A Roman Ransom by Rosemary Rowe

he’d do. And that he’ll make the punishment as harsh as possible. So, is it likely that these people will simply let their victims go? Julia knows who they are.’
    ‘You think so, master?’ He was still attempting to spoon gruel into me.
    I was getting tired of eating it by now and I dodged his ministrations long enough to say, ‘She must do, don’t you see? It’s not as if they were a band of unknown brigands who had burst into the villa with their faces covered and their daggers drawn. There was no disturbance of any kind at all. There were lots of slaves about and the door-keepers say there were no strangers in the house, and all visitors have been accounted for. But someone must have seen these people come or go. And that suggests . . .?’
    ‘That the kidnappers were people who often came and went!’ He was delighted with his reasoning. I had a mouthful of cold gruel by now, but I nodded my approval. I have long encouraged Junio to work things out like this – just as I have taught him how to work with stone. ‘So you think it’s somebody the household knows?’ he went on. ‘Or several somebodies – whose faces are familiar to the gate-keepers? I see. That does explain how they got in, at least – though how they managed to smuggle Julia and the child out is another matter. There was no sound or sign of any struggle in the court. They must have been abducted by a trick.’
    ‘I think that’s possible. It would obviously be much easier to get Julia past the gate if she was somehow persuaded to co-operate.’
    Junio was slowly following my train of thought. ‘I still can’t understand it. The gates are always guarded. You don’t think she might be hidden in the house, or grounds?’
    ‘Not if Marcus searched it fully, which I’m sure he did. Or unless she and the child are already dead, of course. Bodies might be hidden easily enough.’ I saw the look of horror on his face, and wished I hadn’t voiced my thought. I added, for myself as much as Junio, ‘But we can take some comfort from the note. That wasn’t from the villa, and it had pieces of Julia’s hair and gown on it. It seems more likely she’s being held elsewhere.’
    He nodded doubtfully. ‘Let’s hope that you are right – that she was lured out by an urgent message, or something of the kind. In fact, if Julia was somehow persuaded to go out willingly, she might even have evaded the door-keeper of her own accord. Though, obviously, she is a prisoner now.’
    ‘Exactly.’ I remembered this time not to nod myself. The rocks inside my head were clattering again, probably in protest against all this thought. ‘But you do see that once Lallius is free, she has no further value to the kidnappers? Quite the opposite. She is a threat, since she can presumably tell Marcus who they are. So it might actually be dangerous to let Lallius go.’
    ‘But what else can Marcus do?’ Junio was so desolate he let his spoon relax. ‘Julia and the child are in danger anyway. And if he had refused to comply with these demands, what do you suppose would happen to them then? These people have already torn pieces from her dress and hair. They obviously aren’t treating her with very much respect. And as for that poor child . . .’
    I opened my mouth to say that as long as Lallius remained in custody, at least we had something we could bargain with, but Junio, recovering, was too quick for me and before the words got out the gruel got in. I was still spluttering and swallowing when Kurso darted into the room.
    He always was a nervous, edgy child but now, standing there with his cheeks flushed and his fingers tugging at his tunic hem, he was positively quivering with suppressed anxiety. ‘M-m-master?’ he stammered.
    ‘What is it, Kurso?’ I spoke as gently as I could, but he was evading my eyes as usual.
    ‘Master, there is a c-c-carriage at the gate. Your p-p-patron’s here. I am sent to see if you are s-s-still asleep.’
    ‘Which you are