Felix had always found the humidity of the calidarium both soothing to a body exhausted from the palaestra, and also conducive to loosening men’s tongues. Gossip tended to be more thoughtful and open than in the street as men lounged about and speculated idly about this and that while the steam relaxed their aches and cares.

      At this time of the day the Thermae Stabianae was a popular meeting place and there were maybe a dozen men sweating in the heat and variously concealing or revealing their modesty with thin linen towels. No one paid much attention to the handsome young Sicilian lounged on the marble bench with his eyes closed, letting his body relax after a strenuous bout of lifting weights and apparently oblivious to the idle chitchat that drifted through the steam around him.

      Felix wasn’t expecting to find anything here strictly relevant to his prime reason for being in Pompeii, but all the same habit meant that despite appearing to be either asleep or overwhelmed by the humid heat, he was picking this and that interesting tidbit of information out of the scattered conversations.

      Over the course of an hour he learnt the name and specialities of the most adept whore in Arrius Flavius’s brothel, several recommendations for good cauponae which he memorised for later, the latest scandals surrounding a certain infamous lady from Rome, and finally at last, what was at the heart of the unease that permeated the city.

      “A visit from the Praetorians never means any good!” one man was spouting forth his opinion in the tone of someone who obviously considered himself an expert on the mysterious ways in which the imperial forces moved. “And an imperial trireme without the Emperor – who can say what it means? Just because the ship has stayed in the far harbour doesn’t mean their real business is nothing to do with Pompeii...”

      So that was it, Felix thought with slight amusement, shifting slightly as a rivulet of sweat trickled between his shoulder blades. These pleasure-loving Pompeians think the might of Rome is about to tramp its nailed boots through their vineyards and brothels!

      By now, he was more concerned with his own stomach and decided it was time to investigate one of the cauponae he’d heard about. He splashed water over his face and neck from the waist-high fountain to cool off a little, then headed for a final refreshing dip in the cold pool before setting out in search of the Tavern of the Lovely Mermaid. There was just something about that name he couldn’t resist.