From everything I knew of her, I would have assumed that Calpurnia placed no more faith in haruspicy than did her husband-yet here stood a haruspex in his gaudy yellow garments and peaked hat, looking at me with a smug expression on his face.

"This is the one they call the Finder?" he said to Calpurnia.

"Yes."

Porsenna nodded vigorously, causing his pointed hat to poke the air like a comical weapon in a mime show. "Indeed, this is the very man I saw in my dreams. This is the one who can help you, Calpurnia-the only one."

She raised an eyebrow. "Before, you said the other fellow was the man to help me-and we both know how that turned out."

"Yes, but I was right then as well, don't you see? Because that man, despite his misfortune, was the one to lead us to this man. Divination does not always guide us straight to the truth, like the furrow of a plow. Sometimes it meanders, like a stream. No matter. As long as we follow the precepts of Tages, we surely arrive-"

"What 'other fellow' are you talking about?" I said. "And what is it you want from me, Calpurnia? When your messenger summoned me, I came here at once. How could I refuse? Before I left for Egypt, you dealt with me honestly and fairly, and I owe you my respect for that, above and beyond your station as the dictator's wife. But I must tell you right now that if you intend to offer me some commission that involves poking into dark corners, uncovering ugly secrets, getting someone killed-or getting myself killed!-I won't accept it. I'm finished with that sort of thing. I'm too old. I won't have my tranquillity disturbed."

"I can pay you handsomely."

So she did intend to employ me for some sort of intrigue. I sighed. "Fortunately, I don't need your money. I would advise you to call on my son Eco-he does that sort of thing nowadays; and he's younger than I am, faster, stronger, probably twice as clever. Eco is away from Rome at the moment-a commission has taken him down to Syracuse-but as soon as Eco returns-"