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“Gods, it’s been a year, at least.”

“There’s something you should see. Or hear, rather, at the Circodrome.”

“What’s that?”

“The factions I’ve been telling you about. The unrest has grown since the raids on the old quarter. There are now very loud boos and jeers when Jovinian enters the arena.”

Sebastianus frowned. “My uncle hasn’t mentioned this, nor has anyone else on the council.”

Cassius turned to Klaudia. “Were you aware of this?”

She shook her head.

“I’m telling you,” Don said. “Something is growing. Perhaps it’s not obvious from the vantage point of the Imperial box.”

“Who sits in the Imperial box?” I asked.

“The Imperator’s family,” Klaudia said. “His close advisers.”

“His other women?” I asked. “His Corlivo courtesans?”

“No,” she said. “They attend, but they don’t sit with him. They sit in a separate section nearby.”

“Far enough away that Calpurnia can pretend they don’t exist,” Don said.

A dangerous idea leapt into my mind. As soon as I thought of it, I was determined to see it through.

“And you always sit with the Imperator as well?” I asked Sebastianus.

He nodded. “There’s a hierarchy of seating.”

“Could you disguise yourself and sit somewhere else?” I asked. “So you can avoid the Imperator and hear what the crowds are saying?”

There was a long pause, and then Don laughed. “The man who infiltrated the great caravanserai of Mys could probably figure out how to disguise himself in a crowd of fifty thousand.”

“Hmmm,” Sebastianus said.

“Not a bad idea,” Don said. “It would give you a very different perspective on the mood of the people.”

Sebastianus took a long drink of wine.

“And that way,” I said, “I could also disguise myself and come with you.”

Sebastianus paused with his cup still in the air. “Absolutely not.”

“Anna,” Don said gently, “it’s clearly too dangerous for you to go.”

“Am I not the equal of everyone here? Why am I not permitted to decide for myself what is too dangerous?”

Sebastianus looked uncomfortable. “Anna—”

Don said quickly, “This isn’t about equality. It’s about common sense. I’m sorry to bring this up, but remember what happened the last few times you’ve ventured out. Running into Georgios at the theater. The terrible situation at Casa Violetta and the Diluvion.”

I sat up straighter in my chair. “Those two occurrences were connected to one another, and both can be traced back to the same mistake.”

“What do you mean?” Klaudia asked.

“Think about it,” I said. “Seb took me to the theater. We took no precautions at all. We met Georgios, and we had to invite him to dinner to distract him from asking questions about me. The dinner led to us meeting his family, and they in turn mentioned me to Clemens Fabius, who took advantage of the situation and tricked me. I was foolish and trusting. I have learned some hard lessons from that experience.”