Pompeii: A Novel

Villa Hortensia is a large coastal residence on the outskirts of Misenum. Numerius Popidius Ampliatus is a former slave who has become a "millionaire" (16) as the result of land speculation. Ampliatus prepares to execute one of his slaves by feeding him to the eels, as this is how he believes "an aristocrat ought to behave" (17). Ampliatus watches with his son, Celsinus, and a large crowd as the slave is thrown into the pond containing the moray eels. His wife and daughter have been ordered to stay inside. Ampliatus believes the nameless slave "poisoned" (19) his expensive red mullet fish and sentenced the man to death. The slave insists that he is innocent, blaming the water. As he is pushed toward the eel pool, he calls on Ampliatus to contact the aquarius.

In the mansion, Ampliatus's daughter Corelia hears the slave's screams. She knows the slave's name to be Hipponax and knows that his mother Atia works in the kitchens. She comforts Atia and agrees to go with her to find the aquarius. They visit the reservoir of the Aqua Augusta, where Attilius is in his "cramped bachelor accommodation" (23) after returning form his expedition. The rooms were previously occupied by his predecessor, Exomnius, who disappeared in mysterious circumstances. The sight of Corelia reminds Attilius of his wife Sabina, who died at the age of "just twenty-two" (25). Corelia demands that Attilius return with her to investigate the death of the red mullet. Corax and the workers mock her. Attilius is intrigued by the strange events, believing them to be "omens, portents, auspices" (27). He accompanies Corelia to the mansion.

They walk through the multi-cultural town and arrive at the mansion. At Corelia's insistence, Attilius tastes the fresh water from the mansion's pipes that pours into the red mullet enclosure. After tasting the water, he rushes down to the seafront where the execution is taking place. However, he is too late: the slave is already dead. On checking the freshwater pipes that feed into the enclosure, Attilius confirms the presence of sulfur. The sulfur, rather than the slave, killed the "precious fish" (36). Ampliatus is annoyed by Attilius's intrusion. His angry interrogation of Attilius is interrupted by Atia who—smeared in "her son's blood" (38)—shouts a curse at Ampliatus. Attilius makes a hasty exit.

Attilius realizes that sulfur is leaking into the aqueduct and “polluting Misenum’s water” (39). He alerts Corax and the workmen. They inspect the reservoir, determining that the water remains “just about” (43) drinkable but the amount of stored water is falling rapidly. Attilius estimates that Misenum has two days’ worth of drinking water. He notices the "flash of fear" (45) on Corax's face. Their inspection is interrupted by the terrible news that the aqueduct is failing as far away as Nola and Neopolis. Attilius orders his men to load a cart with repair equipment. He tells the messengers that he is "organizing repairs" (47). Examining a map, he notes that the drying aqueduct will leave "two hundred thousand people without water" (48). He makes the decision to shut off the reservoir, therefore cutting the supply line to the nearby navy yard. Corax is angry but Attilius insists.

After closing the sluice gates, Attilius goes to visit the admiral to explain his actions. Admiral Gaius Plinius, also known as Pliny, "thinks he knows everything about everything" (51). Pliny is the author of an encyclopedia titled Natural History. While walking through the city, Attilius stops to ask a man who has travelled from Pompeii about the city's water levels. The man says the city had water when he left but says also that it smelled of sulfur, which he considered to be "a terrible omen" (53). When the local water fountains stop working, people fight one another for access to the "last of the water" (54).

As the sun sets, Attilius arrives at Pliny's official residence. In his "high-pitched wheeze" (56), Pliny threatens to arrest Attilius for cutting the navy's access to fresh water, as Corax has already turned the admiral against Attilius. The young man ignores Pliny's accusations and asks "to borrow a ship" (57). Attilius gathers the admiral's officers together and shows them a map, outlining the way in which the aqueduct must have failed. Corax mocks his boss but "grudgingly" (61) concedes that Attilius's plan to find and repair the possible leak may actually work. Pliny agrees that the environment is behaving strangely, which may have led to an earthquake which damaged the pipes. Using a cup of wine, he shows the gathered men how the world around them is "vibrating slightly" (62), though almost imperceptibly and only in phases.

Pliny's military comrade Pomponianus suggests that they sacrifice a bull to Zeus; Attilius laughs. Pliny agrees to give Attilius his fastest ship and decrees that water in the city will be rationed, even though the following day is a public holiday. Attilius notices that Corax's interjections seem designed to keep the young aquarius "away from Pompeii" (66). Closing the meeting, Pliny notices the vibrating earth again. He decides to sacrifice the bull and tells Attilius that the water will need to be restored in two days' time.

Near midnight, Attilius lays on his bed and thinks about "the sight of the corpse, dragged from the pool of eels" (68). His thoughts switch to his family, dwelling on his ancestors' work as aqueduct engineers. He wonders whether they might have worked on Augusta with Exomnius, whose disappearance may be associated with the disappearance of the water. Exomnius's possessions are still in the room. Attilius examines them, finding a pair of loaded dice and a gold plate which was "the property of a freed slave" (71).

Attilius thinks about Corelia and walks uphill to her mountain, remembering how surprised and alarmed her father had been to hear about Exomnius's disappearance. Though he calls for Corelia, he finds only Atia, huddled in rags outside the mansion walls. She has been "badly beaten" (73) and left to die in the street. As a distant guard calls out the midnight hour, Attilius picks up Atia and carries her into the city.