Read The Emperor's Silver: Agent of Rome 5 for Free Online

his chair. The sergeant smiled in disbelief. Alexon guessed he had never been told what to do by a woman before. But he sat down.
    Amathea turned to Skiron. ‘Bring them.’
    The steward whistled and a lad ran out of the house. Skiron whispered to him and he hurried back inside.
    Nothing more was said for a while.
    Kallikres tried to appear calm by finishing off his wine. ‘What are we waiting for?’
    Amathea watched the three men file on to the terrace. ‘Them.’
    The trio were dressed in long green tunics with breeches cut of the same hardy material. They had thick, dark beards and unkempt hair. Each was carrying a long bow on his shoulder and a knife and quiver at his belt. They appeared unrelated but shared the same rangy physique, leathery skin and resolute gaze of those for whom violence is a way of life.
    ‘Itureans,’ explained Amathea with some relish. ‘Hunters from the hills below the great mountain. We don’t even have to pay them, would you believe? All they ask for is enough to eat and drink and a girl each. They all insisted on blondes, of course.’
    One of the maids was dusting furniture just inside the door. A word from Amathea and an order from Skiron sent her running up to the table. She wasn’t overly pretty but had a pleasant enough face and a fine head of straw-coloured hair. She and the other two were from Germania and had cost a small fortune; but they could at least double as domestic staff.
    Amathea was still looking at the hunters. ‘Every one of these fellows can skewer a pear at a fifty paces.’
    Kallikres wiped his clammy face. ‘You wish to intimidate me, is that it?’
    Amathea said, ‘It is one thing to hear of such skill, but another to see it. Girl, are you Lyra or Chloe? I always get you two mixed up.’
    ‘Lyra, Mistress.’
    ‘Take a pear from the bowl there.’
    The girl did so.
    ‘Amathea.’ Alexon spoke softly. He expected to be ignored but felt he had to say something. Surely this would cause more problems than it would solve.
    Amathea appeared not to have heard him. ‘Lyra, walk down to the meadow beside the drive. Stop when you’ve taken thirty paces, then turn towards us and put the pear on your head.’
    Kallikres put up both hands. ‘This is not necessary. Why involve the girl?’
    ‘Off you go,’ said Amathea.
    Lyra looked at Skiron, who cursed at her in Latin. Instead of obeying, she turned to one of the hunters, eyes pleading. The man spoke to Skiron in Aramaic. The steward translated.
    ‘Mistress, he doesn’t want his girl harmed.’
    ‘Then he’d better shoot straight,’ said Amathea.
    The hunter understood that he had been given his orders. He took Lyra’s arm and led her to the steps. She descended them shakily.
    ‘Let’s end this now,’ said Kallikres, retrieving his money. ‘You’ve made your point. I’ll cooperate.’
    Amathea ignored him too.
    As Lyra continued down the slope, the hunter took his bow from his shoulder. He tested the string a couple of times then shook his head and spoke once more to Skiron.
    ‘He says he was drinking last night, Mistress. His hands are shaking. He can’t be sure of making the shot.’
    Kallikres looked despairingly up at the sky.
    ‘Let us all calm down,’ said Amathea. ‘If he hits her and she is disfigured we’ll have her replaced.’
    Upon hearing this, the hunter conceded. He moved up to the fringe of grass at the edge of the terrace and selected an arrow from his quiver. The other two moved aside and looked on.
    Amathea stood up, then walked out from under the parasol and positioned herself behind the hunter. ‘You won’t be able to see much facing that way,’ she told Kallikres. ‘Come here and join us.’
    Skiron stood over him again, hand hovering by the broad dagger at his belt. Kallikres complied.
    Lyra had stopped. ‘I’m sorry. I lost count.’
    ‘That’s about twenty,’ said Amathea. ‘Keep going, girl.’
    Girl. Alexon reckoned Lyra wasn’t far off thirty, several years