'My name is Dorcas,' the girl replied.

'Ah,' said Ian, remembering a s.n.a.t.c.h of conversation with Fabulous some days before. 'You're the Christian, right?

You and another of Thalius's slaves have asked to have your religion recognised?'

'Yes, sir,' she said, and returned to looking at the floor in a mixture of subservience and fear. I am sorry, sir.'

Ian tried hard not to laugh. 'Don't apologise for what you believe in, Dorcas,' he said. 'We are what we are, we should never have to be sorry for it.'

The girl seemed suitably encouraged by this, and brightened considerably. 'Myseif and Tobias, that is another of the praefectus's praefectus's slaves, we were converted by The Word when a man named James told us of the teachings of the good news.' slaves, we were converted by The Word when a man named James told us of the teachings of the good news.'

'Where do you come from?' Ian asked.

I was born on the island of Crete and lived there with my family until the mariners came through the surf and carried us all into bondage.'

and now you want your freedom?'

Dorcas giggled and placed a hand to her mouth. 'Gracious no, sir. I am better fed under this regime that I ever should be, living the life of a fisherman's wife.'

'But you are not free?'

'Freedom is an illusion,' the girl replied with a philosophical flourish. 'At night we all dream of being locked in cages; of running down never-ending corridors. We are all all prisoners of some power greater than ourselves. Only through The Word shall we know freedom.' prisoners of some power greater than ourselves. Only through The Word shall we know freedom.'

Ian found this view strangely unsettling. 'And the Romans approve of your faith?'

'They...' Dorcas paused and searched for the right word. 'Tolerate it,' she concluded. 'Some of them punish us for our insolence in daring to believe in anything other than the de facto de facto aspects of life. Others are amused by our whims and caprices. The aspects of life. Others are amused by our whims and caprices. The praefectus, praefectus, though, is a man of compa.s.sion and tolerance. As long as we practise our faith in private and do not let it affect our work or subservience, we are indulged.' though, is a man of compa.s.sion and tolerance. As long as we practise our faith in private and do not let it affect our work or subservience, we are indulged.'

'Do you fear that one day the Romans may look upon the Christians Christians as their problem rather than that of the Jews?' Ian asked, already knowing the answer. as their problem rather than that of the Jews?' Ian asked, already knowing the answer.

'That would be... unfortunate,' said a voice from the back of the mezzanine. Dorcas stood and sighed heavily as a tall and elegant, well-muscled African man joined them at the table.

'Tobias,' Dorcas said. 'Another believer.'

Chesterton introduced himself as the black man broke bread and nodded to his new acquaintance. 'You are from Britannia, I understand?' he asked.

'Londinium,' replied Ian.

a cold land, I am told. I, myself, am Egyptian. I find the Thracian winter to be a savage ordeal.'

Oh, my friend, you'd hate England,' Ian said flatly.

'In answer to your question,' Tobias offered, 'it is likely that the Romans may, soon, regard our brothers as a direct threat to their authority. And as word of the Christ's message is spread, we shall without doubt face persecution and death.'

'There is much truth in what you say,' Ian noted. 'But I have a feeling that Christianity will survive its brush with whatever Rome can throw at it.'

The sound of someone clapping his hands stopped Ian in his tracks. He turned to find Drusus giving both Dorcas and Tobias severe looks of displeasure.

'There are people hereabout who should be working instead of being involved in the idle chatter of good-for-nothing dogsbodies,' he said angrily. Both slaves hurriedly finished their breakfasts and left the vestibule without another word.

'That was my fault,' said Ian quickly. 'We were talking about how Christianity is spreading, and...'

Drusus shook his head. 'Christianity,' he scolded. 'It comes between those two and their wits. You should not be encouraging them in their strange and abnormal beliefs. You are an outsider in this land and still have much to learn about the internal affairs of the empire.'

I know exactly how Pete Best felt,' Ian said sarcastically. 'I'm a superfluous item here, clearly.'

The master of the house shrugged his shoulders defensively. 'This is the way that things are,' he continued.

'Tobias and Dorcas should not be encouraged.'

'That's terrible,' Ian replied. 'Even slaves have the right to be treated as equals.'

Vicki finally finished her woeful story. 'And, you know,' she concluded, 'the worst of it all is that I actually like it here. Apart from the fact that I seem to be completely clueless as to the right and wrong thing to say at any given moment.'

She stopped and hoped that she did not sound as pathetic as she felt, 'I'm being rather childish, aren't I?' she asked. And, when she said out loud all of the things that were troubling her, she was forced to admit that it didn't sound like very much at all.

'That is because you are are a child, my angel,' Papavasilliou told her. 'Oh, you try to obscure that. You like to think that you are old before your time. That you have had your childhood stolen by tragedy and circ.u.mstance. You have seen much that the likes of I shall never see. But, at heart, you are still blessed with the vigour of youth and the freedom that goes with it, To try and kick against the thorns of that eventuality is a betrayal of your own life. Do you understand?' a child, my angel,' Papavasilliou told her. 'Oh, you try to obscure that. You like to think that you are old before your time. That you have had your childhood stolen by tragedy and circ.u.mstance. You have seen much that the likes of I shall never see. But, at heart, you are still blessed with the vigour of youth and the freedom that goes with it, To try and kick against the thorns of that eventuality is a betrayal of your own life. Do you understand?'

'Probably,' said Vicki with a wry smile. 'But that doesn't make living my life any easier, does it?'

Papavasilliou agreed that it didn't. 'Try to be objective about situations,' he said.

