“Pluto’s…” I cut myself off at theright moment, seeing my mother’s eyes narrow. “We forgot!” When Isaw Alex did not immediately pick up on it, I reminded him, “What’sin those packs that are out in the stable?” He slapped hisforehead, leaping up to join me as I called to Bronwen, “Don’t tellher anything!”
When we returned, each of us carryinga pack from the horses, one of which contained the cloth and theother the peppercorns and kinnamon, I could tell that Bronwen had not saida word. I told my mother to close her eyes before I produced a sackof the kinnamon and held itunder her noses, prompting her to let out a small gasp, but whenshe began to open her eyes, I ordered her to keep themclosed.
Withdrawing a peppercorn from one of thesacks, I told her, “Open your mouth.”
“Why?” she demanded suspiciously, butthis time, when she tried to open her eyes, Bronwen, who was fullyinto the spirit of the moment, put her hands over hereyes.
“I’m not going to feed you a rat turd,Mama,” I promised, although I was laughing as I did so, which madeher even more suspicious, but she finally relented.
As I dropped the peppercorn into her mouth,I did as the merchant in Alexandria had advised, “You can chew it,but I’d suggest that you let it slowly dissolve on your tongue toget a better appreciation.”
And, just as I expected, she instantly beganchomping on the peppercorn, reminding me where my impatient naturecomes from, and as we all had, she let out a gasp, but this was notof surprise.
“I have tasted this before!” sheexclaimed. “Lucius Cinna and his wife Lucia held a banquet lastyear, and they had these!”
“Peppercorns,” I confirmed, thensignaled to Bronwen to drop her hands from my mother’s eyes so thatI could hold up the large sack of them as I told her, “I’ll leavesome with you. But,” I turned and nodded to Alex, who tossed me hispack, “that’s not all we have.” Pulling the drawstrings apart, Iopened the pack widely enough so that she could peer in, and oncemore she let out a gasp, except this time, there was no missinglight in her eye, one of delight and greed.
“I’ve never seen such fine silk.” Sheactually sounded breathless as she ran her fingers along the smoothfabrics. When she got to the green, she pulled it partly out of thepack, but she was addressing Bronwen. “This would look magnificenton you, Bronwen! It matches your eyes almost perfectly!” BeforeBronwen or I could say anything, she dropped the green andextracted the darker red roll. “Although this,” she pulled it up toput it next to Bronwen’s hair, which had been the first thing Inoticed, and it still takes my breath away at certain moments, “isalmost as perfect.”
Then my mother suddenly became almost shy,and I realized what she was about to ask, but it was Bronwen whosaid, “You may have however much of this you wish…Giulia. And,” sheassured her, “in any color.”
“Not any color,” I objected, and whenBronwen looked at me in surprise, I expanded, “Not that blue silkthat that merchant called…” I tried to think of the word, whichAlex helpfully provided, “…Diaphanous is what he calledit.”
“Yes, that,” I agreed, not wanting togo into any more detail than that.
Fortunately, my mother and Bronwen instantlyunderstood, because they exchanged an amused look, I suppose aimedat me for not liking to think of my mother wearing something thatyou can practically see through. It was too late for the cooks touse the peppercorns, but this did nothing to quell my appetite,although I seemed to be the only one who was hungry. This is notunusual, though; even before a battle, I have always had a healthyappetite, and while I have never given much thought as to why thisis, I suppose it is because for the moment I am solely occupiedwith filling my stomach and nothing else matters.
Our plan for the next day was simple;we had asked Mandalonius to go down to the docks, and he hadlearned that while the river was not iced over to Confluentes,after that, all army river traffic had been suspended because theice extended a good distance out into the river from both sides,creating a situation where, if a downstream barge encountered anupstream barge, there would be no maneuvering room withoutendangering both. Since the previous year, the final stretch ofroad between Confluentes and Ubiorum had been improved, we would bebetter served riding than trying to find another barge to go therelatively short distance to Confluentes. Also, I did not want torun the risk of crossing the bridge to the camp on the other sideof the river and end up being arrested. If that was in my future, Iwanted it to be in Ubiorum, hoping that I had not enraged PrimusPilus Sacrovir to the point where he would immediately put me inchains and at least let me plead my cause, such as it was. Despiteher best efforts, Bronwen could not manage to stay awake, but I hadbecome accustomed to her preferring to take naps while we were onthe boat, something she had not done much on thePersephone, although I put that downto the constant knowledge that we were on the open sea.
After Bronwen retired, my mother immediatelyasked me, “Gnaeus, does she know what you’re facing?”
I had expected this question at
