nobody was working on the site. Of course they all knew what was happening.
Verovolcus had gone ahead and disappeared from view. I strode to the old house. At the King's quarters I was turned away. Not wanting to create a scene, I headed for my own suite.
A couple of warriors were lounging outside in the garden. Seeing me, one of them stood up slowly. My heart sank. He was only saluting. These must be our bodyguards. I managed to find a smile for him.
I stormed indoors, disturbing a scene of domestic peace. The children were being good for once. Maia and Hyspale were using hot rods to frizzle their hair into rows of formal curls. Helena was reading. Then she read my expression. Seeing I had a real crisis, she abandoned the scroll.
As I told Helena what was up, Maia listened in, grim-faced. Finally my sister burst out, 'Marcus, you said you had brought me from Rome for safety! First last night's trouble- and now more problems.'
'Don't worry. His work is always like this.' Helena tried to make light of it. 'He rampages about as if the gods had him under a murderous curse- then he clears everything up. Next minute he's demanding when is dinner…' She tailed off. It was doing no good.
The way Maia was standing very stiffly made me drag my concentration round to her. She met me with a hard stare.
'Everything's fine.' I dropped my voice soothingly. Reassurance failed to work. Maia had learned to be suspicious of men pretending to be affectionate.
'I have been talking to Aelianus,' Maia retorted. Helena must have fetched him here while I was at the site meeting. Deeming him at least innocent of the conspiracy to bring her away from Rome, Maia volunteered to nurse him. 'He says his brother goes drinking in the town.'
'Yes, it's a ploy. Quintus is on watch for me. Drinking is what young lads do on a night out… Look, Maia, I have an issue that needs quick thinking. Unless this is important-'
Maia said in an accusing voice, 'There is a dancer, Marcus.'
'A dancer. Yes. Luring good men from their mothers.' 'A dancer here in Noviomagus.' Maia was not recommending a good night out to improve our social lives. What had caused only vague unease in me was a source of terror for my sister. 'You knew it and you failed to tell me!'
'Maia, the Empire is stuffed with grimy Castanet girls '
The bluff failed. Maia already knew why the dancer might be a threat to her: 'This one comes from Rome- and she is special, isn't she?'
'Justinus did tell me the woman was causing excitement some young chit who takes off more of her clothes than usual, no doubt-'
Maia simply glared at me.
'What is it, Maia?' Helena asked in a troubled voice.
'Anacrites has a dancer who works for him.' Maia was stony. 'He once told me he has a special agent who works for him abroad. He said she is highly dangerous. Marcus, she has followed me. He has sent her to get me.'
My sister had a right to be angry. And frightened too. I threw back my head and breathed slowly. 'I doubt if this is her.'
'You know all about her, then?' Maia shrieked. Wide-eyed, Helena had now caught on.
'Oh yes.' Did that make me sound efficient, or just devious? 'Her name is Perella. I met her in Baetica. Helena and I both met her. As you see we survived the experience.'
Perella, it had turned out then, had not been in Baetica looking for me. But I did remember how it had felt while I had thought I was her target. She and I had had a wrangle afterwards, when I stole the credit for a job she had wanted as her own commission. Our relationship since had been professional but she was no real friend of mine.
It did not help that when I mentioned Perella, Helena hugged her arms around herself and shivered. 'Marcus, why would Perella be here?' she asked. 'Why would she know anything about Maia?' I tried not to answer. 'Marcus! Has Anacrites really sent her?'
'If it is Perella, I can't say what Anacrites has told her to do.' Helena knew, as I did, Perella would simply follow orders. She would assume it was state business.
'Tell me the truth!' Maia ordered. She tossed her dark curls contemptuously.
i?5She had a right to know. 'All right. This is the situation: Perella was seen in Rome, hanging around your old house. That's why some people wanted you to leave.'
' What? Who saw her?'
'I did.' Naturally, Maia was furious. Helena, too, looked annoyed that I had kept it secret.
My sister's next question slightly surprised me. 'Did Petronius Longus know all this?'
'Yes. I'm sure that's why he helped your children with their scheme to extricate you-'
'And what about extricating my children?' seethed Maia. 'It hasn't worked, has it? I am still being chased by this woman, while my poor children '
'Are with Petronius,' Helena interrupted. It was in effect her confession that she had been involved. 'They are safe.'
'What is he intending to do with them?'
'Let them be seen in the neighbourhood for a while, so it looks as if you are still in Rome' I could easily see that going wrong. My anger at Petro for not talking to me about the plan redoubled. 'Then of course he will take care of them in the safest way. Don't worry about them,' Helena insisted. 'Lucius Petronius knows what to do.'
All Maia's old fear of Anacrites had returned. I was none too happy myself. I'll go and look at this dancer,' I offered gently. 'Don't worry about it, Maia. I shall know if it's Perella or not. As soon as I have sorted out this site problem, I'll go and check.'
LXXXIV
that was a hiccup that I could have done without. Perella! Dear gods.
Sorting the labour problem would be a time-consuming enterprise, thanks to Pomponius. Luckily we had a short reprieve: Mandumerus must have heard we were on to him. When I made enquiries, I was told the rogue supervisor had left the site.
The other workmen now gathered in groups, muttering. I thought it unlikely they would go for me, at least not openly. When I approached, most pointedly turned their backs. One man with a barrow of spoil came straight at me and tried to push me into a deep trench. Soon afterwards, as I walked under scaffolding against the old house, a sandbag which had been used for weighting a pulley suddenly fell off and crashed right beside me. It missed, or the deadweight could have killed me.
There was nobody in sight above. It could have been an accident.
I might extract information from the one man who seemed to be at odds with Mandumerus -Lupus, the other supervisor. But when I asked after him, he was unavailable. Pomponius had now called a site meeting, with the leaders of all the trades like the gathering from which he had debarred me on the day I arrived. Whether today's was to discuss general progress or to make specific changes following my revelations about the labour scam I did not know. He did not invite me to attend.
I worked in my office with Gaius all afternoon, trying not to feel demoralised.
Just before we packed up, someone threw a large rock through our open window. Gaius and I spent half an hour discussing whether to ignore this vandalism or stress ourselves reacting publicly. We chose to feign indifference.
Regular hard work lost its interest. Instead, Gaius said, 'I did look out for Guttus and Cloaca, those pipe- benders you were asking about.'
'Drippy and Drainage? Finding Gloccus and Cotta could be too much excitement at present, Gaius.'
'Neither is here,' he assured me. 'I checked all through the lists when I was doing the comparisons and, Falco, they don't feature.'
