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fifty to one.’
    ‘And if he wins then the bookmaker will owe him over a million denarii; it would probably break him.’
    ‘Yes, domina.’
    ‘This bookmaker has upset you, I take it.’
    ‘Very much, domina.’
    ‘Ahenobarbus might not believe me.’
    ‘I know, so before he places the big bet we’ll have a practice run on the races on the calends of March; then he can judge just how good the information he’s getting is. If you’re willing to grant me this favour, have Pallas meet me at the Temple of Mars in Augustus’ Forum that morning at the third hour.’
    ‘I’ll think about it, Magnus; now leave me.’
    ‘Yes, domina.’ Magnus scooped up his sandals, took the short black-leather whip from off the bed and left the room.
    ‘The Whites bring their teams out of their stables’ gates and turn right, past the Pantheon and the Baths of Agrippa; they then pass between Pompey’s theatre and the Flaminian Circus and on to the Fabrician Bridge and over the Tiber Island,’ Servius informed Magnus as they stood in the rain outside the Villa Publica on the Campus Martius, three days later. ‘They cross the river, turn left along the Via Aurelia and go across the Aemilian Bridge and then through the Porta Flumentana and into the Forum Boarium, the race-day camp for all four teams. The Reds also take that route; however, the Urban Prefect never lets the Reds go at the same time as the Whites – that way he avoids any faction trouble.’
    Magnus digested the information for a few moments; drops of rain trickled off his wide-brimmed leather hat. He shivered and pulled his cloak tighter around his shoulders. ‘What about the Sublician Bridge?’
    ‘To stop any rabble getting into the teams’ camp, that’s always closed on a race day as it too leads directly into the Forum Boarium.’
    ‘So the only ways to cross the river near the Circus Maximus on a race day are across the Tiber Island and the Aemilian Bridge.’
    ‘Precisely.’
    ‘What about the Greens and Blues?’
    ‘They take a different route. They don’t cross and recross the river; they enter the city through the Porta Carmentalis and then cross Velabrum and enter the Forum Boarium from the east.’
    ‘Why are there two different routes?’
    ‘To avoid congestion.’
    ‘And they always stick to the same route?’
    ‘Always. You wouldn’t know this because our connections mean we can always get into the circus whenever we want; however, hundreds of thousands of people can’t and they line the routes so that they can see their favoured teams pass.’
    ‘How the masses live, eh?’
    Servius spat; his saliva was immediately lost in a rain-battered puddle. ‘Fucking rabble. Come on, brother, let’s get back before my old bones seize up.’
    ‘How far in advance do they bring the teams in?’ Magnus asked as they turned to go.
    ‘Normally, on a twenty-four-race day, they start by bringing in the twelve chariots for the first four races plus the spares for the day and all the hortatores; then they do relays of twelve throughout the day so that the Forum Boarium doesn’t get too crowded.’
    Magnus grinned despite the rain. ‘So if we were to stop the Whites bringing their last relay of twelve in then they wouldn’t have any teams in the final four races, would they, brother?’
    ‘Don’t forget the spares.’
    ‘How many do they have?’
    ‘It depends on the fitness of the horses, but normally between three and six teams, never more because of shortage of space.’
    ‘So we could guarantee the last two races being free from Whites?’
    ‘It’s possible; but how would you do it? They’re very well guarded and if you were to block the way they would just go back and take another route to the circus.’
    ‘Not if we block the bridges and trap them on the wrong side of the river.’
    ‘But the Reds would be trapped as well.’
    ‘Not if we time it right. Let’s invite Nonus Manilus Rufinus over for a little chat when he gets off duty