"Well," I said quietly. "I don't suppose Pomponius had many friends here." That did raise a cynical murmur. "Most of you represent larger groups; in theory, anyone off the site could have born a grudge and done for him last night." Downcast eyes and silence were now my only reward for this frankness. "But my starting point," I warned them, 'is that the killer, or killers, was somebody of status. They are permitted to use the King's bath house and last night Pomponius accepted their presence when they joined him in the caldarium. That rules out the labourers."

"Ruling us in?" concluded Magnus wryly.

"Yes."

"I object!"

Out of order, Magnus. Pomponius will receive the same consideration as anyone. Being a bad team leader, even a highly unpopular one, does not excuse violent removal. Brutus and Cassius realised that."

"So you would have offered a crown to Pomponius, Falco?" Magnus scoffed.

"You know what I thought. I loathe that type- it changes nothing," I said tersely. "He still gets a funeral, a Daily Gazette obituary and a courteous report on his demise for his grieving parents and the old friends in his hometown."

I nearly said and for his lovers. But that meant Plancus, for one. He was a suspect.

Plancus had already handed in his tablet; I glanced at it, looking casual. He claimed he was dining with Strephon. Strephon still held his own tablet, but I knew it wrould confirm the tale. There was supposedly no love lost between the two junior architects, yet they had somehow produced cover for each other last night. Was it true? If true, was it pre-arranged? And if so, was taking a meal together normal or exceptional?

People had noticed me looking at the Plancus offering. There was a general move to collect and deposit the other statements. I publicly declined to look through the tablets. Camillus Aelianus, still laid up with his bitten leg, could play with these fabrications for me. I had no patience with their obstructiveness.

Magnus was still trying to force issues. "Surely your concern, as the Emperor's man, is how losing Pomponius causes yet another hitch in the project?"

"The project will not suffer." I had worked this one out while I lay awake in bed last night.

"Shit, Falco -now on top of everything, there is no project manager!"

"No need to panic."

"We need one-'

"You have one." My tooth gave a twinge, so I may have sounded curter than I meant. "For the immediate future, I myself will take over."

Once the words were out, it made me gulp myself.

As their outrage boiled up, I interrupted levelly: "Yes, Pomponius was an architect, which I am not. But the design is good- and it is complete. We have Plancus and Strephon to take forward the concept they will be assigned two wings each to supervise. Other disciplines and crafts are controlled by you people. You were chosen as leaders in your field; you can all cope with autonomy. Report to me on progress and problems."

"You have no professional training-' gasped Cyprianus. He seemed truly shocked.

"I shall have your competent guidance."

"Oh stick to your brief, Falco!" Magnus roared. I had suspected that Magnus would seek control himself. Maybe I would recommend it- but not while he was, with the rest, under suspicion for Pomponius' death.

"My brief, Magnus, is to steer this project back on target."

"I concede you are a tough auditor. But do you think you have the expertise to supewiseT

"That would be nonsense." I kept my reply gentle. "In the long term Rome has to appoint a man with standing and professional skills." Plus man-management and diplomacy, it I had any say. "It will not necessarily be another architect." Magnus cheered up. "In the interim, I can supply common sense and initiative enough to stitch things together until we appoint a replacement."

"Oh this needs approval from the governor, Falco '

"I agree."

"He won't allow it."

I'll be pushed out then. But Frontinus is renowned for technical nous and practicality- I know him. I've worked with him. I came to Britain because he asked for me."

That silenced most of them. Magnus did mutter, "Someone else seems to have a lust for power!" I ignored that. So he sought to bamboozle me with "We're held up by some major indecisions, Falco."

"Try me."

"Well, what is to be done about incorporating the old house?" he demanded with ill-concealed truculence.

"The King wants it. The King is an experienced client, prepared to endure any inconvenience- so go ahead. Raise the floor levels and bring the existing palace into the new design. Had you already looked into this?"

"We did a feasibility study," Magnus affirmed.

"Let's define that," I offered light-heartedly. "Feasibility: the client proposes a project, which everyone can see will never happen. Work is held in abeyance. Some disciplines do carry out independent preliminary work, failing to inform the project manager that they are doing so. The scheme then revives unexpectedly, and is throum into the formal programme with inadequate planning…"

Magnus finally had the grace to soften up.

"Strephon!" I disturbed his dreams. "I said we'd divide the blocks between you and Plancus. You take the east and south wings, including the old house. Consult with Magnus over its incorporation, then bring your conclusions to the next meeting, please. Anything else?"

"My bloody collection tank!" put in Rectus gloomily. He was a man who came to site meetings expecting to be thwarted.

"Present your docket and I'll sign for it. Anyone else?"

"The King requests a large formal tree in the central garden," ventured Timagenes. "Pomponius had vetoed it- well, it ought to be a pair of trees '

"Trees agreed." I had not envisaged that this trip to Britain would include arboretum planting. Hades, I was game for anything now. "Trees, feature quality, two of same. Agree a species with the client, please." Next I glared at Cyprianus. "Did you ever obtain a chief stonemason?" I could hardly remember who had mentioned it. Lupus, perhaps.

"Well…" For once I had caught out Cyprianus, who looked startled.

"Has your mason been assigned or not?"

"No."

"Bull's balls- your footings are in, you need to start- I'll courier Rome and plead extreme urgency. Give me the name you want and his current location, plus a second best in case."

"Rome has already been told all the details, Falco -'

"With Rome," I snapped, "I always tell the full story every time I communicate. That way, no snooty clerk can thwart you with the old incomplete documentation trick."

There seemed no point continuing the meeting so I called a halt. Magnus leapt for the door first, tight-lipped and clutching his instrument satchel as if he wanted to swipe me with it. I signalled to Alexas that now was the time to deal with the bath-house corpse, but Verovolcus stopped me leaving. I could hardly sweep the others out with a besom, so they all hushed and listened in.

"Falco, the King suggests that perhaps Marcellinus '

"Could be called back here to assist?" I was as brisk with Verovolcus as I had been with the rest. I had expected his plea. Instinctively I was opposed to allowing the old menace to return. It was time someone stopped him agitating in the background as well. "It is an attractive solution, Verovolcus. Leave the idea with me. I must talk to the King

and Marcellmus too…"

I was being diplomatic in the first instance. From the mutters it caused, the rest of the team failed to grasp that. With Verovolcus mooning at us, I could hardly expound my position. I summed up the previous architect as a difficult autocrat. I wanted him to stay in his retirement villa. But first I would persuade Togidubnus that Marcellinus had served his turn. Then I would have to explain this to Marcelliniis himself- in strong terms.