While Faustus outlined the Aviola murders and the slaves’ flight to the temple, I scooted to the kitchen where I organised tisanes and what Father calls nicknackeroony comports. In my relatives’ homes, the wise seek out their own refreshments. Only my mother is a thoughtful hostess. In the Aelianus ménage everything was there if you hunted for it, not just dates and miniature pastries but a perfectly willing little tray carrier. Three hauls of wedding presents had made Aelianus the owner of many matching fancy bowls. His wives tended to abandon the pottery and carry off his cash, insofar as cash existed.

He could have set up a food bowl stall, but lacked the charisma to be a successful salesman. Besides, for a senator, involving himself in retail would be breaking the rules.

I arrived back at the conference just as Faustus finished: ‘So my task will be identifying who really committed the murders, so the slaves can be evicted from the temple without offending the goddess. The Esquiline is not my jurisdiction, but I have been given a free hand.’

‘Oh, you mean I find the killers for you, then you sponge me out of the picture,’ I grumbled, asserting myself in the conversation.

Faustus replied quietly, ‘You know I give you credit.’

My uncles observed this exchange shrewdly.

We reclined on couches as we talked. Aelianus ignored the refreshments. Justinus ploughed into his brother’s snacks as if he had eaten no breakfast. Of course he had. In homes full of children, breakfasts go on for most of the morning chaotically.

He mumbled through a mouthful of pastry, ‘We need to remember what Seneca said: “Every slave is an enemy.” Most owners are paranoid that their staff are plotting against them.’

‘So often true!’ Aelianus had gone to another room, returning with his muscular arms full of legal scrolls. He now found his way around the documents by means of papyrus slips that he must have inserted earlier while preparing for this meeting.

Both my layabout uncles enjoyed taking an instruction. They emphasised that until I had seen the location and interviewed those involved, all they could tell us was general law.

‘Today we are just setting out the principles. I hate these cases,’ Justinus complained. ‘The traditional approach was to condemn all the slaves who were in the house. More recently, that kind of mass cull became unpopular and I would argue to have this dealt with liberally. Single out the culpable, but ignore the rest. If this couple were wealthy, are we talking about substantial numbers?’

‘No.’ Faustus shook his head. ‘After their wedding, they had planned to go to a villa that Valerius Aviola owned in Campania. Almost all the household had been sent on ahead. There was some delay, I don’t know what, so the couple were slumming it in Rome overnight with a skeleton staff.’