As she watched me accept it, I saw the contempt in her face. I had trained myself never to react visibly, yet I realized everything I felt for her had become all too obvious in my face. I could not change my expression. Simple distress held me rooted where I stood against the ingots, unable to accuse her, unable even to speak.

Then blackness exploded at the back of my skull, and among the blackness penetrating lights.

LXI

Nothing she had ever said was true. Nothing she had ever done was real…I was unconscious but I still saw her stark face, frozen at that moment when she watched me realize.

I was recovering my senses enough to know I was lying on my face, while someone—Camillus Meto himself—was tying up my arms and feet. He had made quite a good job of it, though he had made the mistake of not trussing the two lots of rope together as I would have done myself. If he left me alone, I might manage to obtain a degree of mobility.

Odd how your mind continues working even in unconsciousness. As I came round, I could now hear an indignant voice asking the questions I ought to have demanded immediately: If it was Helena, why did she tell me Pertinax owned the contraband ship? Why did she give Titus Caesar the conspirators’ names? Why did she send me Sosia’s bracelet today?…

I must have groaned.

“Keep still,” Meto grunted.

I had always suspected that bland exterior might conceal a jaggedly clever man. He had selected the one statement that would devastate me; then clubbed me with the pommel of a sword, which I could now see lying near. Trying to distract him I started to mumble, “I haven’t felt so stupid since an army training officer told us the session was over, then ran at us with his drawn weapon as we left the exercise ground…The lesson was, never to trust your opponent until he was carrion—” On second thoughts I added innocently, “Or until you have him very securely tied up!”

Standing directly above me Meto apologized insincerely. “Sorry!”

Really, there was no pretence any longer. And I had no doubt; the moment he had struck me down he acknowledged his own guilt.

“Where’s Helena?” I demanded.

“I’ve got her outside.”

I tried to keep my voice level, but that news left me frantic. What had he done to her? What would he do to her?

“People will start looking for me, Meto.”

“Not yet.”

“Did you have to say that about her?” I was violently angry.

“It only matters if you cared for her—”

“Oh no!” I interrupted gratingly. “It only matters if she ever cared for me.”

Laughing, he picked up the sword. “Well, Falco, if she did you bungled it.”

“Oh I bungle everything!” I admitted with regret.