The Blood of Alexandria by Richard Blake Page A

allowed vast personal enrichment without harming the poor wretches of Alexandria. They’d be able to fill their bellies in the season to come, and at low prices – if only, that is, they could get through this one.
    ‘My sweet young Alaric, how delightful to bump into you!’
    Oh shit! I ground my teeth. Priscus had worked his way through the dancing maniacs who made up the rearguard of the procession, and was now beside me. Flanked by a couple of slaves he could only just have bought, he was wearing something new of the best Alexandrian silk. One of the slaves carried a wicker cage containing perhaps the nastiest cat I’d seen in ages. It glared balefully at me through the strands. Holding the cage as far away as he could manage, the slave already had a deep scratch on his face.
    ‘You seem to have found your way about town soon enough,’ I said coldly. The cat reached out at me with an open claw. I stared back into the hate-filled eyes.
    ‘Now, I thought you’d remark on that,’ Priscus gushed. Except he had definitely lost weight since Christmas, he’d become quite his usual self again.
    ‘Our mutual friend Leontius has proved most accommodating,’ he said with a flash of his dark teeth. He put his face close to the cage and smiled broader still. The thing shrank back. ‘Isn’t she just a beauty? I had a most useful mid-morning snack with the dear man.
    ‘He’s a low sort, of course, even by provincial standards. I’d not think him at all fit to move in the exalted society that we inhabit back at home – but he’s not without a rough charm. He gave me Margarita as a pledge of our new and happy friendship.’ He poked a finger into the cage. The cat sniffed gingerly, before shrinking back again. Priscus laughed.
    ‘You will not believe how greatly he esteems your efforts for our Sovereign Lord the Augustus,’ he went on. ‘I heard all about your performance yesterday. Everyone is discussing your divine eloquence for the scheme you and Sergius conceived of taking away their land.’
    That wasn’t at all funny. Perhaps I should have killed him in the nursery.
    ‘I think I should ask you,’ I said, ‘roughly how long you plan to remain in Alexandria. I’m sure the Persian menace will not idly await your return to the theatre of war.’
    ‘But how little you know of war, my young and golden darling,’ came the reply. ‘With pestilence in all their camps, and barely an ounce of food left for them in any likely direction of advance, their campaigning season is over. Unless they can attack from Egypt – and that’s not very likely, is it? – Syria is perfectly safe. The Persians, I assure you, can’t stir from their Cappadocian positions again until March. That gives me plenty of time to take in the sights here and conclude all the business we discussed yesterday.’
    ‘Then I’ll wish you joy of this place,’ I said, trying to keep my voice as smooth as his. ‘But Martin and I have an appointment I am not inclined to break.’
    ‘We’ll meet again at dusk,’ he called after me.
    ‘What?’ I said, turning back.
    ‘He being indisposed again, Nicetas says he must leave it in your hands to keep me entertained in a fit manner.’
    ‘And Leontius?’ I asked. ‘Is he also indisposed?’
    ‘It seems to be the case,’ came the answer.
    Was that a slight frown? I could hope.
    ‘His travelling chair came for him just as we finished our shopping. He’ll be on his way now on some business trip. That leaves no one but you to keep me company this evening.
    ‘Now, my dearest love, I’m told the Egyptian quarter can be most charmingly exotic.’

Chapter 9
     
    So far as transacting the business in hand was concerned, the meeting went well enough. I’ll not go into the details of what we did in my office. But there were seventeen ways of dividing up the taxable land of the Lower Thebaid, so that the tenants got viable plots and the current owners kept enough to maintain some position. I’d