that first scheme we made something like a quarter of a million profit, between ten of us. We were happy men, and Festus was already a hero in our eyes. There was no way to spend the money in the desert, so we sank it into another investment, knowing that if we came unstuck we could now just thank the Fates for being vindictive, and we'd lost nothing overall-though if we made our sale, we could all retire.'
'Censorinus then came in with you?'
'Yes. We had never talked about our winnings, but when people have a windfall word always gets out. Censorinus was already being considered as a candidate for promotion. He was becoming friendly with our group in anticipation of his co-option. Somehow he must have heard we were on to a good investment. He approached us, and asked to come in on it.'
Petro showed an interest: 'The rest of you were risking your profit-but he had to draw on his savings?'
'Must have,' shrugged Laurentius. Again he was revealing embarrassment. 'Obviously we expected him to match what we put into the kitty.' Since their kitty was founded on an illegal loan from the savings bank, this was wondrously unfair of them. They had pulled off a scam-and immediately overlooked their good fortune in getting away with it. 'Actually, I now realise he put in everything he had and then borrowed some, but at the time the rest of us were pretty offhand about where he was finding the cash.' Petro and I could imagine how cocky the others would have been; how insensitive to a newcomer. 'Look, there was no pressure on him to join us. It was his choice.'
'But when your project fell through it hit him much harder than the rest of you?' I asked.
'Yes. So that's why,' Laurentius said to me with a hint of apology, 'he did tend to become hysterical. He was a bit of a jumpy beggar anyway, in my opinion-' That was shorthand for saying Laurentius himself would not have promoted him. 'I'm sorry. With hindsight, I ought to have handled the whole thing myself.'
'It might have helped,' I said.
'Did he explain?'
'Not properly. He was very evasive.'
'People like to be suspicious,' Laurentius commented.
I drained my winecup with a wry smile. 'And your syndicate is suspicious of me?'
'Festus always said he had a very sharp brother.' That was news. I set the cup down again carefully. Laurentius murmured, 'Our second investment seems to be mislaid. We did wonder if it might have been found by you?'
'I don't even know what it is,' I corrected him gently-although by then I thought I did know.
'It's a statue.'
' Not the drowned Poseidon?' asked Petronius. His man Martinus made a jump towards his stylus again, but Petro's great paw clamped over his wrist.
'No, not the Poseidon.' Laurentius was watching me. I think he was still wondering whether I might have found this second piece, perhaps when Festus died.
Meanwhile I myself was wondering if Festus had disposed of it deliberately, and diddled his mates.
'Everyone's keeping secrets!' I told the centurion levelly. 'You'll be glad to hear I live in squalor. The watch captain will assure you I'm not soaking in luxury with profits that should have been yours.'
'He lives in a pit!' Petro grinned, confirming it.
'This special item seems to be lost,' I said. 'I searched my brother's property after he died, and I've looked in his store since, but I haven't found your treasure. My father, who was my brother's business partner, never heard tell of a second statue. And as far as we can see, even the agent Festus was using for your business never knew it existed.'
'Festus thought the agent was an idiot.'
I was pleased to hear that. I thought so too. 'So where did this statue come from?'
'The same island as the other,' said Laurentius. 'When Festus went to Greece to inspect the Poseidon, he found out that the temple actually owned two they might sell.' I could imagine my brother giving Orontes the slip, and getting talking to the priests on his own. Festus never took agents on trust. His winning style could easily have uncovered further information that the sellers had withheld from Orontes, who lacked all my brother's charm, as I knew well. 'We only had enough cash to buy the Poseidon at first. We had to sell on-'
'To Carus and Servia?'
'Those were the names. What we got from them replaced our original stake money, and enabled your brother to go back to Greece with our profit-'
'But without Orontes?'
'Without Orontes.'
'And he bought?'
Laurentius smiled with resignation. 'That time he bought a Zeus.'
LVIII
Later the same day, for the first time in history, my father had himself brought over to Fountain Court. When he arrived Helena was wrapped in a blanket, reading, while I scrubbed a bucket of mussels. He expected her to vanish so we could enjoy a manly chat, as happens in normal households, but she waved to him graciously and stayed where she was. He then expected me to shove the bucket away shyly under the table, but I carried on.
'Gods! I'm killed by the stairs: She's got you hard at it then?'
'This is how we live. No one asked you to turn up and criticise.'
'Marcus is the cook,' said Helena. 'He likes to feel he's supervising my domestic education. But I would be allowed to make you some hot honey if you want?'
'Got any wine?'
'Only for those who are stopping to dinner,' I snapped. My father was incorrigible. 'We're nearly out. I can't feed casual inebriates; I want it for the sauce.'
'I can't stop. Expected at home. You're a hard-hearted host.'
'Have the honey. She does it with cinnamon. You'll have sweet breath, a pleasant temper, and it will ease your poor old chest after the stairs.'
'You're living with a bloody apothecary, girl!' Pa grumbled at Helena.
'Yes, isn't he wonderful? Like a human encyclopaedia,' she answered, with evil insincerity. 'I'm going to lease him to Marponius:' Then she smiled and made sensible drinks for all of us.
My father gazed slowly around our outer room, deduced there was another just as awful behind the curtain, dismissed the balcony as a disaster waiting to send us to an early death, and turned up his nose at our furniture. I had acquired a pine table. We liked the fact it had all four legs and very little woodworm, but by his standards it was plain and pitiful. Apart from that we owned the mean stool I was sitting on, the chair Helena gave up for him, another she fetched from the bedroom for herself, three beakers, two bowls, one stew-pot, some cheap lamps, and a mixed set of scrolls containing Greek plays and Latin poetry.
He was looking for ornaments; I realised that we had none. Perhaps he would send us a chestful next time he did a house clearance.
'Olympus! Is this it then?'
'Well in the next room there's the scallop-end bed you sold me, and a rather nice movable tripod Helena picked up from somewhere. Of course our summer villa at Baiae is a haven of unconfined luxury. We keep our glass collection and the peacocks there: So what do you think?'
'It's even worse than I feared! I admire your courage,' he said to Helena, visibly moved.
'I admire your son,' she answered quietly.
Pa still looked wounded. The horror of my living quarters seemed a personal affront to him. 'But this is awful! Can't you get him to do something?'
'He's trying his best.' Helena sounded terse.
I went out and peed off the balcony to avoid any need to contribute. An angry shout arose from the street below, cheering me up.
