Calculus II

"Think about it," Cal reasoned with his two friends as they left the garden. "The murderer lost the fibula when he killed Nebulus, right?" He gestured at the pin Hypothermia was holding.

"So?" Martinus said. "It's not like we can go around asking everyone if they're missing a pin to their robes."

"But that's it!" Hypothermia exclaimed, finally catching on to Cal's thinking. "The murderer was wearing clothes in the first place! So it couldn't have been any of the men who saw Nebulus in the baths right before his death."

"Not even Severus?" Martinus protested. "But he had welts on his arms, just like the astronomer did." He held out his arms and gestured up and down the area that had been covered in terrible red marks. "That means he's been digging through the poison ivy, to get whatever Nebulus had originally hidden in the garden!"

"That's true," Hypothermia admitted. "But why did he want what Nebulus had?"

Calculus frowned. "There's only one way to know for sure," he said. "We'll have to ask him."

"But how?" Martinus asked. "We don't know where he is right now, and he might not even choose to give us an answer."

Cal set his jaw determinedly. "We'll make him give us an answer," he said. "We have to talk to the officials in charge of the investigation."

~*~

An hour later, two centurion guards appeared at the imperial investigator's office, escorting a rather sour-looking Severus between them. Cal, Hypothermia, and Martinus couldn't help but notice the large black box in Severus's hands, and all exchanged wide-eyed looks with one another.

"That's the box, isn't it?" Martinus whispered. "Nebulus's box!"

Soon after, Severus was joined by two more patricians, Amnesia and Helius. Amnesia, flanked by two of her attendants, seemed a bit confused as to why she had been summoned to the office, but Helius confidently strode up the steps to the building. His servant, Hernia, scurried behind him, always in his shadow.

"A-hem," said the head investigator, whose name was Ridiculous. He turned to the three teenagers and narrowed his eyes at them. "Now that I've summoned half of Rome to my office, would you care to explain what it is you've discovered about the astronomer's murder?"

Cal looked first to Hypothermia, and then to Martinus, both of whom seemed momentarily frozen under the investigator's stern glare. So it was up to him to answer, then.

"Sir, I'd first like to ask Severus about his version of the events," Cal began, nervously looking from the investigator to the scowling patrician.

"Well, go on, then," Ridiculous said.

"Um," Cal said when Severus gave no indication of speaking anytime soon. "So, what is your version of the events?" The last few words came out a bit squeakier than he had intended. "And, uh, why do you have that box?"

"This box," Severus drawled, "is more important than you plebians can imagine." He paused, possibly for dramatic effect, Cal thought. "The information inside this box can upset the fragile balance of the entire empire, and that kind of knowledge must be handled with the utmost care."

"So that's why you killed the astronomer, then?" Helius interjected. "Because you wanted that kind of power for yourself?"

"Power?" Severus replied flatly. "No. There's no power that comes from this kind of knowledge. Only fame and glory. But it comes at a terrible price."

"Well, obviously, since someone was killed for it!" Amnesia exclaimed, motioning for one of her attendants to increase his pace with a large ostrich fan. "I heard you two arguing early in the morning! You said something terrible would happen if others learned about it!"