Goddess
Chapter 8

As we walk back through the woods, we discusswhat our next step should be. Gaius wants to bring the Flamen Martialis to ourmeeting place and give him a private demonstration, but we need to do it soon,and Marta, Lucia, and I won’t have another free day for at least a week. Thismeans we need to involve the Vestalis Maxima in some way, or at least getpermission from her for an afternoon off.

“Let me talk to her,” I say. “Maybe we can allget out of temple tomorrow afternoon by swapping turns with the other girls.I’ll come up with something.”

We retrieve our bags, and the boys wait in thewoods until we’re picked up by a passing cart on its way into town. Then theywalk behind us, keeping their distance from the cart, making it look likethey’ve just turned onto the main road from the Via Callia and have noconnection to us whatsoever. It’s easy for them to keep pace with us, and Iknow they won’t let the driver take us anywhere we’re not supposed to be going.

“You girls from the city?” Our driver asks,leering at Lucia.

“From a farm outside the city limits,” I say,using my father’s house as our cover.

“So you’re all sisters?” the driver asks.

“That’s right,” I assert, with a look to thegirls that says to play along.

“Don’t look much alike, do you?” he asks,staring at Lucia some more.

“She’s adopted,” Marta says acidly.

That’s the hardest part about sneaking aroundwith Lucia. Men notice her wherever she goes.

We stop the cart and hop off when we reach myfather’s farm, paying generously for our ride. As we turn down the path to myfather’s house, I resist the urge to wave good-bye to Gaius and Cassius. Ourexperience today has bound us all together, and it feels wrong for us to partwithout any sign of friendship.

“It’s late. They may not make it back to thecity before nightfall,” I worry.

“They’ll be fine. You’re getting too attached tothem,” Marta says. “Remember that we’re just convenient tools. Cassius’s questfor knowledge, Gaius’s need for military advantage…they’re using us for theirown purposes. Don’t let them get under your skin.”

The thought saddens me.

My mother is waiting for us at the door. “Lookat you girls!” she says in astonishment. “Olivia, I haven’t seen you wearanything other than white for six years. You look beautiful, or you would ifyou weren’t covered in dust.” She smiles. I’m wearing a pale-orange dress thatLucia bought a few years ago, and I agree it’s very pretty. It must be saidthat Lucia has good taste.

“I’ve had your room made up, and the baths areready for you,” my mother says. She leaves us at my door and promises us hotwater soon. While we wait, we pull a few stray pins from our hair and try towork out the last of the braids.

“Your home seems very nice,” says Martaunexpectedly. I’ve asked her to join me for a visit here at least fifty times,but she’s never accepted, which always hurt me a little. I wonder if she’shaving painful memories of her own home, a town so far away she hasn’t seen herparents since they said good-bye when we were ten.

“And you get to meet my brothers and sisters!” Isay happily. “After our baths, we’ll all have dinner together.”

“Ooh, is your oldest brother here tonight?” saysLucia.

“Yes, Marcus is here,” I say dryly. Lucia,unlike Marta, has accompanied me on many visits home. And taken everyopportunity to flirt with my brother. And he has taken every opportunity toflirt back. It is deeply annoying.

My bath feels wonderful as I finally wash offthe layers of dust and mosquito oil. I linger as long as possible, scrubbingthe last little bit of dirt from my fingernails. I can hear preparations forthe family dinner, and I realize how hungry I am. “We’ll do hair before we goto bed,” I say, “but now it’s time to eat.”

As my family gathers around the dinner table, weall bask in the happy glow of being reunited. Even Marta seems charmed, and shesmiles whenever someone addresses a comment to her. Lucia is also in rare form.

“So, Marcus,” she purrs. “I hear you are goingto apprentice next year. That must be so exciting.”

“Yeah, well, it’s not as glamorous as working inthe temple.” Marcus smiles at her. “But if you come to see me at the store, itwill be.”

“Ugh,” Marta and I say together. I am smiling,but she looks darkly at Lucia.

After dinner, my mother asks Marta if she wouldlike to see the house, since it’s her first visit. Marta is delighted by thisrequest and accepts happily. Lucia is claimed by two of my younger sisters, asshe has promised to show them how to braid their hair up just like the Vestalswear it. And I stay at the table, grateful for the opportunity to have myfather and brother all to myself.

“Well, Olivia,” says my father, “have you hadany interesting supplicants at the temple recently? You always have some crazystory for us when you come home.”

