The Last Show
Rain fell in sheets from a light grey sky, the sunlight of the fifth hour barely cutting through the clouds. Marcus Domitius Sabinus pulled his travelling hood further over his face, making a feeble attempt to keep dry. His horse snorted as they approached the strangely laid out basilica. Here he would find Livineius Regulus, or so Regulus' door slave had said when Sabinus went to the man's home in the center of the city.
Regulus, Sabinus reflected as he tethered his animal to a ring in the curb, was particularly notorious in Rome at the moment. Some time ago, a caravan of rather wretched looking Nucerians appeared at the capital, declaring they were the innocent victims of gang violence at Pompeii, mere spectators at the games Livineius Regulus gave. After the Nero sent the case to the senate, the senate pushed it off onto the consuls, who in turn claimed it was within the jurisdiction of the conscript fathers. And now, after months of delay and meaningless debate, Sabinus, an ‘esteemed' equestrian and former soldier, arrived in Pompeii, to investigate the matter. Many times during the trip south, Sabinus wondered who he had pissed off to earn such an assignment.
Two Ethiopian slaves opened the heavy metal doors, and the dull roar of public business rushed upon Sabinus like a sudden dust storm. He pushed the hood of his cloak back from his brow and quickly ran his fingers through short dark hair, brushing away rainwater. The basilica was crowded, as one might expect on such a miserable day, men shouting over one another to dispute this or that claim.
Sabinus put his arm upon the shoulder of a hunched old man, "I'm looking for Livineius Regulus." The old man turned and stared blankly, and responded with a tongue that put consonants in the wrong places. He shrugged off Sabinus' hand and returned to his conversation. "Ah yes, Oscan," Sabinus muttered to himself, and cast his gaze over the crowd for someone speaking Latin.
His eyes came to rest on a barrister in a cheap toga, proclaiming that he could solve any property dispute for just a minor fee. Sabinus interrupted the barrister's sales pitch to an unfortunate customer, and was quickly pointed towards the tribunal at the end of the basilica, the lawyer returning to his would-be client without missing a beat.
Livineius Regulus stood before an equestrian statue upon a small stool. He wore his finest toga, brilliant white with the purple fringe of a senator. I guess the rumors were true, Sabinus thought, even after all these years, Regulus had not accepted his expulsion well. "—and if you elect Lucius Ceius Secundus, my noble nephew, as aedile, you won't need to go to Rome when you want to see a show! Euripides - with the best troupe in all of Italy - champion gladiators, and beasts that make barbarians from the very fringes of the empire tremble in fear!" Regulus' sing-song voice and absurd gestures, complete with a mime of an elephant at the mention of beasts, would have made Cicero proud.
"Men of Pompeii, I present you Ceius Secundus!" Regulus reached down and pulled up the arm of a scrawny young man, perhaps barely into his mid-20s, practically swimming in a shining white toga far too big for him. Regulus did not take the boy up onto his makeshift podium, but just dropped the arm back into the crowd. "Remember, vote Ceius!"
An approving cheer arose from the mass surrounding Regulus. He stepped down from the stool, and triumphantly walked towards the main exit, in the direction of Sabinus. As the retinue of Regulus, Ceius, and clients approached, Sabinus called out to the former senator.
The group kept walking, and Sabinus shouted louder. At last, Ceius grabbed his uncle's arm and pointed towards Sabinus. The old man walked closer. At first, Sabinus was about to remark how good he looked for a man supposed to be in his late sixties, but as he drew nearer, Regulus revealed his age. His face was worn, despite the amount of cosmetics used to soothe away his wrinkles. His short curly hair barely covered the top of his head, and the uneven silver patches showed an attempt to dye his hair an artificial jet black. "Greetings, citizen. How may I and the illustrious candidate for aedile Ceius Secundus help you?"
"Marcus Domitius Sabinus. I've been sent from Rome to discuss the incident."
There was a pause and a flash of concern across Regulus' face before a warm politician's smile, "Ah yes. I'm afraid that I'm quite busy at the moment, however this evening I am hosting a dinner party for some friends. I would be honored if you would join us."
Sabinus nodded, "Of course."
"Where are you staying? I'll send a slave to retrieve you when it is time."
"I'm at the inn near the forum baths," Sabinus responded, making a broad gesture towards his accommodations. "I only just arrived however."
"Well then, my friend from Rome, go enjoy our baths, have some lunch, and I shall see you this evening." Regulus patted Sabinus on the shoulder and continued his extended exit from the basilica, "I'm sure we can settle this manner quite quickly."
***
The sun was setting when Regulus' Greek slave boy came to the inn for Sabinus. He was young and small, and remarkably quiet for a child, even when Sabinus attempted to engage him in small talk using the boy's own language. It made for an awkward walk to Regulus' home.
The evening was warm and humid after the morning rain, and it made Sabinus glad he had taken up Regulus' suggestion to go to the baths. A shave to clean off the several days' stubble had been refreshing enough, and certainly made Sabinus feel more like an official envoy of the state rather than a mere errand boy.
When they arrived at the home, Sabinus was shocked at how nondescript it was. It was of the same plain painted plaster over brick design as all the other houses on the block, and the only thing to distinguish it was a campaign painting for L. Ceius Secundus for aedile: broad painted letters in a professional hand. Apparently our boy Ceius had been endorsed by the fuller's guild, Sabinus observed. The door swung open from the inside and the Greek slave boy hurriedly ushered Sabinus indoors.
The fauces had three red painted panels on either side, gold trim framing each - in the upper register, a soft yellow background, painted garlands hanging from the ceiling, and small center images of idyllic landscapes and still life. Upon entering the atrium, the first thing Sabinus noticed were the columns, solid red halfway up, then transitioning to a stucco design that replicated the marble columns of the forum at Rome. The columns pulled his eyes to the impluvium, half filled with the water from today's rain, up towards the garden in back. He could make out Regulus in Greek dress conversing with some other men, cavorting with half-naked women and nude slave boys who brought them more and more wine.
Sabinus looked up, drawn by the sound of voices. Ceius Secundus stood on the second floor balcony, speaking to a tall brunette woman seemingly in her mid-30s, her back to Sabinus. She leaned upon the railing, long fingers idly passing through elaborately curled hair, styled in the fashion that had been popular in Rome about four years ago. The skinny Ceius now spotted Sabinus, and smiled down at the man.
