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.He wanted to call out to Olivia, but knew that she could not hear him, and that his voice might bring soldiers to investigate.Not far from him, the bulk of the slaves’ prison rose up, and Saint-Germain could see the occasional smudges of brightness that revealed that the guards there were still awake.He reached under his woolen dalmatica and found the bandages around his side.He untied and unwound these, fingering the deep grooves that remained along his ribs.The grooves would be there forever, he knew.There would be grooves, but no scar.The bandage was made of close-woven linen, a strong, rather thick cloth that could take rough treatment.Saint-Germain bent down to grab handfuls of dry grass, which he tied to the end of his pry-bar with the linen.This would muffle the sound of his work.He tapped the bricks with the bound end of the bar and was rewarded with a sound less noisy than horses’ hooves on sand.Somewhat reassured, he began to test the bricks, going systematically from the top of the doorway to the bottom, pressing each one to see if it was loose.None of them were.The tomb was sealed tight.Though Saint-Germain was not surprised, he had been hoping that he might find such a brick, so that his task would be quicker and easier.Rogerian was waiting even now at an inn seven thousand paces to the south.A traveling chariot was waiting, four strong matched horses to pull it, their route set from Rome to Terracina, where one of Saint-Germain's merchant ships, the Capricorn, was waiting, bound for Crete, Ephesus and Byzantium.He chose one of the bricks and began to work on it, tapping and scraping with the unmuffled end of the pry-bar, tapping and scraping, working patiently and persistently, resolutely determined not to notice the too-rapid passage of the moon through the night sky.The clouds were growing denser, blotting out the moonlight.It was early for rain, but perhaps, thought Saint-Germain as he paused in his work, the autumn would come early to Rome this year.He leaned on the pry-bar, inspecting the linen and straw to be sure the metal had not yet poked through.A little while later, Saint-Germain heard the sound of approaching horses, and he dropped back into the shadows by the tomb, keeping very still, his eyes alert in the darkness.The hoofbeats drew nearer, and then three riders swung into view, one of them carrying a lantern that caught the molten colors of the capes and loricae worn by the soldiers.One of them carried a short brass baton with a Roman eagle mounted on it, a sign that designated them imperial messengers.They had almost gone past the Silius tombs when Saint-Germain's blue roan whinnied.The soldiers faltered, one of them drawing up sharply."Don't bother about that.It's probably lovers.They like their privacy,” called the one with the lantern."It might be someone wishing to intercept this message.Those are the Silii tombs there,” the one who had reined in objected."You don't think that any man would wait near his wife's tomb at night, do you?” scoffed the third.“If he was going to stop us, he wouldn't let his horse give us warning."The first officer had ridden his mount closer to where Saint-Germain was hidden in the shadows.“If you're going to attack us,” he called out, “do it now!"Saint-Germain was still."Brutus, I've been in the saddle for most of today.I'm tired, I'm sore and I haven't had a decent meal since sunup.Come on,” protested the one with the lantern.Brutus rode between the two big tombs and squinted at the third one.“Looks all right,” he said suspiciously."When we get back to the barracks, you can tell the tribune to send troops out to check it, if you think there's any real danger that someone might be desecrating the place,” the third said, and yawned.“By Venus’ tits, I'm tired.""You don't suppose,” said the one with the lantern, “that she's still alive, do you?""After three days? No food, no water, no air?” the other mocked.“She's dead; no doubt of it."Brutus pulled his horse back.“Let's go on.But someone should come back and have a look at this.Silius could be attempting to deceive us again.""Brutus,” complained the one with the lantern.“Tell the tribune.Come on.""All right.” He wheeled his horse about and rejoined the messengers on the road.“The tribune better get men back here before dawn, or whatever is going on will be over.” He kicked his horse into a run, and the three were soon gone into the night toward the walls of Rome.Saint-Germain leaned against the wall of the tomb, his arms quite suddenly tired.He had thought there would be more time, but he was very much afraid that Brutus’ report would bring soldiers to the tomb before first light.Grimly he picked up the pry-bar and set to work on the brick again.It was more than an hour later that he was able to knock the brick through the wall into the tomb.It made an eerie, drumlike echo as it fell.Immediately Saint-Germain spoke into the small opening.“Olivia!"There was a sound, soft and scraping, and Saint-Germain feared that perhaps she had been chained within the tomb, or mutilated in some way, so that she could not come to the hole.He raised his voice a little.“Olivia!"This was met with strange silence, and then he heard a few faltering steps.“Saint-Germain?” Olivia said, as if afraid of the answer."Yes.Are you all right?” It was a foolish question, he knew.She had been entombed three days."I think so.Yesterday.was it yesterday? I felt very faint, and I think I must have been delirious, or unconscious, or sick, but I'm all right now.” Her voice grew stronger.“I am all right, Saint-Germain.""Good.” There was just room enough for him to stretch his hand through, and he felt her fingers close on his own.They were strong and vital.“Listen to me, Olivia,” he said when he had withdrawn his hand again.“It's very late, and there are some soldiers coming here at first light.We will have to work very quickly, or we will be discovered.Neither Justus nor Vespasianus would be pleased to find us here.” Something one of the soldiers had said claimed his attention then.Something about Silius deceiving them.For a moment he wondered what the messengers had meant by that, but then the more urgent matter was on his mind.“We can't make too much noise, but we've got to be quick.As soon as we have a big enough hole for you to climb through, we'll be fine.I'm going to put the end of the pry-bar in this hole, and I want you to push it against the bricks from your side while I do the same on mine.When I tell you, push.” As he spoke, he carefully put the end of the pry-bar through the hole.“Can you see that?"There was a tug on the end of the pry-bar.“Yes,” she said, sounding quite confident [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]