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Go and see Damagoras."

I could take the shipping logs back to him."

No!" Helena instructed in her crisp way. You just find out if Damagoras is willing to exchange information for them." She looked at me, with her head on one side. You're very quiet. Don't give in to him."

No chance," I assured her gently. Believe me, fruit, anyone who gets in my way today will find me very tough." Helena produced clean clothes and my oil flask, accepting my filthy condition with no other comment. My daughters, playing down in the courtyard, were less diplomatic; they ran up to greet me, took in my disgusting state, then ran away squealing. Albia turned up her nose too. Nux came with me happily. Nux liked having a master who growled around the house and stank. I went out to the set of baths by the vigiles station house. That was deliberate. The baths were handsome and comfortable, built by the old Emperor Claudius when he first brought the vigiles to guard his new corn warehouses. After I cleaned up and slid into a new tunic, I left the dog sleeping blissfully on the filthy old one. She was loyal, but I saw no reason to subject her to the kind of scenes I knew I would find at the station house. While his men continued to search through Ostia and Portus for Caninus, Marcus Rubella would be interviewing prisoners. I knew his methods. Since he got results, nobody ever argued. But for him, interviews" were never an intellectual exercise. On leaving the baths, I crossed the street and entered the dark gatehouse. To me in my current dismal mood, these crumbling barracks reeked of misery. I could hear no Cilicians or Illyrians screaming, but the subdued manner of the vigiles in the exercise yard told its own story. Marcus Rubella was a master of pain management. the excruciating mixture of torture and delay. I met Fusculus. He told me the prisoners were still reluctant to speak, but Rubella was slowly putting together a case. The vigiles had tracked down Arion, the man who was wounded with the oar during the ferry heist; with my evidence that I saw Cotys take him aboard the liburnian, this was enough to tie Cotys and the Illyrians to stealing the ransom chest. Rhodope's testimony damned them for abducting her. Against Cratidas, Lygon and the Cilicians, evidence was more circumstantial.

Oh gods, Fusculus, don't say the Cilicians will get away with their part!"

No, Petronius is on that aspect. He's out trying to find that boy, Zeno." I pulled up. Last seen at the Temple of Attis. My uncle had some priest looking after him."

No sign of your uncle," said Fusculus, looking at me carefully.

I scowled. Uncle Fulvius is famous for one thing, running away."

Well, you know Brunnus came yesterday with information from the fleet headquarters. According to him, they don't want their agent exposed." I told Fusculus that in my experience Uncle Fulvius was a grumpy, unhelpful bastard anyway, then I went to see that other reprobate, the Cilician chief.