In truth, I’m not supposed to share any detailsabout my visitors or their problems, but I enjoy talking about my work with myfamily, and I always leave out or change any personal details. This time,however, I don’t have any anecdotes to entertain with or any problems to asktheir advice about. Any little household cares have been put on hold due to thecurrent national crisis.

“It’s different now,” I say. “I haven’t doneanything recently but pray, over and over again, for Vesta to end the war.”Both nod at this and look sober.

“Does that woman who gets knocked around stillcome?” Marcus asks.

“Yes,” I say hesitantly, wincing at his phrase.I feel a little pain in my chest every time I think of her.

“That’s too bad,” my father says. “What a shameit is to treat a good woman that way. She’s doing all the right things, prayingto Vesta and asking for help.”

Marcus shakes his head. “You know, it’s reallytoo bad she can’t replace a way not to set him off. Figure out what’s making himangry.”

I frown internally at this. I don’t think Marcusquite understands the situation the way that I do. But how could he? NeitherMarcus nor my father could ever hurt a woman. They can’t think like someone whowould.

Then there’s a knock at the door, and Titus, theshopkeeper’s son, walks in. Tall and brawny, he cuts an impressive figure inthe doorway, blocking it completely. As always, I feel a strange sense ofunease in his company, as though he’s a slightly dangerous animal you wouldn’twant to provoke.

“Marcus, time to go,” he says. “Sir, good to seeyou,” he says to my father, pointedly ignoring me as he waits for Marcus tojoin him.

“Bye, everybody,” Marcus says briefly as hefollows Titus out the door. My father glowers after them, eyes narrowed.

“What are they doing at this time of night?” Iask my father, curious about the reason for his mood. We are on good terms withTitus because he is the shopkeeper’s son, and Marcus will soon become theirapprentice. But unfortunately he has a terrible reputation in the community.He’s wild and rebellious, and he’s committed at least a few drunken acts ofvandalism that I know of.

“Titus has cleaned up his act,” my father says,although he doesn’t look happy. “He’s straightened out and found religion.”

“Oh…isn’t that a good thing?” I venture.

“I’m not comfortable with the nature of theirworship,” my father says. “They’ve built an altar to Mars Ultor.”

“Mars the Avenger?” I ask, shocked. Our godshave many aspects, and you can choose to worship one of their specificincarnations. Mars is generally a god who promotes war as a means to achievepeace. But he has a dark side, Mars Ultor, the deity of waging war to exactvengeance. It is this specific aspect that Titus has chosen to emphasize in hisworship. “But why? What do they need to avenge?”

My father shakes his head. “They’re angry youngkids. Who knows why young men rebel? I just hope Marcus grows out of it soon,because it’s not good for him. He’s quicker to anger, to take offense. Hefights me at every turn. I don’t know what to do with him.” He sighs, thenrallies his spirits and gives me a tired smile. “Don’t worry about him,Olivia,” he says, seeing the concern in my face. “I’ll get him sorted out.” Andhe gives me a reassuring pat on the shoulder.

After the table is cleared, I say good night tomy family and chase down the girls. Once I have extricated Marta from mymother’s twenty-minute lecture on vestibules and pried Lucia away from my newlybraided sisters, we retire to my room for hair and bed. I do Marta’s hair. ThenMarta does Lucia’s.

“You were awfully friendly with Olivia’s brothertonight at dinner, Lucia,” Marta says, and there’s something in her tone thatmakes me look up.

“Isn’t he cute?” says Lucia, smiling. “And I gota look at that Titus when he stopped in. He isn’t bad either.” Marta twists apin, and Lucia says, “Ow!”

“Sorry,” Marta says. “Do you think that’s wise?Behaving that way? Looking at those boys as if they’re your playthings?”

“It’s fine, Marta,” I say. “Marcus isn’t undersome kind of impression that Lucia will suddenly not be a Vestal. He won’ttouch her.”

“I just think it’s sick,” Marta says. “Sick andwrong. Why does she have to flirt like that? Where is that going to lead?”

“You need to relax,” Lucia tells her. “You needto learn how to have a little fun.”

Marta says nothing, but the tension doesn’tlessen. We don’t say much more while Lucia does my hair. Once again, I attemptto avoid any further conversation by suggesting bed.

***

On our walk home early the next morning, I broachthe subject of how we’ll get a free afternoon to meet Gaius and the FlamenMartialis. “We need to be out at the Circus Callia by three, so we’ll need toleave here right after lunch.”

“Well, whatever,” says Lucia irritably. “But Iam not taking my hair down again.”

