Strong Wine by A.J. Demas

Author:A.J. Demas
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Sexton's Cottage

Chapter 12

“I don’t know what was going on there,” said Varazda that evening in Aradne’s dining room, “and I don’t want to know. At first I thought he was Eurydemos’s student, then I thought he was his slave, then they started talking about Eurydemos taking some wine that belonged to Bion, and what would happen when Bion’s father found out—I don’t want to know.”

“I can tell you,” said Nione, “unless you really mean that.”

Varazda sighed dramatically. “I do mean it, but you’d better tell me all the same.”

“Bion is the son of a very wealthy freedman from Kos. The family spends most of their time on a private island now, but they bought Bion a house in town. Eurydemos went there for a party in Euthalion Month and just never left.”

“Ugh,” said Aradne, perfectly encapsulating Varazda’s feelings.

“Is this very widely known, then?” he asked.

“No, I only come to know it by chance,” said Nione. “I don’t have anything to do with Eurydemos myself, after what happened in the summer, but I still am in touch with one of his sisters. She told me he has more or less given up teaching—closed the school in Boukos altogether—and has repudiated all his former ideas.”

“All except the idea of being a sponging jackass, apparently,” said Aradne.

“The school in Boukos was closed by the government, not by Eurydemos,” Varazda added.

Nione laughed. “His family has always tended to cooperate with his myth-making. I did myself, for a time. Do you think he did murder Helenos?”

Varazda ran a hand through his hair. “I’m not sure,” he hedged. “I’m going to have to do some more searching. I wish I could find that wine bottle.”

“What can I do to help?” said Aradne, in a tone that would not take “Nothing” for an answer.

Varazda looked up at her. “How are you with cranky old women?”

She made a face. “Not marvellous. You mean you need someone to keep the neighbour at bay so you can have another look for the wine bottle.”

“Or you could help me deal with the possibly volatile old alchemist, or whatever he is, and find out what sorts of poison he keeps on hand.”

“Oooh, that sounds more fun.”

“I can’t tell whether you’re serious or not.”

“I’m half-serious,” Aradne admitted. “Now for the old woman, Nione would be able to take care of her better than I would, but she can’t show her face in a neighbourhood like the Skalina.”

“I’m afraid not,” said Nione. “Too many people recognize me.”

Varazda had known Nione was an important person in Pheme, but it hadn’t occurred to him that she would be known on sight by enough people that she couldn’t pass unremarked in such a big city. The idea was rather staggering.

“I’ll come with you,” said Aradne resolutely. “Do we go in the front door, or under cover of darkness? Do we need to do our fortune teller impressions again?”

Varazda opened his mouth to say that that had given him an interesting idea, then closed it when he saw Nione’s expression.

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