Free Ancient World 02 - Raiders of the Nile by Steven Saylor Page A

to see the artificer with the distinctive white stripe in his hair.
    “Lykos, you remember our friend Gordianus.”
    The man gave me a blank look, then recognized me and nodded. He turned to Melmak. “What news of Axiothea? I don’t suppose she’s turned up?”
    Melmak pouted his lips. “No. Still missing.”
    Lykos shook his head. “Sooner or later, Melmak, we’re going to have to replace her. She’s left us no choice. After all the work I put into her makeup and costumes! The costumes can be reused, of course … if we find a girl the same size.” He looked at me and raised an eyebrow. “You have that lovely slave girl—what’s her name?”
    “Bethesda,” I whispered.
    “Only she’s gone missing, too,” said Melmak.
    “Has she?” Lykos frowned. “Too bad.”
    Hopelessness engulfed me. And yet, chance and sheer persistence had led me this far. Might they lead me to Axiothea, as well?
    I stared into the shadows. “There must be a way,” I whispered, thinking aloud.
    Then I thought of the two eunuchs.
    I turned and left the tavern without another word.
    *   *   *
    An hour later I was in their apartment, seated between the two of them. Kettel took up more than half the couch, with Berynus and I wedged into the remaining space. They refused to let me state my business until they had plied me with almond-stuffed dates and flatbread smeared with pomegranate jam, washed down with a very good wine from Cos. (“The last of the vintage to escape the island before that monster Mithridates invaded!” said Berynus.)
    At last they allowed me to describe the litter I had seen at the mime troupe’s performance, with its lotus-column poles and midnight-black bearers.
    “Tafhapy,” said Kettel.
    “Without a doubt,” agreed Berynus.
    “That’s the owner of the litter?” I said. “You’re sure?”
    “Oh, yes,” said Kettel, dabbing a bit of jam from the corner of his mouth. “Tafhapy bought both the litter and the bearers at the same time, a few months ago, from a business rival he drove to bankruptcy. What a ruthless fellow! What is it you want to know about him, Gordianus?”
    “Where he lives, for a start.”
    “On the Street of the Seven Baboons, in a big saffron-colored house with a balcony overlooking the street. You can’t miss it. But please, tell us you have no business with this fellow.”
    “Why?”
    “Because he’s a scoundrel! Completely unscrupulous. Highly dangerous.”
    “A criminal?”
    Berynus sniffed and drummed his long, bony fingers on his knee. “Tafhapy has never been arrested, if that’s what you mean, but that doesn’t mean he hasn’t cracked a few heads and made a few business rivals disappear in his time. Men like Tafhapy don’t submit to royal judges, they bribe them. No one can call you a criminal if you’re above the law. Now he’s one of the wealthiest men in Alexandria, so rich and powerful, they say he has the ear of the king himself.”
    “Where does his money come from?”
    “He inherited a shipping business from his father. Owns a fleet that traffics all sorts of goods up and down the Nile and across the sea. For all I know, it was one of his ships that delivered this very fine wine from Cos. More, Gordianus?”
    “No, thank you.”
    “What is your interest in Tafhapy?” asked Kettel.
    I saw no reason not to tell them. “You may remember, when I last called on you, I was looking to find the members of a certain mime troupe. Among them there’s a young actress called Axiothea. Tafhapy seems to have taken a liking to her.”
    “Taken a liking, you say?” Kettel looked past me, to Berynus, who returned his skeptical gaze.
    “Why not? Axiothea is very attractive. Beautiful, really. She looks like…” I swallowed hard.
    Berynus nodded. “She should be beautiful, considering her name.”
    “How so?”
    He laughed. “Gordianus, I know your Greek is charmingly rudimentary, but surely even you can work it out. Axiothea: ‘worth looking at.’