“Okay,” I agree. “We’ll have to do head scarvesor something. It will look suspicious at this time of year to anybody who’sreally watching closely, but we will probably get away with it.”

This morning, Lucia and Marta are due at asacrifice being held at the Temple of Venus, in which they’ll play a smallrole. I’m going to assist Lavinia, the Vestalis Maxima, by copying out some ofher official communications to duplicate them, since there will be multiplerecipients and her time is too valuable for her to do it all herself. This willbe an excellent opportunity to cook up some lie, if I can only get theinspiration.

As I sit with Lavinia, my mind races, but Ican’t think of any possible reason why all three of us would need a freeafternoon. There’s no marketing to do. Everything else we work on is in theHouse of Vestals, the temple, or the Regia.

There’s a knock on the door and Gaius enters,somewhat nervously, I think. Be cool,I want to tell him. He really is high-strung.

“Vestalis Maxima,” he says, inclining his head,“I come to ask an unusual favor. As you know, the Flamen Martialis and all thestudents at the Academy of Mars are busy to the point of distraction. I need toask you for some additional manpower.” He hesitates. “We’ll be conducting someweapons tests out in the field today, and I need a few girls to take downmeasurements and make records of our replaceings, and maybe run the occasionalerrand. We can’t spare the men.”

This lie is brilliant because it’s so close tothe truth.

“Well, thank you, um—?”

“Gaius,” he reminds her.

“Thank you, Gaius,” she responds, recognizinghim, “for the opportunity to assist you and your colleagues during thisstressful time. I am sure we can spare a few hands.”

“I was thinking Olivia,” he says. “She’s sohandy carrying messages. And maybe her two friends could come. The youngergirls may not have the patience for the detailed recordkeeping they’ll need todo. Three girls is the perfect number. ” He takes a deep breath, as he hasforgotten to breathe during this obviously well-rehearsed speech. “Thanks somuch,” he says, and before she can object to his particular choices, he hasgone.

“Well, Olivia,” she says with a wry smile, “youradvanced expertise in message-carrying is requested. When Marta and Luciareturn, can you please ask them to accompany you and report to Gaius or one ofthese other young men? He didn’t say where you were supposed to meet him, so Iguess you’ll have to go looking around.” Lavinia sighs. “I guess we can’trefuse anything they ask us for now.” She rests her elbows on her desk andcradles her head in her hands.

A few hours later I replace Marta and Luciatrekking back from the Venus thing. “Gaius had a great lie, and now we’reassistants to the Academy of Mars,” I explain. “Cassius is going to meet uswith a cart in a few minutes, and we’re going out to the circus. We can beVirgins.”

When we pile into Cassius’s wagon, he gives ussome blankets to throw over ourselves. “Let’s not give anybody on the road anyreasons to speculate,” he says. So we have a hot and itchy ride lying in theback of the cart. Really, this constant subterfuge is getting to be too much. We’re trying to save the entire countryhere, we’re not criminals, I think. Then I remind myself that we are.

Cassius has brought more plant extract for us,but the walk to the abandoned circus is as unpleasant as the first time, if notmore so. The warmer it gets, the happier the mosquitoes are. Once we arrive, webusy ourselves setting up the altars, invoking gods, and making sacrifices, andthen there’s nothing to do but wait for the Flamen Martialis to arrive. I haveno idea what to expect from him, no guess about how he will react. I only knowthat when I deliver messages to him, he smiles at me. Promising, but not reallymuch to go on.

“How will Gaius convince the Flamen Martialis tocome all the way out here?” I ask. The flamen is the head of the Academy ofMars. I imagine his time is very precious, and wading through marshy ground toan abandoned circus is probably not high on his list of priorities.

“Gaius has gained quite a bit of goodwill at theacademy since stopping the Selanthi with the bomb,” Cassius replies. “Heactually earned an award for special merit, something they normally only giveto soldiers in the field, but they didn’t have a ceremony because everyone istoo busy at the moment. But he has their attention and their trust now.”

While we sit quietly, Cassius explains that ifthe flamen threatens to execute us for our crimes, the idea is that we shouldoverpower him, run to the cart, and try to flee. He thinks we could make it fora few days and maybe get on a ship out of Polonia. “I have my entire savings inthis bag,” he says, holding up his satchel.

As we stare at each other, awed and terrified bythis possibility, we hear a distant crashing. My heart beats faster. Martagasps. Lucia looks like she might faint. Cassius is his confident self.

“There better be a good reason we had to walkthrough this mosquito hell, Gaius Valerius,” a voice says.

“There is, Flamen, I promise you.”

