surprisingly quiet after the morning’s tumult. I put my hands on my hips and stared at the front door. Diotima was in there somewhere, I couldn’t go in, and she didn’t know to come out. I went round the back of the house. The back gate was open, with buckets lying beside the entrance. This must be where the slaves were storing the seawater for the morning’s ritual. I stood by the gate and waited. I waited a long time. Eventually Achilles came shambling out to set up things for the night.
“Achilles!” I called softly. He looked up, startled and fearful, and squinted. I realized he didn’t recognize me in the dark. “It’s me, the one who helped you with the wine.”
Achilles hobbled to the gate and looked at me closely. “So it is. I hadn’t thought to see you again, sir.”
“I have a favor to ask, Achilles, a simple one.”
“The new mistress is in the house, sir. I won’t be letting you in.”
“Of course not, I wouldn’t ask that of you, Achilles. Instead I want you to bring the new mistress to me out here.”
“Oh dear, sir. Is this in the nature of a jest?”
“Not at all, we’re acquainted, believe me.”
“That is not necessarily a reassuring statement, sir. The new mistress is to be married, sir.”
“Achilles, I know what you’re thinking, and you’re right.”
“I am, sir?”
“You are. You’re thinking that you work for the new mistress now, at least until she marries, and she will reward you greatly if you do the right thing by her.”
“Is that what I’m thinking, sir?”
“It is,” I said firmly. “And reward you she will if only she receives the message I have for her.”
“As to that, sir, I have spoken to the new master and I suspect he is not one for rewards, sir.”
“All the more reason to get in now before he takes control.”
Achilles thought about that. “Tell me your message, sir.”
Diotima marched across the courtyard to the back gate; I could hear her teeth grating all the way. She halted in front of me and put her hands on her hips.
“Before I kill you, answer one question.”
“My pleasure.”
“Why did you send Achilles to tell me my mother has just dragged you into the bushes?”
“I thought it would get you here fastest.”
“So you couldn’t wait to brag about your sordid activities.”
“So I could tell you what she told me.” I repeated the entire conversation.
“That’s it?” she asked suspiciously. “That’s everything that happened?”
“I swear it,” I lied. I’d left off the bit about asking if Euterpe would offer me anything.
I was shy about mentioning the funeral, but I thought it needed to be said. “I thought you did exceptionally well during the ceremony. So did Archestratus. He said you pulled off a difficult job with dignity.”
“The Gods know I could have killed that bitch.”
“It must be tough, having to bury your father and deal with that at the same time.”
“Has it occurred to you I left my father in an urn in Ceramicus, exactly where he wanted to leave me when I was born?”
There wasn’t anything I was going to say to that!
Diotima continued, “I hope you never have to do it.”
“How is she?”
“Do you care?”
“You have to deal with her tonight.”
“Those two nurses gave her a sleeping potion. I haven’t gone near her and I don’t intend to. Nico, do you realize once I’m married I’m going to have to live with that thing, every day?” There was a catch in her throat, I wondered if she was about to sob. In her place, I would have.
“We just have to hope your mother’s plan works.”
“Nice of her to worry about me. I can’t remember her ever doing that before.”
“You know, she might care for you more than is immediately obvious.”
“You mean beneath that exterior of professional lust and obsessive self-regard there lurks a compassionate, loving, maternal woman?”
When she put it like that, my suggestion did seem mildly ridiculous. “I wouldn’t go quite that far, but you must admit she’s gone out of her way to save you from Rizon.”
“Tell me about the papers, where do I find them?” Diotima asked, bluntly changing the subject.
“I know what his office looks like. There’re a lot of scrolls, and there’s a box of papers. You better check all the scrolls to make sure I didn’t miss anything, but my guess is any evidence is going to be in the box.”
“Wait here.”
I waited, and waited. I strolled up and down the lane. I tried not to look like someone waiting to collect stolen property.
Diotima returned carrying the box. “The scrolls are all books. Here’s the box of papers. Keep them safe until I’m out of here tomorrow afternoon. Don’t you dare read them without me. The only reason I’m not keeping them here is that I fear the Archon will arrive in the morning and forcibly remove them. He seems to be able to do whatever he likes to me, so I wouldn’t put that past him.”
“I’ll keep them at my house. No, better still, I’ll keep them at Pericles’ house. Conon wouldn’t dare raid him, and if Pericles has to replace me my successor will have them.”
“What do you mean?” Diotima asked, alarmed. “Are you in danger?”
“No, quite the reverse.” I told her of the Polemarch’s offer, what it would mean for Pericles’ investigation.
Diotima chewed her lip. She said doubtfully, “I don’t think you should do it, Nicolaos. I don’t trust the Polemarch.”
“I don’t see a problem. He wants me because he thinks I have ability.”
“Maybe he isn’t making the offer to have you working for him, but to stop you working for Pericles. It doesn’t sound genuine to me.”
I had had the same thought, but I didn’t need Diotima reinforcing my own fears.
“So you don’t think he’s judging me by my ability.”
“Yes, he is. He might be worried you’ll do too good a job for Pericles.”
At least that was a more pleasant way of looking at it.
“You make the offer sound like some sort of bribe.”
“Yes, precisely. I wonder what he has to hide?”
A man passed by. He paid us no attention, but it put me in mind that we were in a somewhat exposed position to be discussing such things.
“I must return to my family, and you’d better get back inside that house.”
Diotima hesitated. “Uh, didn’t your father warn you not to come near me?”
“I think the way your mother phrased it was that she is willing to risk your death if there’s a chance of avoiding Rizon.”
Diotima grimaced. “I think I agree with Mother for the first time in my life. I’ll be done by lunch. Bring the box to me at home, in the afternoon. Pericles can’t have me at his house, and no one can accuse us of adultery if I’m being chaperoned by my own mother.” We both laughed.
Diotima continued. “But give me a few hours first to get some rest, I’m going to be exhausted.”
“Why exhausted? You don’t start the purification until dawn.”
“If you had to spend the night in the same house as Stratonike, would you go to sleep?”
“Good point.”
12
