Falco joins his best mate Petro in a desperate attempt to stop gangsters taking over Rome, forcing the intrepid pair into brothels and horrible eating houses, as they encounter waterside fleecers, Forum degenerates, bad men who want to cut out their innards and women who want worse things than that. Helena is pregnant and Falco finds a baby for her to practice on. He adopts a dog (well, Nux adopts him). His family is in trouble of various kinds, and even Lenia at the laundry has terrible plans which will end in a hot wedding; the sacrificial sheep won’t be the only one who gets barbecued …