They emerge into the field, waving bugs out oftheir faces and looking hot and irritated. The Flamen Martialis looks to beabout fifty, with iron-gray hair cropped short. He is smaller and thinner thanGaius, but he is wiry and something about his frame suggests great strength. Hehas an aura of vitality about him, and his face is as kind as I remember.

He starts when he sees us, astonished at replaceingthree Vestal Virgins in such an unlikely environment.

“Sir,” says Gaius, wasting no time, “as I saidbefore, there is something you should see that could give us a seriousadvantage in the war, perhaps even lead to total victory. Lucia Maximianus is aVestal Virgin whom you may already know,” he indicates Lucia, “and she has anability we need to show you. But we need to beg your discretion. I will tellyou before we begin that what you are about to see is entirely illegal.” Heglances at Cassius. “We would never be taking these steps were the fate of thecountry not at stake.”

“Hello, Lucia,” the flamen acknowledges herpolitely. “Of course I know who you are. Gaius, if this activity is reallycrucial to the war effort, I will protect you from the legal consequences tothe best of my ability. You have my attention.”

I feel a surge of hope. This is already goingmuch more smoothly than I expected. Marta squeezes my hand, evidently relievedherself.

Gaius asks us all to stand very far from Luciato watch her demonstration, although he doesn’t insist on the ditch this time.When she closes her eyes, raises her hand, and blasts some distant trees intooblivion, the flamen gives a strange bark of exultation, somewhere between alaugh and a shout, and shakes Gaius by the shoulder. “Who can do this?” heimmediately demands, when he can breathe again. “Can we teach the entire army?”

“Um,” says Gaius, uncomfortable now. “Here’s thereally bad news. Only girls can do it. Lucia throws the ball by invoking thegoddess Diana. As far as we can tell, only women, and possibly only virgingirls, can ask her for aid.”

“What?” gasps the flamen. “Oh gods.” He issilent for a long time. We all wait on tenterhooks for his response.

“I don’t see that we have a choice,” he finallysays. “I think we have to recruit as many women as we can collect and trainthem immediately. We only have a few weeks at most. But the College of Pontiffsand all the other flamens will have to be informed, and probably the Senate.And I will warn you now, I expect a mixed reaction. We won’t have an easy timegaining their approval.”

Marta, Cassius, and I look at each other with amixture of elation and fear. Wherever this endeavor will finally take us,there’s no turning back now.

Before we leave, Gaius explains the fullprocedure to the flamen, including the invocation of Vulcan to explode thebombs. He then asks me and Marta to demonstrate our skills, and explains to theflamen that Lucia’s blessing was necessary to help us gain power. “We’re notsure yet whether these girls will be able to pass their skills on to otherwomen, or if Lucia will have to bless every single one. That will be alogistical challenge. It’s also possible that married women could gain the sameskill, but it hasn’t been tested. Obviously we’ve been severely restricted inwhat we could try without official sanction.”

“Obviously,” says the flamen. “But when I returnto the academy, I intend to immediately test whether our troops could invokeVulcan to explode the Selanthi bombs when they’re in the air, or even still inSelanthi hands. That could neutralize their current advantage.”

“What if the Selanthi can explode our bombs by invoking one of theirgods?” asks Marta nervously.

We all look at her. “Then all is completelylost,” says the flamen after a moment of contemplation. “I don’t think theywill, though. They clearly don’t use any religious invocation to explode theirown. They have some sort of timing device, and sometimes it’s faulty. The bombsgo off too early, or never go off at all.”

“There are too many unknowns right now,” Gaiussays. “Sir, I suggest we return to the academy and start taking the necessarysteps for testing and recruitment.”

“Testing, yes,” says the flamen. “Recruitmentwaits until our full disclosure to the college, which I will arrange for thisevening before sundown. Lucia, Marta, and Olivia will meet us on the academygrounds for a demonstration.”

“Can Cassius join us?” I ask.

The flamen looks at Cassius as if noticing himfor the first time. “If you wish,” he says kindly. “Who exactly is thisperson?”

“He discovered Lucia’s talent…” Gaius trailsoff, unsure how to frame this obvious lawbreaking.

“I’d like to be there, sir,” says Cassius. “I’mresponsible for the girls. If they’re accused of breaking the law, I willinterpose and declare myself the sole culprit.”

“That’s gallant of you,” says the flamen. “But Iwill warn you now that if certain pontiffs are…uncomfortable…with womeninvoking the gods, your intercession won’t save them.”

My chest tightens with fear again.