Giton heard the knocking next door, and wondered what was going on, since he knew that Memnoch was still out at Green Acres with Sextus. He decided it was none of his business and went back to rehearsing a piece from Aristophanes' Birds. He hoped very much to find a spot in one of the acting companies here in Pompeii--in Rome it would be hopeless, but here--only the gods knew whether he would be successful or not.

Try as he might, he couldn't get the bird-calls right which the play called for at certain points: though he had heard them as a child, he had never asked which kind of bird made them! He was about to try agan when a knock came at his own door.

A dark haired man stood there, one who Giton thought he had met, but couldn't place as to where.

"Yes? Do I know you?"

The stranger took the question at face value. "No, but I thought I'd pay a visit--I live in the other side of the building, and came to visit your neighbor. I'd heard we had a new face here!"

Giton welcomed the man and asked him to come in. "I'm afraid it's not much to look at yet, I've only been here a few days. Will you have some wine?" He raised a pitcher and a glass cup.

Benvolio sipped, then cocked his head as he heard a noise upstairs. "You have family?"

Giton gave a musical laugh and shook his head. "That's just my friend--he's staying for a while until his affairs settle down here in town!"

Giton invited his guest to sit, and he asked what his visitor did for a living--still trying to place where he had seen the man.