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unexpected notice of divorce.'

    'Ah!' smiled Anacrites in his silky way. It was part of his mystique as a spy to know more about other people than they knew about themselves. Even so, I knew more than he did about the ex-wife of Atius Pertinax.

    One thing I knew was that a fortnight ago she seduced a citizen called Falco - much against his better judgement, though not at all against his will.

    I drained off my glass. Staring at it, I went on. 'I met Pertinax, once.'

    'In your work? What was he like?

    'Describing him politely is more than I can manage without another drink!' This time we both squeezed the sweet amber from its silver samovar. Anacrites, who liked to appear civilized, took warm water in his. I watched him dip his wrist gracefully to regulate the drips front a jewelled jug, then swirl the liquors to mix them in his glass. I had my water the way I like it, in a separate cup.

    I enjoyed my wine for a moment, ignoring the water, then said of Pertinax: 'Vicious. A real thresher shark! By the time I blundered into him he was an aedile -' Junior law enforcement officer, in support of a district magistrate. 'Pertinax had me arrested on a pretext and badly beaten up, then his friendly subordinates wrecked my apartment and tore my furniture apart.'

    'Did you make a complaint?'

    'Against a senator?' I scoffed. 'And see the magistrate turn out to be his uncle, who would dump me in prison for contempt?'

    ‘So the aedile used his baton on you, and now in return,' Anacrites suggested, glancing round, 'you're rifling through his honour's Macedonian curios!'

    'Rough justice,' I smiled, handling the spiralled white stem of my wineglass delicately.

    ‘Apt!' I could see speculation working in his pale eyes. 'So, you met Pertinax .' I guessed what was coming. 'Rumour has it you are no stranger to his wife?'

    ‘I've done work for her. Hasty temper and high principles - not your type!' I insulted him calmly.

    'Is she yours?'

    'Hardly! She's a senator's daughter. I pee in the gutter, scratch my backside in public, and have been known to lick my plate.'

    'Ha! She never remarried. I reckon this divorce of theirs may have been some kind of blind-'

    'Nix!' I snorted. 'Pertinax was arrested because his ex-wife reported him'

    Anacrites looked sore. 'No one saw fit to warn me of that. I was all set to march in and interrogate the woman-'
    'Best of luck!' I said drily.

    ‘Why expose him? Vindictiveness?

    A fair question; yet my hackles rose. 'Politics. Her family supports Vespasian. She never realized that if Pertinax was clapped in prison his cronies would muffle him before he could be interrogated-'

    The spy winced; he knew how his enforcement colleagues extracted information in the quiet privacy of a jail cell. 'So, Pertinax Marcellus - Hail and Farewell!' cried Anacrites with mock reverence.

    Personally, I'd rather find my way across the Styx with no passport at all, than be handed into Hades with the blessing of the Emperor's Chief Spy.

    It was time for Anacrites to report to the Emperor. Momus was asleep, his dirty toes turned out.

    Anacrites looked at me from that smooth, cynical face; I decided I could work with him - so long as I always kept one hop ahead.

    'You're assessing me for Vespasian,' I suggested, 'while Momus-'

    'Puts in a nightly report on us both!' Anacrites breathed with clerkish contempt. His light eyebrows lifted scornfully. 'So, Marcus Didius Falco, where does that place you?'

    'Just settling old scores with Pertinax!'

    Anacrites could not bring himself to trust me; sensible lad. Nor, needless to say, did I trust him.

    Tonight when he got up to leave I unravelled my crumpled toga and tagged along. We went out very quietly, leaving Momus behind, fast asleep.

VII

    A warm May night in Rome. We paused on the doorstep, and sniffed the air. A faint spattering of tiny stars hung above the twin peaks of the Capitol. An aroma of hot forcemeat sausage made me suddenly ravenous. Music sounded in