The brothers took their usual opposing attitudes to the Silius request.

`Damned chanter. Don't give him the time of day, Falco.' That was Aelianus, the elder, tolerant one.

`It's bloody interesting. You should see what the bugger wants.' Justinus, undogmatic and fair-minded, despite the bad language.

`Ignore them,' said Helena. She was older than Aelianus by one year and Justinus by two more; the big sister routine never died. `What I want to know, Marcus, is this: just how important was the document you fetched from Lanuvium? Did it affect the outcome of the trial?'

This question did not surprise me. Women, who have no legal capacity in our system, are not supposed to take an interest in the courts but Helena refused to hear patriarchal fossils telling her what she could or could not understand. In case you are provincials from maternalist societies, some sort of unfortunate Celt, for instance, let me explain. Our strict Roman forefathers, scenting trouble, had decreed that women should be innocent of politics, law and, wherever possible, money. Our foremothers had gone along with it, thus permitting the feeble sort of woman to be `looked after' (and fleeced) while the strong sort overturned the system merrily. Guess which sort I had chosen.

`You need to know what the trial was about first,' I set about explaining.

‘Rubirius Metellus was accused of trafficking in offices, Marcus.'

`Yes.' I refused to be surprised that she knew. `While his son was the curule aedile in charge of road maintenance.' A twinkle appeared in Helena's fine brown eyes. I flashed a grin back. `Oh, you asked your papa.

`Yesterday.' Helena did not bother to be triumphant. Her brother Aelianus, a repressed traditionalist, tossed olives into his open mouth after a tut of disgust. He wanted a routine sister, so he could lord it over her. Justinus gave a superior smile. Helena took no notice of either, simply saying to me, `There were a lot of charges against Metellus, though not much evidence for any of them. He had covered his tracks well. But if he was guilty of everything he was accused of, then his corruption was outrageous.'