"Ah, Domitius Sabinus!" the young man exclaimed. "Welcome to our home..." he put his arm upon the women next to him and turned her around to face Sabinus. "I would like you to meet my uncle Regulus' new wife –"
Sabinus swallowed hard, "Hello, Julia."
Ceius took a short step back, surprise on his face, "Yes... Julia... do you know my aunt?"
Julia and Sabinus looked at one another, silent for a few terrible beats. The woman called Julia put her hand over red painted lips, covering a quiet gasp. At last, it was Regulus' wife who spoke, "Marcus... It is good to see you." She cleared her throat and quickly composed herself, rising once more to her full height. She smiled at Ceius, "The noble Sabinus and I were once friends..."
"When we were much younger," Sabinus completed her sentence. "In Reate."
Ceius nodded, and started to lead Julia by the hand down the stairwell that lined the west wall of the atrium. Her light blue stola stood out against the soft yellow of the upper register of the walls, her statuesque features melding with the architectural designs and false columns that decorated the lower red panels. Sabinus forced his mouth to close, and bit his lip anxiously to keep it shut.
The orange light from the setting sun penetrated the skylight and cast a warm glow upon Julia and her nephew. "Well then," Ceius began, "perhaps I should go see if uncle needs some assistance with those Vettii brothers. They can be quite rambunctious." With a polite nod, the youth was gone.
As Sabinus and Julia stood in silence on either side of the impluvium, Sabinus could hear bits and pieces of the conversation between Regulus and his guests, useless quotes of poetry, improper citation of philosophers and the historian Pollio. Once again, it was Julia who broke the silence. "I did not know you were coming."
Sabinus nodded, "Yes... I've been sent by the senate to investigate the riot that took place at the games Regulus - - your husband, promoted."
"It was indeed a chaotic time... One moment the Nucerians were shouting at our people, then a thrown wine cup, and within a just a few minutes there was no way to stop it." She shook her head, clearing a traumatic memory. "Very bad… though if you ask me, it's the emperor's fault... out brawling in the streets and starting fights in the arena with the crowd."
"I am technically his agent now, Julia. And those are just rumors. No one has actually seen it."
"I'm sure," she spat. Another pause. "I thought you were supposed to be somewhere in the East."
"I was," Sabinus assured her, nodding. "The Tenth. Syria. But here I am now."
"So you are," she said softly.
"Ah, Domitius Sabinus, Ceius tells me that you and my dear Julia are old friends from Reate!" Livineius Regulus, a silver wine cup in his hand burst into the atrium. His hand was already trembling from the alcohol, and the dark red drink spilled onto the paved floor. "How wonderful! We shall have much to talk about over dinner," he beamed. "But come now, let me show you the elegant home of the senator Livineius Regulus."
Before Sabinus could respond, Regulus put his arm around him, and clasped him close to his torso, half in a gesture of drunken friendship, half to support his aged and swaying frame. Julia abruptly turned and went back up the stairs, disappearing behind a wooden door.
"Ganymede, bring our guest a cup, it is far too late in the evening not to have a drink!" Regulus bellowed. A young man with long braided hair and the naked body of an athlete approached, a silver cup on a golden tray. Regulus pushed it into Sabinus' hesitant hand, and out of politeness, Sabinus took a sip.
It certainly could have used more water.
"As you can see, the atrium is decorated in the Augustan style, and nearly matches the designs of my home at the capital city," Regulus said. "I felt that it allowed me to feel more at home here."
"Yes, I see," Sabinus said.
"And here, if we head through this hallway, I'll take you into my winter dining room." The room to the northeast of the atrium was brightly lit despite being enclosed on all sides except for the doorway and a tiny window that allowed a view to the atrium. Four small torches were held by tall eastern slaves, standing at each corner.
The light just barely touched the upper register, revealing designs similar to the atrium. White backgrounds, broken up thin painted scaffoldings and what appeared to be the pikes that topped walls, wrapped in painted ivy, connecting the upper register to the frieze painting that circled the room.
Black panels lined the room, free standing golden scaffoldings before an artificially deep red wall separating the panels. Sabinus was about to comment on the grape vines that hung from the scaffolding when Regulus' other guests entered the room: two men, one short and morbidly obese, the other tall and sickeningly skinny, dressed in matching Greek attire. They were quickly followed by giggling flute girls, already in various states of undress, their midriffs bare in the Eastern style that Sabinus saw in Syria, their breasts covered by a wrap of thin purple fabric.
The fat man collapsed onto the eastern dining couch, quickly sprawling out across the cushions. One of the foreign girls followed him, almost perching upon the couch, her fingers running up and down the man's back in a gentle caress. "Ah Regulus, you are showing our new visitor our favorite room!"
Regulus laughed, and waved his hand dismissively at the man, "Ah, anywhere that reminds you of your wine makes you happy, Conviva!" Regulus turned back to Sabinus and gestured towards the reclining man, "Aulus Vettius Conviva, priest of the order of the Augustales," then the thin man, "and his brother Aulus Vettius Restitutus."
"Charmed," Sabinus said.
"Domitius Sabinus here is an envoy from Rome," Regulus said. "He wishes to discuss the incident at the amphitheater."
Conviva leaned forward, his eyes suddenly bright, "A Roman! No doubt of some importance if he has been sent here by the emperor! Restitutus, tell the slaves to send Domitius Sabinus thirty amphorae of our best vintage. He can bring it to Nero himself and let him taste the famous ambrosia of the Vettii brothers! He will certainly favor our vines before any others."
Regulus nudged Sabinus, "It is the very wine you drink now."
Sabinus nodded, "I am sorry to disappoint, but I have travelled alone and cannot bring that much back to the city. However, if I am ever granted an audience with the emperor, I will suggest that he sample your wine. I am just a mere envoy of the senate."
Conviva sank back onto his couch, his hopes disappointed. "Oh. A tragedy that Nero is denied our grapes once more."
"A tragedy," Restitutus quietly seconded.
"The Vettii brothers are valuable business partners of mine, and, if I do say so myself, produce the best wine in all of Campania," Regulus said. "They provided free wine for all guests at my games, and indeed, they inspired this very room." Regulus gestured to the artwork of the west wall.
In the middle panel was an elaborate landscape, the god Dionysus at the center, his robes half falling off, a cup of wine in his hand, his eyes gazing drunkenly back at Sabinus, an inviting smile on his face. Its okay, relax. Drink, the god called to him. Sabinus, never one to challenge the gods, even painted gods, put his lips to the cup and took in some of the heavy red liquid.
