Doctor Who_ Byzantium! Part 27

He arrived at the door, his pockets full of coins for them if they could provide him with more of the same.

But something was wrong, the centurion knew that the moment that he rapped on their door and found that it creaked open by itself.

In the bedroom of the Greek house, he found the blood-splattered bodies of the potter and his wife, murdered in their beds.

As he put a hand to his mouth to stop himself from vomiting, Crispia.n.u.s reflected that such a reaction was most surprising. He had seen death in all of its shades and forms across the empire. Perhaps it was the knowledge that he, and his bargain with Damien and Dorothea, was responsible for their murders that upset the centurion.

But the feeling didn't last long.

After all, this was the inevitable fate of all who spy in Byzantium.

It was simply a question of when.

EPISODE FIVE.

FOUR LANE ENDS.

Have ye not read in the book of Moses, how in the bush G.o.d spake unto him, saying, in the bush G.o.d spake unto him, saying, I am the G.o.d of Abraham, and the G.o.d I am the G.o.d of Abraham, and the G.o.d of Isaac, and the G.o.d of Jacob?

He is not the G.o.d of the dead, but the G.o.d of the living Mark 13:26-27

Chapter Twenty-Seven.

The Culture Bunker, Part Seven Losing My Religion

And the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom Mark 15:38

It was all very strange for Vicki after her two weeks spent in the loving, yet impoverished, home of the Georgiadis family.

After she had been manhandled from the Greek quarter the previous evening and frog-marched back to the Roman barracks, each of her questions about where they were taking her, and why. had been met with a stony silence, then irritated looks from the legionnaires and finally a stinging mouthful of Latin swearing from the sergeant, who hauled her into the Roman compound, dragged her up a steep flight of stairs and pushed her into a bedroom that, although poorly decorated and unfurnished, was still the lap of luxury compared to what she'd been used to recently.

The atmosphere, however, was sterile and dowdy compared to Evangeline's fireside and Vicki quickly climbed into bed, pulled the blankets around her and didn't sleep at all, listening instead to the sounds of activity within the compound.

The next morning, they came for her early and she found herself in a military office facing the captain who had led the raid on the Georgiadis home.

'Good morning,' he said, without looking up from a scroll that he was reading, as the gruff and snarling sergeant pointed to the seat opposite the captain and made it clear that Vicki should sit in it and speak when she was spoken to.

So she did.

'I apologise for any unnecessary roughness yesterday evening,' the captain said, finally raising his head and giving Vicki a little half-smile that, she imagined, he reserved for people that he wasn't about to torture. 'We knew not with whom we were dealing. My name is Drusus Felinistius, tell me yours please.'

'Vicki. That's, erm, short for Vickius Pallister... us.' She returned the half-smile and then sat back, swinging her legs beneath the chair. The captain gave his sergeant an odd look and signalled that he should leave.

'And you are a Briton, yes?'

'Uh-huh,' affirmed Vicki, proudly 'I'm from Londinium.'

'Your Latin is most excellent, Vickius.'

For a fraction of a second, Vicki t.i.ttered coyly flattered that so handsome a man was giving her a compliment. Then, just as quickly, her indignity rose towards her Roman captor and she demanded to know what he wanted with her.

Captain Drusus Felinistius seemed surprised. 'You were being held captive against your will by those Greek people people.'

He p.r.o.nounced the last word as though it were something vile. 'They will, incidentally, be dealt with most severely.'

'No, you've got it all wrong,' cried Vicki quickly. 'They were kind to me. Georgiadis rescued me when there was all that fuss and bother in the forum, and I lost my family They've been looking after me.'

'And you were not abused, or forced into slavery by them...?'

Vicki considered mentioning the work that Evangeline made her do around the house, but then decided that wasn't really what the captain had meant. 'Not at all. I should hate for them to be badly treated for an act of kindness.'

'Very well,' said Drusus Felinistius, 'your loyalty to them does you great credit. Nevertheless, it is unbecoming for a citizen of the Roman empire such as yourself to be living with subhuman sc.u.m like the Greeks. We will find a place for you within Roman society.'

Vicki snorted with derision. 'The Greeks are a million times more civilised than the Romans,' she said, standing up. 'I know the drill, I'll be in my room when you want me.'

'So, you think that word of the general and the praefectus praefectus forming an alliance might have leaked out?' Ian asked Fabulous as they walked along the corridor towards the library. forming an alliance might have leaked out?' Ian asked Fabulous as they walked along the corridor towards the library.

Events since the previous day had excited Ian as, though still mutually suspicious, Gaius and Thalius did (finally) seem to be pulling in the same direction, spending over an hour together in the Villa Praefectus Villa Praefectus with Gemellus the previous evening, discussing tactics against their mutual enemies. Not just the Zealots and the other terrorist insurgents, but also within their own forces. with Gemellus the previous evening, discussing tactics against their mutual enemies. Not just the Zealots and the other terrorist insurgents, but also within their own forces.

However, both Gemellus, and now Fabulous, were quick to warn Ian that as events were moving, so the conspirators were bound to be moving with them.

'I should say such a thing would be inevitable,' Fabulous noted. For whensoever great men are to be found, there shall be, not many steps behind, lesser men. Is that not so?'

As he asked the question, both spotted Erastus heading in the opposite direction.

'I hear you had a bit of an adventure today,' Ian said brightly, and the trainer nodded, though his look was one of regret rather than pride.

