Laughing Wolf by Nicholas Maes

“He lives in my hometown, which is a five-day walk from here.”
    â€œThen he can’t be the right Balbus, can he?” the pastry man sneered.
    â€œBut this Balbus is famous,” the boy persisted, “Instead of grain, his land is choked with flowers, that’s how much the gods detest him.”
    â€œThat is the Balbus I’m looking for!” Felix felt a surge of excitement. “Where are you from?”
    â€œI’m from a hamlet called Canepria. It is one of several viculi that lie close together.… Ah! I understand!” the boy proclaimed. “A second Panarium lies three miles north of us. That’s the place you’re after, and not this oppidum here.”
    He began to laugh at Felix’s mistake, as did the rest of the group. But the chicken in his arms took fright at this clamour, beat its wings vigorously, and escaped his arms. With a cry of anguish the boy set off in pursuit. Laughing still, the crowd went about their business.
    â€œWhat a bumpkin that boy is,” the pastry man chuckled. “Although I feel bad for his family. They fled here to escape Spartacus’s army and have lost their farm and all of their possessions.…”
    Felix was only half listening. He was explaining to Carolyn what the boy had said, and how they had in fact selected the wrong Panarium. Both agreed that they should return to the temple, and were turning to leave when the man snatched Felix’s arm.
    â€œOne moment,” he growled, “Is that how you repay a favour? I helped you find that farmer Balbus, and the least you can do is buy a piece of my pastry. Your wife is thin and could use some fattening up.”
    â€œShe’s my sister,” Felix replied. “But you’re right. A thousand pardons. We’ll take two servings of your pastry, optime .”
    â€œThat’s more like it. I made them fresh this morning and they are full of honey. And at ten sesterces they are an excellent bargain….”
    â€œI can’t pay in cash.” Felix was loosening the string on his pouch.
    â€œYou have no cash?” the owner groaned, “So what will you give me...?”
    â€œ Cinnamomum ,” Felix said, holding out a large pinch of the spice. With a look of incredulity, the vendor brought his nose to Felix’s fingers.
    â€œ Cinnamomum ! I don’t believe …? Here. Take as much pastry as you want!”
    â€œTwo pieces are enough.” Felix laughed, sprinkling the powder onto the stall’s pitted counter. That said, he and Carolyn stepped away. The vendor was too excited to notice: he was gathering the spice and sniffing it ecstatically.
    Nibbling on the pastry, they hatched a simple plan. Now that they knew where to find the lupus ridens , they would return to their present and travel to the right Panarium. Balbus would be easy to track down — he seemed to be well known in the region — and once they had the lupus ridens , their mission would be over. All in all it seemed very straightforward. Felix was going to say as much, when someone seized him from behind.
    â€œHey!” he cried, as he was shoved into a space behind an empty stall. Carolyn was being similarly handled.
    â€œ Tace, amice, ” one man spoke. He was powerfully built, burned black by the sun, and had a menacing, lopsided grin. His companions had the same hardened appearance. Felix saw that they were dressed in identical lacernae , short cloaks fastened with a clasp at the shoulder, and grasped that they were part of the visiting army.
    â€œCan we help you?” he asked.
    â€œAs a matter of fact, you can. Hand us the cinnamomum and we’ll leave you alone.”
    â€œWhat do they want?” Carolyn asked.
    â€œIt’s the cinnamon. They saw it when I paid for the pastry. I’ll give it to them.…”
    â€œYou can’t. It could easily trigger a butterfly effect. With wealth like that, these men could