Страница 6 из 66
Then she will be impressed that the state is so interested in this man's underwear."
You think there may be something more useful in his luggage?"
I was brought up rough," I said, and I confess to some fetishes, but so far I have not sunk so low that I go sniffing at people's old tunic stains."
You want note-tablets." Helena Justina snuggled against my shoulder and was silent for a while, watching the ferry. Pages of helpfully scribbled clues." Eventually, because she knew I was waiting for it, she murmured with polite curiosity, My darling, what fetishes?"
VI
The arrival of our children occupied the rest of the morning. Aulus and I had a jocular chat about his pla
What a shocking thought." I hid a grin.
Marcus, you are just startled that I still remember what you and I would have done." I reminisced nostalgically. Then I consoled myself, Well, Albia hates men."
Albia thinks she hates men." I could foresee trouble in that.
He is too fat," commented Albia herself, coming in unexpectedly. How long had she been listening? She was a slender teenager with dark hair that could be Mediterranean and blue eyes that could be Celtic. Her Latin needed polish but Helena had that in hand. Soon Albia would pass for a freedwoman and the questions would stop. With any luck we could find her a husband with a good trade and she might even end up happy. Well, the husband might be happy. Albia had lost her childhood to isolation and neglect; that would always show.
Who is?" asked Helena disingenuously.
Your brother!" quipped Albia.
My brother just has a heavy frame."
No." Albia had reverted to her normal wounded seriousness. And he is not serious about his life. He will come to a bad end."
Who will?" asked Aulus, appearing in the same doorway in turn.
You will!" we all chorused. Aulus showed his teeth. He drank too much red wine and he tried to eliminate the stains by scraping his fangs with emery powder. The teeth would fall out, but he no doubt believed they would look very pretty in the dentist's discard dish. He had all the normal vanity of a lad about town, and enough cash to be a fool every time he went into an apothecary's shop. At the moment he reeked of cassia. A bad end? I hope so," he leered salaciously. with any luck in Greece!" When he bothered to smile, Aulus Camillus acquired sudden good looks. It could have worried me, in relation to Albia. But we left them together anyway. For Helena and me, having someone to look after the children while we went out in tandem was too good a chance to miss. It was a hot day and the walk to the Marine Gate took us plenty of time. We stayed in the shade, dodging off the Decumanus and down shady side streets wherever possible. For a pre-republican town, Ostia possessed a good grid system and we found our way through its quiet alleys easily. It was afternoon, siesta time. A few lunchtime bars were still serving extended snacks to regulars, with furtive sparrows pecking at leftovers from previous clients. Thin dogs slept against doorsteps and tethered mules stood with their heads down at water troughs, tails flicking listlessly as they pretended their owners had left them abandoned. The owners, like most people, were indoors. They were enjoying normal lunchtime life. a quick bread and sausage snack, or a fast hump with their best friend's wife; aimless conversation with a pal; a game of draughts; asking for more credit from a loan shark; or a daily visit to an elderly father. Helena and I worked around the back of the Forum and its associated public buildings; we passed fullers and temples, markets and i
I can see you are looking after everything." No chickens now scratched around the tiny kitchen garden, but they had left mementoes of the usual kind. There are worse things than feathers and chicken shit, but it seemed a crude repository.