The Shining Ram by Ro Lindsey

Author:Ro Lindsey
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Troubador Publishing Ltd
Published: 2017-07-04T00:00:00+00:00

***

‘I’m not a selfish man,’ sneered Bombus, his gigantic mouth drawn up close once again to the nostrils of Sedula/Annia. It sent out the usual stench of cheap wine mingled with under-digested fish.

‘I’ve decided,’ he smirked, ‘to share out the pleasure of your trial with some of my, well my fellow-officers.’

He waved his arm, with the flourish of a veteran general.

She looked round at the cronies encircling her behind the barracks courtyard of Commander Ventor’s Praetorian platoon. Vague memories came back. These figures were familiar from the dark night when Bombus and his crew pursued her round the graves. She found herself comparing their faces and shapes to animals. So there was a rat or two. A lizard-face. An ass’s head. And a couple of crows. But the resemblances prompted no smile. They only added horror to her plight.

‘Seein’ as we’re Romans, like,’ resumed Bombus. ‘Seein’ as we’re Romans, let’s do this proper legal. Let’s hear the accusation. We’re a respectable law-court now.’

In response, the lizard-face creased with amusement. The rats twitched. And the crows croaked their pleasure.

‘Please read the accusation, lord magistrate,’ said Bombus in a tortuous attempt at a cultured Patrician accent.

One of the crows stepped forward with feigned, courtly dignity. His open arms unrolled a mock, invisible scroll to great length in front of him.

He tried to recite an indictment. He did so only with difficulty between his own bursts of sniggering and over the background of mirth from his audience. Sedula/Annia felt her courage turning to water.

‘Trying to... steal a bale half her own weight... dumping said bale in garden of Opis... evading capture by flight to the atrium of Opis...’

Tears were rolling down the cheeks of Bombus now but he managed to squeeze out a few words.

‘Pronounce the verdict, court!’

‘Guilty! Guilty!’ came the chorus.

‘Then read the penalty, lord magistrate.’

The atmosphere changed to a chill.

‘Penalty will be: severe blows to the body in places where no authority will normally thereafter look to find it.’

‘And the provision of any passing pleasures,’ roared Bombus, dancing with triumph.

They fell quiet, waiting for each other to show the way. Then they began to chant again as they slowly drew closer.

‘Guilty, guilty. Punish, punish.’

And so they released a quite different kind of mayhem.

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