"The grape vines... lord Bacchus... lush landscapes," Regulus continued. "It makes me think of my two favorite things: a strong drink in the wilderness… and the theater..." He trailed off for a second, seemingly remembering some past escapade. "Tell me, Sabinus, what new productions are there at Rome? It is just impossible to find out about the new shows here."
Sabinus cleared his throat, "I wouldn't know, I'm not much of a theater-goer myself. Sorry."
Regulus shook his head, disapprovingly clucking his tongue, "No way for a young man to behave." He looked up at Sabinus now, his drunken grin once more returned, "Perhaps I might be able to persuade you tonight!"
"Perhaps."
"Come, all of us, you too, girls," Regulus exhorted, giving the nearer young woman a sharp slap upon her rear, the thin fabric that barely covered her backside coming up. "I smell food and need something to eat after all this wine!"
The former senator led them into the garden where Ceius Secundus sat, and weaving through the potted plants that decorated it, ushered his guests into the summer triclinium. "Ganymede," Regulus called to his cup-bearing slave, "Fetch Julia, tell her to hurry up."
Sabinus took up a position on the couch facing the artificial garden, where Regulus insisted that his honored guest recline next to the head of the household. Ceius was at the couch to Sabinus' right, while the Vettii brothers were on his left. The flute girls took up their instruments, and began to play a soft repeating tune.
Julia arrived just as the first course was being served. She kept her eyes low and did not meet Sabinus' gaze, taking her position at the right of her husband. Sabinus finished his cup of wine, and signaled Ganymede to bring him another.
***
"—and then, Lysidamus takes her to bed, and pretty soon, he realizes that isn't a sword under her dress, it's that she is really Chalinus and he's just happy to see him!"
There was a burst of laughter as Regulus finished his story, wiping tears from his eyes before taking another drink of his wine. The dinner had long since ended, and the sun sank below the horizon. The Vettii brothers were asleep on their couches, flute girls beside them, each laid low by wine. The torch bearers from the winter dining room now filled this room overlooking the garden, and the soft light of flames illuminated them all. The stars and squares formed by the white tesserae that paved the room's floor glistened in the light.
Sabinus rested his head upon his hand, the heavy wine taking its toll. He looked around the room and saw that even Julia, who had been nearly silent the entire meal, flashed a short smile at Regulus' tale. Their eyes met for a brief moment before she looked down at her cup once more.
"Ah, but I have monopolized this conversation far too much," Regulus said. "Come, now that we've all been properly fed, tell us some more about yourself Sabinus... How do you know my lovely Julia?" At these words, Regulus' young wife stiffened next to her elderly husband.
Sabinus took a deep breath and paused. "There's nothing much. We are both from Reate, and knew each other as children. But then I went off to the legions and Syria, and now we are reunited today. A simple tale, without much excitement, I'm afraid... right, lady Julia?"
She nodded, "Yes. Rather dull, in fact."
"Oh well," Ceius Secundus interjected, disappointed that his aunt had no elaborate story to share regarding the newcomer. "But come now, friend Sabinus, surely you have some adventures to share from your travels in the East!"
Sabinus shook his head, "Again, nothing exciting… Training… Lots of training… But I was not fit to be an army man, and certainly butted heads with my optio. If it hadn't been for the fact that my grandfather had served with the legate long ago, I probably would've been brought up on charges. Instead, I returned to Rome and now serve as an envoy of the senate. And so here I am." It was the truth for the most part. He didn't need to explain the fighting with the Parthians, the fact that his optio had led the men into a slaughter, and that if Sabinus hadn't taken command, they'd all be rotted corpses in the desert now.
"Yes... your mission..." Regulus said quietly. He stood up slowly, his bones creaking as he rose, his stance swaying from both age and wine. "Come here with me, Sabinus."
Hesitating for a moment, Sabinus then rose and walked after Regulus into the garden.
The former senator stood in the center of the potted plants, staring at the walls. A painted frame created the illusion of depth, making the small garden seem larger. An elaborate landscape decorated one wall. It showed an urban area, sparsely populated, with lush hills and meadows. It was a place where one would want to retire, to spend their remaining days.
"Look here, Sabinus," Regulus beckoned. He stood before a magnificent hunting scene, terrible beasts of Africa climbing the rocks, waiting for their prey. Lions, the regal creatures, standing proudly, as if waiting for a challenge from some mere mortal. The border of the wall panel was a painted curtain, drawn back as if Sabinus were gazing on some fantastic stage, where savage nature itself is the main attraction.
"It's incredible," Sabinus muttered to his host.
"This... This is the show," Regulus said quietly. "This is the show that I have always wanted to give... the show I gave last year... when the riot broke out." He swallowed another gulp of wine. "When I was expelled from the senate... I did not take it very well. As you no doubt have seen."
Sabinus remained silent.
"I needed to get back. I needed to go back to Rome, and be in the city again. You don't know what it's like, Sabinus. You don't know what it's like to have it all taken away from you, your very life blood. I thrived in the court - I lived for it. But since I've had to come here, to live disgraced as the guest of my brother-in-law, and now that he is gone, to hold his estate for his son Ceius... I've tried to live like I once did. I have kept up with all the fashions of Rome, I've embraced the programs of each emperor, gods, I've even tried to make myself look like the young men that Nero is promoting these days.
"But look at me: I'm dyeing my hair like some common prostitute, I'm drinking my days away, taking a wife more than half my age... I cannot do it very much longer… But I'll keep it up until the day I die, because I want to go home one day, I want to go back to Rome. By the gods, I want give the shows again. Surely Nero would understand that if I ever had the chance to speak with him. He knows what it is like to be a showman... We would understand each other very well I think…
"He would know what it was like, to nearly bankrupt yourself to put on the most spectacular display this damn backwater has ever seen, to convince your idiotic freedmen partners to serve their wine free and strong, to invite the citizens of all Campania, just for one shot to remake your name, to impress the people and win back their love. Nero would understand everything I did.
"But my greatest moment, my most spectacular success… My games will not be remembered as the show that astounded crowds and brought the most fearsome beasts of Africa to the Cup, complete with authentic sets that made you feel as if you were really there, if you were the one hunting the mighty lion. No. I will be remembered for the drunken brawl that ensued. To be honest, it's probably my fault. If I hadn't convinced Conviva and Restitutus to hand out the free wine, if I hadn't kept jeering at those Nucerians… And now I'm a laughing stock, a pathetic nobody. All I have left is to promote my sister's fool of a son, and if I can get him elected aedile somehow, put on another show – even better and more spectacular than this." Regulus turned away from the painting and back towards Sabinus. "But what are the odds of that… No, instead, I have this painting. The greatest show in the world, that no one but me will ever remember."
