The Memory of Snow by Kirsty Ferry Page B

might have happened
had he not visited the temple with Janus.
    ‘You scare me, my friend,’ said Janus, opening his eyes wide.
‘Did that tablet contain bad news?’
    ‘It was good news,’ said Marcus. ‘And it may also prove good
news for you. Soon, the cult of Mithras will need a new Corax. Your request
could not have been timed better.’
    ‘Are you certain of this?’ asked Janus, clutching the top of
Marcus’ arms. ‘Truthfully? You think I may be called upon?’
    ‘You may be,’ said Marcus. ‘I have much to thank you for, my
friend. Had I not come here today with you, things may have been very
different. I have missed an important ceremony. Yet I must apologise to you as
well. You could have been initiated much sooner had I not been so lax in my
duties.’ Marcus was mentally thanking the gods for guiding him to the temple
today. But he was puzzled and confused. How had he missed the ceremony? When
had he neglected his duties and not entered the temple? Then he remembered; it
was the day he had brought Aemelia down and she had refused to enter the
building. That had been another auspicious day in the Roman calendar. He was
willing to bet his last few denarii that his original ceremony had been planned
for then. It had been instilled in him that he must not neglect his duties, he
must follow orders and act upon things promptly. Mithras would not wait for
him.
    ‘You must not tell anyone of this development,’ Marcus said
to Janus. ‘It is secret. You understand that, don’t you?’
    Janus nodded.
    ‘I shall not breathe a word,’ he said.
    Marcus clapped him on the back and walked towards the wooden
door. He bent down and moved the stone away from the door, ushering Janus out
in front of him. Janus walked back to the fort with an extra swagger in his
step and Marcus followed him, checking his leather pouch again. He still had
time before the meeting with the Commandant. He still had time to see Aemelia
and give her the gift. And he must return to the temple later for his
initiation.
     
    The two men headed back to the fort, both thinking their own
thoughts about the Mithraic Cult. Marcus saw a figure bundled up in furs
flitting around the market stalls, fingering the jewellery on display and
chatting to the traders. Keeping a respectable distance, was her
slave.          ‘Excuse me, my
friend,’ said Marcus. ‘There is something I need to attend to in the
vicus.’  He broke away from Janus and took the pathway into the village.
Janus watched him walk off and approach the girl at the jewellery stall. He
stood for a minute or so, seeing the body language between the couple and the
dismissal of the slave. Marcus and Aemelia – for that was who Janus knew it was
– disappeared into the crowd, and eventually Janus turned back towards the
fort.

 
     
    AD 391
     
    ‘Aemelia, would you mind if we went somewhere a little less
crowded?’ asked Marcus.    ‘Marcus! I did not expect to see you
here today,’ said Aemelia. ‘But I must say, it is a very pleasant surprise.
Olivia, you are dismissed for the moment. Give me some time with this Prefect;
we have business to discuss.’ A red-headed slave-girl bowed and stepped aside,
holding the basket of goods Aemelia had bought. Marcus nodded at the
slave-girl, and guided Aemelia away from the jewellery stall with a light touch
on her arm.
    ‘You have a different companion today,’ he said. ‘Where is
Syrus?’
    ‘Father has use of him elsewhere. I now have Olivia to
protect me.’ She rolled her eyes. ‘The girl is simple. She does what I tell her
to do.’ Marcus laughed.
    ‘I prefer you to be guarded by Syrus,’ he said. ‘He is a good
man. I can tell. He would never leave you on your own with a soldier.’
    ‘Syrus was my shadow,’ smiled Aemelia. ‘It was very
inconvenient. Sometimes, I like to be free.’
    ‘It is good to be free. But you also need to be safe,’
replied Marcus.
    ‘I have no fear of anybody here!’ cried