excitement.
‘Don’t go overboard – we just need to talk to this man. Auspex, you go with him. Be careful not to show yourselves but be ready to act.’
‘And you,’ said Indavara as he and Auspex walked casually away along the pavement. When they were well away from the villa, they hurried across the street and disappeared around the far side of the sanctuary.
‘Now listen,’ Cassius told the other sergeants as he removed his sword belt. ‘You two be ready as well, but stay well hidden.’
Cassius would have preferred to send the men in, but their surly demeanour, identically short haircuts and bulky physiques were an absolute giveaway; better not to alarm the man if he had a tendency to run. He handed one of the men his sword-belt.
‘Simo, give him my helmet and the satchel too. You’re coming with me.’
As Simo handed them over, Cassius eyed the Gaul’s belt and tutted.
‘How many times have I told you about carrying a dagger, yet still you defy me?’
‘I simply haven’t the need for a weapon, sir.’
‘Lucky bloody you.’
Cassius turned to the sergeants for one last word. ‘If it goes to shit, be quick.’
He pulled his cream-coloured cloak tight around his collar. His tunic could still be seen underneath but red wasn’t exclusively the preserve of the army, so he hoped Viator would take it for no more than a bold statement of style.
‘Come on, Simo.’
Cassius walked across the street and up on to the pavement, twitching as he felt sweat gathering under his armpits.
The villa’s wooden door was fitted with an expensive iron lock. Next to it was a bell on a chain. Cassius rang it and the door opened surprisingly quickly. Standing there – holding a broom taller than him – was a lad of about ten.
‘Viator residence?’
‘Who’s asking?’
The only thing that stopped Cassius cuffing the boy round the ear was the man who appeared behind him.
‘Keep at your work.’
As the lad withdrew, the man pushed the door back towards Cassius so that it was only slightly ajar. He was about thirty, lean and wiry, with long, greasy hair tied into a tail. He took a quick look at Simo and a longer one at Cassius.
‘You Drusus Viator?’ Cassius asked with as friendly a smile as he could summon.
‘I reckon you know that as you’re standing at my door,’ replied Viator with a scowl. ‘More to the point, who are you?’
‘My name is Cassius Corbulo. I’m working on behalf of—’
Viator took a brief look over Cassius’s shoulder then slammed the door in his face.
Cassius spun round. One of the overzealous sergeants was by the side of the cart, clearly visible. He shrugged.
‘Idiot!’
Viator shouted from inside: ‘Where’s the key?’
Cassius grabbed the latch and lifted it, then pressed himself against the door. It opened six inches.
‘Get some weight on it, Simo.’
Overcoming his initial hesitation, the Gaul leant against the door. Cassius waved the sergeants forward.
Viator slammed back into the door and got the latch down.
‘Balls!’
Cassius pressed his fingers under the latch and tried to force it upward again. ‘Damn it, Simo, push harder!’
The sergeants arrived and swiftly took over, one knocking the latch up with his cudgel, the other bashing his shoulder into the door. As it momentarily swung open, he shoved his foot into the gap.
‘Got it!’
Cassius retreated, suddenly feeling rather useless. There was no way to see inside the villa – both windows at the front were shuttered. Simo picked up Cassius’s cloak, which had come off and fallen to the ground.
‘I’ll fetch the rest of your gear, sir,’ said the Gaul, pointing across the street.
‘Tell the others to come in the back, sir!’ shouted one of the sergeants, his face tight with effort as he leant against the door.
Cassius ran past the half-dozen people who’d stopped to watch the struggle and along the side of the sanctuary. Though the wall surrounding it was only knee-height, planted
‘Don’t go overboard – we just need to talk to this man. Auspex, you go with him. Be careful not to show yourselves but be ready to act.’
‘And you,’ said Indavara as he and Auspex walked casually away along the pavement. When they were well away from the villa, they hurried across the street and disappeared around the far side of the sanctuary.
‘Now listen,’ Cassius told the other sergeants as he removed his sword belt. ‘You two be ready as well, but stay well hidden.’
Cassius would have preferred to send the men in, but their surly demeanour, identically short haircuts and bulky physiques were an absolute giveaway; better not to alarm the man if he had a tendency to run. He handed one of the men his sword-belt.
‘Simo, give him my helmet and the satchel too. You’re coming with me.’
As Simo handed them over, Cassius eyed the Gaul’s belt and tutted.
‘How many times have I told you about carrying a dagger, yet still you defy me?’
‘I simply haven’t the need for a weapon, sir.’
‘Lucky bloody you.’
Cassius turned to the sergeants for one last word. ‘If it goes to shit, be quick.’
He pulled his cream-coloured cloak tight around his collar. His tunic could still be seen underneath but red wasn’t exclusively the preserve of the army, so he hoped Viator would take it for no more than a bold statement of style.
‘Come on, Simo.’
Cassius walked across the street and up on to the pavement, twitching as he felt sweat gathering under his armpits.
The villa’s wooden door was fitted with an expensive iron lock. Next to it was a bell on a chain. Cassius rang it and the door opened surprisingly quickly. Standing there – holding a broom taller than him – was a lad of about ten.
‘Viator residence?’
‘Who’s asking?’
The only thing that stopped Cassius cuffing the boy round the ear was the man who appeared behind him.
‘Keep at your work.’
As the lad withdrew, the man pushed the door back towards Cassius so that it was only slightly ajar. He was about thirty, lean and wiry, with long, greasy hair tied into a tail. He took a quick look at Simo and a longer one at Cassius.
‘You Drusus Viator?’ Cassius asked with as friendly a smile as he could summon.
‘I reckon you know that as you’re standing at my door,’ replied Viator with a scowl. ‘More to the point, who are you?’
‘My name is Cassius Corbulo. I’m working on behalf of—’
Viator took a brief look over Cassius’s shoulder then slammed the door in his face.
Cassius spun round. One of the overzealous sergeants was by the side of the cart, clearly visible. He shrugged.
‘Idiot!’
Viator shouted from inside: ‘Where’s the key?’
Cassius grabbed the latch and lifted it, then pressed himself against the door. It opened six inches.
‘Get some weight on it, Simo.’
Overcoming his initial hesitation, the Gaul leant against the door. Cassius waved the sergeants forward.
Viator slammed back into the door and got the latch down.
‘Balls!’
Cassius pressed his fingers under the latch and tried to force it upward again. ‘Damn it, Simo, push harder!’
The sergeants arrived and swiftly took over, one knocking the latch up with his cudgel, the other bashing his shoulder into the door. As it momentarily swung open, he shoved his foot into the gap.
‘Got it!’
Cassius retreated, suddenly feeling rather useless. There was no way to see inside the villa – both windows at the front were shuttered. Simo picked up Cassius’s cloak, which had come off and fallen to the ground.
‘I’ll fetch the rest of your gear, sir,’ said the Gaul, pointing across the street.
‘Tell the others to come in the back, sir!’ shouted one of the sergeants, his face tight with effort as he leant against the door.
Cassius ran past the half-dozen people who’d stopped to watch the struggle and along the side of the sanctuary. Though the wall surrounding it was only knee-height, planted
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