The former senator finished his wine and dropped the silver cup to the ground with an echoing clang. Sabinus observed that for the first time, he seemed to show all of his years, his back hunched and worn with age and the burdens of a difficult life. As Regulus walked back to the dining room, Sabinus folded his arms across his chest and stared at painting.
The fire in the eyes of the lions sent shivers down his spine. The sheer detail of the beasts astounded him, and in the distance, Sabinus swore he heard the mighty animal's roar. It would have been a spectacular show indeed.
***
Hours passed, and the night continues to unravel. Regulus had gone to the Dionysus room, and fallen asleep drunk upon the dining couches there, claimed by the powerful god. Sabinus still stood in the garden, soon ready to surrender to the Vettii's powerful wine. The torch bearers had long since retired, leaving the house lit only by the moonlight. Without the flames, it was like the building was a mere shade of itself, a ghost left behind. The brilliant colors faded, the attempts at Roman opulence by a fallen senator retreating into shadows. But the silvery moon cast its radiance directly upon the scene of Regulus' failed attempt at glory, and Sabinus remained lost in its simultaneous majesty and tragedy.
He stirred when he heard someone approach. He squinted, believing it to be the slave Ganymede. Julia stepped from the shadows. Her arms were folded across her chest, and her make-up was running down her cheeks. She had been crying. Julia spoke only one word, "Why?"
Sabinus had no response at first. After long silent minute that the gods seemingly transformed into an eternity, he started to speak. "I was a different man... I had seen... and done... terrible things. I couldn't come back home. I couldn't bear to have my parents look at me, to know who I had become, and to think me a terrible man – or worse, to think me a better man for it. I couldn't bear..."
"Me," she said.
Sabinus nodded slowly. "I couldn't come back and marry you like I said I would. You deserved better than a man with so much blood on his hands."
She laughed scornfully, "I deserved this? To become the trophy wife of a wretched old man who has delusions of grandeur? To spend every night drinking myself to death with grotesque freedmen? Yes. You certainly spared me."
"Julia, I –"
"I waited two years for you… when the letters stopped I assumed you had found some wh*re in Syria. My parents told me to move on... so I did. I left Reate with a troupe of actors. Mime shows, vulgar comedies, putting myself on display in a senator's peristyle, so that he might have something pretty to look at... When I came here, do you know why Regulus married me?
"He told me that if he ever exhibited a show with Perseus, I would be a perfect captured Andromache." She laughed again. It burned Sabinus more than any Parthian blade in that accursed desert.
There was quiet once more. In the distance, an animal howled at the full moon.
Julia covered her face with her hand and Sabinus watched as she started to cry once more. He went to her, to comfort her, to try to do something to repair the damage he had caused to this woman he once loved.
Sabinus put his arms around her, and she sobbed into his shoulder. After a few moments, Julia stopped and took a deep breath. Their eyes met, and as Sabinus attempted to say something, she kissed him. He knew he should stop, but either the wine or the pain of years past overwhelmed his logic. Sabinus, like each of the people in this house, surrendered to the god Dionysus.
Julia pulled away after a moment, and took Sabinus by the hand. She led him back through the atrium, weaving through the columns by the silver light of the moon. She brought him to a room at the front of the house, and in a narrow doorway. Locking the door behind them, she lay upon the bed, pulling the pins from her dark hair, letting it fall past her shoulders. As Sabinus went to her, it came to him that this was the most beautiful room in the house: its red walls and white upper register, its golden artificial architecture no more exquisite than any other he had seen, but tonight, the colors shone more brilliantly than he had ever seen.
***
Dawn came, the rosy fingers the poets spoke so much about gently rousing Sabinus from his sleep. He was alone in the room now, he observed, and for a moment wondered if the past night had been part of some delusion induced by the Vettii's wine. Sabinus dipped his hands in the water bowl on the nightstand, and splashed himself in an attempt to fully enter the waking world. Putting his clothes back on, Sabinus went back into the atrium.
The room was buzzing with activity, as slaves attended to various togate men, the ritual of the salutatio taking place. Sabinus saw Regulus seated behind a table what had served as the dining room last night, attending to his clients. Ganymede saw Sabinus, and the slave took him by the hand, leading him to his master's tablinum.
"Ah, thank you, Ganymede!" Regulus exclaimed, and rose from his chair to greet Sabinus. "It is good to see you this morning, friend Sabinus. I presume you will be heading back to Rome today?"
Sabinus nodded, "I'll pick up my things at the inn, and head to the city immediately, with the recommendation that they demonstrate great leniency towards yourself and the people of Pompeii."
Regulus beamed, "Excellent, excellent. I knew that I could show you the truth of the matter." He sat back down now, taking up a stylus to enter a note on his wax tablet. "I trust Julia was hospitable last night as well?"
"She is a good woman, and an honor to your household, Regulus."
"Indeed she is," he said without looking up. "And a marvelous actress, among the best I've ever seen. I trust you enjoyed yourself with her last night?"
Sabinus fell silent, a cold grip around his chest. "Excuse me, sir?"
Regulus' eyes remained on the work at his desk, "Of course you did. She initially refused, said that it wouldn't work." The elderly man looked up, and smiled nonchalantly, "But I'm a showman. I know what my audience wants. Sometimes more than they do."
Sabinus' hand trembled, his fingers closing into a fist tight enough to turn his knuckles white. He tried to find words… But there were none. Marcus Domitius Sabinus turned around and walked from the tablinum.
"Have a pleasant journey, Sabinus. It was a delight having you for dinner," Regulus called after him.
As Sabinus passed through the atrium, Ceius Secundus came up to him, his expression filled with concern. He opened his mouth to speak, but Sabinus shoved the gangly young man away, knocking him to the ground. Sabinus walked out of that house, and pulled the hood of his traveler's cloak up over his face.
When he reached the crossroads, he took one look back at the house. He saw Julia looking out from the second floor window, watching him, tears running down her cheeks. Her mouth formed the words, "Good bye."
Sabinus turned his back on her and walked away, cursing that house and praying that whole damn town would just disappear.
