Could be dangerous for you."
If my scribe turned up, I'd be out of here. The kidnappers have both the navy and the vigiles on their tail now. It can't be long to a showdown."
So then goodbye, Cilicians! If the navy and the vigiles are closing in, they may find your scribe for you. You might lose your fee." Well, thanks for that! Favonius, I have to go…" The man had slipped away almost before we registered his polite self-extraction. He left behind a whiff of shaving unguent and, for me, a slightly cheated feeling. Nobody at the Emporium called my father Favonius. He was Geminus, his long-adopted cognomen. Geminus to everyone. Well, to everyone except Ma, in one of her vengeful moods. She insisted on using the name he had had before he ran away from us.
You do know who that was?" Pa was signalling the waiter to refill our cups. He had already laid money on the marble to cover it so I was trapped. I shook my head. Should I?"
Too right, my boy! That weird streak was your Uncle Fulvius." I gazed at Pa. He nodded. Suddenly, I grinned back. Now I could see it, though Fulvius had gained age, weight and a much more truculent attitude. As dreary as I remember! It's hard to see what all the fuss was," I commented, though my uncle's deliberate way of annoying people explained a lot about his reputation. Pa and I both saw ourselves as members of the solid Didius clan; we were two bumptious boys from Rome, the only place worth living. So now we two kings of society lifted our winecups, saluted each other with a clink, and were for once at peace together. Now we were doing what town boys really enjoy. laughing at an eccentric country relative.
Helena was intrigued when she heard of my meeting. So why didn't you recognise your uncle?"
It's been years since I met him. I never saw much of Fulvius anyway. I can't have been more than five or six the last time, it was before Pa left us. My long holidays on the farm were later; Ma used to take us all to run around and tire ourselves out, when she could get somebody to give us all a lift into the Campagna. By that time Fulvius had gone."
Gone to do what?" asked Helena. What is the real story?"
He didn't fit in."
He was driven out by the others?"
No. Fulvius voluntarily took himself off."
Unhappy?"
Just bloody awkward, I'd say."
Oh, nothing his nephew inherited then!" I got out of that by asking how Helena was progressing with the Diocles tablets. She had read them all already. I was not surprised. On a waxed tablet of her own, she had quoted bits she wanted me to see. A large proportion of what she had collated involved the meetings Albia had described, which were clearly confrontations between ships, where the named vessels came off worst. People were sold into slavery. Goods were seized and marketed for profit. Then occasionally deaths were noted.
Deaths? Unnatural ones?" Helena gave out a restless sigh. No doubt of it. We took three losses." Another time, Too many to handle; five overboard." I think that may mean thrown overboard. Later, They lost ten, the master caught it; would not give up, Lygon finished him." Yes, Lygon is named. Do you think that's the same one you are interested in?" I shrugged. We had no way of knowing, though it seemed a big coincidence. Any other familiar people?" I was hoping for Damagoras or Cratidas, but was disappointed. Helena looked up her own notes to be sure. No, but Lygon is mentioned twice. The second time is horrible, Woman screaming; Lygon took her head off for us; silence!"
