Projection by Risa Green Page B

fury come from? But she knew even as she asked herself the question; she knew because there were no women who walked as she walked in this part of the city. She could not own property, even though her husband’s house had been bought with her money. She could not hold office or vote, even though the senators made laws that directly affected her. She could not even meet with the money lenders, let alone be given credit or a bank account of her own, even though her husband was stealing from her. And most infuriating of all, she could not enter the private rooms within the Curia, where the senators surely hid the evidence of their most incriminating secrets.
    Gemina smiled to herself.
But I can now
, she thought, resisting the urge to pull on her tunic again. The Curia, however, was not the first stop on her itinerary. No, that distinction was reserved for Miss Lucretia Iusta.
    The slave girl asked Gemina to wait while she fetched her mistress, and a few moments later Lucretia emerged from a long hallway. She was in her late twenties, her face creased with the sharp angles of a woman who was no longer a child. Her dark hair wound in long coils around the back of her head. Though Gemina hated to admit it, Lucretia was quite beautiful.
    Lucretia curtsied before her. “Plotinus, to what do I owe this honor?” She extended her right hand, and Gemina had to remind herself that she was a man. Her skin crawled as she took Lucretia’s hand and gently placed her lips on it.
    “Miss Iusta, the honor is mine, I can assure you. I was sent here by my dear patron, Senator Castricius,” Gemina lied. “You do know him, do you not?”
    Lucretia looked at the ground, and Gemina thought shesaw her cheeks turn pink. “I’m sure you have heard about my rather unfortunate history with his wife’s family, sir, seeing as how she is such a devoted student of yours.”
    “Ah, yes, I believe I do recall there being something of a feud between the two of you. Now I see perhaps why the senator did not want to call upon you himself. At least not in the light of day,” she added slyly.
    This time Lucretia flushed a deep red.
You wicked woman
, Gemina thought. If only reddened cheeks could be held up as evidence in a court of justice.
    “And what, kind sir, did the senator wish you to tell me?” Lucretia asked.
    “Ah, yes, of course. I’m afraid it’s a rather … delicate matter. You see, the senator has incurred some unexpected debts as a result of property investments that turned out to be less profitable than planned. The senator has asked me to inform you that, as a result, he’ll be needing access to certain moneys that he
loaned
to you.”
    Gemina searched Lucretia’s face for any sign of worry but saw none. “I’m sure I have no idea what you’re talking about, sir. The senator has never loaned me any money. He must have me mistaken with someone else.”
    Gemina tried not to convey her surprise. She had fully expected Lucretia to react with outrage—or panic, perhaps, at the idea of having to return the money,
her
money—to Castricius. In a thousand years she would not have guessed that Lucretia would instead deny that money had been given to her at all.
    Unless she suspects him
, Gemina thought suddenly.
She knows that Plotinus is my friend. She might think he’s acting on my behalf
. It crossed Gemina’s mind that Castricius wasn’t too fond of Plotinus and that if he had shared his opinionswith Lucretia, then she would never believe that Castricius had sent him.
This was a terrible mistake
, Gemina realized. A slow panic began to burn through her, making her feel as if she were being suffocated from the inside out.
If she tells Castricius of this meeting, I will be found out for sure
.
    “I see,” Gemina said, trying to match Lucretia’s calmness. “Perhaps you’re correct, Miss Iusta. My mind gets so confused these days, I hardly know who I am anymore. You must forgive me. And please, I beg you not to tell