Chapter Eight
The way in which Tiberius had put it to me meant that Claudius wanted me for s****l purposes. After all, what else was I good for? Somehow I managed to pull myself together by the evening, so that when I presented myself at Claudius’s quarters I had done my best to wipe away my tears. I had darkened my eyes, reddened my lips, found a very pretty and very revealing tunic to wear and some jewelled sandals to go with it, and had borrowed from Namiko some of her best perfume. As a parting gift she had given me an anklet, of silver, set with pretty stones. I looked as good as it was possible for me to look, even though my heart was still heavy. I had of course no possessions to take with me, except a spare tunic I had found. I was put up into a cart with some other girls, who sur