Rain fell in sheets from a light grey sky, the sunlight of the fifth hour barely cutting through the clouds. Marcus Domitius Sabinus pulled his travelling hood further over his face, making a feeble attempt to keep dry. His horse snorted as they approached the strangely laid out basilica. Here he would find Livineius Regulus, or so Regulus' door slave had said when Sabinus went to the man's home in the center of the city.
Regulus, Sabinus reflected as he tethered his animal to a ring in the curb, was particularly notorious in Rome at the moment. Some time ago, a caravan of rather wretched looking Nucerians appeared at the capital, declaring they were the innocent victims of gang violence at Pompeii, mere spectators at the games Livineius Regulus gave. After the Nero sent the case to the senate, the senate pushed it off onto the consuls, who in turn claimed it was within the jurisdiction of the conscript fathers. And now, after months of delay and meaningless debate, Sabinus, an ‘esteemed' equestrian and former soldier, arrived in Pompeii, to investigate the matter. Many times during the trip south, Sabinus wondered who he had pissed off to earn such an assignment.
Two Ethiopian slaves opened the heavy metal doors, and the dull roar of public business rushed upon Sabinus like a sudden dust storm. He pushed the hood of his cloak back from his brow and quickly ran his fingers through short dark hair, brushing away rainwater. The basilica was crowded, as one might expect on such a miserable day, men shouting over one another to dispute this or that claim.
Sabinus put his arm upon the shoulder of a hunched old man, "I'm looking for Livineius Regulus." The old man turned and stared blankly, and responded with a tongue that put consonants in the wrong places. He shrugged off Sabinus' hand and returned to his conversation. "Ah yes, Oscan," Sabinus muttered to himself, and cast his gaze over the crowd for someone speaking Latin.
His eyes came to rest on a barrister in a cheap toga, proclaiming that he could solve any property dispute for just a minor fee. Sabinus interrupted the barrister's sales pitch to an unfortunate customer, and was quickly pointed towards the tribunal at the end of the basilica, the lawyer returning to his would-be client without missing a beat.
Livineius Regulus stood before an equestrian statue upon a small stool. He wore his finest toga, brilliant white with the purple fringe of a senator. I guess the rumors were true, Sabinus thought, even after all these years, Regulus had not accepted his expulsion well. "—and if you elect Lucius Ceius Secundus, my noble nephew, as aedile, you won't need to go to Rome when you want to see a show! Euripides - with the best troupe in all of Italy - champion gladiators, and beasts that make barbarians from the very fringes of the empire tremble in fear!" Regulus' sing-song voice and absurd gestures, complete with a mime of an elephant at the mention of beasts, would have made Cicero proud.
"Men of Pompeii, I present you Ceius Secundus!" Regulus reached down and pulled up the arm of a scrawny young man, perhaps barely into his mid-20s, practically swimming in a shining white toga far too big for him. Regulus did not take the boy up onto his makeshift podium, but just dropped the arm back into the crowd. "Remember, vote Ceius!"
An approving cheer arose from the mass surrounding Regulus. He stepped down from the stool, and triumphantly walked towards the main exit, in the direction of Sabinus. As the retinue of Regulus, Ceius, and clients approached, Sabinus called out to the former senator.
The group kept walking, and Sabinus shouted louder. At last, Ceius grabbed his uncle's arm and pointed towards Sabinus. The old man walked closer. At first, Sabinus was about to remark how good he looked for a man supposed to be in his late sixties, but as he drew nearer, Regulus revealed his age. His face was worn, despite the amount of cosmetics used to soothe away his wrinkles. His short curly hair barely covered the top of his head, and the uneven silver patches showed an attempt to dye his hair an artificial jet black. "Greetings, citizen. How may I and the illustrious candidate for aedile Ceius Secundus help you?"
"Marcus Domitius Sabinus. I've been sent from Rome to discuss the incident."
There was a pause and a flash of concern across Regulus' face before a warm politician's smile, "Ah yes. I'm afraid that I'm quite busy at the moment, however this evening I am hosting a dinner party for some friends. I would be honored if you would join us."
Sabinus nodded, "Of course."
"Where are you staying? I'll send a slave to retrieve you when it is time."
"I'm at the inn near the forum baths," Sabinus responded, making a broad gesture towards his accommodations. "I only just arrived however."
"Well then, my friend from Rome, go enjoy our baths, have some lunch, and I shall see you this evening." Regulus patted Sabinus on the shoulder and continued his extended exit from the basilica, "I'm sure we can settle this manner quite quickly."
***
The sun was setting when Regulus' Greek slave boy came to the inn for Sabinus. He was young and small, and remarkably quiet for a child, even when Sabinus attempted to engage him in small talk using the boy's own language. It made for an awkward walk to Regulus' home.
The evening was warm and humid after the morning rain, and it made Sabinus glad he had taken up Regulus' suggestion to go to the baths. A shave to clean off the several days' stubble had been refreshing enough, and certainly made Sabinus feel more like an official envoy of the state rather than a mere errand boy.
When they arrived at the home, Sabinus was shocked at how nondescript it was. It was of the same plain painted plaster over brick design as all the other houses on the block, and the only thing to distinguish it was a campaign painting for L. Ceius Secundus for aedile: broad painted letters in a professional hand. Apparently our boy Ceius had been endorsed by the fuller's guild, Sabinus observed. The door swung open from the inside and the Greek slave boy hurriedly ushered Sabinus indoors.
The fauces had three red painted panels on either side, gold trim framing each - in the upper register, a soft yellow background, painted garlands hanging from the ceiling, and small center images of idyllic landscapes and still life. Upon entering the atrium, the first thing Sabinus noticed were the columns, solid red halfway up, then transitioning to a stucco design that replicated the marble columns of the forum at Rome. The columns pulled his eyes to the impluvium, half filled with the water from today's rain, up towards the garden in back. He could make out Regulus in Greek dress conversing with some other men, cavorting with half-naked women and nude slave boys who brought them more and more wine.
Sabinus looked up, drawn by the sound of voices. Ceius Secundus stood on the second floor balcony, speaking to a tall brunette woman seemingly in her mid-30s, her back to Sabinus. She leaned upon the railing, long fingers idly passing through elaborately curled hair, styled in the fashion that had been popular in Rome about four years ago. The skinny Ceius now spotted Sabinus, and smiled down at the man.
