24
The afternoon had faded by the time the cohorts left. At last, Ebrimuth took Proba, and they returned to the estate.
Argolicus trudged along the streets toward Vespasianus’ house. He was uncomfortable with unpleasant news and wanted it all to be over. Instead of a peaceful life in town, he seemed embroiled in controversy and death.
He noticed that the graffiti “What about us?” had been cleaned from the wall of the house. The doorman looked at him in surprise when he opened the door.
“Again? What was your name?”
“Gaius Vitellius Argolicus for Marcus Vipsanius Vespasianus,” Nikolaos announced as if the doorman had not been impertinent.
Eboric and Kunimund remained by the door as Argolicus and Nikolaos entered.
In the atrium, the statues stared stonily in the fading light. The mosai
