Mandy was taken into a room full of women.
They were taking off their clothes and putting on thin robes.
Women and girls were talking and laughing.
"Time to bathe," the woman said.
"I just had a bath," said Mandy.
But the woman ignored her and left.
Mandy walked through a hallway and started looking around.
"What is Vinnie doing?" Mandy wondered.
Vinnie was also in the bathhouse.
He was sitting in a large bathing pool with some men.
No women were there.
Some men were lying on tables getting rubbed with oil.
Others were exercising.
Most of the men just sat in the pools talking.
"Ah, there is nothing like a hot bath,"
said a young man sitting next to Vinnie.
Vinnie smiled nervously.
He wasn't comfortable bathing with strangers.
"Some say Asian baths are better," continued the young man, "but I say Roman baths are the best."
"The best in the world!" someone said.
Everyone cheered.
"We're in Rome!" thought Vinnie.
"I'm Varius," said the young man.
"Hi," said Vinnie, introducing himself.
Mandy kept her clothes on and walked through a doorway.
It led her into a large steam room.
Women were silently sitting on benches enjoying the warm room.
But two women were whispering, and Mandy could hear them.
"It's all set," one of the women said.
"The poison will be put into the horses' water."
"How?" said the other woman.
Mandy could not hear what the first woman said next.
"Aquila will lose the race.
Brutus will be the champion!"
said the other woman excitedly.
Mandy was very upset.
Someone was going to poison horses!
She had to find Vinnie.
Vinnie was now outside the bathhouse with Varius.
Suddenly, Mandy came running up to them.
"I heard something in the bathhouse," she cried.
"Calm down," said her brother.
He introduced Mandy to Varius.
"Why are you upset?" asked Varius.
Mandy told them what she had heard.
"Why would anyone poison horses?" she cried.
"Are you certain you heard the names Aquila and Brutus?" Varius asked.
Mandy nodded.
"Who are they?" said Vinnie.
"Aquila is the chariot-race champion," answered Varius.
"Brutus hates Aquila because he cannot beat him.
We must stop this wicked plan."
"But how?" asked Vinnie.
"Septimus will know what to do," said Varius.
"He is a censor and my father's good friend."
"A censor?" Mandy said.
"A censor protects Roman citizens and makes sure they obey the law."
"Do they protect horses too?" said Mandy, worried.
"Yes, they do," smiled Varius.
"Where do we find the censor?" asked Vinnie.
"At the forum," Varius replied.