ONE
Rome, AD 64
âRome is a dangerous place, Mary,â the old man whispered. He pulled a hood over his head to hide his face. âDeath is all around us.â
Mary looked about the street. She could see lots of people⦠but not this strange thing called Death.
âWhere, master Tullus?â she asked.
The shops in the street were closed. Today was the day of the chariot races. The shopkeepers knew that the crowds would pack the streets. And where there were crowds, there were thieves.
In all the shoving and shouting, the dust and the din, thieves would rob the shops and disappear quickly in the crush of the crowds.
Master Tullus pulled the girl into a shop doorway. He leaned forward. âSee that man with one eye standing on the corner?â he asked.
âYes, master.â
The girl could see the man with a dark beard and a patch over one eye. In the rushing rabble, he was the one standing still on the corner. His one eye flickered round, watching the scene.
âHeâs a thief,â the old man went on. âHeâs waiting for a rich man to pass by. If the rich man is drunk then the one-eyed villain will follow him. When the crowd packs into the arena, he will push up against the rich man. Heâll slip a hand into his toga and pinch his purse!â
âHe wonât!â
âHe will!â
âShall we stop him?â
âHe carries a knife. Heâll cut your throat if you try. Would you like that?â
âNo, master Tullus,â the girl sighed. âHow do you know this?â
âIâve seen him hanging around the baths. When the men get undressed, he tries to creep into the changing room and search for their purses. Sometimes the slaves on guard get careless.â
âHeâs a villain,â Mary moaned.
âAnd heâs not the worst. See those gangs?â her master asked.
âThe ones carrying ribbons?â Mary had seen them, with their red or white, green or blue ribbons, charging down the street, bawling and battering people out of their way.
âThe colours are the chariot team they support. They get very excited⦠some say they donât sleep the night before the races, and they drink a lot and can turn very nasty. The reds hate the whites and the blues hate the reds. Everyone hates the greens.â
âPoor greens!â
âThatâs the emperorâs team,â the old man said.
âWhat colour are you?â Mary asked.
âGreen, of course,â her master smiled. âBut donât tell that to a red, blue or white. They would probably give me a beating.â
âRomeâs a dangerous place,â the girl groaned.
âI told you that before we left the house.â
âYou did, master Tullus,â Mary nodded. This was the first time her master had let her go into the city with him. His serving boy was ill from eating a rotten snail, so she had to take his place.
Mary watched as the man with the eye patch slid into the rushing crowd, his eye on a fat man in a purple toga. And she shivered.
TWO
âIf the thieves donât get you, the soldiers might,â said master Tullus.
âGet me?â Mary squeaked. âWhy?â
The old manâs face was as wrinkled as a walnut shell, and it crinkled nastily as he said, âI know your secret, little Mary.â
âSecret?â
âYouâre a cannibal!â
âIâm not!â
âYou are one of those Christians, arenât you?â
âYes, butâ¦â
âAnd when you have your services, you eat bread and drink wine?â
âWe do, butâ¦â
âAnd you believe that the bread turns into the flesh of your god and the wine turns into his blood, donât you?â
âWell, yesâ¦â
âSo, youâre cannibals. Thatâs why you have to keep it secret. The people of Rome donât like you and your priests. They just need any excuse to turn
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