The Accusers

XLVIII

Time: evening.

Place: a town house full of wet cloaks, sodden shoes drying on the stairs, below the Aventine.

Subject: conversation between M. Didius Falco, informer, and Helena Justina, confidante.

Mood: stubborn.

`Where are you?'

`Here.'

`Where's here?'

`In this room.'

`Which room? I'm not a fortune-teller. Oh there you are.'

`Yes I told you I'm here. Hello, Marcus.'

`Hello, awkward. Ask about my day.'

`Looking at you, I'd rather not.'

‘Right. How was yours?’

'Curious.'

`Any use?'

`Possibly.'

`Help me out; I'm tired.'

`Sit, and I'll pull your boots off… Well, I saw Euboule – a fright, eyes sliding off in all directions guiltily. I couldn't see why Ursulina hates them so much, but your mother thought the whole set-up was sinister. They live well. There's a crиche of several infants. They've been doing the job for years. Euboule was a wet-nurse for Calpurnia, her daughter for Saffia. Trusted retainers, it seems.'

`That so? Do they have the Negrinus new baby?'

`No. Juliana and Carina did seem set against them – that's why I was curious. But, Marcus: I did see one child I recognised. He was very quiet, but playing happily. He seemed quite at home. Little Lucius.'

`Lutea told me Lucius had gone to his "foster mother"… So she's the wet-nurse? That's odd.'

`Why, Marcus?’

'Saffia made out Calpurnia Cara insisted she use a nurse to feed the Negrinus daughter. Saffia pretended to hate it. Yet she had previously farmed out Lucius voluntarily to Zeuko? Why would Saffia lie?'

`Marcus, maybe you'll want your boots back on, if I tell you about Zeuko -'

`Zeuko wasn't there today?'

`No. She had rushed off in hysterics because of her lover.'

'Zeuko's having a fling?'

`I'd guess, one of several. But this one matters – to us, that is. Somebody saw this man being dragged into the local vigiles' patrol house this morning.'

`I think I've guessed.'

`I'm sure you have, Marcus. Euboule and her daughter live in the Fifth Region. The local vigiles are the Second Cohort. And Zeuko's lover is called Perseus.'