Read Online A Point of Law by John Maddox Roberts - Free Book Online

trotted off and in a few minutes I told the physician about the strange events of the last two days.
    A few minutes later the slave brought the bloody toga and tunic. He even had the dead man’s sandals. “We were about to burn them,” the slave said.
    “I am going to keep these as evidence.” At my request Asklepiodes’ slaves spread the clothes on the floor. There were numerous rents in the tunic, but the toga, though stained, was whole.
    “It looks like he wasn’t wearing the toga when he was killed. The murderers must have wrapped him up in it to carry him to the Forum and leave his body where we were sure to find it.”
    “Why was he wearing such shabby clothes?” Hermes wanted to know.
    “I am wondering that, too. He was of good birth, although he’d won no distinction in Rome. Yesterday, when he berated me in the Forum, his clothes were of good quality. He would have worn his best coming to appear in court today. Hermes, I want you to take these home with you. They might prove significant later on.”
    “Carry these rags?” he exclaimed with horror. “They’re unclean!”
    “You’re ready enough to shed other peoples’ blood. I don’t see why you should object to getting a little of it on you. It’s all but dry, anyway.”
    “I’m not going to touch this stuff,” he said stubbornly. “I don’t care how many purifications the priest performs.”
    “I hate superstition,” I said. “All right, there should be a sack around here someplace. Get a temple slave to bag this up for you first.” He went off in search of one.
    “Sometimes I regret giving that boy his freedom,” I said to Asklepiodes. “Now he thinks he’s too good to run errands.”
    “He’s grown into a fine-looking young man though. I’ve missed seeing him practice at the school in recent months.”
    “He should be glad I never sent him to the mines.”
    “I trust your lady, Julia, is well? Is she still bothered by her family complaint?” By this he meant the famous difficulty the Caesars hadwith conception and pregnancy. Since our marriage Julia had conceived three times and miscarried by the fourth month in all three cases.
    “Still. I try to comfort her, tell her that this is her heritage and there is no disgrace in it, but she feels humiliated nonetheless.”
    He shook his head. “I do hope she is not going to unscrupulous physicians and wise women to cure the problem. They are all frauds, and their remedies are sometimes dangerous.”
    “I warn her not to, but I fear she does it anyway.”
    “I know of no treatment for infertility other than maintaining her health through a good diet and moderate living. Beyond that, one can only sacrifice to the gods of fertility and hope for their favor.”
    “I thank you for your concern, old friend.”
    At that moment Hermes returned with a bag and a slave. With the gory clothes bundled up, we took our leave of Asklepiodes and left the temple.
    Julia was ready when I got back home. “What’s this about you being involved in a murder?” she said, even as the door swung open. She caught sight of Hermes behind me. “And what’s in that bag?”
    “Just some bloody clothes,” he said. “What the murdered man was wearing.”
    “You will not bring any such thing into this house!”
    “Oh, come now, my dear,” I said reasonably, “I’ve bled all over this house and no harm has come of it.”
    “
Your
blood attracts nothing but flies,” she answered. “A murdered man’s garments can attract his vengeful spirit, and that man wasn’t well-disposed toward you when he was alive!”
    I turned to Hermes. “Go stash that bag with the tavern keeper down the street. He won’t ask questions.” Most of my neighbors were under obligation to me. “And don’t hang around drinking either. We have a lot still to do today.” I went on inside.
    Julia had laid out baked fish, sliced melon, and bread. Betweenbites I told her of the morning’s doings. She didn’t pale much when I