Please do come in and take a seat. It is so terribly warm today!!Plautia and her freedwoman Clodilla take the last remaining seat near the window while Lamadius waters more wine and places more honey cakes on a platter.

Suddenly a large black cat jumps through the window, bolts across the table, and sends cakes and wine flying across the room. Several ladies jump and scream while a few men in the back corner laugh and make snide remarks about the fish sauce...

An old man dressed in rags shakes his head in dismay and begins to mutter. It's another ill omen I say...rotten wheat...locusts...rumblings in the earth...black cats...