"Exactly why you have to win. I can catch up to you, but you'll never catch up to me. Not with this team."
"You're not making sense! And more than that, I know what happens if you lose. Do not make me responsible for the consequences of you losing!"
The corner of my mouth turned up. "Well, here's the problem. You're chained to that chariot, so there's not much you can do to stop me."
Her eyes narrowed. Hardly the first time she'd been angry with my choices. "If you're thinking of --"
"Yes, Aurelia, I am." Under my breath, I mumbled, "I am thinking of you."
Crispus was approaching with Callistus already harnessed to my chariot. I motioned them over and said, "Quickly now, unhitch that while I unhitch Aurelia's."
"Nic, don't you dare!" she said. "I'll scream."
"Save that for later," I said, grinning, "when you yell at me for this." Which she would. There was no doubt of that.
I had done this often enough that I unhitched Aurelia's team quickly and, with her continuing protests, rolled her chariot backward and out of the tenth gate. And since Crispus only had to unhook Callistus from my chariot, he finished at nearly the same time. Other teams were arriving by then, and we got plenty of strange looks, but no one attempted to stop us. Even those who realized what I was doing must've figured it wasn't helping my chances of winning, so ignoring me worked in their favor.
I returned Aurelia's chariot to the gate where it belonged, but this time, with Callistus at the head.
"Please don't do this," she said.
"Listen carefully," I told her. "It doesn't matter if you know about horses or know how to race. You're chained in there so you won't fall out, and Callistus won't crash. You let him do the work, trust him, and he will get you over that finish line."
She shook her head while tears rolled from her eyes. "No. I don't want this."
"And I don't want it any other way." I put my hand over hers. "When we were in the sewers together, you asked me for a favor: to save your inheritance. I'm your friend, so I should've offered my help then."
"Don't help me because of the inheritance." She wouldn't look at me, but she did turn her hand and lock her fingers with mine. "It has to be a better reason than that."
"Nic!" Crispus called.
I had to go before we ran out of tim
e. I said to Aurelia, "I will see you soon. Then we'll talk."
"I'm afraid, Nic."
I gave her hand a quick squeeze. "It's all right. Trust me."
Then I released her hand and walked back to the third gate, where Crispus was finishing attaching my chariot to Aurelia's team of horses. They were sturdy but didn't seem to be even half as strong as any other team here.
I gave each horse a greeting, explaining that I would do my best for them if they did the same for me. I didn't use the bulla to speak to them, so I had no idea if they could understand me. But at least I had tried.
Crispus was somber as I climbed into my chariot. Like the others, it was only made of wicker bound together with leather straps, not much different from riding in a bread basket. But my carriage was even lighter now. There was nothing on the floor of the chariot but a single board -- the axis of the cart. If I slipped, my feet would go straight through to the ground. I would go straight through, beneath the wheels.
Crispus handed me the reins and climbed up behind me to tie them around my waist.
"Don't," I said.
"These horses will expect that," he said. "That's how they're used to racing. And it's the only way you've ever raced."
"I won't be tied in." Radulf had always been right about this. For the kind of race ahead of me, I needed to control the horses with my hands.
"It'll protect you. If you slip, this will keep you in the chariot."
"Get down, Crispus, please."
He sighed, but obeyed and stepped back. "I will see you in seven laps, my friend."