“It sounds quite a pickle you’re in,” Felix observed after Simon had finished relating his story. This Naboridus certainly didn’t sound like the sort of guy who would back off easily, and though he generally had little time for collectors (even though some of what he himself did might be termed ‘collecting’), for a moment Felix almost felt sorry for Simon. However, interesting as the matter was, Felix didn’t really intend to get involved. He didn’t know Marcus Domicius Romulus, but he had met Valerius Tullius and since the boy appeared to be the friend of a friend of a friend, he had no intention of offering to help Simon bring any harm to him.

      However he hadn’t reckoned on Simon’s next move.

      “You said you knew of a Valerius Tullius?” the Jew reminded him hopefully, “You can see how important it is I find them, maybe you can tell me where he lives?”

      “But I might be wrong, it’s not an uncommon name,” Felix played for time, while behind his bland gaze his brain started working fast. Certainly he could play this situation to his own advantage if he had been the sort of man that sold out his friends, but he wasn’t—despite the company he often kept, he still retained a fair amount of principles.

      Simon shuffled a little in his seat, then leaned forward to whisper, “Like I said, I'm a businessman. I can pay for information, if that’s the problem. A reward for telling me where to find him?”

      Felix didn’t know if he was more offended or amused by being offered money. In the end he decided it would be hypocritical to be offended, since it wouldn’t be the first time he’d taken payment to reveal information worth paying for. “What size of ‘reward’ are we talking about here?” he asked, more to keep Simon talking while he had chance to think through the scheme that was forming in his mind.

      Clearly whether Simon succeeded in finding Domicius Romulus and Valerius Tullius or nor, Naboridus wasn’t going to give up. Which meant Naboridus had to be put permanently out of the picture if they were to ever be safe. Equally clearly, Simon had no loyalty to Naboridus and was only obeying his orders because he was frightened of what Naboridus would do if he refused. Maybe, Felix reckoned, with the right kind of forceful persuasion Simon might be induced to switch sides—using the hunter’s own dog to catch him, so to speak.

      “Okay,” he said at last. “So maybe I do know where they live and maybe I don’t. There’s a lot of fancy villas on Marine Road and I might be thinking of the wrong Valerius Tullius. So meet me back here this evening when I’ve had time to make sure, and if it is the one you want, then I’ll take you there.”

      Simon seemed more than happy with that idea. He thanked Felix effusively, assuring him he would make it all worth his while, and the young Sicilian left him to finish off the last of the wine.

      Walking quickly up Marine Road, Felix passed Philandros’s house and carried on till he reached the luxurious villa that Valerius had mentioned when they were talking at the party. He knew it was the right place when he recognized the big African standing guard in the atrium as one of Valerius’s overzealous slaves from that evening.

      All he had to do now was tell Valerius his plan to turn the tables on Naboridus, and warn him to be prepared with his slaves when he lured Simon to his house later.