"Ah, Domitius Sabinus!" the young man exclaimed. "Welcome to our home..." he put his arm upon the women next to him and turned her around to face Sabinus. "I would like you to meet my uncle Regulus' new wife –"
Sabinus swallowed hard, "Hello, Julia."
Ceius took a short step back, surprise on his face, "Yes... Julia... do you know my aunt?"
Julia and Sabinus looked at one another, silent for a few terrible beats. The woman called Julia put her hand over red painted lips, covering a quiet gasp. At last, it was Regulus' wife who spoke, "Marcus... It is good to see you." She cleared her throat and quickly composed herself, rising once more to her full height. She smiled at Ceius, "The noble Sabinus and I were once friends..."
"When we were much younger," Sabinus completed her sentence. "In Reate."
Ceius nodded, and started to lead Julia by the hand down the stairwell that lined the west wall of the atrium. Her light blue stola stood out against the soft yellow of the upper register of the walls, her statuesque features melding with the architectural designs and false columns that decorated the lower red panels. Sabinus forced his mouth to close, and bit his lip anxiously to keep it shut.
The orange light from the setting sun penetrated the skylight and cast a warm glow upon Julia and her nephew. "Well then," Ceius began, "perhaps I should go see if uncle needs some assistance with those Vettii brothers. They can be quite rambunctious." With a polite nod, the youth was gone.
As Sabinus and Julia stood in silence on either side of the impluvium, Sabinus could hear bits and pieces of the conversation between Regulus and his guests, useless quotes of poetry, improper citation of philosophers and the historian Pollio. Once again, it was Julia who broke the silence. "I did not know you were coming."
Sabinus nodded, "Yes... I've been sent by the senate to investigate the riot that took place at the games Regulus - - your husband, promoted."
"It was indeed a chaotic time... One moment the Nucerians were shouting at our people, then a thrown wine cup, and within a just a few minutes there was no way to stop it." She shook her head, clearing a traumatic memory. "Very bad… though if you ask me, it's the emperor's fault... out brawling in the streets and starting fights in the arena with the crowd."
"I am technically his agent now, Julia. And those are just rumors. No one has actually seen it."
"I'm sure," she spat. Another pause. "I thought you were supposed to be somewhere in the East."
"I was," Sabinus assured her, nodding. "The Tenth. Syria. But here I am now."
"So you are," she said softly.
"Ah, Domitius Sabinus, Ceius tells me that you and my dear Julia are old friends from Reate!" Livineius Regulus, a silver wine cup in his hand burst into the atrium. His hand was already trembling from the alcohol, and the dark red drink spilled onto the paved floor. "How wonderful! We shall have much to talk about over dinner," he beamed. "But come now, let me show you the elegant home of the senator Livineius Regulus."
Before Sabinus could respond, Regulus put his arm around him, and clasped him close to his torso, half in a gesture of drunken friendship, half to support his aged and swaying frame. Julia abruptly turned and went back up the stairs, disappearing behind a wooden door.
"Ganymede, bring our guest a cup, it is far too late in the evening not to have a drink!" Regulus bellowed. A young man with long braided hair and the naked body of an athlete approached, a silver cup on a golden tray. Regulus pushed it into Sabinus' hesitant hand, and out of politeness, Sabinus took a sip.
It certainly could have used more water.
"As you can see, the atrium is decorated in the Augustan style, and nearly matches the designs of my home at the capital city," Regulus said. "I felt that it allowed me to feel more at home here."
"Yes, I see," Sabinus said.
"And here, if we head through this hallway, I'll take you into my winter dining room." The room to the northeast of the atrium was brightly lit despite being enclosed on all sides except for the doorway and a tiny window that allowed a view to the atrium. Four small torches were held by tall eastern slaves, standing at each corner.
The light just barely touched the upper register, revealing designs similar to the atrium. White backgrounds, broken up thin painted scaffoldings and what appeared to be the pikes that topped walls, wrapped in painted ivy, connecting the upper register to the frieze painting that circled the room.
Black panels lined the room, free standing golden scaffoldings before an artificially deep red wall separating the panels. Sabinus was about to comment on the grape vines that hung from the scaffolding when Regulus' other guests entered the room: two men, one short and morbidly obese, the other tall and sickeningly skinny, dressed in matching Greek attire. They were quickly followed by giggling flute girls, already in various states of undress, their midriffs bare in the Eastern style that Sabinus saw in Syria, their breasts covered by a wrap of thin purple fabric.
The fat man collapsed onto the eastern dining couch, quickly sprawling out across the cushions. One of the foreign girls followed him, almost perching upon the couch, her fingers running up and down the man's back in a gentle caress. "Ah Regulus, you are showing our new visitor our favorite room!"
Regulus laughed, and waved his hand dismissively at the man, "Ah, anywhere that reminds you of your wine makes you happy, Conviva!" Regulus turned back to Sabinus and gestured towards the reclining man, "Aulus Vettius Conviva, priest of the order of the Augustales," then the thin man, "and his brother Aulus Vettius Restitutus."
"Charmed," Sabinus said.
"Domitius Sabinus here is an envoy from Rome," Regulus said. "He wishes to discuss the incident at the amphitheater."
Conviva leaned forward, his eyes suddenly bright, "A Roman! No doubt of some importance if he has been sent here by the emperor! Restitutus, tell the slaves to send Domitius Sabinus thirty amphorae of our best vintage. He can bring it to Nero himself and let him taste the famous ambrosia of the Vettii brothers! He will certainly favor our vines before any others."
Regulus nudged Sabinus, "It is the very wine you drink now."
Sabinus nodded, "I am sorry to disappoint, but I have travelled alone and cannot bring that much back to the city. However, if I am ever granted an audience with the emperor, I will suggest that he sample your wine. I am just a mere envoy of the senate."
Conviva sank back onto his couch, his hopes disappointed. "Oh. A tragedy that Nero is denied our grapes once more."
"A tragedy," Restitutus quietly seconded.
"The Vettii brothers are valuable business partners of mine, and, if I do say so myself, produce the best wine in all of Campania," Regulus said. "They provided free wine for all guests at my games, and indeed, they inspired this very room." Regulus gestured to the artwork of the west wall.
In the middle panel was an elaborate landscape, the god Dionysus at the center, his robes half falling off, a cup of wine in his hand, his eyes gazing drunkenly back at Sabinus, an inviting smile on his face. Its okay, relax. Drink, the god called to him. Sabinus, never one to challenge the gods, even painted gods, put his lips to the cup and took in some of the heavy red liquid.
