"Plancus and Strephon who works with him," Verovolcus repeated dismissively. He seemed like a native comedian, yet the response was so brisk I looked twice at him. He knew how to rebuff foot-in-the-door men. Suddenly I could visualise him taking a hard line in other situations.

"Look, we know you must get canvassers all the time' Aelianus began.

"If Plancus and Strephon let them see Pomponius then he turns them down!" roared the King's representative. It was a huge joke.

"Oh go on how about a bird that guards her fledglings from a snake!" wheedled Sextius.

"With wings that really make her fly up and hover," added his assistant wearily. Aelianus must have suffered endless rehearsals somewhere. "In the direct tradition of the marvelous technician Csetiphon -'

"Ctesiphon!" hissed Sextius.

"Of Tyre-'

"Of Alexandria Alexandria must be awash with eccentrics building gadgets.

"We can show you the latest in talking statues worked by a speaking tube. I operate the display model," Aelianus explained, 'but I can easily train a slave of yours in the technique. Then we offer a mechanism for opening your palace doors as if by an invisible hand- you would need to dig a pit for the water tank, but I see you have labourers on site here and it's simplicity to use once you're set up properly. Consider a self-regulating oil-lamp wick'

Sextius dug him in the ribs for rushing the script.

"See Plancus see Strephon." Verovolcus waved them aside, so he could address Helena and me with his errand. "Man from Rome! My king invites you and your lady to the old house. It has many rooms, all beautiful. You can stay with us."

"But we are travelling with two very small children, their nurse and my sister-in-law…" Helena demurred shyly.

"More women!" Verovolcus was thrilled.

"I cannot allow myself to socialise, I'm afraid," I said warily.

"No, no. My king says you must be left to do your important work."

Helena and I consulted quickly.

"Yes?"

"Yes!"

My girl and I don't muck about.

The idea had obvious attractions. Flavius Hilaris was lending us a decent house in Noviomagus, but nothing like a palace. I would see more of Helena if she were living with me on site than if I had to leave her in the town while I worked out here. Assuming she wanted it, she would see more of me.

"Hmm." She made a show of reconsidering the practical disadvantages. I'll have to stop the little ones tumbling into deep trenches while you have fun solving the project problems."

"Organise however you like, fruit. You can audit the project, and I'll play with the infants, if you like."

So while Aelianus seethed in silence, thinking of his outdoor lodging in the rain and cold, his sister and I made our arrangements to live in luxury with the King.

XVII

while cAMiitus the janus was being toughened up on the open road, his little brother had been enjoying life. I was keeping Justinus under wraps in Noviomagus, in case I found a role for him where he must look unconnected with me. He was finding lite dull at the Procurator's town house.

"I'm bored, Falco."

"Tell yourself it could be worse. Aulus can't have washed for a week. He has a filthy horse as a pillow, while in his dreams he tries to puzzle out how to fix a drive-wheel up an iron dove's arse. Want to swap?"

"He gets all the pleasure!"Justinus whined satirically.

My sister sniggered. I was glad to see Maia cheer up, if only briefly. She continued to mourn the absence of her children, and to resent all of us. I had not warned her yet that the King's man Verovolcus was just looking for a sophisticated Roman widow on whom he could _

practice Latin.

I sent Justinus out to find somebody who would hire us a luggage cart. He looked hopeful. "So I'm coming with you to this palace?"

"No."

"Are you staying in town?" he then asked Maia. They seemed to be getting on well.

"She comes with us!" I snapped. The idea that Helena's brother might start mooning over my sister- and that she might allow it- filled me with irritation.

While Helena fed our screaming baby in private and our eldest hurled her toys about, I had told Hyspale to start repacking. "But I have only just wwpacked everything!" she wailed.

I gazed at her. She was a small chubby woman, who thought herself attractive. Which she was, if you liked eyebrows plucked so heavily they were little more than snail trails on her white-leaded face. Where my idea of beauty involved at least a hint of responsiveness, hers stopped short of intelligence. Talking to her was as monotonous as threading a mile-long string of identical beads. She was a self-centred, snobbish little property. If she had been good with our children I might have forgiven her.

She could have been good with children. We would never know. Julia and Favonia failed to arouse her interest.

I folded my arms. I was still staring at the freed woman This dough faced treasure had been given to us by Helena's mother. Julia Justa was an astute, efficient woman; had she wanted to pass on a household trial to us? She knew Helena and I would tackle anything.

Helena normally dealt with Hyspale because of the family connection. I tended to hold back- but had we been in Rome, I would be sending Hyspale straight home to the Camilli without apology. Broaching that delicate issue must wait. Best not even discuss it now. I was tough- yet not so harsh that I could ditch a pampered unmarried female in the wilds of a brutal new province. Still, my grim face should be telling her: the contract for her services had an end date.

Hyspale failed to take my point. I was a working informer. She was the favoured freed woman of a senatorial family. Equestrian status and an imperial commission would never be enough to impress her.

"Stuff every thing back in the bags," I said quietly.

"Oh Marcus Didius, I can't face all that again straight away '

My jaw set off-line. My daughter Julia, more sensitive to atmosphere than the freed woman looked up at me anxiously then threw back her little curly head and started crying loudly. I waited for Hyspale to comfort the child. It did not occur to her.

With a swift glance at me, Maia scooped up Julia and carried her off elsewhere. On the whole, Maia was refusing to involve herself with my children on this trip, as a punishment for being wrenched away from her own. She pretended that mine could scream themselves unconscious and all I could expect from her was a complaint about the racket. But when she was on her own with them, she let herself be the perfect aunt.

Hyspale enraged her. Maia, leaving, ordered her angrily: "Do what you are told, you half-hearted, slapdash scut!"

Perfect. It was the first time Maia and I had shared an opinion since we left Rome.

Justinus arranged our transport, then returned to the house and hung about looking dissatisfied again.

"You're bored. That's good," I said.

"Oh thanks."

"I want you really bored."

"I hear and obey, Caesar!"

"Try making it more obvious." He thought the remark was sarcastic. "I have a job for you. Don't mention Helena Justina; don't mention me. It you meet Aulus or his companion Sextius you can speak to them but don't show that Aulus is your brother. Otherwise, you can play this in character. You're the bored nephew of an official, trapped in Noviomagus Regnensis when you'd rather be out hunting. In fact, you want to be anywhere except where you've been dumped. But you have no horses, no slaves and very little money."

"I can certainly act that."

"You're on your own in a dead-end British town, looking for some harmless thrills."

"With no money?"Justinus jibed.

"It won't get stolen off you that way."