Free The Fateful Day by Rosemary Rowe Page B

intervened. ‘But, Georgicus,’ I said patiently, though not unwilling to demonstrate he hadn’t thought it fully out, ‘no one sends wagon-loads of treasure on the road without a guard. The servants – including the gatekeepers, of course – would have expected Marcus to arrange an escort for the trip. So the arrival of armed guards would not come as a surprise. In fact, it’s just what you’d anticipate.’
    He made a reluctant gesture of acknowledgement. ‘So the gatekeepers would let them in! And once inside … I see!’ He gave me a long, appraising look, as though reassessing my abilities. Then with a grimace he shook his head. ‘By Dis, these men were clever. I like this less and less.’
    ‘You’ll like it less still when you see what’s lying in the orchard field,’ I said. ‘Come and I’ll show you.’ And I began to lead the way around the back.

EIGHT
    T he pile of sorry corpses made my throat go dry again and this time even Georgicus looked shocked. ‘Dear Ceres! You are quite right! All of them are dead. Who would have thought those people would do anything like this?’ The words seemed shaken from him.
    I glanced at him, wondering exactly what he meant. ‘Those people?’ I echoed. Did he know more about them than he was willing to admit?
    ‘Surely this is the handiwork of our robbers, isn’t it? I thought we had agreed in principle on that.’ He was staring at the bodies with a stricken look, but his tone was businesslike.
    I decided to reply in kind. ‘Do you think that this accounts for all the household staff?’
    He nodded, bitterly. ‘I’m pretty sure of it, although of course as outdoor slaves we didn’t really mix with them. Indoor servants regard themselves as much more highly trained and most think it is below them to have much to do with us. But we were all the possessions of the same owner, after all, and with the steward dead I suppose I’m now responsible for everything. I’ll have my land-slaves build a pyre for these unfortunates and I’d better get a message to the Funeral Guild as well.’ He looked at the headless corpses of his colleagues and shook his head. ‘I don’t suppose the master would object if we arranged one big cremation in a field out here?’
    ‘I’m sure that Marcus would insist on it.’ I meant it. ‘With so many bodies, it would prove expensive otherwise.’
    He gazed around as if searching for a site. ‘Up at the other property, perhaps? Not the vineyard field, but a fallow one that hasn’t been brought under proper cultivation yet? Then the funeral urns could all be buried in the master’s land without too much disruption to the crops. You’re in his confidence, what would you suggest? It would take too long to send word to him to ask him for advice.’
    ‘But of course his wife is in Corinium,’ I said, ‘That is only a half-day’s ride away. If you’re concerned, I am confident that she will give consent.’
    The land-slave captain shook his head. ‘Send her a message? But I don’t know who—’
    I cut him off. ‘I shall be going to Glevum later on, myself. The garrison commander is a friend of Marcus’s and he has the swiftest couriers available. I mean to ask him to send a messenger to my patron anyway – your owner should know what’s happened here as soon as possible – and I’m sure a rider can be sent to Julia as well. And I’ll speak to the Slaves’ Guild for you while I am in the town.’
    He did not thank me, just gave a sober nod and looked down at the bloodied bodies of people he had known. ‘Then, with your permission, citizen, I’ll get back to my work. I’ll send a land-slave up here to start on the lament. It seems to be the least that we can do. And having someone here might put a stop to these flies!’ He flapped away a pair of lazy, bloated ones which had settled on the dead cook’s severed neck. ‘Perhaps we could find something with which to cover up the dead?’ For the first time there was