I nodded. There is a superstition that the spirits of the newly dead can walk abroad, seeking those who should have attended them at death but did not come. By calling at my workshop in this way, perhaps Alfredus Allius was hoping to ensure that his warehouse was not troubled by the ghost of Maximus.
I murmured that his visit here was very kind, but that Maximus had not died until after I returned.
‘So I understand,’ he said, to my surprise. ‘But this is a house of death and I had promised herbs.’ The curial councillor had turned slightly pink. ‘I had a corpse in my own warehouse, as I think you know, and business was blighted until I obtained some special herbs from Rome to cleanse the place. Fortunately I still had some in store.’ He gestured towards the aged steward as he spoke. ‘Vesperion, you have something for the citizen, I think.’
The old man shuffled forward to present me with a casket of dried herbs, his aged knees and hip-joints creaking audibly. ‘There may be enough to prepare your poor servant for the funeral pyre, as well. With my master’s compliments, citizen.’
I hardly had to glance to know this was a handsome gift. The little chest itself was beautiful, and the herbs and spices it contained were ones which I could never have afforded for myself. I could detect basil, rosemary, myrrh and frankincense — as well as the usual hyssop, lavender and myrtle. I gazed at Alfredus in astonishment.
But my surprises had not ended. My caller spoke again. ‘I have sent to the priest who cleansed my property for me — and for the wise woman who advised me what to do.’
I looked at him, alarmed. ‘But citizen — the fee. I am a humble tradesman-’
‘I will be honoured,’ he interrupted me, ‘to pay them for their services, citizen. The woman, especially. She was the one who told me to wear this.’ He fingered a silver chain around his neck, hung with phalluses and other lucky charms. ‘It has served me very well.’ He gave his timid smile.
I looked at him suspiciously. Why should he do that? He was not especially noted for his generosity — or indeed for anything at all. Alfredus Allius was not a man to stand out in a crowd, being of average height, of medium build, and of middle-age — thirty-five or forty, perhaps. His hair was mousy brown and his features, though regular, were unremarkable at best, and the dark-coloured mourning toga that he wore today did not flatter him, making him look more than usually plain. He was resolutely unexceptional in every way, but I’d never thought of him as devious. Yet this offer was far beyond the call of courtesy. What was he up to?
I shook myself. I should be thanking him, not thinking doubtful thoughts. Junio, however, was ahead of me.
‘Thank you for your generosity, citizen.’ You can see my father feels it very much.’
Alfredus made a dismissive gesture with his hand. ‘He is a client of Marcus Septimus. His Excellence would be displeased if he returned and found I had not helped. Wasn’t the dead slave a gift from his own household, after all? Unfortunate that this should happen while he isn’t here. Some sort of fatal accident, I understand.’
‘What affects my father most is that this was no accident,’ Junio said softly.
I shot a warning glance at him, but he was right, of course. There was no point in our attempting to disguise the facts. The tanner’s wife had worked out for herself that the ladder had been deliberately moved, as she would no doubt be telling everyone with pride.
Junio’s words had caused a little stir. Vesperion gasped aloud. ‘You can’t mean that your servant killed himself?’ He glanced at his own master. ‘That might make a difference to the herbs …’
I shook my head. ‘I mean that someone murdered him.’
This time even Alfredus Allius looked shocked. ‘Then I hope you find whoever is responsible,’ he said. ‘That boy would have grown up to be a valuable slave. It will cost you quite a lot to replace him even now. Which reminds me that I have another purpose here.’ He looked embarrassed and turned a little pink. ‘I have been asked to recommend a pavement-maker who could be relied upon to do a large job quickly and efficiently, and I thought of you. But there is an element of haste involved, and obviously you have recently sustained a nasty shock, so perhaps you feel that you could not undertake the task …?’
I could only boggle at him stupidly. Not because he’d thought of recommending me — such a thing is not unusuaclass="underline" a stranger moving into a town will often ask (or even pay) some local worthy for advice about which tradesmen to employ — it gives the man concerned a chance for patronage, and limits the chance of the newcomer paying a high price for shoddy workmanship. What had surprised me was that he’d bothered to come here himself, just as this morning’s customer had done.
Alfredus Allius was still urging me. ‘A deliberate killing is upsetting, naturally, even when it just concerns a slave, and perhaps you would prefer that I didn’t bother you with ordinary business matters at this time. Though possibly — with your financial loss — a profitable contract would be good news for you?’
I looked at Junio who had darted me a glance. Obviously his thought had been the same as mine. I just had sufficient presence of mind to exclaim, ‘So it was you who proposed me? That was very kind of you.’ I saw that the councillor was puzzled so I added, hastily, ‘This does concern the Egidius villa, I presume?’
TWENTY-TWO
‘By all the deities, citizen, are you a sorcerer?’ Alfredus Allius was so surprised he sat down on the stool, though it was far too small for him and much cruder than appropriate for a person of his rank. ‘How did you know? That is indeed the property in question.’ He shook his head. ‘Marcus always boasts of how astute you are, but how could you possibly have guessed?’
‘It is no guess,’ I told him, as Junio hastily brought other seats for us to ensure that our heads were decently below the councillor’s. ‘The new owner called here earlier today in search of me.’ I squatted on the little stool which Maximus had used, while Junio perched on a block of wood we used for cutting tiles. ‘But unfortunately I was not here when he came. There was a problem at my patron’s villa which delayed me very much.’
Something in my manner had alerted him. ‘I wish I’d sent my wise-woman to visit you before. You clearly need one of her talismans to ward off ill luck today. It was a serious problem at the villa, from the way you talk of it,’ he said.
I was having a fairly serious problem of my own right now, in fact. My balance on the stool was quite precarious and I was in danger of dropping the precious casket of dried herbs. It would have been the worst of omens to have broken it. I managed to lean over and put it down on the counter of the shop, which was available now that the central shutters had been taken down. Only then was I able to consider a response. ‘More serious than you can imagine, councillor,’ I said, shuffling myself more securely on the seat.
Alfredus Allius frowned. ‘I suppose it was a fire? Most unlucky, since Marcus is away.’
That was a sensible surmise, in fact. Buildings (and people) were destroyed by fires almost every day — as indeed this very workshop had once been. But, since we were now within earshot of the street, I hesitated for a moment before I answered him.
Alfredus was not expecting a reply. He had only paused to touch his precious amulets and before I could say anything he went on at once, ‘In fact, it’s turning out to be a very ill-starred day …’ He glanced around and seemed to check himself ‘… as you will doubtless find out for yourselves. An announcement will be made in the forum very soon — now that Gaius Publius’s will has been read out and the crowds attending the forum have dispersed. There’s been sad news from Rome.’
‘If you are referring to the Emperor, I already know,’ I said, and saw Junio share his look of startlement. ‘The commander of the garrison told me when I went to call on him — but I have not had the opportunity to tell my son as yet.’