"Dearest friend Spurius, I thought you had left for Claudiopolis by now! Would I be intruding if I joined you and your friend? Demos - may we have another jug of wine, please, enough for all of us? And some of those delicious little stuffed vine-leaf rolls."

Antinous leaned over to briefly hug his Roman friend before sliding onto a bench at the table he shared with another, Greek-looking, gentleman, casting a brilliant smile over both men. The taberna's other customers meanwhile were casting wary glances at the lithe, spotted leopard that paced at the Bithynian's heels, but it merely blinked its brilliant yellow-green eyes at them with indolent disdain.

"It's not an intrusion at all," Spurius smiled, leaning over to rub the big cat's ears, then indicated the gentleman with him, "Thyssos, Demos and were just discussing all these strange incidents people have been witnessing since the lunar eclipse."

Antinous sighed and rolled his eyes, "Oh, don't speak to me of the eclipse! Kedisi here was very disturbed that night. Cats are very sensitive to the moon, you know. He did slip his leash for a while, but when the moon returned and it was light enough to go looking for him, we found him just hiding in the garden," the Bithynian smiled at his spotted pet fondly.

Kedisi cocked a ear as if aware he was the subject of conversation, then yawned cavernously, displaying impressive gleaming incisors and a huge curled pink tongue, before sprawling out comfortably on the sun-warmed flagstones like a fur rug.

"However, I did have to recompense the neighbours for a goat and several pet geese last week," the Bithynian continued and shook his head ruefully, "They said they'd seen a big dark thing lurking in the undergrowth, and it must be Kedisi. I said it was probably old Rubico from the fish market spying on their nubile - and very encouraging - daughter again!" he laughed. "But I will be honest - with all this talk of monstrous dogs I've heard, having Kedisi around makes me feel safer. He may look like a pussy-cat sometimes," stirring the leopard's flank lightly with a delicately sandalled foot, "But I've seen him slaughter a young ox with a single blow of a paw! Yes, I had to recompense the owner for that one too...." *sighs* "So what do you think is behind these incidents? Oh, and do have some of this wine, gentlemen."