Companions (The Parthian Chronicles) (34 page)

Surena smiled in mockery. Domitus was facing him, their faces inches apart in seconds.

‘You think this is a joke, boy. A loose word and we could all end up nailed to crosses. You want that for your king, your queen?’

Surena’s smile disappeared. ‘No, sir, that is
dominus
.’

Domitus turned to face all of us. ‘And that goes for all of you. Watch what you say and keep your heads down. And Gallia, keep your head covered. You are already one of the most famous women in the East so we don’t want people to see your blonde hair. Hopefully we can get hold of Burebista and leave Ephesus before the cat’s out of the bag.’

To which end I pulled Athineos aside and requested a quiet word with him in his cabin. He knew the purpose of our mission but I told him that I wanted to be away from Ephesus as soon as we had secured Burebista.

‘Shouldn’t be a problem. I will be paid as soon as the lions are offloaded and after that there will be nothing to keep me here.’

‘Good.’

‘How are you going to rescue your friend, bearing in mind that there are a lot of Roman soldiers in Ephesus?’

‘I will decide that when we get there.’

He scratched his head and went over to the small table at the bottom of the single cot in the cabin. He bent down to pick up a small chest and placed it on the table, the legs of which were fastened to the floor. He opened the lid, took out a roll of papyrus and held it out to me.

‘Do you want to make a will before we reach Ephesus?’

‘A will. Why?’

He gave me a rueful smile. ‘Because you have as much chance of succeeding as those lions out there have of dying of old age.’

I declined his generous offer.

The next day we entered the harbour of Ephesus. The Romans called the city
Lumen
Asia
, the ‘Light of Asia’, whereas the locals termed it the ‘Market of Asia’. Both were right for Ephesus was a wonder to behold. We all stood on the deck with awe in our eyes as the sailors furled the sails and Athineos guided his vessel towards one of the great stone wharfs that projected out from the dockside, one of four in the spacious harbour that was enclosed by two long breakwaters. Alcaeus had told me that the harbour at Ephesus was the largest in Asia, perhaps the world, and looking at it now I considered it to be the latter.

Either side of the wharfs were docked merchant vessels of various sizes and a row of warships moored stern first. The aroma of spices and animals came from the great wooden warehouses lining the docks and which were filled with goods for shipment to Italy and Greece.

‘I had heard of the great prosperity of Ephesus,’ said Alcaeus as sailors jumped from the ship to secure the vessel to wooden posts on the wharf with ropes, ‘but it has exceeded my expectations. You may be interested to know, Pacorus, that it is a great trading city not only because its hinterland is extremely fertile, but also because it forms the end of one leg of the Silk Road.’

‘His name is Nikephorus,’ hissed Domitus.

‘Well, Nikephorus,’ continued Alcaeus, frowning at Domitus, ‘the soil around the city, irrigated by the River Cayster that flows into the sea here at Ephesus, supports huge numbers of vineyards and olive trees, plus fine grazing lands. The wines and olive oil from Ephesus are known throughout the civilised world.’

He looked at Domitus. ‘Though I doubt they have heard of them in Rome itself.’

‘Not just wine and olive oil, doctor,’ said Athineos who placed his large hands on top of the gunwale, ‘but also marble that is quarried a short distance from the city. It makes the city a lot of money. As do the markets where grain, pottery and metals such as iron, copper, lead, gold and tin are traded.’

‘The city levies taxes on the markets just as we do at Dura?’ I asked.

Athineos wiped his nose on the back of his hand. ‘But Dura misses out on taxing the most lucrative trade of all. Slavery.’

‘There will be no slave markets at Dura, ever,’ insisted Gallia.

‘That’s a pity,’ said Athineos, nodding at me, ‘because it would make him a rich king.’

‘He’s already a rich king, pirate,’ said Domitus.

Athineos looked confused. Alcaeus enlightened him.

‘The Silk Road, captain, which runs through Nikephorus’ kingdom.’

Athineos’ expression changed to one of contempt as he spotted two individuals walking towards his ship.

‘Look sharp,’ he said to us, ‘Roman tax collectors. Blood-sucking maggots.’

The two men, each dressed in a simple beige tunic, sandals and carrying leather bags over their shoulders, stopped at the bow of
The
Cretan
as Athineos’ two other vessels were secured alongside the wharf behind ours. One opened his bag and took out a waxed tablet and used a stylus to note the name of the ship on it. Both were thin, glum-faced individuals with thinning hair and sunken eyes.

‘They look like they haven’t eaten for a month,’ observed Surena.

‘Don’t say anything,’ a worried Domitus told us. ‘They may look stupid but they miss nothing.’

The tax collectors walked up the gangplank, their eyes darting left and right as they examined the vessel. We retreated towards the cabin as they walked on to the deck.

‘You are the captain of this vessel?’ the older official asked Athineos.

Athineos explained who has was and what he and his other two ships were carrying, whereupon the younger official was told to examine the cargoes of the other two vessels. The official walked up to the first cage containing a lounging lion. Athineos followed him.

‘Nice and tame, they are,’ said the captain. ‘Why don’t you give him a stroke?’

The official turned up his lip at the prospect. ‘It will be the port authority’s business to transport your beasts to the holding pens near the arena. But they cannot be moved until they have the approval of the senior
editor
.’

‘Senior
editor
?’ said Athineos.

‘The organiser of the games,’ replied the official tersely. ‘He likes to inspect all the animals and gladiators who will take part in the games personally.’

The official looked at our little group attired in black Agraci robes, all except Domitus. ‘Are they pilgrims?’

‘Pilgrims?’

‘Visitors to the Temple of Artemis,’ replied the official tersely.

‘No, they are gladiators.’

