Minas thought he should take precedence, but this was Rome and he was foreign; he stood no chance. ‘Both brothers Camilli are standing for the Senate—’ Anacrites said, as he tried to guide them into his chosen places. They were talking about the races and failed to notice him.

‘They’ll be voted out,’ snapped their sister.

‘Oh thank you!’ they chorused half-heartedly. She just grabbed each one and shoved him where she wanted him. For would-be empire-governors, the duo submitted like wimps. Albia was chortling at this, until she was frogmarched to the end of the inferior couch. ‘Young girl’s prerogative,’ Helena soothed her. ‘You get the easy exit to the lavatory and you can reach the food trays for seconds.’

Minas still took too much interest in which was the seat of honour. ‘The one on the right-hand corner of the middle couch, I think . . . ?’ Fired up by some tourist guide to Roman etiquette, he was aiming his big belly in that direction.

Helena shepherded me there. She pushed Minas to the other end. ‘With the best views of the garden and statuary if we were out of doors—’ Due to the deficiencies of Anacrites’ house, we were facing a dowdy corridor. ‘Marcus is the only person who has held a significant public post, Minas; he was Procurator of Juno’s Sacred Geese.’ If I was top man, and by virtue of supervising a flock of birds, that showed this dinner’s low status.

Minas pouted. I grinned and to distract him I explained, ‘It’s a sad story, Minas. Government short-sightedness. I lost the job ignominiously, in a round of treasury cutbacks.’ I always wondered if Anacrites had had something to do with it. ‘Juno’s Geese and the Augurs’ Sacred Chickens were heartbroken to lose me. Their loyalty is touching, in fact. I go up on the Capitol regularly to see the clucks for old times’ sake; I shall never lose my sense of responsibility.’

‘You are fooling?’ Minas was only half right.

‘Forget convention. I think the best places are the centre of the couches—’ Still struggling to seat everyone, Helena steered Anacrites between Minas and me. Aelianus had to go at the top of the left-hand couch, talking across the corner to Minas, with Hosidia behind him; Justinus was opposite Hosidia with Claudia above him, adjacent to me across the other top corner. Albia was below Justinus. He was a good lad and would talk to her; she would probably hope to upset Aelianus by being friendly with his brother. At the far end of the left-hand couch, Helena was stuck with Hosidia. Good manners would have placed Helena next to me, but she had demoted herself in order to put the spy in my range. At least I could wink down the room at her.