"The grape vines... lord Bacchus... lush landscapes," Regulus continued. "It makes me think of my two favorite things: a strong drink in the wilderness… and the theater..." He trailed off for a second, seemingly remembering some past escapade. "Tell me, Sabinus, what new productions are there at Rome? It is just impossible to find out about the new shows here."
Sabinus cleared his throat, "I wouldn't know, I'm not much of a theater-goer myself. Sorry."
Regulus shook his head, disapprovingly clucking his tongue, "No way for a young man to behave." He looked up at Sabinus now, his drunken grin once more returned, "Perhaps I might be able to persuade you tonight!"
"Perhaps."
"Come, all of us, you too, girls," Regulus exhorted, giving the nearer young woman a sharp slap upon her rear, the thin fabric that barely covered her backside coming up. "I smell food and need something to eat after all this wine!"
The former senator led them into the garden where Ceius Secundus sat, and weaving through the potted plants that decorated it, ushered his guests into the summer triclinium. "Ganymede," Regulus called to his cup-bearing slave, "Fetch Julia, tell her to hurry up."
Sabinus took up a position on the couch facing the artificial garden, where Regulus insisted that his honored guest recline next to the head of the household. Ceius was at the couch to Sabinus' right, while the Vettii brothers were on his left. The flute girls took up their instruments, and began to play a soft repeating tune.
Julia arrived just as the first course was being served. She kept her eyes low and did not meet Sabinus' gaze, taking her position at the right of her husband. Sabinus finished his cup of wine, and signaled Ganymede to bring him another.
***
"—and then, Lysidamus takes her to bed, and pretty soon, he realizes that isn't a sword under her dress, it's that she is really Chalinus and he's just happy to see him!"
There was a burst of laughter as Regulus finished his story, wiping tears from his eyes before taking another drink of his wine. The dinner had long since ended, and the sun sank below the horizon. The Vettii brothers were asleep on their couches, flute girls beside them, each laid low by wine. The torch bearers from the winter dining room now filled this room overlooking the garden, and the soft light of flames illuminated them all. The stars and squares formed by the white tesserae that paved the room's floor glistened in the light.
Sabinus rested his head upon his hand, the heavy wine taking its toll. He looked around the room and saw that even Julia, who had been nearly silent the entire meal, flashed a short smile at Regulus' tale. Their eyes met for a brief moment before she looked down at her cup once more.
"Ah, but I have monopolized this conversation far too much," Regulus said. "Come, now that we've all been properly fed, tell us some more about yourself Sabinus... How do you know my lovely Julia?" At these words, Regulus' young wife stiffened next to her elderly husband.
Sabinus took a deep breath and paused. "There's nothing much. We are both from Reate, and knew each other as children. But then I went off to the legions and Syria, and now we are reunited today. A simple tale, without much excitement, I'm afraid... right, lady Julia?"
She nodded, "Yes. Rather dull, in fact."
"Oh well," Ceius Secundus interjected, disappointed that his aunt had no elaborate story to share regarding the newcomer. "But come now, friend Sabinus, surely you have some adventures to share from your travels in the East!"
Sabinus shook his head, "Again, nothing exciting… Training… Lots of training… But I was not fit to be an army man, and certainly butted heads with my optio. If it hadn't been for the fact that my grandfather had served with the legate long ago, I probably would've been brought up on charges. Instead, I returned to Rome and now serve as an envoy of the senate. And so here I am." It was the truth for the most part. He didn't need to explain the fighting with the Parthians, the fact that his optio had led the men into a slaughter, and that if Sabinus hadn't taken command, they'd all be rotted corpses in the desert now.
"Yes... your mission..." Regulus said quietly. He stood up slowly, his bones creaking as he rose, his stance swaying from both age and wine. "Come here with me, Sabinus."
Hesitating for a moment, Sabinus then rose and walked after Regulus into the garden.
The former senator stood in the center of the potted plants, staring at the walls. A painted frame created the illusion of depth, making the small garden seem larger. An elaborate landscape decorated one wall. It showed an urban area, sparsely populated, with lush hills and meadows. It was a place where one would want to retire, to spend their remaining days.
"Look here, Sabinus," Regulus beckoned. He stood before a magnificent hunting scene, terrible beasts of Africa climbing the rocks, waiting for their prey. Lions, the regal creatures, standing proudly, as if waiting for a challenge from some mere mortal. The border of the wall panel was a painted curtain, drawn back as if Sabinus were gazing on some fantastic stage, where savage nature itself is the main attraction.
"It's incredible," Sabinus muttered to his host.
"This... This is the show," Regulus said quietly. "This is the show that I have always wanted to give... the show I gave last year... when the riot broke out." He swallowed another gulp of wine. "When I was expelled from the senate... I did not take it very well. As you no doubt have seen."
Sabinus remained silent.
"I needed to get back. I needed to go back to Rome, and be in the city again. You don't know what it's like, Sabinus. You don't know what it's like to have it all taken away from you, your very life blood. I thrived in the court - I lived for it. But since I've had to come here, to live disgraced as the guest of my brother-in-law, and now that he is gone, to hold his estate for his son Ceius... I've tried to live like I once did. I have kept up with all the fashions of Rome, I've embraced the programs of each emperor, gods, I've even tried to make myself look like the young men that Nero is promoting these days.
"But look at me: I'm dyeing my hair like some common prostitute, I'm drinking my days away, taking a wife more than half my age... I cannot do it very much longer… But I'll keep it up until the day I die, because I want to go home one day, I want to go back to Rome. By the gods, I want give the shows again. Surely Nero would understand that if I ever had the chance to speak with him. He knows what it is like to be a showman... We would understand each other very well I think…
"He would know what it was like, to nearly bankrupt yourself to put on the most spectacular display this damn backwater has ever seen, to convince your idiotic freedmen partners to serve their wine free and strong, to invite the citizens of all Campania, just for one shot to remake your name, to impress the people and win back their love. Nero would understand everything I did.
"But my greatest moment, my most spectacular success… My games will not be remembered as the show that astounded crowds and brought the most fearsome beasts of Africa to the Cup, complete with authentic sets that made you feel as if you were really there, if you were the one hunting the mighty lion. No. I will be remembered for the drunken brawl that ensued. To be honest, it's probably my fault. If I hadn't convinced Conviva and Restitutus to hand out the free wine, if I hadn't kept jeering at those Nucerians… And now I'm a laughing stock, a pathetic nobody. All I have left is to promote my sister's fool of a son, and if I can get him elected aedile somehow, put on another show – even better and more spectacular than this." Regulus turned away from the painting and back towards Sabinus. "But what are the odds of that… No, instead, I have this painting. The greatest show in the world, that no one but me will ever remember."
