• Complain

Ruth Downie - Caveat Emptor: A Novel of the Roman Empire

Here you can read online Ruth Downie - Caveat Emptor: A Novel of the Roman Empire full text of the book (entire story) in english for free. Download pdf and epub, get meaning, cover and reviews about this ebook. year: 2012, publisher: Bloomsbury USA, genre: Detective and thriller. Description of the work, (preface) as well as reviews are available. Best literature library LitArk.com created for fans of good reading and offers a wide selection of genres:

Romance novel Science fiction Adventure Detective Science History Home and family Prose Art Politics Computer Non-fiction Religion Business Children Humor

Choose a favorite category and find really read worthwhile books. Enjoy immersion in the world of imagination, feel the emotions of the characters or learn something new for yourself, make an fascinating discovery.

No cover
  • Book:
    Caveat Emptor: A Novel of the Roman Empire
  • Author:
  • Publisher:
    Bloomsbury USA
  • Genre:
  • Year:
    2012
  • Rating:
    3 / 5
  • Favourites:
    Add to favourites
  • Your mark:
    • 60
    • 1
    • 2
    • 3
    • 4
    • 5

Caveat Emptor: A Novel of the Roman Empire: summary, description and annotation

We offer to read an annotation, description, summary or preface (depends on what the author of the book "Caveat Emptor: A Novel of the Roman Empire" wrote himself). If you haven't found the necessary information about the book — write in the comments, we will try to find it.

Ruth Downie: author's other books


Who wrote Caveat Emptor: A Novel of the Roman Empire? Find out the surname, the name of the author of the book and a list of all author's works by series.

Caveat Emptor: A Novel of the Roman Empire — read online for free the complete book (whole text) full work

Below is the text of the book, divided by pages. System saving the place of the last page read, allows you to conveniently read the book "Caveat Emptor: A Novel of the Roman Empire" online for free, without having to search again every time where you left off. Put a bookmark, and you can go to the page where you finished reading at any time.

Light

Font size:

Reset

Interval:

Bookmark:

Make

BY THE SAME AUTHOR

Persona Non Grata

Terra Incognita

Medicus

CAVEAT
EMPTOR

A Novel of the Roman Empire

RUTH DOWNIE

Copyright 2011 by Ruth Downie All rights reserved No part of this book may be - photo 1

Copyright 2011 by Ruth Downie

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission from the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews. For information address Bloomsbury USA, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010.

Published by Bloomsbury USA, New York

LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CATALOGING-IN-PUBLICATION DATA

Downie, Ruth, 1955
Caveat emptor : a novel of the Roman Empire / Ruth Downie. 1st U.S. ed.
p. cm.
ISBN 978-1-59691-608-1 (hardback)
1. PhysiciansRomeFiction. 2. RomansGreat BritainFiction. 3. Treasure trovesFiction. 4. Great BritainHistoryRoman period, 55 B.C.-449 A.D.Fiction. I. Title.
PR6104.O94C38 2011
823.92dc22
2010034525

First published by Bloomsbury USA in 2011
This e-book edition published in 2011

First published in Great Britain in 2011 by Penguin UK under the name Ruso and the River of Darkness.

E-book ISBN: 978-1-60819-592-3

www.bloomsburyusa.com

To Chris and Stevie

Contents

nec aliud adversus validissimas gentes pro nobis utilius quam quod
in commune non consulunt. rarus duabus tribusve civitatibus ad
propulsandum commune periculum conventus: ita singuli
pugnant, universi vincuntur.

Nothing has been more useful to us against powerful tribes than the fact that
they do not act together. Only seldom do two or three states unite to repel a
common danger. So, fighting separately, all are conquered.

Tacitus, Agricola, on the Britons.

A NOVEL

IN WHICH our hero, Gaius Petreius Ruso, will be

Employed by

The procurator, appointed by the emperor to run the finances of Britannia

Firmus, the assistant procurator

Caratius, a chief magistrate of Verulamium

Gallonius, the other chief magistrate of Verulamium

Metellus, the governors head of security

Perplexed by

Julius Asper, the tax collector for Verulamium

Julius Bericus, brother and assistant of Asper

Camma, mother of Aspers baby

Paula, a young lady whose name he cannot remember

Lied to by

Innkeeper, a resident of Londinium who does not deserve a name

The Innkeepers wife, who does but is not given one

A number of others not so easily identified

Set straight by

Tilla, his wife

The doctor, Verulamiums local medic

Guarded by

Dias, captain of Verulamiums guard

Gavo, one of Diass men

Informed by

Publius, manager of the mansio (official inn) in Verulamium

Satto, Verulamiums money changer

Tetricus, a boatman on the River Tamesis

Lund, a farmer

Grata, housekeeper to Asper and Bericus

Nico, the quaestor (finance officer) of Verulamium

Rogatus, overseer of the official stables in Verulamium

Assisted by

Albanus, his former clerk, now a teacher

Valens, his friend and former colleague

Valenss apprentices, the tall one

the short one

Attacked by

A mysterious man wearing a hood

Surprised by

Caratiuss mother

Serena, Valenss wife

Disapproved of by

Pyramus, Firmuss personal slave

The clerks in the finance office

Barked at by

Cerberus, a dog with three legs (not to be confused with the Cerberus who has several heads, and who appears in other books but not this one)

