It was hard to leave, beset by guilt that we were abandoning Statianus. We had no choice. There was nothing more we could do in Lebadeia. Next day the priests supplied transport and we travelled to the coast. At a fishing village, we picked up a boat and sailed back across the Gulf of Corinth. Our mood was bleak.

We landed at Lechaion, feeling that the past few days had been a disaster. The first person we saw was a soldier in uniform. He told me he had been ordered to the port by Aquillius, watching for Phineus. He was not much use as a lookout. Helena clutched my arm. Disembarking from another vessel was another suspect. This was a man we had not seen for weeks. We watched as he oversaw the unloading of several large amphorae, wine or seafood containers, presumably. He was joking with the sailors and looked completely unconcerned.

I sent Helena ahead into Corinth with Lampon, to find our young folk at the Elephant. Without bothering to alert the lookout soldier, I walked across and hailed the new arrival, as he shouldered an unwieldy round amphora on to an already laden donkey-cart.

"Remember me? I am Didius Falco. We met in Rome. I need an urgent talk with you, Polystratus.'

Polystratus, the facilitator, remembered to look amazed at meeting me out here in Greece – though I had a feeling it was no surprise at all.

Polystratus was wearing the long, vomit-yellow tunic I remembered from when I first met him, at Seven Sights Travel's crude booth in the Alta Semita. I noticed that he was less tall than me, and must once have had a spare frame, though he looked as if he could handle himself in a ruck. Misguided eating and drinking had put weight around his midriff. He was still the pot-bellied, dark-chinned smooth operator, full of bluff and braggery. He seemed brighter than I recalled. I would need to watch how I treated him.

I led him to a nearby seafood caupona. It had two tables outside. A couple of locals were playing dice at one, squabbling mildly; we took the other. People could sit there to watch boats landing and fishermen messing with nets on the quayside. There was a pergola shading the area and a scent of frying squid. A water jug appeared instantly on the table, but then nobody hurried us.

Now that I had met Phineus, I could see similarities in this man. Polystratus sat down with the same cheerful, easygoing manner, as if he too spent a lot of time talking to contacts in wine bars and eateries. This was his natural environment. When he grinned at me, he had missing teeth too, though more than the couple Phineus lacked. Amazingly, I had forgotten just what a wide front gap disfigured Polystratus' mouth.

"Just landed?' I asked.

He betrayed not a flicker."Been across the Gulf,

"Delphi?'

"That's it.' There was no pretence. He must know that I knew that Phineus had sent somebody to Delphi. Now I was wondering if Phineus had gone there too.

"Go on your own?'

"Oh I'm a big boy! Someone said you were seeing Delphi, Falco.'

"Who told you that?' No answer. Polystratus had been struck by salesman's deafness."You knew I was in Greece?'

"Word spreads.' He appeared to forgive me for any deception. 'I gather our meeting in Rome was not a complete coincidence?'

"Business.' He did not ask me to explain."So why did you go to Delphi, Polystratus?'

"Looking for poor Statianus.'

"Did you find him?' I asked quickly.

"Oh yes.' So it was Polystratus who went to the inn at Delphi and ate with Statianus."That man has had his troubles. We don't like to think of a client of ours struggling to cope on his own.'

"Oh? Would you be able to swing it so your client wins the Delphi lottery and gets a question at the oracle?'

"Sometimes we can,' Polystratus boasted. And sometimes not, I thought. But you never know. In a province like this, where the ancient sites were losing ground politically and where commerce mattered, even the most aristocratic establishments might cosy up to a firm that was brash enough, one that could bring plenty of visitors. Bribes would help. Seven Sights Travel must achieve most of its business success from knowing when to give backhanders, who needed them, and how much. Even at Delphi, they might know how to swing it.

"Did you offer to obtain question rights for Statianus?'

"No.' Polystratus shook his head, so I leaned away in case the overdone gleaming hair oil shed drops on me."Delphi is shutting down for the winter now. The oracle goes into hibernation. He's lost his chance there.'

"So you made him depressed by telling him that – and you left him?'

"Yes, I left him.' It was said matter-of-factly. In some people such a casual tone would confirm their honesty.

"You didn't encourage him to try his luck elsewhere – at Lebadeia, for instance?'

"Where? asked Polystratus. He was lying. The waiter had said he and Statianus talked about Lebadeia.

I was losing my grip on this slippery sea-slug, so I changed the subject. Let's talk about you. Do you hail from Greece, Polystratus?'

"Italy.'

"Brundisium?'

"Aye; that's how I know Phineus.'

"Are you two in full partnership?'

"Known him for years, Falco.'

"Well, he's done a bunk now.'

"Good heavens,' said Polystratus, with knowing blandness.

"He was in jail. He slipped his chains.'

"I -wonder what made him do that, Falco?'

I was not wasting time on why, I just -wondered where he had disappeared to.

"He knows what he's doing,' said Polystratus."He's done nothing wrong. The authorities can't hold him.'

"So did he come across with you to Delphi?'

"Why would he? He gave me that job. So he stayed here.'

"When did you first get here from Rome then?'

"About a week ago. Is it relevant?'

"Could be,' I said, hoping to rattle him. Thinking back, it could have been Polystratus I had glimpsed with Phineus in the Forum, the day I ducked my head and walked away, en route to the Corinth acropolis with Cleonymus.

Wine was brought to us. I could not remember ordering. Maybe Polystratus was the type who, wherever he went, had a drinks flagon placed on his table automatically. It was not bad wine either. I wondered whether that surprised me.

I foresaw that I would be paying the bill. That's the way with men who have multiple business contacts. Unless they want to put you under an obligation – which can only be bad news – they tend to jump up and leave, a moment before the bill comes.

My father would actually ask for the bill with a lordly gesture – then slip away with perfect timing just as the waiter wrote his equals sign in the addition.

I drank in silence for a while. Thinking of Pa, always dampened my mood.

Then I asked Polystratus, in a noncommittal voice, to recount what had"happened on his visit to Delphi.

"Not a lot.' He shrugged, narrow shoulders rising within the slightly overlarge hollows of the yellow tunic. He passed a hand over his darkly stubbled chin."I wanted to bring the client back here with me to rejoin the others, but he refused. As a rescue mission, it was pointless. I saw him one evening at his lodging – he mentioned you, Falco. And your lady is here, I gather?'

I stuck to my point."So Statianus proved stubborn – but did he tell you what he was intending to do next?'

"No, he didn't.'

"And you yourself then left Delphi?'

Polystratus looked surprised."I had to get back. I'm needed. We

have people stranded here, as you must know. Phineus called me out to Greece to help him deal with the quaestor's office. The bright boy in purple won't let our group leave.' He pretended to look sideways at me."Anything to do with you, Falco?'

"Aquillius decided to hold them under house arrest all on his little own.'