by Sandi Rog
David walked toward them as Galen led the procession down the steps from the top of the bank. The line of men took care with their footing on the narrow stairs that angled along the abrupt, stone slope.
“Zander!” Elianna called loud enough for David to hear.
She ran to the edge of the bank as Alexander waded through the water and pulled the raft closer to shore.
“Is Abba going to attack Aulus again?” She squeezed her wooden doll against her chest.
“I hope not.” Alexander’s gaze fluttered to David, but when he saw that David heard the exchange, he looked down.
Elianna hurried to Alexander’s side as he came on shore. She turned to watch David and the oncoming men with wide, frightened eyes, hugging her doll as if it might keep her safe.
Alethea ran to David and clung to his arm. “Please,” she whispered.
David tried to keep his temper in check. He couldn’t lose control like the first time. Still, he longed to watch Aulus die, to squeeze the life right out of him with his own hands. The desire was so powerful, David trembled and ached with need as he came closer.
With Alethea still on his arm, he walked to the base of the steps so Elianna and Alexander wouldn’t hear the exchange. As Aulus drew near, the air thickened. As if David could smell the man and taste the swine. It made him want to gag.
Galen met him and stopped on the last step. The other men waited behind him. “Before we come any closer, we want your word that you won’t put your hands on Aulus.”
David couldn’t make that promise when his whole being cried out to bash in the man’s skull.
Galen let out an exasperated breath. “Give us your word then, that you won’t try to kill him.”
“I won’t kill him,” David said, resigned. He knew Manius was anxious to get this little “talk” over with, and David had managed to put it off for three weeks. “But I don’t promise I won’t hurt him.”
Manius lifted his hands. “David, please—”
“It’s all right.” Aulus looked down at David from the stairs, Christian men on each side of him. How it brought back memories. Memories of that same scarred face looking down at him when he was a child.
David fought the urge to climb up the side of the wall to get at the monster.
The men walked down the stairs, and Aulus followed.
Alethea still clung to David’s arm. He wanted to shake her off, but he feared without her gentle touch, the fire of his anger might burn through to the surface.
Three men stood in front of Aulus while Manius and Galen came forward.
“We’re just here to talk,” Manius said.
“Yes. Talk.” Galen nodded, emphasizing the point.
“It’s important that we resolve this.” Manius moved closer.
“What’s to resolve?” David curled his fingers into fists.
“What did I do to you?” Aulus’s voice carried to him through the men, the three larger Christians standing ready to lunge at David in order to hold him back. “I can’t apologize if I don’t know what I’ve done.”
“Apologize?” David spat out the words. “You think it’s that simple?”
“David.” Manius stepped forward, blocking part of his view of Aulus. “You must forgive him.”
David nearly choked. “Tell him to bring my mother back, then I’ll forgive him.”
Manius sighed. “You can’t demand the impossible.”
“Who was your mother?” Aulus stepped nearer. Clearly, he wasn’t afraid, and that made David more angry. He imagined how good it would feel to send the arrogant swine onto his backside. A swift punch in the gut might do it.
“I wouldn’t expect you to remember.” David’s gaze burned through Manius, right to Aulus behind him. He could see it made his adoptive father nervous, and Manius stepped aside.
“Please, son.” Aulus lifted a hand. “Tell me what I did.”
David looked at Manius. “Didn’t you tell him?”
“I thought you should.” Manius shrugged. “You were there.”
“What did you witness, son?”
“Don’t call me son!” David pointed at him. He no longer felt Alethea by his side. One of the larger brothers had him by the arm where Alethea had been. It only made things worse. Had Alethea been touching David, it would have softened him. The brother holding him back made David want to fight. He took a deep breath, trying to control his trembling.
“I am not your son,” he said between clenched teeth. Tears clotted in his throat and burned his eyes for the parents who could have called him son, but because of this man, were gone forever.
“What did I do?” Aulus’s voice was subdued, a hint of sympathy coming through.
“Of course, you’d forget.”
“It’s not that.” Aulus stepped beside Manius, shaking his head, his gaze on David’s. “I’ve done terrible things in my life. I’ve hurt other brothers. It’s why I had to leave.”
David met Aulus’s gaze, barely containing his desire to lunge for him.
“Was I a soldier when you knew me?”
David swallowed, his eyes narrowed, unwilling to answer his questions. If he couldn’t remember, then what was the point of this conversation?
“I’ll take that as a ‘yes.’”
“You put your hands on my mother.” David’s world shuddered around him. Just saying the words made his voice break. But now it was more than his voice that broke. It was as if something inside him broke and suddenly the pain gushed forth. “You wouldn’t stop. You kept on laughing. Terrorizing her!” He ran his hands through his hair and turned away. “I had to do something. I had to make you stop!” He faced him again. “I went after you. But you kept touching her! You made her scream!” His mother’s cries flooded his thoughts, flooded through his mind like the words flooded from his mouth. He could barely stand. He could barely breathe. And his ribs hurt all over again from the memory.
As if struck, Aulus’s eyes widened and he stepped back. “You’re the boy.”
