'This might not be necessary, Lord Governor,' Clarus intervened enigmatically. 'We have taken certain precautions which make a search unnecessary.'
Suetonius interrupted the notion.
'Perhaps firstly, though, we should ask Centurion Quintus Urbicus how he managed to be so close to the place where Ani and Hetu uncovered the body at such an early hour two dawns ago? Is the centurion a regular sojourner at the river's edge so early in the day? Does he take the air with his fellow soldiers at first light?'
He turned to Urbicus at the head of the Alexandrian troop just yards to the side of Titianus. All eyes fell upon the guardsman. Urbicus cleared his throat.
'Special Inspector, I and my men had been on a drunken spree throughout the night, and we were returning to our tents in the early hours to revive. It was the first day of The Isia, so our previous night's celebration had been very festive, sir. We probably overdid the festivity a bit, I'd say. There was much wine, women, and pleasure to be had.'
'Where precisely, Centurion, did this festivity occur?'
Urbicus hesitated momentarily.
'We had been at the guardsmen's party attached to Caesar's own personal celebration that night. It was at a courtyard close to the Imperial Household's tents,' the Praetorian regaled happily. 'It was a good party. A hundred officers and ranks from various corps mixing together at Caesar's behest. The wine and local beer flowed abundantly. Soldiers know how to enjoy themselves!'
'How long did this jolly event prevail, Centurion?'
'Why, it had begun in the late afternoon I'm told, but we arrived at dusk. We stayed until the very end in the wee hours, almost dawn. Soldiers' celebrations always survive until the booze runs out or everybody's rotten drunk. Or they've taken a woman or lad for their pleasure.'
'So, you were the entire night at the Household's tents enjoying this trooper's party? From dusk until before dawn?' Suetonius probed. 'That's a long night's partying?'
'True, Special Inspector. We're members of the Guard after all. We have our hell-raiser reputation to uphold.'
The assembly chuckled with uncertain enthusiasm.
'Tell me, Centurion Urbicus, do you have a witness? Is there anyone here who can vouchsafe your drunken revel that night?'
Urbicus looked blinkingly around the assembly. His sight settled on Decurion Scorilo at the head of the Horse Guard brigade colorfully garbed in their Germanic ethnic uniforms.
'My friend and colleague Decurion Scorilo of Caesar's special Horse Guard can vouch for me, Inspector. He was there too. Ask him yourself.'
Suetonius cast a questioning eye towards Scorilo, who responded haltingly in his Germanic-accented Latin.
'Yes, sir. We both enjoyed Caesar's party for the troops that night, sir.'
'So you too, Decurion, partied into the night as well? Also until dawn?'
'Of course. That's what soldier's drinking bouts are for.'
Suetonius turned to Salvius Julianus's group of lictors and grooms. Beside them was the jetty clerk of The Alexandros he had brought with him.
'Officer of the Watch,' he called to the clerk, 'you register traffic to and from The Alexandros, yes?'
The uniformed Alexandrian was prodded forward gently by Julianus to respond.
'I do, noble sir,' he stammered.
'Tell us who you are, identify your unit, and describe your duties,' the biographer said.
'Sir, I am Danaos, born at Tanis of the Nile Delta marshes. I am of mixed Greek and native descent. I am a tesserarius of the Alexandrian Auxilia. I supervise and roster the sentries of the Watch. During this imperial river tour I am the shore clerk at the jetty to The Alexandros, the Governor's barque offshore. I and my staff monitor and record all movement to and from that vessel.'
'Do you read and write, Tesserarius Danaos of Tanis?'
'I read some Greek and some Latin, sir, with a little more in the local Demotic. I have not mastered the art of writing well. I can maintain records but not express myself.'
'My fine scribe Strabon has acquired the traffic records of the past few days at The Alexandros. He has in his possession the record of the day and night, and the following days too, of two evenings ago. This is believed to be the time of Antinous's death,' Suetonius announced for all to hear. 'I want you, Tesserarius Danaos, to tell us if the record for the first evening is written in your hand?'
Strabon untied the ribbon bindings of the papyrus sheets and took the papers to Danaos to inspect.
'Indeed, sir,' the clerk confirmed, 'this first sheet is my own writing. I was the attending registrar that night. The next morning's sheet is written by one of my subordinates.'
'Tell us, Danaos, had there been any unusual traffic that afternoon or evening?'
'Not especially that I recall, other than the Governor's group departing for an overnight celebration at Caesar's quarters. The traffic was of familiar faces at The Alexandros. The only unusual visitor was a guest of the Governor's consort, Anna Perenna, who arrived with a letter of authority from her. He arrived at dusk.'
Titianus glanced slowly around at his consort at his side, whose eyes were firmly planted ahead of her. The ashen powdered face was unresponsive.
'Did the visitor have a name, Danaos?' Suetonius asked.
'The young noble's name and a note on his authority are inscribed on the sheet, sir. His face was not known to me. I had no recollection of a previous visit.'
'Will you read your ascription of his name to us, Tesserarius,' the Special Inspector asked. Strabon offered Danaos the sheet to read. Danaos cast his eye over the sheet.
'The letter of authority, an invitation written and sealed in the hand of Lady Perenna, introduced him as Lysias of Bithynia. It said he was attached to the contubernium of the Imperial Household, and was invited to a professional consultation with Lady Perenna. My notation confirms this to be so.'
Thais and Lysias, standing not far from Suetonius's group, tensed in astonishment. Lysias grasped Thais's hand urgently, his features expressing utter astonishment. Hadrian's sight fell enquiringly across the couple in deep foreboding.
'How would you describe Lysias of Bithynia to us, Tesserarius? How tall was he? How was he dressed? What company attended him? And so on? Would you recognize him if you met him again?' Suetonius asked, his eyes narrowing to interpret the clerk's features. 'Is he here among us now, for example?'
He knew full well Lysias stood close nearby accompanying Thais.
'Why yes, great lord, the fellow is with us here as we speak. I recognized him the moment I arrived. He is even wearing the same uniform of his visit at The Alexandros,' Danaos burbled with helpful enthusiasm.
'Uniform? A uniform?' Suetonius called, turning towards Lysias who was garbed in the regular chiton tunic and mantle of a Greek civilian, not his hunting cuirass, helmet, and weapons.
'Yes, sir. There. Over there,' the tesserarius burbled, pointing across the chamber.
The entire assembly turned their heads in unison in the direction of his gesture.
'On the bier. The body. The dead person. That's Lysias of Bithynia!' he declared with confidence.
A rustle of louder voices rippled across the gathering. Hadrian sat up abruptly to observe the clerk more closely.
'The body upon the bier?! You believe that to be Lysias?' Suetonius called aloud to confirm Danaos' statement.
'Yes, certainly. He's still wearing the same armor he wore at the jetty. That fair-haired young man over there. Fine looking fellow. I'd recognize him anywhere. It was him,' the tesserarius confirmed. 'He has died, has he?'
CHAPTER 32
'Tessararius Danaos, are you sure the man lying upon the bier was the fellow who said he was Lysias of Bithynia three evenings ago? He was the man you permitted to travel to the governor's barque at Lady Perenna's