The former senator finished his wine and dropped the silver cup to the ground with an echoing clang. Sabinus observed that for the first time, he seemed to show all of his years, his back hunched and worn with age and the burdens of a difficult life. As Regulus walked back to the dining room, Sabinus folded his arms across his chest and stared at painting.
The fire in the eyes of the lions sent shivers down his spine. The sheer detail of the beasts astounded him, and in the distance, Sabinus swore he heard the mighty animal's roar. It would have been a spectacular show indeed.
***
Hours passed, and the night continues to unravel. Regulus had gone to the Dionysus room, and fallen asleep drunk upon the dining couches there, claimed by the powerful god. Sabinus still stood in the garden, soon ready to surrender to the Vettii's powerful wine. The torch bearers had long since retired, leaving the house lit only by the moonlight. Without the flames, it was like the building was a mere shade of itself, a ghost left behind. The brilliant colors faded, the attempts at Roman opulence by a fallen senator retreating into shadows. But the silvery moon cast its radiance directly upon the scene of Regulus' failed attempt at glory, and Sabinus remained lost in its simultaneous majesty and tragedy.
He stirred when he heard someone approach. He squinted, believing it to be the slave Ganymede. Julia stepped from the shadows. Her arms were folded across her chest, and her make-up was running down her cheeks. She had been crying. Julia spoke only one word, "Why?"
Sabinus had no response at first. After long silent minute that the gods seemingly transformed into an eternity, he started to speak. "I was a different man... I had seen... and done... terrible things. I couldn't come back home. I couldn't bear to have my parents look at me, to know who I had become, and to think me a terrible man – or worse, to think me a better man for it. I couldn't bear..."
"Me," she said.
Sabinus nodded slowly. "I couldn't come back and marry you like I said I would. You deserved better than a man with so much blood on his hands."
She laughed scornfully, "I deserved this? To become the trophy wife of a wretched old man who has delusions of grandeur? To spend every night drinking myself to death with grotesque freedmen? Yes. You certainly spared me."
"Julia, I –"
"I waited two years for you… when the letters stopped I assumed you had found some wh*re in Syria. My parents told me to move on... so I did. I left Reate with a troupe of actors. Mime shows, vulgar comedies, putting myself on display in a senator's peristyle, so that he might have something pretty to look at... When I came here, do you know why Regulus married me?
"He told me that if he ever exhibited a show with Perseus, I would be a perfect captured Andromache." She laughed again. It burned Sabinus more than any Parthian blade in that accursed desert.
There was quiet once more. In the distance, an animal howled at the full moon.
Julia covered her face with her hand and Sabinus watched as she started to cry once more. He went to her, to comfort her, to try to do something to repair the damage he had caused to this woman he once loved.
Sabinus put his arms around her, and she sobbed into his shoulder. After a few moments, Julia stopped and took a deep breath. Their eyes met, and as Sabinus attempted to say something, she kissed him. He knew he should stop, but either the wine or the pain of years past overwhelmed his logic. Sabinus, like each of the people in this house, surrendered to the god Dionysus.
Julia pulled away after a moment, and took Sabinus by the hand. She led him back through the atrium, weaving through the columns by the silver light of the moon. She brought him to a room at the front of the house, and in a narrow doorway. Locking the door behind them, she lay upon the bed, pulling the pins from her dark hair, letting it fall past her shoulders. As Sabinus went to her, it came to him that this was the most beautiful room in the house: its red walls and white upper register, its golden artificial architecture no more exquisite than any other he had seen, but tonight, the colors shone more brilliantly than he had ever seen.
***
Dawn came, the rosy fingers the poets spoke so much about gently rousing Sabinus from his sleep. He was alone in the room now, he observed, and for a moment wondered if the past night had been part of some delusion induced by the Vettii's wine. Sabinus dipped his hands in the water bowl on the nightstand, and splashed himself in an attempt to fully enter the waking world. Putting his clothes back on, Sabinus went back into the atrium.
The room was buzzing with activity, as slaves attended to various togate men, the ritual of the salutatio taking place. Sabinus saw Regulus seated behind a table what had served as the dining room last night, attending to his clients. Ganymede saw Sabinus, and the slave took him by the hand, leading him to his master's tablinum.
"Ah, thank you, Ganymede!" Regulus exclaimed, and rose from his chair to greet Sabinus. "It is good to see you this morning, friend Sabinus. I presume you will be heading back to Rome today?"
Sabinus nodded, "I'll pick up my things at the inn, and head to the city immediately, with the recommendation that they demonstrate great leniency towards yourself and the people of Pompeii."
Regulus beamed, "Excellent, excellent. I knew that I could show you the truth of the matter." He sat back down now, taking up a stylus to enter a note on his wax tablet. "I trust Julia was hospitable last night as well?"
"She is a good woman, and an honor to your household, Regulus."
"Indeed she is," he said without looking up. "And a marvelous actress, among the best I've ever seen. I trust you enjoyed yourself with her last night?"
Sabinus fell silent, a cold grip around his chest. "Excuse me, sir?"
Regulus' eyes remained on the work at his desk, "Of course you did. She initially refused, said that it wouldn't work." The elderly man looked up, and smiled nonchalantly, "But I'm a showman. I know what my audience wants. Sometimes more than they do."
Sabinus' hand trembled, his fingers closing into a fist tight enough to turn his knuckles white. He tried to find words… But there were none. Marcus Domitius Sabinus turned around and walked from the tablinum.
"Have a pleasant journey, Sabinus. It was a delight having you for dinner," Regulus called after him.
As Sabinus passed through the atrium, Ceius Secundus came up to him, his expression filled with concern. He opened his mouth to speak, but Sabinus shoved the gangly young man away, knocking him to the ground. Sabinus walked out of that house, and pulled the hood of his traveler's cloak up over his face.
When he reached the crossroads, he took one look back at the house. He saw Julia looking out from the second floor window, watching him, tears running down her cheeks. Her mouth formed the words, "Good bye."
Sabinus turned his back on her and walked away, cursing that house and praying that whole damn town would just disappear.