Read Online Requiem for a Slave by Rosemary Rowe - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Rosemary Rowe
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‘Unless you’re right about the bandits, and the man had come from hiding in the woods. There’s rumoured to be someone in the town supporting them, and I hear they do sew leaves and branches to their clothes, so that they blend in better with the trees.’
I nodded. I had heard that rumour too. ‘Though in that case you would think that when they came to town—’
‘Of course!’ Radixrapum used a dusty palm to strike his brow. ‘They would have to take them off, or they’d look conspicuous. I should have thought of that. I’m sorry, citizen.’
‘Don’t apologize,’ I said. It always helped to talk things through with someone else and I was coming to respect the turnip-seller’s intellect. He had raised more than one idea I hadn’t thought of for myself. It was nice to have an ally in whom I could confide, since there was no Junio or Minimus to help.
The turnip-seller was clearly flattered by my praise. He said, in an obvious attempt to help again, ‘Did you ask that slave if there were any customers next door this afternoon?’
In fact, I hadn’t. The story of the green man had driven it from my mind. ‘Not yet,’ I answered. ‘I’ll do it as soon as we get outside again. If you’re ready, we’ll take the brazier back.’
He nodded. ‘At least poor old Lucius has got his candles now, and his ghost won’t be offended that he was not shown respect.’
It crossed my mind that being throttled from behind, dragged along and thrown face-down on a pile of jagged tiles was hardly a demonstration of decent reverence, but I did not say so. Instead, I picked up the empty brazier and went outside with it.
Glypto was standing close beside to the door, but as soon as he saw me he stepped guiltily away, although I am certain that being half-deaf he could not have overheard. I gave him the empty brazier with a smile. ‘Take that to your master and thank him for his help.’
‘Is that all, citizen? Can poor Glypto go back to work again?’
‘Just one thing more, since you have sharp eyes. Tell me, did anyone come to your shop this afternoon? Anyone besides me, of course, I mean. Anyone who might have seen what happened to my slave?’
The old man did his simpering face again. ‘How would old Glypto know a thing like that? Glypto is kept busy in the tannage room.’
That was true, of course, but I knew the man by now. He was resentful and holding something back – I could tell that from the way that he would not meet my eyes. ‘But you went out with the rubbish and you fetched the fuel to stoke the fire. And – whatever your mistress supposes to the contrary – you keep your eyes about you. Was there anyone?’
He was torn between stubbornness and a desire to show what he could do. You could almost see the battle on his face. At last he said, ‘Only the usual delivery of hides. And the quartermaster from the barracks wanting a wolf-skin for the army signifer.’
I nodded. The standard-bearers of the legions often wore such hides draped across their head and shoulders when they were on parade, leading the troops on ceremonial marches through the streets. They wear them into battle too, apparently – presumably to make the standard easy to pick out – and I have even seen wolf-skins worn on the daily route march, although I always thought that they must be insufferably hot. ‘I saw one at the tannery.’
‘That’s the one he’s bought. He was lucky to get it,’ Glypto said. ‘You can’t get the wolves these days, with all those rebels in the wood.’
‘But that was not the only customer?’ I said. ‘There was another fellow who came in looking round – a man with a fancy cloak-clasp, I believe. I remember your master mentioned him to me.’
The mask had come down on Glypto’s face again. ‘Glypto can’t tell you, citizen. He wasn’t in the shop. He has already told you about everyone he saw, and his mistress will be furious with him for being late.’
There was no point in
I nodded. I had heard that rumour too. ‘Though in that case you would think that when they came to town—’
‘Of course!’ Radixrapum used a dusty palm to strike his brow. ‘They would have to take them off, or they’d look conspicuous. I should have thought of that. I’m sorry, citizen.’
‘Don’t apologize,’ I said. It always helped to talk things through with someone else and I was coming to respect the turnip-seller’s intellect. He had raised more than one idea I hadn’t thought of for myself. It was nice to have an ally in whom I could confide, since there was no Junio or Minimus to help.
The turnip-seller was clearly flattered by my praise. He said, in an obvious attempt to help again, ‘Did you ask that slave if there were any customers next door this afternoon?’
In fact, I hadn’t. The story of the green man had driven it from my mind. ‘Not yet,’ I answered. ‘I’ll do it as soon as we get outside again. If you’re ready, we’ll take the brazier back.’
He nodded. ‘At least poor old Lucius has got his candles now, and his ghost won’t be offended that he was not shown respect.’
It crossed my mind that being throttled from behind, dragged along and thrown face-down on a pile of jagged tiles was hardly a demonstration of decent reverence, but I did not say so. Instead, I picked up the empty brazier and went outside with it.
Glypto was standing close beside to the door, but as soon as he saw me he stepped guiltily away, although I am certain that being half-deaf he could not have overheard. I gave him the empty brazier with a smile. ‘Take that to your master and thank him for his help.’
‘Is that all, citizen? Can poor Glypto go back to work again?’
‘Just one thing more, since you have sharp eyes. Tell me, did anyone come to your shop this afternoon? Anyone besides me, of course, I mean. Anyone who might have seen what happened to my slave?’
The old man did his simpering face again. ‘How would old Glypto know a thing like that? Glypto is kept busy in the tannage room.’
That was true, of course, but I knew the man by now. He was resentful and holding something back – I could tell that from the way that he would not meet my eyes. ‘But you went out with the rubbish and you fetched the fuel to stoke the fire. And – whatever your mistress supposes to the contrary – you keep your eyes about you. Was there anyone?’
He was torn between stubbornness and a desire to show what he could do. You could almost see the battle on his face. At last he said, ‘Only the usual delivery of hides. And the quartermaster from the barracks wanting a wolf-skin for the army signifer.’
I nodded. The standard-bearers of the legions often wore such hides draped across their head and shoulders when they were on parade, leading the troops on ceremonial marches through the streets. They wear them into battle too, apparently – presumably to make the standard easy to pick out – and I have even seen wolf-skins worn on the daily route march, although I always thought that they must be insufferably hot. ‘I saw one at the tannery.’
‘That’s the one he’s bought. He was lucky to get it,’ Glypto said. ‘You can’t get the wolves these days, with all those rebels in the wood.’
‘But that was not the only customer?’ I said. ‘There was another fellow who came in looking round – a man with a fancy cloak-clasp, I believe. I remember your master mentioned him to me.’
The mask had come down on Glypto’s face again. ‘Glypto can’t tell you, citizen. He wasn’t in the shop. He has already told you about everyone he saw, and his mistress will be furious with him for being late.’
There was no point in
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