"Justinus did tell me the woman was causing excitement some young chit who takes off more of her clothes than usual, no doubt-'

Maia simply glared at me.

"What is it, Maia?" Helena asked in a troubled voice.

"Anacrites has a dancer who works for him." Maia was stony. "He once told me he has a special agent who works for him abroad. He said she is highly dangerous. Marcus, she has followed me. He has sent her to get me."

My sister had a right to be angry. And frightened too. I threw back my head and breathed slowly. "I doubt if this is her."

"You know all about her, then?" Maia shrieked. Wide-eyed, Helena had now caught on.

"Oh yes." Did that make me sound efficient, or just devious? "Her name is Perella. I met her in Baetica. Helena and I both met her. As you see we survived the experience."

Perella, it had turned out then, had not been in Baetica looking for me. But I did remember how it had felt while I had thought I was her target. She and I had had a wrangle afterwards, when I stole the credit for a job she had wanted as her own commission. Our relationship since had been professional but she was no real friend of mine.

It did not help that when I mentioned Perella, Helena hugged her arms around herself and shivered. "Marcus, why would Perella be here?" she asked. "Why would she know anything about Maia?" I tried not to answer. "Marcus! Has Anacrites really sent her?"

"If it is Perella, I can't say what Anacrites has told her to do." Helena knew, as I did, Perella would simply follow orders. She would assume it was state business.

"Tell me the truth!" Maia ordered. She tossed her dark curls contemptuously.

i?5She had a right to know. "All right. This is the situation: Perella was seen in Rome, hanging around your old house. That's why some people wanted you to leave."

' What? Who saw her?"

"I did." Naturally, Maia was furious. Helena, too, looked annoyed that I had kept it secret.

My sister's next question slightly surprised me. "Did Petronius Longus know all this?"

"Yes. I'm sure that's why he helped your children with their scheme to extricate you-'

"And what about extricating my children?" seethed Maia. "It hasn't worked, has it? I am still being chased by this woman, while my poor children '

"Are with Petronius," Helena interrupted. It was in effect her confession that she had been involved. "They are safe."

"What is he intending to do with them?"

"Let them be seen in the neighbourhood for a while, so it looks as if you are still in Rome' I could easily see that going wrong. My anger at Petro for not talking to me about the plan redoubled. "Then of course he will take care of them in the safest way. Don't worry about them," Helena insisted. "Lucius Petronius knows what to do."

All Maia's old fear of Anacrites had returned. I was none too happy myself. I'll go and look at this dancer," I offered gently. "Don't worry about it, Maia. I shall know if it's Perella or not. As soon as I have sorted out this site problem, I'll go and check."

LXXXIV

that was a hiccup that I could have done without. Perella! Dear gods.

Sorting the labour problem would be a time-consuming enterprise, thanks to Pomponius. Luckily we had a short reprieve: Mandumerus must have heard we were on to him. When I made enquiries, I was told the rogue supervisor had left the site.

The other workmen now gathered in groups, muttering. I thought it unlikely they would go for me, at least not openly. When I approached, most pointedly turned their backs. One man with a barrow of spoil came straight at me and tried to push me into a deep trench. Soon afterwards, as I walked under scaffolding against the old house, a sandbag which had been used for weighting a pulley suddenly fell off and crashed right beside me. It missed, or the deadweight could have killed me.

There was nobody in sight above. It could have been an accident.

I might extract information from the one man who seemed to be at odds with Mandumerus -Lupus, the other supervisor. But when I asked after him, he was unavailable. Pomponius had now called a site meeting, with the leaders of all the trades like the gathering from which he had debarred me on the day I arrived. Whether today's was to discuss general progress or to make specific changes following my revelations about the labour scam I did not know. He did not invite me to attend.

I worked in my office with Gaius all afternoon, trying not to feel demoralised.

Just before we packed up, someone threw a large rock through our open window. Gaius and I spent half an hour discussing whether to ignore this vandalism or stress ourselves reacting publicly. We chose to feign indifference.

Regular hard work lost its interest. Instead, Gaius said, "I did look out for Guttus and Cloaca, those pipe-benders you were asking about."

"Drippy and Drainage? Finding Gloccus and Cotta could be too much excitement at present, Gaius."

"Neither is here," he assured me. "I checked all through the lists when I was doing the comparisons and, Falco, they don't feature."

"False names." I grimaced despondently. "Like their fake workmanship."

"Does Lupus know anything about them, Falco?"

"He says no."

"Mind you, Lupus is the worst liar I've come across," Gaius beamed cheerfully.

I groaned. "How unusual!"

"They could be anywhere, you know, Falco. Some of the trades come out here on contracts- but a lot of men just turn up. Chances are they will be taken on if they can show a good pedigree from Italy or anywhere else that sounds civilised. We are making demands that Britons are not used to- unfamiliar materials and sophisticated techniques. A craftsman who says he has handled fine marbles, say, will be at a premium."

"But plenty of cities in Gaul and Germany are being restored or expanded- so there is big competition for craftsmen, Gaius."

"Right. Even in Britain, towns are throwing up temples to the imperial cult, or fancy public baths."

"It's baths that interest me. And my information is that Togidubnus has a private plan to renovate his facilities here."

"He has a firm lined up, I think," Gaius told me. "Some crew that Marcellinus, the old architect, recommended."

"Do you know them?"

"I've been told nothing about it."

"Is Marcellinus involved with the King's bath refurbishment?"

"That creep Marcellinus would like to be involved with everything," Gaius grumbled.

"He's ex. Is he a problem?"

"We can't winkle him out. He's always hanging round the site. He really irritates Pomponius."

"Don't most people?" I laughed.

The afternoon site meeting must have broken up at exactly the time I dropped my pretence of working and emerged. Most people scattered, but I caught up with Blandus, the chief painter. I had wanted to speak to him ever since I saw him being injured in the fight with Philocles. He was walking slowly, perhaps still in discomfort. When the others saw me, they scurried on, heads down; he could not hop away so fast, so was lumbered.

"Glad to see you about again!" He grunted. "I'm Falco. A painter's looking for me. Is it you?" He grunted again, apparently a negative. Conversation was not his strong point. Hard to see how he had such notorious success with women. Maybe he achieved his wicked way using those old Roman standbys: a noble profile and suggestive winks.

His profile was nothing to talk about, in my opinion.

"It must be your assistant, then."

"I know nothing about that," muttered Blandus grumpily. "He does what he likes. I've been laid up."

I gave him a dry look. "Yes, I was there. Tough about Philocles Senior! I hear Junior is cut up over losing his papa."

Blandus, who had caused the trouble by seducing Philocles' wife all those years ago, refused to react. Still, I felt better for pointing out someone other than me had made enemies around here.