“Yes, well we found our chicken.” He stared Argolicus in the eye. “It wasn’t hard. We followed your trail of feathers.”
As the first one’s arm came out for a punch, Nikolaos cried, “Hup. One.”
Argolicus immediately put his weight on the balls of his feet and brought his arms up. As he saw Nikolaos fly by toward the red giant, he dodged the first blow. Underneath the arm of his opponent he brought is fist up from his waist and hit hard to the middle of the man’s higher abdomen as Nikolaos had taught him years ago. Argolicus danced out and back beyond the big man’s reach before the big one could recover. The man threw a wild hit toward Argolicus’ shoulder. It glanced off. Argolicus went in under the arm again and, this time, brought his arm up from below straight at the man’s chin.
He glanced beyond the big brown one. Outside the door, Nikolaos was attached to the giant. The tutor was pulling the giant’s red hair and hitting with something. Argolicus saw blood on the floor.
His chest hurt, all the air went out of his lungs, and he fell back all at the same time. Harvest baskets tumbled around him. He thought he heard Adeodatus moan. But, it wasn’t Adeodatus. He moaned.
Anger surged through his body. He pushed the baskets away just as the big one was leaning over to deliver a punch. Argolicus grabbed his hair, yanked his head down and kicked him in the groin.
A Bath And A Letter
Argolicus and Adeodatus sweltered in the caldarium. Nikolaos dabbed at Adeodatus’ face in the places he had nicked while cutting off the filthy beard and shaving him. Adeodatus, covered in purple, yellow and blue bruises, was telling them his story.
“That Valeriana! I don’t know how they convinced her. She is so young. I’m certain they promised her jewels and a good marriage. She stood outside my room and started screaming, ‘Help! Rape! Help!’ I came out of the room to see what was going on. She gave me a wicked smile, ripped open her tunic and cried, ‘Rape! Rape,’ at the top of her voice. I didn’t understand until Gaius Scipio appeared with those two big brutes. I recognized them immediately. They belong to Venantius. That’s fine Nikolaos, you may stop. He calls them bodyguards but really they do all sorts of dirty work and bullying around the countryside. When Gaius Scipio sneered and the two brutes grabbed me I knew. Venantius and Gaius Scipio want my vineyards.”
“What? Your vineyards?” For the time of a blink, Argolicus couldn’t quite believe what he was hearing. Then he thought about Rome and destroying a man’s reputation to gain his property made sense. “It was all a ruse, then?”
“Yes.” Adeodatus sighed and his spirit seemed as fragile as his old, bruised body.
“You never touched the girl?”
“No. Me? With a 14-year-old virgin? That’s absurd. It goes against all principle.”
“Yes, well, I thought as much. That’s why I’m here.”
Voices and the clumping of wooden sandals erupted from the tepidarium. Venantius, surrounded by slaves burst into the caldarium. The two battered brutes trailed behind.
“So, the great praefect of Rome has found the noble Adeodatus.”
"Yes, and Cassiodorus knows I am here."
Venantius lost some of his threatening pomp. "Cassiodorus? And so? I am the governor of Bruttia."
"Ah, but he is the King's right-hand man. And my best friend since our childhood."
"Then, how…?"
"Oh, politics, of course. Although it will not be good for you, or Adeodatus. Any of us."
"We know whom we know," proclaimed Venantius, Governor of Bruttia. He turned with a rustle of silks and clumped away on the wooden clogs trailed by his retinue.
Early the next morning Venantius, anxious to see them gone, had a cart filled with feather-stuffed sacks to carry Adeodatus and Lucius. He loaned a horse to pull the cart and a rider for Mercury's flame.
Valeriana came out to the courtyard. She gave Argolicus another unreadable look then rushed inside.