Part 4 (1/2)
”Why do you laugh, Galen?” Pertinax strode over to hi
”Because,” said Galen, ”I know so little after all I cannot tell a beast's blood from a man's Our Commodus would kill you with all the more peculiar enjoyment because he has flattered you so often publicly and called you 'father Pertinax' He poisoned his own father; why not you? They will tell him you have frequently befriended sextus They will show him sextus' father's name on that list of names that you commended to his favor Do you follow me?”
”By Jupiter, not I!” said Pertinax
”He is sure to learn about this letter that has come” said Galen ”If you, in fearful loyalty to Commodus, should instantly atte, he is killed, and you bear witness- that would please Coladiators killed in the arena If you wept over the death of sextus, that would please his Do you reladiators ere brothers twins they were-and when the slayer of his twin-brother saluted, Coot down into the arena and kissed him? You yourself must announce to him the news of sextus' death, and he will kiss you also!”
”Vale!” reh”
”You are dead already,” Galen answered ”Didn't Pertinax see some one's body kicked into the bushes?”
There was silence They all glanced at one another Only Galen, sipping at his wine, seemed philosophically calm
”I personally should not be an eye-witness,” Galen remarked ”I am a doctor, whose certificate of death not even Coarh I could not see his features And-” he added pointedly-”neither I nor any one can tell a beast's blood from a man's”
”Daedalus!” said Pertinax with sudden resolution ”Get o empty-handed”
III MATERNUS-LATRO
Sorbanus brought the skewbald stallion Not far away a group of wo uproariously Seen against the background of purple and dark-green gloo on the quiet water and thebehind trees beyond the to earth, any more than the pan-pipe ed, pointing ”Tickle the stallion thus”
The Cappadocian lashed out savagely
”Here is a bottle of goat's blood I will bring weapons, and I will join you as soon as possible after I have made sure that the temple priests, and all Daphne, are positive about your death Nowon to the stallion's back as if a catapult had thrown hi; he had preferred to let them take their own precautions, form their own plans and subject himself to any course they wished, after which he should be free to face his destiny and fight it without feeling he had handicapped his friends by wilfulness He had not even issued a direct command to Scylax, his own slave That was characteristic of hiestion that Norbanus volunteered to share his outlawry But it was also characteristic that he esture of dissent; he accepted Norbanus' loyalty with a quiet smile that rather scorned words as unnecessary
Now he drove his heels into the Cappadocian with vigor, for the die was cast The stallion, ied, snorted, caet it in his teeth, and bolted straight for the group of roisterers, who scattered away, ainst the reins, he brought the stallion to a plunging, snorting, wheeling halt in theclouds of mist out of his nostrils! As they ran he let the brute rear-pulled hioat's blood fro to flow froroped for a purse or anything of value, screamed and ran
”sextus!” she yelled ”sextus as dining in the white pavilion!”
sextus crawled a out of glooht fro a body between them They laid it down exactly where sextus had fallen fro thwack as Cadnizable Then caroup of people, Cornificia a them-Galen last
sextus lay still until all their backs were toward hi the river-bank in no haste, a He chose a path that wound arinned in colored lantern light He had to avoid couples here and there A wo a hand on his ar for her bully
Presently he reached the winding track that led toward the high-road, with the gloolow of the lights in the caterers' booths He was as safe now as if he were fifty es, who exposedon his only stock in trade-the dread men had of his affliction-cursed him
”You waste breath,” said sextus and passed on He was s to hiht
No more than any leper now could he expect protection from society beyond what he could force society to yield He had no naht amused him Suddenly it dawned on him how safe he was, since none in Antioch would dare to question the word of Pertinax, backed by Galen and all the witnesses whom Pertinax would be sure to summon He remembered then to protect the honest freed-strode to a fire near a caterer's booth and burned the letter, stared at by the slaves arht have recognized hia drawn over his face