Secundus and Myrinus said that was true, yet it could never be relied on. Neither of the personal attendants felt safe. Mucia Lucilia had been afraid Amaranta was so pert and attractive it was dangerous to keep her, in case Aviola was tempted. He in turn, the two friends confided with sweetly coy expressions, was none too keen on having a handsome black man in the house. I assumed this was because of North Africans’ reputation for sexual prowess, which was not mentioned to me by these polite men, though naturally I had heard of it. Who hasn’t?

Mucia and Aviola were thought by Libycus to have struck a bargain: ‘I’ll sell mine, if you sell yours.’ He suspected they would both ruthlessly get rid of their body slaves, and buy new, unthreatening ones. Slaves are supposed to be loyal to their masters; masters have no moral requirement to be loyal back.

With this unjust threat of sale hanging over him, his friends said Libycus had been glum that night. As they all had a drink, he sank into deep thought. In the absence of conversation, even from the shop it had been perfectly possible to hear terrible shouting start up in the apartment. Whoever it was sounded crazily angry.

‘Out of control?’

‘Screaming mad at somebody.’

‘Just one person?’

‘Apparently.’

‘Was it a woman?’

They were not sure.

‘You heard Myla sounding off today – make the comparison, please: was it her that night?’

Secundus and Myrinus thought not. They were more inclined to think the voice was male.

‘Aviola?’

No. He had a much stronger, deeper voice. It was not him.

Whatever was taking place, it spelled trouble. Libycus shot off back home at once. He was afraid he was about to be found out and punished. Secundus and Myrinus did what they usually did when there was a row in the apartment. Thinking it no worse than normal and supposing the commotion would soon die down, they went over to the bar for a quiet drink.

Later that night, they came home to silence. Libycus could not return to their shop then, but the next morning he burst in, very upset. He told them about the killings, said the vigiles had been asking questions and that Titianus was obviously intending to accuse the slaves. They all knew that meant execution. He told his two friends that he and the others had decided they had to flee to the temple for sanctuary. It was their only hope of appealing for justice and making anybody listen.

‘And they were all innocent?’

‘That’s what he said.’

I mused for a moment. ‘Did Libycus say whether Aviola and Mucia were already dead when he got back to the apartment?’

‘Yes.’

‘His exact words?’

‘He said he ran indoors and they were dead.’