"Flavia, what've you put in the bags?" "I'm away for two months, not two years." "There's no harm in a few extra things." "It depends on who has to carry them!" "There it is." "Hey!" "Hey, you!" "Move that old tub and make way for a proper ship!" "Why was he so rude?" "Senator Africanus." "Very ambitious man." "Citizens of Ostia." "The men that you are about to see have been brought here from Capua by me, at great expense, to entertain Domitian, brother of our noble Emperor." "It's a private show, so admire my gladiators while you can." "This is great!" "CHEERING" "Out of my way!" "Make way!" "Do you know that man?" "We've met." "Don't you want to see the gladiators?" "I'm about to set sail." "I'm trusting you to be woman of the house while I'm away." "So you'll have to behave like one." "Now, listen," "Africanus is a very dangerous man." "There are no mysteries there." "So promise me...you'll keep away." "I will." "Good girl." "What is it?" "My brother." "Your brother?" "Taharqo." "Slave masters took him to be a gladiator." "Is he here?" "Did you see him?" "I cannot be sure." "How can you be so calm about it?" "Well?" "Did you get a look at your precious heroes?" "Why are you angry?" "You didn't even wait to see my father off!" "Look at you, sticks for swords." "We're only playing." "Playing?" "Nubia's brother's not much older than you." "What's he got to do with it?" "He's a real gladiator." "You're pathetic!" "You trained at Capua, didn't you?" "Don't you want to go to their training camp?" "To see if you know any of them." "It's something I'd rather forget." "Will you come with me, then?" "Why do you want to go?" "Nubia's brother." "If he is there, we could tell her." "Is that your only reason?" "Why else would I want to go?" "Flavia." "You want to show her you're not pathetic." "That as well." "I shouldn't have mentioned your brother the way I did." "I promised my father I'd be a woman while he was away, and I'm acting like a spoilt child before his ship's even clear of the harbour." "You hurt for Marcus." "I am same for Taharqo." "Do you think it could be him?" "You come to arena with me?" "I can't." "I promised my father I'd stay away from the gladiators." "But I am the woman of the house now." "I can manage on my own." "You don't have to stay with me." "If it is your brother, you have to let him know you're here." "Go." "Watch them feet!" "Watch your feet!" "Good." "I'm watching you, you're not even trying!" "Get your shield up, get your shield up!" "No outsiders allowed." "Barbatus knows me." "What's going on?" "He says he knows you." "Oh, we know one another." "What do you want?" "I asked him to bring me here." "You take orders from a slave boy?" "I'm not a slave." "No?" "And this brand on your arm, what does that mean?" "Not as much as this." "Emperor's ring?" "Given to me by Titus himself." "We need men." "Quickly!" "No!" "You, you." "Stay there!" "What happened?" "He was feeding the tiger." "I can see that!" "He pushed his arm too far into the cage." "At least it's given the beast a taste for blood." "But he's no use to me now with his arm half chewed." "And where will I find a replacement?" "Anyone can push meat through the bars of a cage." "He couldn't!" "Besides, it's another gladiator I need now." "Gladiator?" "Why did you ask a gladiator to feed a tiger?" "He didn't look much like a gladiator to me." "Nor do most of this lot." "You're a sharp-eyed boy." "He sees what's obvious." "Capua's the best." "The boy's right, these are not gladiators." "Why do you bring them to Ostia?" "Too many questions." "I've got a cure for that." "I spent a lot of time training you." "And money!" "All gone to waste when you chose to be a slave." "I chose not to be a gladiator." "Well, we're a man short for the coming contest." "You can repay what I spent on you." "And the boy, take him too." "Let him go!" "You don't need to keep him here." "Oh, but I do." "I want that ring he's wearing." "Give it to me." "No!" "Or I'll take it and your hand with it!" "Take him away." "He can't force us to fight." "Can he?" "Someone'll miss us before tomorrow." "How will they know we're here?" "I can't believe you were a gladiator." "There's a demon inside me." "He roared in the arena, just like that tiger." "You still don't believe me." "That's good." "It means he's well locked away." "Barbatus would rage at me to try to bring him out." "The demon?" "I resisted and he was forced to choose between killing me or selling me on to get his money back." "Why would you choose to be a slave?" "Did you fear death?" "Yes." "But not my own." "It was the killing of other men I came to dread." "You!" "Slave girls in the kitchen, not out here." "Get in, go on!" "Venator." "Caudex." "The only face I recognise, but one I'm glad to see." "Why in the name of the Gods have you come here?" "I asked him to." "A slave boy?" "I'm not a slave!" "Most of the men in here are." "Their lives bought for next to nothing, to be thrown away even more cheaply in the arena." "Not mine!" "Do you know Nubia?" "Nubia." "That's just his way." "He's very proud." "Sometimes too proud." "But here's a true gladiator." "Not like these other wretches." "So who are they?" "Murderers and assassins." "All condemned to die, but taken and trained to be more effective at what they do best." "Taken by who?" "And why?" "You ask too many questions, boy." "I do?" "You should meet Flavia." "I'm just warning you, that can be dangerous in here." "But then you're in here with us, so you're already in enough