A landladys terrier

Overlooked by

The emperor Hadrian

T HIS CLOSE, EVEN Firmus could see that she was the sort of woman his mother had warned him about. Six feet tall, red hair in a mass of rats tails, and a pregnant belly that bulged at him like an accusation. The only thing that separated them was a folding desk, and even that wobbled when he placed both hands on it. He sensed a movement behind him. Pyramuss breath was warm on his ear.

Shall I call the guards, master?

Firmus opened his mouth to say yes, then realized what a fool he would look if she proved to be harmless. He gestured the slave back to his place. Perhaps, beyond the boundaries of Londinium, this was what all the Britons looked like. He squinted at the sweat-stained folds of her tunic and hoped the guards had at least checked her for weapons.

Are you the procurator? she repeated.

Of course not, he wanted to say. Do you really think Rome would send a shortsighted seventeen year old to look after all the money in Britannia? Instead, he straightened his back, pushed aside the wax tablet on which he had been compiling a list of Things To Ask Uncle, and said, Im his assistant.

I must talk to him.

Firmus swallowed. The procurators not available.

She took another step forward so that her belly protruded over the desk. He forced himself not to flinch. She smelled hot and stale.

I have traveled twenty miles to ask for his help, she announced. Where is he?

Outside, the relentless clink of chisel on stone rang around the courtyard. Someone was whistling. The world was carrying on as normal, but the woman was between him and the door that led to it. Pyramus, crippled with rheumatism, would be no help at all. Should he have called the guards? How fast could a woman in that condition move?

The procurator wont be here all day, he said. This was not strictly true, since his uncle was only two rooms away, but the thought of interrupting him while he was with the doctor was even more terrifying than facing the woman.

She said, All day?

All day, he said, wondering how he was supposed to manage if the Britons were all like this, and why no one except his mother had warned him.

If you put your request in writing, he tried, Ill pass it on to the

Writing is a waste of time. I must talk to him.

But he isnt here, Firmus insisted, ignoring a roar of pain from the direction of the procurators private rooms.

I will go to find him.

Hes ill. It sounded better than admitting the great man had fallen off his horse. You can talk to me.

He could see her eyes narrow as if she were assessing him. She glanced around the chilly little room, taking in the one cupboard and the triangular blur on the back of the door that was his cloak, hung on a rusty nail. You are very young to be Assistant Procurator.

It was what they all said. Usually he explained about his eyesight and the army and how grateful he was to his uncle for finding him a post where he could get some overseas experience, but after a taste of that experience, Firmus was not feeling grateful at all. His uncle gave the impression of being perpetually annoyed with him and the staff seemed to think he was a joke. That one with the front teeth missing had practically laughed out loud when Firmus had explained that, as part of the emperors tightening up on the Imperial transport service, he had personally been put in charge of the Survey of British Milestones. They were probably listening in the corridor now, and sniggering.

Firmus decided he might as well tell the truth. Im only here because the procurator is my uncle.

To his surprise, this seemed to reassure her. So, you really are his assistant?

Yes.

And you will help me?

I dont know, he said. Who are you?

Her breasts lifted in a distracting fashion as she took a deep breath to launch into her speech. I am Camma of the Iceni, she announced, I am wife of

Firmus had no idea who she was the wife of, because although he tried to pay attention, all he could see was the swell of the magnificent breasts, and all he heard was one word.

Next page
Light

Font size:

Reset

Interval:

Bookmark:

Make

Similar books «Caveat Emptor: A Novel of the Roman Empire»

Look at similar books to Caveat Emptor: A Novel of the Roman Empire. We have selected literature similar in name and meaning in the hope of providing readers with more options to find new, interesting, not yet read works.


Reviews about «Caveat Emptor: A Novel of the Roman Empire»

Discussion, reviews of the book Caveat Emptor: A Novel of the Roman Empire and just readers' own opinions. Leave your comments, write what you think about the work, its meaning or the main characters. Specify what exactly you liked and what you didn't like, and why you think so.