‘No, he seemed bad-tempered because Puff had nadgered him.’

‘Well, if Puff came up and sniffed his rear too intimately, Panther would growl a warning, which Puff would not hear because Puff is stone deaf …’

‘Cue dogfight.’ Gratus sighed wearily. ‘Luckily I had spied out the fire-buckets. There were lamps everywhere. I don’t know what dangerous fool had decorated the place. If the master and mistress had been discovered in bed burnt to a smoking cinder, that would have been more likely than what really happened – not to speak disrespectfully … Anyway, I flung open the well in the courtyard, cast a bucket of water over the fighting pooches, then they sat down together, all bedraggled and licking up the puddles.’

‘What was Panther doing down here?’

‘That boy had him. The boy was supposed to help wash up. He was useless.’

‘I could have guessed. Why wasn’t Chrysodorus looking after Puff, as he is meant to?’

‘He sloped off when the dogfight started.’

‘All right. Anyone else sniff someone a little too closely?’

‘No, that is all I noticed. It was quite enough.’

‘Yes, poor you!’

Once Gratus set off rolling, he was good value and enjoyed himself. One vital thing he now told me was that apart from Amaranta and Libycus who had intimate duties that nobody else was trusted with, several slaves kept in Rome believed they were about to be sent to the slave market for their past behaviour. The household was to be rationalised as Aviola and Mucia merged their staffs. Trouble-makers were for it. So far, no one had named the ones to go, which caused more uncertainty and stroppiness. But it was known that when the transport for Campania came next morning, Polycarpus had orders to keep some here and send them off to a big sale later this week.

‘He made no mention of that to me,’ I said.

‘He didn’t like having to do it,’ replied Gratus. ‘Polycarpus had a lot of loyalty to his staff. He would never show any annoyance with his master, but I know he thought it was his job to knock them into better shape and he ought to have been given a chance to do it.’

‘Do you agree with that?’

‘Yes. Yes, I do.’

‘So was there bad feeling between Polycarpus and his master?’

‘I wouldn’t go that far.’

‘But he was siding with the disgruntled slaves?’

‘It was his own fault they were disgruntled. He should never have let them find out in advance that some were to go,’ said Gratus. ‘He needed them that evening. He thought he was being kind and honest, giving them a warning.’

‘But it made no sense to have them all stirred up?’

‘No.’ Gratus shook his head. ‘You can imagine the rumours. The ones who thought themselves safe were gloating, and others were very distressed.’