The Alexandrian Embassy Read Online Free PDF Page B

All were hooded and all had the bearing of men used to violence; a couple had limps from old wounds and one was missing three fingers on his left hand. One had a bulging sack slung over his shoulder.
    â€˜The lads watching the West Viminal were sure that they came from that brotherhood’s headquarters?’ Magnus asked Marius, raising his voice to make himself heard against the rattle and clatter of mule- and ox-drawn carts and wagons.
    â€˜Yes, brother. As soon as they appeared to be heading in this direction they sent one of the errand-boys racing up here with the news. There’s no doubt about it: they’re out to do no good in the area.’
    â€˜Well, they don’t look like they’re on a shopping trip, that’s for sure. But there’re not enough of them to threaten the tavern; so what do they want?’
    All three turned away and leant against the open bar of a street wine-seller’s establishment as the six heavies approached.
    â€˜There you go, Magnus,’ the owner said, placing a jug of wine and three earthenware cups on the counter. He then turned to the old slave working with him. ‘Come on, Hylas, you lazy sod, get a move on with those victuals.’ He looked apologetically at Magnus. ‘I’ll get you some bread and roast pork as soon as my idiot slave wakes up; no charge, obviously.’
    â€˜Thanks, Septimus,’ Magnus said, edging his head around to try to get a closer look at the intruders as they passed close by but their hoods were too deep. ‘Have you ever seen any of them before up here?’
    Septimus looked at the men as they passed and waited until they were out of earshot. ‘Hard to say, Magnus, I couldn’t see their faces; but there were a couple of strangers hanging around earlier today, big lads who had the look of ex-gladiators about them. One of them had a limp and his mate was missing a few fingers, I seem to remember when I served him; although how many and which hand I don’t recall.’
    â€˜Did you catch any of their conversation?’
    â€˜Not really, we were very busy at the time and, what with Hylas being about as dozy as a slave can get without actually dropping down dead, that means I’m rushed off my feet and have very little time for chit-chat or eavesdropping.’
    â€˜Pity.’
    â€˜I did notice that they were always looking up the hill in thedirection of your tavern and after they’d had a couple of jugs of my roughest they moved off in that direction. That’s the lot, I’m afraid, Magnus.’
    â€˜Don’t you worry, Septimus my lad; that may be very helpful. About what time was this?’
    â€˜The third hour or so.’
    Magnus turned to Marius and Sextus. ‘They found poker-boy’s body soon after dawn and took the implement to Sempronius, who would have seen it at the end of the first hour. The timing fits.’
    Marius nodded whilst Sextus, judging by his strained expression, struggled to get to grips with such advanced arithmetic.
    Magnus downed his wine and then grabbed some pork and a hunk of bread as Hylas placed the plate of food in front of him. ‘Come on, lads, let’s follow the bastards and see what they’re up to.’
    Keeping a dozen paces behind the suspicious group, Magnus and his companions tracked them along the Vicus Longus as it made its way up the Quirinal Hill. Just before they arrived at the junction with the Alta Semita, the intruders stopped and took a deep interest in a reinforced door out of sight of the main street at the end of a recess, a couple of paces deep, in the wall. ‘That’s one of the back doors to the tavern,’ Magnus hissed as they watched the men from a distance. ‘How do they know about that? We haven’t needed to use it in ages.’
    Having tested it with a crowbar extracted from the sack and found it to be solid, the intruders moved on up the hill.
    â€˜I think they’re