“I couldn’t make you stop.” Tears welled in David’s eyes. “To you it was a joke. Touching my mother was nothing but a game!” David stepped forward and he brandished his fist at him. “A game!”
Aulus shook his head, his face disbelieving. “Oh … Lord, I’m sorry.” Moisture filled his eyes. “So sorry.” He held up his palms, swallowing visibly. “You have my word, I never … raped her.”
The acknowledgment on his lips, the mere sound of the word, exploded into lightning bolts through David’s mind. “Liar!” He grabbed Aulus by the throat.
The men were on him, pulling him back, but he held his grip and watched the dog’s face turn red.
Aulus didn’t struggle, which infuriated David more. The least the man could do was give David a fair fight, like in his dreams, in his longings.
Hands held David’s arms, tugging and pulling.
Alethea’s screams carried over everyone’s shouts.
He leaned in close to Aulus, so close he could smell the man’s fear. “Imperial swine.”
Ω
Like a strong cologne, the smell of rage carried over to Alexander who stood not far behind David. More men joined in the tussle, jerking and yanking on the two towering brutes. Alexander jumped back, tripped and landed on his rump. He scooted along the ground backwards and scurried to his feet, afraid the commotion might engulf him. He shouldn’t have gotten so close, but he had wanted to hear the conversation.
Alethea screamed and shouted.
The men grabbed David by the arms as he held Aulus in a chokehold.
The fighting was all too familiar. It reminded Alexander of Master Demetri. A shudder tingled down his spine. He thought he’d only have to witness this kind of violence at home. Not here. Not between brethren. And now this new reality disrupted his peaceful world for the second time.
Why was this happening?
The scuffle sent up a flurry of sand and dirt. He put his arm over his mouth to block the dust and stepped back
. Would David kill Aulus this time? Would Elianna be afraid? He turned to make sure she didn’t get too close.
The empty bank greeted him. Water rippled near shore and the raft rocked on the waves.
Elianna’s doll lay on the raft.
Alone.
Alexander searched up and down the bank for Elianna. He darted behind the large boulders. Not there. He ran to the little pool between the shrubbery where they’d been watching the turtles. Not there either.
Where was she?
Alexander looked back at the raft, floating away from the shore. The rope, though still tied, had been loosened. He raced to the edge of the bank and leaped onto the raft, landing on his hands and knees. Wobbling, he clung to the wooden planks, Elianna’s doll beneath him. He scanned the water. It would be over her head even near the bank.
No sign of her.
Balancing as David taught him, he climbed to his feet and stood, swaying back and forth. He studied the current where the rapids rushed by. The sight of the white foam on the other side of the river intensified his racing pulse, as if the blood in his veins accelerated with the raging water.
Downstream, a small head bobbed to the surface.
Elianna.
“No!” Alexander dove into the cold water. The current grabbed him and pushed him forward. He knew the water was deep enough to hold ships, and he felt like the river was a giant sea creature swallowing him whole. He broke the surface, caught his breath, and scanned the area.
Again, her head bobbed up and she cried out.
“Hold on!” Alexander shouted, then dove beneath the surface toward her, the sound of his pulse magnified beneath the waves. With the help of the current, he moved much faster than he’d imagined, having never swam before. He knew how to keep himself afloat because of his experience with being drowned in the impluvium. But this … this was different.
Lord, help me!
He then remembered the water turtles. He and Elianna had watched them swim. The turtles had pumped their arms and legs, propelling themselves forward. Alexander cupped his hands and pushed. He surged forward and moved again with each stroke.
A turtle. He was a turtle.
Brown muck clouded his vision. How would he find her in this dark underworld?
He launched himself to the surface and floated. Gasping for air, he looked through blurred vision for Elianna’s bobbing head.
Again, he spotted her—closer. She went under, her legs and arms flailing, and her white stola disappeared beneath the waves.
Alexander took a deep breath, then another and dove in her direction.
He swam toward her but saw only brown water in front of him. A white filmy mass caught his eye. It floated ahead of him like a ghost, turning and tossing in the current. Reaching out, his fingertips brushed against soft fabric. He pushed forward again and again until his fist closed on the cloth. He yanked it to him.
Red hair floated behind the white cloud, and suddenly arms and legs wrapped around Alexander’s body, clawing at him. He tried to pry her off, but her clinging limbs held him like a vise.
They twisted around as the current thrust them farther downstream. Disorientation made his mind spin in confusion. Which way was up? He fought her again, but she panicked and tightened her fierce grip. He couldn’t get her off. And now they would both drown. With her stola wrapped around his face and the muddy water, there was no way he could see.
It was as if Master Demetri had his fist in Alexander’s hair, forcing him under. It felt the same. And just like those times, the only way to get to the surface was to relax. If they stopped fighting, he might be able to rise.
He went limp.
She clung to him like moss to a rock. As long as she held on, he felt certain she was still alive.
God, help. Don’t let her die.
The current spun them around, and a heavy wave pushed against them. All at once, his head felt heavy, no longer locked in the cocoon of water. Her stola clung to his face and Elianna’s cries pierced the air. The wonderful air!
