa too? Or the same stuff you gave to the domina to feed Octavian? Why do you have to make things so hard?'
Martina's fingers snapped around the vial in a fist. 'I've changed my mind,' she said. 'Find yourself another witch.'
'Iphicles!' Lygdus wailed in despair.
I leaped at Martina's hands, screaming obscenities at her. We grappled like monkeys as I scratched and bit at her to prise the vial from her grasp. Martina spat in my eye and the foul phlegm seemed to sizzle like burning oil. 'Give it to me! Give it to me!' I shrieked.
She kicked me in the shins and I howled in further pain. 'You filthy whore!'
Martina cackled with glee until I robbed her of power by throwing myself hard to the floor, taking her with me and causing us to roll together like serpents in a ditch. Then all light left the room as a colossal form fell from the heavens to land on top of us, flushing the wind from our lungs and pinning us both beneath its bulk. It was Lygdus. The vial shot from Martina's hands and went spinning across the floor.
'Get it!' I spluttered.
All three of us scuttled after the thing but I managed to gain the lead. I heard a sickening thud as Lygdus kicked the pursuing Martina. I couldn't see where the vial had gone. 'Find it!' I screamed.
Lygdus upturned furniture and threw aside chairs. He flung himself at the tapestry that covered the wall and ripped it from its rings, exposing the storage shelves behind. The vial was lodged in the lowest space, wedged against earthenware bowls. 'I see it!' He snatched it up in triumph.
As the eunuch and I turned around to gloat at Martina, I saw the tiniest movement at my domina 's lips. Something was there and then wasn't; something small and white. Had she swallowed it? My head was ringing and my nose was running blood. I decided my eyes were playing tricks. Martina stood next to her, grinning at us, her left arm hanging loose from her shoulder. Lygdus had dislocated it when he'd kicked her.
'Well, that was fun,' she purred. She took hold of her swinging arm and manipulated herself for a moment until the limb popped back into place. She'd clearly experienced a dislocation before.