The official seemed surprised but said nothing as he took out a tablet from his bag and made a note on it with his stylus. He walked over to Domitus who was obviously the only Roman among us. Athineos introduced him.

‘This is Lucius Domitus,
lanista
of the
Ludus
Palmyra.’

‘Here at the invitation of High Priest Kallias and the
editor
,’ added Domitus.

The official’s tone changed as he spoke to a fellow Roman. ‘Welcome to Ephesus. I would be most grateful if you stayed aboard until the senior
editor
has greeted you. Can I ask how many fighters you have brought to the city?’

‘Four fighters,’ answered Domitus.

The official raised an eyebrow as he counted six individuals behind Domitus.

‘Plus my wife and the school’s doctor,’ added Domitus.

‘Ah, I see. Thank you for your time.’

He replaced the tablet back in his bag, nodded curtly at Athineos and walked to the gangplank, turning to the captain.

‘I will send a slave to collect the mooring fee and levy on the goods you are carrying captain, to be paid immediately.’

‘I look forward to paying them,’ replied Athineos caustically. ‘Parasite,’ he uttered under his breath.

The slave arrived an hour later and Athineos came close to striking him when he unfolded the note and read the figure on it. He stomped off to his cabin and returned with a pouch full of drachmas, which the slave counted most officiously. This caused Athineos’ blood to boil some more, though he managed to restrain himself as the slave thanked him and hastily departed. The captain bellowed in rage at a sailor who was goading one of the lions.

‘Leave it alone or I’ll feed you to him myself. You think I can afford to lose one of these beasts after what I have just paid to the port authority?’

He stalked the deck like an ill-tempered hyena and everyone avoided him, but his mood changed when the senior
editor
arrived. We spotted his carriage first, a
lectica
carried by eight tall slaves and surrounded by more slaves and four legionaries who shoved aside anyone in their way to clear the wharf of traffic. The
lectica
was a type of mobile bed, made of wood that had four poles at each corner to support an overhead canopy. From the canopy hung curtains to provide shade and privacy for the occupant. Two other poles were fastened to the sides of the
lectica
and these were the means by which the eight strong slaves carried their master on their shoulders. Inside the
lectica
the occupant lay on a soft mattress, with a bolster and pillows to allow him to sleep or read.

Athineos paced the deck nervously as the slaves placed the
lectica
carefully down beside the gangplank. All his efforts in transporting the lions to Ephesus and keeping them healthy came down to these few moments, when the
editor
would decide if they were suitable for the arena.

Once again we stood near the cabin as a slave pulled aside one of the lectica’s curtains to allow the occupant to exit. Gallia stifled a laughed as a balding, fat Roman in an off-white toga was helped to his feet by the slave. Another slave carrying a sunshade immediately came to the Roman’s side to prevent the sun’s rays caressing his pink crown.

‘A magistrate,’ said Domitus, observing the broad purple border on the Roman’s toga. ‘A man of some importance.’

‘And size,’ said Gallia, prompting Surena to laugh.

‘Quiet, boy,’ snapped Domitus.

One of the Roman’s slaves stopped at the top of the gangplank and announced his master.

‘The magistrate Timini Ceukianus, Senior
Editor
of the games at Ephesus and nephew of Quintus Caecilius Metellus, Governor of Ephesus, conqueror of Crete and lord of all Asia.’

The magistrate waddled up the gangplank with two legionaries in front of him and the slave with the sunshade behind. Athineos stepped forward and tilted his head as Ceukianus stepped on to the deck.

‘Welcome aboard, sir, I am Captain Athineos.’

Ceukianus waved a hand at him and walked past him when he spotted the cages.

‘And these are the lions, captain?’

‘Some of them, magistrate, the rest being on my other vessels.’

Ceukianus’ piggy eyes opened wide as he peered at the beasts.

‘They appear to be in excellent condition. My congratulations.’

Athineos stood beside him as Surena engaged in a staring match with one of the legionaries, until Domitus jabbed him in the ribs and told him to keep his eyes down.

‘This one near tore off a slave’s arm at Tripolis.’

Ceukianus clapped his puffy white hands together. ‘I would have liked to have seen that.’

He turned to give the slave holding the sunshade a murderous look, pointing up at the sun. ‘Keep the shade on me, wretch, otherwise I will feed you to this lion.’

He waved forward another slave who had come on deck. ‘Arrange to have these animals and the others taken to the holding pens immediately.’

The slave bowed. ‘Yes,
dominus
.’

‘You will be paid the full fee for your lions, captain.’

A wide grin spread across Athineos’ face. ‘Thank you, magistrate.’

Ceukianus focused his attention on us. ‘These are the gladiators from Palmyra?’

Athineos held out a hand to Domitus. ‘The
lanista
Lucius Domitus, magistrate.’

Ceukianus’ top lip lifted into a sneer as he regarded Domitus. In Roman society owning gladiators was a patrician pastime and was seen as glamorous, but managing them was regarded as beyond the pale of respectable society. Even to be seen in public in the company of a
lanista
was to risk scandal.

Ceukianus ignored Domitus as his eyes rested on the handsome face of Surena. He walked over to my former squire, the pungent smell of his sweating body entering my nostrils. He was perspiring profusely despite being kept in the shade, the great amount of fat that encased every part of his body producing copious amounts of sweat. He licked his lips as he halted before Surena.

‘You are a fighter?’

Surena, slightly perturbed by the obvious attention of this fat Roman, just nodded.

‘And what is your speciality.’

‘
Retiarius
.’

‘Ephesus is lucky indeed to have such a handsome gladiator grace its arena,’ drooled Ceukianus. ‘And the
Retiarius
fights bare chested. How marvellous. I will keep an eye out for you.’