“Breathe!” he shouted into the fabric muffling his voice. At once he realized how foolish it was for him to tell her that. Of course she would breathe. Thank Elohim she was crying. And now Alexander wanted to cry, but they weren’t out of danger yet.
His head went under, but Elianna was still above the water. He may just have to swim this way to shore. But he needed to see. And he couldn’t use his arms very well. He had to get her off him. Again, he broke the surface.
“Listen to me!” He pried the clinging fabric from his face. At last, his mouth and nose were free, but she had him in a stranglehold. He couldn’t breathe. He couldn’t swim. He yanked on her arms, wanting to rip her off himself.
Her crying and choking continued, and he went under. Her wails carried through the muffled silence.
He came back up. “Stop crying! Listen—!” Under and up. “Get on my back!” He spit out the words, half water, and half air. He choked.
“I’m scared!” Her fierce grip intensified.
He kicked his legs to hold himself up, but because of her weight, he sank. When he broke the surface again, he shouted, “Get on my back!”
Whimpering, Elianna moved around his head toward his back, but she continued to smother him.
Rock brushed against his feet. Again, he broke the surface, his eyes and mouth wide. The current slammed his body into a boulder, and he grabbed hold, clinging to it like Elianna and her stola clung to him. He pulled up as the current yanked on him, threatening to drag him away from his stronghold. His chest crashed forward, and he found footing. With his hands clawing the rock, he climbed higher above the water. The current smacked him forward, and he landed on a flat boulder.
A large shadow floated above his arms and head. Alexander glanced over his shoulder. A ship swept by. Its waves slapped against his legs and Elianna. The swells from the ship must have shoved them onto the rock. Thank Elohim they didn’t go under it.
Elianna’s cries and coughs echoed off the stone slab as they lay there. Her hair had wrapped itself around his neck and mouth, and he pulled it away so he could breathe. He rested his cheek on the hard surface. A stone bridge loomed above them, and the leftover wave from the ship splashed at his feet. He dragged himself forward, anything to get as far away from the dangerous currents as possible. Elianna clung to his back, coughing and crying.
Away from danger, he collapsed, his arms and legs as heavy as the bridge above them. More aware of their surroundings, he realized they had landed on Tiber Island, the Insula Inter-Duos-Pontes.
They both lay there for a while, exhausted, until Elianna’s cries turned to whimpers.
Finally, he rolled to his side, and she crawled off him.
“Are you hurt?” His voice cracked, and he coughed, trying to get the water out of his throat.
Her wide eyes met his. She shook her head and burst into tears, choking.
Alexander pushed up. His arms trembled uncontrollably, his body worn out and ragged. It reminded him of the wooden doll that lay abandoned on the raft. Would anyone notice that he and Elianna were gone?
He pushed to his knees and took her in his arms. Again, she fastened herself to him, nearly knocking him over. Trembling, her little fists clutched his tunic as she cried against him.
Shivering from a cold breeze, he ran his hand down her back, unsure how to soothe her.
“Shh.” He tried to think what his mother would do or say in this situation. “You’re safe.”
At last they were out of the water. But they weren’t truly safe until they were away from this place and with her parents.
Elianna sniffed. “My nose is burning.” Panic coated her squeaky voice.
“You got water in it.” He held her away. “Try blowing it out.”
She blew her nose into her wet hands then wiped them on her stola.
“Better?”
She nodded and leaned onto him, clinging again and coughing.
Water rushed along the r
ocks beneath the Ponte Fabricio. The bridge, magnificent with its giant arches, cast a shadow over them. His gaze traveled up the high wall on the island, the wall recently built to give the island the appearance of a ship. Asclepius’s staff, with a snake winding up the rod, was engraved in various patterns along the wall. Apollo, the father of Asclepius, a Greek god, had practiced medicine. Now the rod and the snake together represented healing. The island was a perfect place to take the sick, keeping them away from the people in the city. That made Alexander’s desire to get off the island that much more intense.
A small staircase—not far from where they huddled together— led up and through the wall, likely to the Temple of Aesculapius. If they took the stairs, they should be able to cross over the bridge to the other side of the river. Again, he wondered if anyone had noticed their disappearance.
“Zander?” Elianna choked, sniffing back her tears.
“Hmm?”
“Your hands.” Her voice squeaked, reminding him of how he felt after Master Demetri would try to drown him. “Let me see.” Elianna coughed, still attempting to remove the water from her throat.
He knew all too well how it felt.
Alexander held up his hand, still considering how they’d make their escape. Would the temple priests get angry if they caught them on the bridge? He’d seen adults walking along it and speaking to the priests, but never children.
Elianna turned his palm face up and held hers next to his. “They’re still the same.” She sniffed and wiped away her tears with her arm.
“What?” He looked down at their hands, hers small next to his.
“They’re still the same color.” She coughed again.
“Same color?” Then the memory of him comparing their hands flashed through his mind. He smiled. Maybe he should tell her she swallowed too much water and it must have affected her mind.
She held up his hand and pressed her small palm against his.
He closed his fingers over hers, trying to forget that she just blew her nose on them.