'Such events are a necessary part of life in this place,'

Erastus added, with a melancholy edge that Ian found surprising.

As they talked, Ian was vaguely aware of a fourth presence in the corridor and he raised his head and turned it to his left just as a guardsman, wearing the uniform of the praetorian staff, raced towards him with a knife clasped firmly in his hand.

It wasn't the first time that Ian Chesterton had found himself the focus of an a.s.sa.s.sination attempt. In fact he was getting heartily sick of such things. He turned at just the right moment, catching the onrus.h.i.+ng villain a glancing blow on the side of the head with his elbow; stunned, the man dropped to one knee and Erastus fell on him just as the a.s.sa.s.sin threw the knife at Ian from close range.

Chesterton closed his eyes and waited for the searing pain of impact, but it never came. Instead he opened them to find Erastus lying prostrate over the struggling guard and Fabulous slumped against the wall, the knife in his stomach.

Ian instantly forgot about the a.s.sa.s.sin and knelt beside his friend who was staring at his own hands, covered in blood.

'I have never been a man for whom luck has had a lot of time, Fabulous noted with a dry chuckle. 'A poor throw, to be sure. Perhaps our friend Erastus could spend some time training this fellow to do better in future.'

Erastus raised his head and yelled along the corridor for help. Within seconds, there came the sound of approaching, running feet.

'Fabulous,' Ian said painfully 'I am so sorry. That was meant for me.'

'Then it is better that I should be its recipient, is it not?'

asked the old librarian as he coughed, placed a bloodied hand to Ian's cheek, and died.

Drusus, Gemellus, Tobias and others, including armed guards, were all approaching from different directions now.

But for a moment, all Ian could do was hold his fallen friend.

'Who sent you on this errand of betrayal?' Erastus asked his still-struggling captive. 'Upon whose orders do you murder in the Villa Praefectus Villa Praefectus?'

The guard shook his head. A spine-shaking punch in the face by Erastus brought only a statement that he would rather cut out his own tongue than betray his master.

'That might well be arranged,' said Drusus as he helped Erastus to haul the man to his feet, leaving Ian alone on the corridor floor staring silently into s.p.a.ce.

To Barbara, observing the bewildering kaleidoscope of nationalities and cultures that were present in Byzantium, this was in itself an education. For two days she wandered around the city, soaking up as much information as she could that would help her to remain alive and at liberty. On the first night she stayed with a Jewish family who treated her with respectful silence, as though mindful of Hieronymous's edict about her. Careful not to overstay her welcome, Barbara left early the following morning and found herself in the Arab quarter where, much to her surprise, she befriended a Greek woman named Cressida in the twisting bazaars of the old city.

It was only after she had accepted an invitation to stay at Cressida's home for a second night that a casual conversation about the tragedy in the market-place a fortnight ago brought a startling revelation from the Greek woman.

'Yes,' she remembered, 'I saw a young girl on her own in the market-place that day. And an old man with white hair. I couldn't, in all honesty, tell you what happened to him, but the little girl was rescued from the crowd by a Greek. A kindly man whose mother named him Georgiadis. I believe that she is still there.'

Tomorrow, Barbara decided, trying hard not to leap up and kiss the woman just in case she got completely the wrong idea. Tomorrow, I will find her.

Having completed, to his total satisfaction, his work with the scribes, guiding them in the direction that he thought they wanted to go, the Doctor returned to the cave in which James and Judith and the other Christians were still sheltering.

There was sadness on the Doctor's return when he was told of the death the previous evening of Hebron.

It was rare for the death of one that he had met so briefly to affect the Doctor. After all, he mused briefly, people die all the time. Compared to his own lifespan, that of humans was like a dragonfly compared to a redwood tree. But still, something deep within the Doctor was upset by the news of Hebron's demise.

There was a new arrival within the cave whom the Doctor did not recognise. Another ancient man with white hair and a face shaped by the ravages of time. James broke off from telling the Doctor the sad news when he saw that the Doctor's attention had been caught by the newcomer.

'Let me introduce yet another friend,' James explained quickly. 'A Greek of our acquaintance, Papavasilliou.'

The Doctor shook Papavasilliou's hand, being surprised by the strength of the man despite his wizened and frail-looking limbs.

'I am honoured to meet you,' said Papavasilliou. 'My friend Hebron, now departed, spoke often and with great compliment about you, Doctor.'

The Doctor smiled, genially. 'Any friend of Hebron is, I am happy to say, a friend of mine. Are you also a Christian?'

Papavasilliou shook his head. 'Not as such. Whilst I share many of the aims and hopes of these good people, I have my own beliefs which I share with no other, save, perhaps, the sheep that I tend. They know me well, for that is my own way.'

'I approve,' said the Doctor, smirking that James was just out of earshot.

'Nevertheless,' continued Papavasilliou, 'l do admire the gentleness and faith of them all.'

'As do I,' the Doctor noted, genuinely.

There was a puzzlement in the face of the old shepherd.

'Your accent,' he said after a moment. 'Your Greek is quite superb for one not of this land. The inflection of your voice indicates that you have travelled far?'

The Doctor gave a dismissive wave of the hand. 'I am from many places and have many homes, and yet no home save that which I carry in my heart.'

Papavasilliou smiled warmly. 'You remind me of a young girl I know. A Briton who speaks with the voice of a sage unique in one so young.'

The old man stopped and wondered if he had said something wrong. He could not understand why the Doctor was dancing gleefully around before him like a child.