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eager to protect the barmaid’s memory,” I commented. “Is that because Rufia was an old customer, I wonder?” She blanked it. “Come on, Nona, I know what you offer. Had you ever helped Rufia escape an unwanted pregnancy?”
    â€œI would never have done that,” the wise woman assured me, stony-faced. “Killing a child in the womb is against the law, as you well know, my girl.”
    Abortion is indeed illegal, even though prevention is awkwardly tolerated. Aborting a live child denies its father his rights. We must protect men’s rights. Meanwhile the poor mother cannot refuse to carry and bear a baby, even if its father is unknown or married to somebody else, if he thumps her, drinks all their income, unfortunately dies on her, or the horrible pest has simply bunked off.
    Once I might have persuaded Nona to be more open, but I saw that being associated with a magistrate worked against me. Juno, I had become part of the establishment. People would stop sharing confidences.
    I must learn from this. In the future I would only mention Manlius Faustus being an aedile if it positively helped.
    â€œSo you cannot tell me anything?”
    â€œI don’t gossip.”
    That must be a useful attribute in her profession. Sadly it was no help to mine.
    *   *   *
    After I left Nona, I happened to stroll past Costus’ victimarium, which she had mentioned, so I went in to speak to the proprietor. The place reminded me of an undertaker’s; it had very little on display to upset people by open reference to its trade. Costus worked in an anodyne office that could have housed a bookkeeper, not a slaughterer. Unlike Nona, he had a readily available price list, as I discovered when I admitted I might be hiring.
    In our family, we have to avoid allowing my aunt Junia’s husband, the doleful Gaius Baebius, ever to fulfill his lifetime dream of acting as a priest. He once took lessons in sacrificing, but still doesn’t know how to do it. Julia and Favonia were foolishly lining up this pompous uncle, assuming his legendary backache allowed him to function, but I now decided to overrule them.
    Costus, a practiced salesman in a long tunic, ran through his patter. “The best deal is the full threesome: your victimarius to gently lead in the selected beast, your popa to stun it with his trusty mallet, your cultrarius to slit the throat neatly and slash open the stomach for inspecting the organs.” Triple fees, I thought, without rancor. “We can put you in the way of a decent seer to read your entrails. Staberius is who we recommend. Very reliable. Just write out your required omens for him and he always fulfills his brief. You can buy your sheep, porker or bull from us too; beautiful animals, they come from our own farm. Just give advance notice if you want any unusual bird or creature. I warn you now, we can’t get flamingos for love nor money at the moment.”
    â€œWhat am I supposed to have?”
    â€œA pig is most popular for weddings.”
    â€œWho wants to follow a trend? Can I change to a sheep?”
    â€œYou’re the bride! We have a glut of mutton. Black or white?”
    â€œIt’s a wedding.”
    â€œSnowy then.”
    â€œI hope ‘Snowy’ is a tint off your fleeces color chart, not some pet’s name.”
    â€œOh you’re a one! Who’s the lucky couple?”
    â€œMy man and me.”
    Costus leaped back, surveying me with what could be new respect—or possibly derision. “ Congratulations! ”
    â€œThank you.” I was amazed how calmly I said that. “The do will be at my pa’s house on the Marble Embankment, below the Aventine.”
    â€œAbsolutely not a problem. Now come and see the boys.”
    â€œOh lovely. Is it pick-your-own?”
    I think he suspected his new customer of too much levity.
    *   *   *
    Olympus, his boys were lush! It had been a hot