See Delphi and Die

Polystratus nodded, though of course he and Phineus blamed me. Aquillius may even have said it was my fault."We are trying to get hold of the governor. He should sort this problem out for us.'

"Do you and Phineus know the governor, Polystratus?' Nothing would surprise me.

"Oh, you are supposed to be the man with heavy contacts, Falco! Do you know the governor?'

"No,' I said sadly. I left it for a beat."I only know the Emperor.'

We were getting on superbly. We were the best of friends now. Sharing a drink; gazing at the sparkling waters of the Gulf of Corinth; considering whether to indulge in a plate of crispy whitebait; each wondering just how much the other knew.

"You must have spent several days across the Gulf,' I said."When Statianus refused to accompany you back,' I asked,"what were your movements?'

"I went to a local village,' replied Polystratus."Things to organise on my own account. Things to buy. Sidelines, you know.'

"In the big jars?'

"Salted tuna. Want a taste? I've kept one open in case anyone asks for a sample. I'd rather sell on out here and save the shipping costs, if I can manage it.'

I agreed to taste. It was an easy way to check his story. He borrowed a spoon from the men at the other table, who looked bemused but surrendered the implement as if they thought he was somebody important. Like Phineus he had that air; he expected to get his own way.

I stayed where I was. Whistling, Polystratus walked over to his cart, where he fiddled with one of the globular amphorae. He brought me a spoonful of fish, not too salty. I doubted it would travel well, but I had tasted worse.

"Not bad.' I challenged him about the containers. Most you see in Greece are the tall slender type."Last time I saw those fat, round-bellied amphorae, they were in Baetica, used for olive oil. I didn't know that shape ever came east for other commodities.'

Polystratus immediately nodded."Recycled. The miser I buy from doesn't even supply new jars… Can't interest you? I'll keep trying. Someone may like the stuff. I'll have to lug the whole consignment around with me, when we move.

"You are pla

"Oh haven't you been told?' Polystratus enjoyed being ahead of me."Aquillius can't hold up our clients indefinitely. We threatened him with an injunction and he's released them. We'll be shifting them to Athens – sniff at the Pnyx, give the Spartan girls the eye on the Erechtheion – are you a caryatids man? – scuttle up the Parthenon to pay respects to Pallas Athena, then sail off from Piraeus across the wine-dark sea.'

I hid my disappointment – knowing he could see it. I noticed he said"we'; did that mean he and Phineus were in contact, even though Phineus was an escapee?

"Apart from Delphi, did you only go to the salt-fish village?'

"You're fixated, Falco!' Polystratus gave me the street scoundrel's look of surprise."Here and there. This and that. What's the big issue? You'd be surprised how long it takes to persuade some lousy Greek fish-bottler to sell you a few amphorae. A day to roust him out of his hut and wake him up. Another day arguing about the price. A day while you buy him drinks to celebrate him ripping you off…' Without appearing to challenge me, he asked,"What were you up to over there, Falco?'

"Same as you. Trying to lure Tullius Statianus back to civilisation.'

"No more luck than me?'

"No, after you met him, he left. He went straight off to Lebadeia.' Polystratus again feigned not to have heard of the place."Trophonius,' I prompted."Statianus knew it had another oracle.'

"Oh it's one of those Boeotian shrines!… Phineus takes trippers. We include Trophonius in our Oracle Odyssey route – something a bit different – but there's not much take-up.'

"I can understand that.' If Phineus and Polystratus knew Trophonius was"a bit different', presumably they knew all about the ritual. Maybe they even knew how the oracle was really worked."I'd avoid that place in future. Statianus, for one, seems to have discovered that your "infinite journey plan" stopped being infinite in the underground chasm. He vanished, complete with two barley cakes. At least it saves you having to repatriate him in yet another funeral urn.'

"What are you saying, Falco?'

"He's probably dead.'

"Not another one!' Polystratus groaned dramatically – then tackled it head on. Are you suggesting Seven Sights Travel may be at the back of this?'

"It looks bad.'

"You have just made a very serious accusation against us.'

"Have I?'

"Prove it!' cried Polystratus, with the forthright indignation of a businessman who was no stranger to serious accusations."Produce the body – or otherwise, leave us alone!'

LII

I don't like releasing them any more than you do,' blustered Aquillius. Furious, I had accosted him that same evening at the governor's residence. He flared up in response. Falco, we can't show that any of these travellers had a hand in what happened to the bride at Olympia. They are menacing me with a lawyer. Your brother-in-law has put them in touch with his damned tutor in Athens, apparently.'

"Aelianus?' That seemed unlikely. I had taught him not to intervene in unsolved cases, lest he muddy the clues. Once I thought him positively unhelpful; now I would call him more of a dry observer. But not a meddler.

"He is studying with Minas of Karystos!' snorted Aquillius, impressed.

"Clearly a cretin.'

"Steady on, Falco. Minas has a stupendous reputation.'

"You mean he charges astronomical fees!'

Aquillius blinked nervously."I just think you may have overstated the case, Falco. Valeria Ventidia may have been killed by a passing stranger, whom we will never trace.

"Lampon, the poet, saw who she was with.'

Aquillius kept going. 'You raised that query about the sick man -well, I've had a medical orderly here from the Temple of Aesculapius, and he swears blind Turcianus was already at death's door when he arrived at Epidaurus. The doctors knew he would be lucky to last out the night, and in fact he was not left alone in a dream cell but was nursed at their hospital through his dying ordeal. Somebody sat with him the whole time; he was not harmed by any third party.'

"Did he say anything?'

"He was beyond speech, Falco.' Aquillius was sounding more and more harassed and a

accidentally. Face up to it. the travellers are in the clear. To tell the truth, I am relieved Phineus managed to escape; we had no real reason to charge him, either. The governor does not want a reputation as a harsh disciplinarian.'

"Why not? Most of them think that's a compliment.' Roman rulers came to steal antiques and tax provincials to Hades; the provincials expected nothing else."When Vespasian was praised for his just rule as governor in Africa, that was said with bewilderment. If you ask me, the townsmen of Hadrumetum, who pelted him with turnips, hated him for being too soft.'

"Don't joke, Falco. Our role in a province is to prevent local discontent. As for your claim that Statianus has met a bad fate, you simply ca

"I don't think so, and neither do you. You are abandoning him.' Aquillius, who had always been good-natured, looked regretful. Still, we were back where we started. After a brief flirtation with honest enquiry, the authorities were once again trying to bury the problem. The fact that more people had died in the intervening period made no difference."Time will tell, quaestor.'