'Objectivity is subjective,' Vicki replied with a rather smug expression on her face 'Checkmate,' she continued; then a realisation seemed to dawn upon her and her face fell to the floor where it shattered into a million pieces. 'That's an example of why I get everything that's coming to me and more besides, isn't it?' she asked.

The old man said nothing. He didn't need to. He merely smiled and stared up at the rising sun.

I don't mean to be such a smarty-pants,' Vicki bemoaned. I try my best, really I do, but I can't help it if I'm in a world of simpleminded peasants!'

'Simple minds are closed minds,' Papavasilliou told her.

'What I am about to tell you is good advice. The differences between many people are mainly due to fear. Fear makes a slave of us all, Fear makes a wh.o.r.e out of woman and a thief out of man. Fear is why Rome occupies the world - because the Romans are afraid of how different the world would be if they didn't.'

Vicki almost started to applaud him. 'You know,' know,' she said. she said.

'So why don't they?'

'Because they are afraid,' replied Papavasilliou.

'But that's so unfair,' Vicki continued.

The old man tried to give Vicki a rea.s.suring look. 'No one said that life is fair, little one. Only that it is life. Come, my angel,' he said, standing up. 'You and I should return to Georgiadis and Evangeline.'

For a moment, Vicki said nothing. Then she nodded.

I cannot promise that your return will be smooth or easy.

But at least I know, and you know, that you will understand them a little better, even if they do not understand you.'

'I can live with that,' said Vicki and she helped the old man to wade through the mud as they set off for home.

The library was deserted as Ian searched for some companionship. He felt alone and in need of someone to talk to.

Perhaps the realities of Byzantium were finally beginning to become clear to him Protect yourself with friends, or you're dead. Watch what you say and to whom you say it, or you're dead. Guard your privacy, or you're dead.

First rule: don't die.

'You look lost and afraid, Briton,' Antonia Vinicius told him.

Ian spun around and did an impressively comedic slip and prat-fall onto his bottom. Feeling like Tommy Cooper at the London Palladium, Ian stood, his face flushing bright red, brushed himself down.

'Sneaking up on unsuspecting people is a cruel trick,' he said, wounded. 'I'm sure you find it greatly amusing, but it isn't.'

'Your boldness is intriguing,' said Antonia, 'but it could become such a bore. Pedicabo ego vos et irrumabo.' Pedicabo ego vos et irrumabo.'

Now, having played the sad clown for far longer than he would have chosen, Ian turned into Ian Chesterton, schoolmaster again.

'You most certainly will not have me upstairs and downstairs, missus,' he replied to Antonia's lewd suggestion. 'Stop this nonsense, Antonia,' he continued angrily. 'You're used to people giving you what you want, and playing your devious games with the praefectus. praefectus. Well, I'm sorry but I'm not inclined to join in.' Ian started to walk towards the door but Antonia caught him by the arm and he turned around, frothing with rage. Well, I'm sorry but I'm not inclined to join in.' Ian started to walk towards the door but Antonia caught him by the arm and he turned around, frothing with rage.

'You really are a selfish and stupid woman, aren't you?' he asked the dumbfounded senator's wife. 'You just click your fingers and every man in Byzantium comes running?'

'Yes,' she replied with a slight pout. 'That is the way that things work around here.'

Ian laughed. 'Well, not with me, sweetheart. I'm my own man with my own needs. And one of them isn't to end up with my head stuck on a pole for committing indiscretions with you.

Understand?'

For a moment she said nothing, then she allowed her hand to fall away from Ian's shoulder. There was regret in her big brown eyes, but also something else. Something hard and nasty floating beneath the surface.

'You should know that I have many powerful friends both in this city and in Rome itself, Briton. I can make life very difficult for you whereinsoever you may wander.'

Ian had just about had enough. 'I'm sure you can, darlin', and frankly I don't give a d.a.m.n,' he said as dismissively as he could. 'It's nothing personal, but I'm n.o.body's toy, I stand alone.'

As Antonia left, a red velvet curtain behind Ian rippled and Gaius Calaphilus stepped out, grinning like a Cheshire cat, 'That was,' he said With a painful slap on Ian's back, ' the the funniest j.a.pe that I have e'er witnessed in all of my life to this date. It is high and proper time that such a deceitful b.i.t.c.h as the lady Antonia were to be given a taste of her own bitter medicine.' funniest j.a.pe that I have e'er witnessed in all of my life to this date. It is high and proper time that such a deceitful b.i.t.c.h as the lady Antonia were to be given a taste of her own bitter medicine.'

'Does everybody in this city spy on everyone else?' Ian asked, genuinely interested, 'Yes,' replied the general, in all seriousness, 'although this was, in actual fact, a bonus, I was about this place to see Fabulous and I thought it wise that anyone entering be unaware of my presence within the villa, You have made a bad enemy there, Briton, for everything that the m oecha oecha Antonia says is highly true. I would not wish to be her enemy for she has many dangerous friends. But you have made a friend in me. and I admire your bravery I salute you,' Antonia says is highly true. I would not wish to be her enemy for she has many dangerous friends. But you have made a friend in me. and I admire your bravery I salute you,'

Calaphilus strode towards the door, then stopped and turned to give Ian a parting thought.

'Watch your back. Briton. But if you need anything, then come to me. I shall not fail you as others within this household would.'

EPISODE FOUR.

INFAMY, INFAMY,.

THEY'VE ALL GOT IT IN FOR ME

And he taught them many things by parables, and said unto them in his doctrine and said unto them in his doctrine Mark 4:2

Chapter Twenty-One.

Perfume (All on You)

Arise, and take up thy bed, and go thy way into thine house.

Mark 2:11