The Nero line was his official joke. Unluckily for Polystratus, we already knew that his promise of freedom from trouble was a lie.

V

We put off Polystratus by saying we would think about his Acropolis Adventure, definitely, really soon. I even managed to persuade him to sneak me a copy of the route of Tracks and Temples, implying I would hide it under my mattress then book myself a boy"s sporting escapade next year.

That would have been one way to investigate Olympia. Seven Sights Travel were the link between the two young women"s deaths. Caesia and Valeria had both travelled with this pushy team. So we could have sat back until the next Olympics, travelled with Seven Sights ourselves, and just waited to see which female tourist had an adventure too many.

Falco and Associates were not so irresponsible. Anyway, I was being sent to Greece – assuming I went – this year, to nudge Aulus on his way to Athens The noble Julia Justa wanted her baby signed up with a rhetorician now\ If I failed to arrange it, in a year"s time I was likely to find myself divorced.

Why stick with one sponsor, when you can fix up two7 I took myself to the Palatine. I was fobbed off with an excuse I knew of old that the Emperor was visiting his Sabine estate. In any case, Vespasian would quite likely pooh-pooh the Olympus trip but afflict me with some ghastly political mission in the foggy north (like the one where he lumbered me with the imperial barber, Xanthus)

Instead, I set about persuading one of the palace bureau chiefs, Claudius Laeta, that the double death could lead to a crisis in public confidence. Caesius was still denouncing a cover-up, Valeria Ventidia had been sister-in-law to a senatorial candidate, any moment now, these shocking murders would feature in the Daily Gazette. Laeta knew I had contacts at the Gazette

"Women are being preyed on" The slimy swine sounded too keen on that idea

"Unmarried girls and young brides," I specified. "High potential for public revulsion."

"Officially, our position is that we wish senatonals would stay in Italy."

"Well, they won't do it, Laeta. So are respectable families to be unprotected, while travelling in a Roman province"

"Your high-mmdedness stinks, Falco!"

To get rid of me, Laeta agreed to fund one week at Olympia investigating, plus travel to Corinth so I could report to the governor (the worst aspect of the job, since he would hate having a palace intermediary poking about his province unasked)

I had no intention of using Seven Sights. I assembled my own travel group. First, while most people were wondering who I would take with me, I made sure I left the right ones behind. I did not tell my father I was going, even though he had business contacts in Greece They were dubious. The Greek art trade is notorious Leaving him behind saved more trouble than anything.

With more regret, I also declined Helena"s younger brother, Qumtus. I liked him as a travelling companion; he was organised, easygoing, and spoke very good Greek But his young Baetican wife, who had just given him a son, was vexed with him, blatant pressure from the rest of the Camillus family persuaded me – and Quintus – that his domestic ties came first (In the event, this was to rebound badly For once, the problem would not be my fault.)

Helena took a tricky decision about our own children; here, I was blamed. Helena said that our trip last year to Britain with Julia and Favoma had been a strain for them and for us, they needed a more settled routine; since we planned to be in Greece for only a few weeks, this time our children would be left with their grandmother (her mother). Among Roman officials it was standard practice for infants to remain in Italy while their father served abroad.

I let Helena explain these arrangements to my own mother. Luckily Ma was feeling her age and she recognised that a senator"s house, full of spare rooms and doting slaves, was a good place for two lively toddlers. She did point out that most travelling officials left their wives at home, especially if they were good mothers Helena deflected Ma; I only found out afterwards she did it by saying that she and I needed more time alone if we were to produce our next baby… Ma did not know that the bundle of dried sausages she gave us (since it is well known that you starve abroad) were

nestling in a luggage pack between other items for every eventuality sunhats, snowboots – and a soapstone pot of alum anti-conception wax

Yes, Helena Justma was coming with me Why ask?

And of course the next question was. what about Nux? I begged my mother to babysit my dog. Already put out, Ma told me where to stuff that bright idea. Nux came with us. Now I was damned as the man who happily abandoned his children – yet refused to part from a smelly mongrel.

Albia, our foster-daughter, wanted a jaunt. Many people asked us why, if we were leaving our children, we took their nursemaid. The straight answer was, Albia was not the nursemaid. The other answer was, we had intended her to stay behind.

Albia hailed from Britain – one of the casualties of the Great Rebellion We believed that her parents were Romans, massacred by the rampaging tribes. The war orphan had been living on the streets when Helena found her Giving a feral scavenger a home with us was madness – yet it was one small reparation for the British tragedy Conscience. Even informers have it. I had seen Londinium, after the tribes burned everything, and I would never forget.

"So what am I doing with you?" Albia demanded dramatically. She was dressed like a Roman girl, yet as we sat on our roof terrace, her crossed arms and hunched shoulders were those of a barbarian waif who had been cruelly made captive – in fact, the classic pose of any teenager thwarted by adults "You never told me I was merely to look after your children, saving you the price of a slave!"

"Because that was never true " I was not having my daughters brought up by slaves, for one thing

It would be reassuring for Julia and Favonia to have Albia rush to comfort them as they screamed in their cribs. But Helena knew she was being tested. Albia was adept at throwing the sympathy dice; she always knew she could make us scared that our goodwill gesture would go bad. "You were offered a place as part of our familia, Albia Anyway, we believe you were freeborn, a Roman citizen "

"So you are teaching me about Roman life?" This was leading to a classic adolescent demand for everything money could buy

"We never promised you Greek life." Chortling, I was no help, still, the game was lost "Helena, she"s right; no Roman girl would miss the chance of being a thorough nuisance on a foreign trip."

"Does this have your approval, Marcus Didius?" Helena glowered.

"Don't play the submissive wife with me! Sweetheart, it seems our work is done with Albia. She is the complete Roman woman -wheedling, devious, and brutal when she wants something."

"Such humour!" mocked Albia, flouncing off in triumph – another trick she had learned since she lived with us.

"You have to be consistent," Helena grumpily conceded.

"Let her come. We are investigating female victims. I'm taking Albia as bait " When women were goading me, I could be heartless.

"Oh grow up, Marcus!"

I also kidnapped two of my nephews. Gaius and Cornelius. Gaius had been on expeditions with us before and his mother, my useless sister Galla, had no chance of stopping him when he saw an escape from his horrible home life. His cousin Cornelius was the only other one I could prise from his parents; my sister Allia would never have agreed, but her useless husband Verontius thought it was a great idea – purely on the grounds that it would upset Allia. Gaius was lean, cocky and aggressive, while Cornelius was his fat, silent, sweet-natured foil. I wanted them to sit on our baggage and look tough, if we ever had to leave it somewhere.