‘Decisions about admissions are taken by the Museion - it is out of my hands,’ warned Theon.

‘Not to bother. I used my charm.’ Aulus smiled triumphantly.’ I was accepted straight away’

‘Olympus!’ I let slip. ‘That’s a surprise!’

Theon appeared to think the same. ‘And what do you do, Falco? Here for education or commerce?’

‘Just a trip to visit family and put in some gentle sightseeing.’

‘My nephew and his wife are intrepid travellers,’ beamed Uncle Fulvius. He was no slouch himself at touring, though he kept to the Mediterranean whereas I had been to more remote areas: Britain, Spain, Germany, Gaul . . . My uncle would shudder at those grim provinces, with their heavy legionary presence and absence of Greek influence. ‘Your activities are not unconnected with imperial business, eh, Marcus? And I heard you were involved with the Census not so long ago? Falco is very highly regarded, Theon. So tell us, nephew, who is due for a penetrating audit here?’

Had Cassius not placed himself between us on the dining couches I could have kicked Fulvius. Trust relatives to open their mouths. Up until that point, the Librarian had viewed us as the usual ill-read foreigners wanting to look at pyramids. Now, of course, his gaze sharpened.

Helena helped him to pork-stuffed-two-ways and dealt with it briskly. ‘My husband is an informer, Theon. He did carry out a special investigation into Census avoidance two years ago, but his work in Rome is mainly background checks on people’s intended marriage partners. The public have the wrong perception of what Falco does, though in fact it is commercial and routine.’

‘Informers are never popular,’ Theon commented, not quite sneering.

I wiped sticky fingers on my napkin. ‘Mud sticks. You will have heard about the crooked ones among my colleagues in the past, who pointed out rich men to Nero; he had them hauled into court on trumped-up charges so he could plunder their assets - with the informers taking a cut, of course. Vespasian put an end to that scam - not that I ever dabbled. Nowadays it’s all small beans. Disputing wills for hopeful widows or chasing after runaway partners from debt-ridden small businesses. I help members of the public avoid pain, yet for the world at large my work still has the fragrance of a blocked drain.’