danger." "KNOCK ON DOOR" "So, you've taken over from Caudex." "You've come round to my way of thinking and freed your slave?" "Not exactly." "He seems to have freed himself." "I'm looking for Jonathan." "We had a bit of an argument." "I haven't seen him since we were at the harbour." "Have you any idea where he is?" "I do wish he'd tell me before he goes wandering off." "Do you think Jonathan and Caudex are still together?" "With the gladiators?" "Maybe." "But why aren't they back yet?" "No." "We're staying here." "They'll be home soon." "TIGER GROWLS" "TIGER ROARS" "Why's that tiger here?" "Don't worry, it's not for any of us." "But you said we're all in danger." "HE CHUCKLES SOFTLY We're gladiators." "Still... soon The Fisherman will be casting his net for the last time." "The Fisherman?" "It's what I'm known as when I fight." "Because of the net?" "I come from a fishing village." "If I can survive this next contest, they've promised me a wooden sword and a purse of gold." "I'll be free to retire to a house with a plot of land overlooking the sea." "One way or another, Jonathan... this next fight will be my last." "What's going on?" "They should be back by now." "I can't." "I made a promise to my father." "I know you didn't." "But you can't go either." "Not in the dark." "It's too dangerous." "A dog?" "A wolf." "Lupus?" "Wolf?" "And wolves hunt at night." "Venator, why are you and Taharqo the only real gladiators in here?" "Don't you ever sleep?" "Why would Barbatus choose slaves to fight those other men?" "Especially in front of Domitian." "Why don't you ask him?" "I did." "That's why we're in here with you." "But why?" "I'd be useless in a fight." "I'll make a deal with you." "I'll show you some moves in training tomorrow, but only if you'll shut up till then." "What sort of moves?" "Starting now!" "Who brought you here?" "Get up!" "HORSE NEIGHS, CRASHING" "Oh, no." "Look, no, get here." "By Jove, this is pitiful." "Oh, you're useless!" "You should beat some obedience into it." "Look, you peasant!" "I've got gladiators to feed and you should be on the road to the arena by now." "Yes, Sir." "I'm going to make a house call." "And if this wagon is not moving by the time I return, I'll hire another one." "PERSISTENT KNOCKING ON DOOR" "Mordecai ben Ezra." "Quickly, I'm a busy man." "I'll take you to him." "Feed them first." "A-ha." "What have we here?" "HE SCREAMS" "Enough!" "Let's save this for the arena." "Tyranus, let the girl go." "If all goes to plan, she'll still be here for you." "Now release her!" "Get out." "Jonathan, sit down." "Medicus?" "At the arena?" "I can't believe you're asking me to do this." "It's good money." "You'll only be required to do anything if one of the better gladiators is wounded." "I treat sick people, not men who bring about their own injuries by slashing and hacking one another in what you call games." "I see." "But they don't choose to do it." "And you could ease their suffering." "I'll come with you and help." "The girl talks sense." "The girl has promised her father that she will stay home and look after his house." "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have other things to attend to." "HE SCOFFS" "Where is Jonathan?" "Oi, get out of there." "Who are you?" "Who gave you permission to be out here?" "Well?" "Speak up, boy." "Oh, you can't." "Right." "I've got a job for you." "Let's put one dumb creature with another." "Come on." "Clean the cage." "Not all of it, just the empty half." "Oh, and be careful." "Go too close and that cat will get more than your...tongue!" "TIGER ROARS" "OK, Jonathan." "That's it, keep him back." "Go on then." "Use the net." "No, no, no." "Like this, Jonathan." "Distance!" "Come on, then." "This is how you use a net." "Right." "Focus on the opponent." "Stay focused." "Concentrate!" "Go in again!" "Move in, get the net, round him and pull him down." "And he's at your mercy." "Like that." "All right?" "Now, try to remember." "You're not even trying, come on!" "Better, better." "That's better." "But we'll be no match for them." "They're the ones getting all the training." "You!" "I'll give you some training." "The rest, watch and learn." "Take it." "Tyranus." "Wait for my word." "Me?" "Against him?" "No!" "It is a man against a boy." "I will fight him." "Your time will come." "And sooner than you think." "Gladiators!" "Fight!" "This man is beaten and no longer has the right to bear arms." "He must submit to his fate and prepare himself." "Now he must lift his head to receive the blow." "If he is weak from his wounds, he may grip the leg of his opponent to steady himself." "A gladiator must have control over his body when he comes face to face with death." "If he fails to do this and begs for his life, he is a disgrace." "Not only to himself, but to the entire brotherhood of gladiators." "Jugular!" "Enough." "Look at me." "Before he learns how to fight, a gladiator must first learn how to die." "Well done." "You have the heart of a gladiator." "He will need more than that." "Now he knows what he'll have to do when he faces me tomorrow." "Everyone must be searched." "You do the lifting." "Deep breaths." "That was a hard lesson for you." "And the only one he's bothered to teach us." "I don't know what he's got planned for Domitian, but it's not a contest between well-matched gladiators." "He's up to something... and they're all in on it with him." "In on what?" "The only part of his plan I'm sure about... is that, come tomorrow... we're all going to die."