3
Nothing Revealed
Argolicus sighed. “I thought I was leaving all this.”
Nikolaos looked toward the end of the street. “Just two more days.”
They were walking toward the edge of Ostia and the ocean. The streets were lined with empty shops and vacant apartment buildings. For the past 200 years, Ostia had ceased to be a thriving port, the harbor silted in, and what remained was country retreats for rich Romans. Buildings in disuse showed signs of crumbling from neglect. The snow had melted, but a wind from the ocean blew cold, carrying the scent of the sea. Argolicus pulled his cloak tighter.
“I think I would not have liked Pius. Demanding and supercilious. It seems his collection was all he cared about. He didn’t seem to care for his family except as an obligation. And the mother, Aemi
