We could all go out to eat."
No, we won't," decided Pa. Let the builder give us a treat!" He had still not recovered from having a new bath house built. I was only surprised he did not immediately invite all of Posidonius" other friends to call in for refreshments before they hit the road. He would have done it, if he had thought of it. Winking at Maia, I went to talk to the contractor myself, as a polite gesture. All I could think of was to mention that I had been impressed by the display put on by the booted ranks in the Forum yesterday.
Why thanks, Falco! Our lads always give a good show." The man with the strands of hair raked over his bald patch positively preened. I had found him adjusting the pressure in his wine god's outlet pipe. He was wearing a particularly obnoxious tunic with a bad shine on the nap, and was obviously sneering at the less impressive display by the Rome vigiles; I was sorry I had volunteered to make friendly over tures. How's your search?" he enquired of me. You were telling me last time about your missing scribe?"
Still missing."
How does this look?" He was still fiddling with the fountain waterworks.
His kidneys are in fine fettle, but I'm inclined to say, the effect is a bit diuretic."
Has something terrible happened to him?"
Your Dionysus?, Oh, my scribe. It seems likely."
But you're no closer to solving it?" Privatus seemed very keen to point that out. Gritting my teeth, I found myself retaliating. By the way, is it some of your boot ranks who set up that phoney vigiles patrol house by the Temple of Hercules?" Privatus looked startled. Better tell them the game's up," I said gently. Brunnus may have been relaxed about it, but Marcus Rubella is very hot on scams. It's not just time for your boys to move on, Privatus, it's time to close their bribery shop down."
I don't think I like what you're saying, Falco."
I don't like it either," I commiserated. One thing I have found out about Diocles is that his aunt died in a house fire, needlessly. Apparently Diocles had gone for help to your fake group. All the local people know better of course, but he was from Rome. He must have really believed that if an alarm was raised, they would come running." Privatus was listening now. He was like a wound-up automaton, moving slightly from one foot to the other, full of pent energy, ready to dart into action. But there was nothing he could do. I carried on with the torment. Of course now I've recognised them as your boot-boys, it could raise the whole issue of the builders" role in fire-fighting…" Privatus assumed the utterly reasonable gaze which contractors use to delude complaining clients. I expected him to talk about suppliers having let him down despite incredible efforts on his part. Or to blame the weather.
What evidence do you have that we were to blame, Falco?"
Enough," I assured him. It's been a year now, hasn't it? And as you see, the affair of the scribe's aunt simply will not go away." I slapped him on the shoulder. Of course your guild is extremely powerful; I'm sure you can survive a negligence claim, should it happen. Though with Diocles missing, who is there to claim? But the Emperor may hear about what happened. He will be sent reports on how your guild operates… Did you know that the scribe's aunt was an imperial freedwoman?" Vestina's time at the Palace would have predated the current Flavian dynasty, but I failed to mention that. Privatus knew he must keep smiling. I had him on the run; I left him to squirm.
By the way, Privatus, I don't like the look of that outflow. I think your wine god needs a good doctor to squeeze his prostate." Privatus did not join us for dinner. Petronius came in after we had finished. While Maia produced a foodbowl she had kept for him, he told me that every Cilician with a name known to the vigiles was now residing in custody. It was quite a large number. Rubella was in his element processing them; Fusculus, still on duty, was deeply unhappy; soon, they would have to call in caterers to supply gruel for the prisoners, but there was little hope of Fusculus himself getting a meal tonight. Petro's chubby deputy already had a rumbling stomach.
I can see the logistics are not easy," I smiled. I bet Rubella himself has a three-course snack with a red wine chaser hidden in his office .. Did the Cilicians come quietly?" With a wry smile back, Petro nodded. They are all farmers nowadays, Marcus, my boy. Farmers are model citizens. You should know that. You're half rural."
Nothing odd about me. All good Romans have country cousins you included."
None of us can match you for the weirdness of the cousins, though." Petronius looked tired. He had had a long day, starting when he was called out to the saltpans. His skin looked stretched, his hair stuck up in untidy spikes, his eyes had a faraway stare. This did not seem the moment to confess that I had been taunting his landlord. He reached for wine, drinking fast, for numbness.
