21 - Beneath the Baths Once More

It is a stronger party that this time heads out of the Palazzo Trivio and heads once more to the Baths of Diocletian. It comprises Father Arturo, Brother Giovanni, Marco, Astore, Rocco and a new confrere, a Neapolitan by the name of Gino Infantino. Once more they agree with Renzo and Lino that they be permitted to explore beneath the Baths.

They wriggle down the narrow passage between the roots of an old olive tree that gives access to the passages below. They are below for but an hour before they reappear, showing the signs of some conflict below. Arturo is being carried and Rocco is limping badly. Lino scowls at Marco's talk of the "Legions of Hell". He and Renzo might trust that what lies below the surface of Rome usually stays there. However, he reminds them that there are folk who live here in the Baths and it would be best not to put them in fear of their lives with loose talk.

They head back to the Palazzo Trivio to lick their wounds and think on theyr next move.

20 - Beneath the Baths of Diocletian

Father Arturo, Rocco and Astore, venture out one morning in the September of the Year of our Lord 1342. They notice that they are being tailed by a pair of urchins. They turn up towards the Baths of Diocletian but stop in a tavern on that street where they are well known. Rocco has the bartender to offer the urchins, lounging innocently on the other side of the alley, a jug of wine. Realising that they have been made, they scamper off, though not before snatching the jug from the bartender.

At the Baths they are welcomed by Renzo and Lino. They are less than enthusiastic about the prospect of people poking around in their basement. However, out of friendship and a respect for Cola, who they know is keen on this venture, they allow it.

The party descend via a fissure in the corner of one of the great depressions in the ground they take once to have been pools. Rocco descends first and appears to encounter some difficulty. However, Father Arturo prays for his soul and he soon rallies to call up that the coast is clear. They descend into the darkness.

They reappear a scant hour later, bruised and in the case of Arturo, somewhat bloodied. They tell of the dead that walk but say that all is now quiet. They carry an ancient casket, a few handfuls of old coins wrought of base metal, and a bag of what appear to be bronze collars of dubious value.

After some hours rest, they declare themselves fit once more and return to the deeps. This time they remain down there for several hours, before emerging once more. They appear mostly uninjured, although Rocco has sustained some nasty scrapes from the final ascent. They return to the Palazzo Trivio to report.

Father Arturo - Beneath the Baths of Diocletian

With Rocco and Astore, I set out to the Baths of Diocletian, with a view to establishing the subterranean ways that might exist between the Baths and the Three Way House. As we came towards the edge of the Suburra, we noticed that a group of ne'er-do-wells were loitering ahead of us, and chose to take a side alley to a broader thoroughfare. This avoided any confrontation, but we also noted after a time that we were being followed by one or two small boys who would no doubt report back to whichever of the Suburra gangs had been prepared to block our way.

Having exchanged greetings with Lino and Renzo, who oversee the baths, we arrived at the shaft where Pasquale Bembo was lost. Rocco descended first, taking off his armour that he might better fit through the narrow space. After a short delay that extended a little too long, during which we heard no confirmation from our comrade that he was safe, we began to fear that history had repeated itself and he had been ensorcelled to become an eternal sweeper.

Accordingly I began to pray to the Our Father for Rocco's independence, health and safety. The Lord saw fit to answer my prayers and the voice of Rocco - somewhat confused, but strengthening - emerged from the depths.

Descending in his wake, Astore and I emerged into the chamber of the sweepers and saw that where before there had been several, there still remained one skeletal sweeper fated to eternity sweeping detritus into the depths.

Taking pity on the poor doomed soul, I exorcised it using the form of the Nunc Dimittis. For a brief moment, before it dissolved into dust, I saw the face of the trapped soul, suffused with holy joy to be set free. All praise to the Lord for his mercy granted to the servant set free!

Taking stock of our surroundings, we saw that the steps we recalled ascended from the floor of what must once have been a bath towards a gallery above. Mounting to the gallery, we found that one side of the gallery was pierced by multiple doorways.

Passing through one of these, we found a dormitory occupied by the remains of many beds, and set oursleves to examining it. As we did so we disturbed some bones, and several skeletons leaped forth from the dust to clutch and tear at us!

Taken off-guard, and at closer quarters than I am used to, I struck about me with my staff, while Rocco and Astore plied their more martial trade. Fortunately, I had but recently engaged Rocco to coach me in the use of the staff, and though I had but little experience it gave me the confidence to use it to the best of my poor ability.

In due course we dispatched them all. Once more with the Lord's aid I was able to exorcise one by fiat, but most were simply destroyed. Wishing to ensure the rest of the dormitory was clear, we advanced towards the further end - and were assailed by yet more of the demonic bones!

This time, they were if possible fiercer still, and though we eventually triumphed in like manner I was so poorly that we thought it best to withdraw above ground until I had recovered.

After some hours of necessary recovery, we ventured once more below ground and examined in more detail the contents of the dormitory, finding a dozen bronze slave collars and small change of the most antique form. A box bed at one end of the room - perhaps the lair of the overseer that I dispatched on our original descent some months since? - yielded a small, locked casket that we determined we should examine back at the House of the Three Ways.

We then set forth to further examine the tunnels leading away from this bath. The stair we had ascended to the gallery continued a little above it to a junction with a corridor that ran parallel to the end of the bath. Following it to the right, then the right, then the right twice more, we discovered that the passageway circled in much the same way as the gallery, but at a higher level and greater circumference. We detected various ways leading off from this circuit - including a set of stairs descending that seemed to offer most promise - but their further exploration must wait for another time. We returned to the House of the Three Ways before the time became too late.