He laughed, then stopped to wipe his lips on a pristine white napkin, which he instantly dropped to the floor as if it were some disgusting dead animal.

There were five people around the table. Victor and Poliponi, Ugo and Jana, who barely touched her food, and James.

James missed the relaxed informality of his previous meals at the villa. Victor had pulled out all the stops tonight and the table was covered with gleaming silverware, fine porcelain and a crisp white linen tablecloth.

‘I tore the heart out of the mountain,’ Ugo went on. ‘And I used the stone I removed to build my palazzo.’ He turned and said something quickly to Poliponi in Italian. The artist smiled and looked impressed.

‘I was just saying to Signor Poliponi how much art I have in my palazzo,’ said Ugo. ‘I love art. I am a very cultured man. I love art and architecture and music. I want to live among beautiful things. The Emperor Napoleon stole art from all around Europe, including much Italian art, the greatest art the world has ever seen. Like him, I am filling my home with art.’

‘Napoleon was a great man,’ said Poliponi. ‘A strong leader. He understood that fame is the most important thing. To be immortal.’

‘Just so,’ said Ugo. ‘The human body is frail and when it finally gives up, it becomes the same decaying matter as everything else. In death we are all soup. We soon become forgotten unless we can do something tremendously good, or tremendously bad. It does not matter which. But you must do it always with style.’

‘Exactly so,’ said Poliponi. ‘If you kill a few men you are simply a common murderer, but if you kill millions you are a great general, remembered for all eternity, like Attila the Hun or Julius Caesar.’

‘How true!’ said Ugo. ‘The very word “Caesar” has come to mean a glorious ruler. The Russian word “Czar”, the German word “Kaiser”, they all come from “Caesar”. The Romans built the greatest empire this world has ever seen. They brought civilisation to Europe. Their achievements were extraordinary, far in advance of anyone else at the time. They put the rest of the world to shame. Well, I hope to remind the world of all this. My dam is just the beginning.’

Ugo had become so excited that he was waving his hands around and he jogged Mauro’s arm just as he was attempting to serve him some food. Red sauce spilt over his white suit.

Ugo leapt up from the table, madly wiping at the stain and screaming a torrent of Italian at Mauro in a horrible, high-pitched voice. Finally he stormed out of the room on to the terrace, still yelling and followed by his anxious guards.

‘It appreas that dinner is over,’ said Jana, putting down her knife and fork. ‘We must go home now. Thank you for your hospitality.’

She stood up to leave and Victor jumped to his feet.