Free The Curse-Maker by Kelli Stanley

folded his arms across his chest and seemed to be enjoying himself. Peregrinus answered patiently.
    â€œThey are. There are formulae we use that are tried and true, for all sorts of problems and situations. Oaths, court cases, love problems—you love someone, she doesn’t love you—gambling and races, so your horse comes a winner—not so much of that here, as we don’t have chariot racing. Not yet, anyway. Here, of course, the most common problem is health or stealing. People constantly losing clothes and goods at the baths.”
    He pounded the lead a few more times, then picked it up and gave it a satisfied look. Then he handed it to me.
    â€œSome people use thicker sheets because they’re in a hurry—or maybe the client’s in a hurry. Or because they’re too lazy or clumsy to hammer it right. But the better ones among us, when we get a commission, we take a thick piece of lead, square cut, and we hammer it out thin. It not only saves us on lead, but it shows up the writing better—don’t have to press as hard.”
    I handed it back to him. “Do you hammer it before or after you get a commission?”
    â€œOh, afterwards, of course. You can see for yourself the lead’s too delicate to sit around here waiting for someone. As soon as I get a client, I prepare the lead. This is for a lady who wants a ring back. I’ll have it ready for her when she comes out of the baths, and then she’ll throw it in the spring.”
    He turned to rummage in a shallow box and pulled out a very small, thin stylus. “This is my favorite stylus. Writes real fine. Writing’s important, don’t you believe those who tell you it isn’t. They just can’t do it properly. The goddess likes it done nice.”
    I took the stylus and looked at it carefully. I started to understand why Bibax, Rat Face, and Peregrinus were all on the small side. The tablets were tiny, and the writing could be a delicate process.
    â€œSo I take my stylus, and I write. This one’ll say something like ‘May the person who took my ring—be it man or woman, slave or free—be tormented with no sleep, no rest, and never be free from pain, and may their insides rot from within, until they return my ring to the temple.’ She might want more detail, and more specific punishment, and she may even give me a list of suspects. We can include that, too. This lady just paid for a general.”
    â€œYou pay more for more detail?”
    â€œOf course. It’s more work. For me and the goddess, eh, Calpurnius?” He laughed, and the priest joined him.
    â€œWhat makes the goddess listen to you?”
    He grew serious. “That I can’t say. We put in a formula to get the goddess’s attention, and the client promises to give her something. This lady may even give her the ring, once she gets it back.”
    â€œSo she’ll pay you to ask for the goddess’s help, and then once Sulis finds and punishes the thief, she’ll pay the goddess. Seems like they’d lose less money if they just bought another ring.”
    Peregrinus winked. “Well, don’t be spreadin’ that around. We’d be out of business. The final thing to do is fold up the curse—it’s important that it be folded right, because that helps bind the spell. That’s another reason for hammering it out so thin. Some of these amateurs”—he looked around and spat contemptuously—“they don’t understand you can’t just throw in a thick piece of lead and have the magic work.”
    He looked up at the sun. “I’d best be getting back to this. Hope that helped you. Terrible thing, what happened.”
    â€œYes. Thanks. The council’s asked me to find the killer.”
    He squinted up at me from underneath his gray-red eyebrows. “Well, if you can’t, Sulis will.” Then he went back to work.
    Calpurnius was smiling