"Help!" "Help me!" "Help!" "Kidnap?" "We must save them, the children." "And Porcius?" "How long does HE live?" "Who's Magnus?" "I don't know!" "He's a giant, they call him King of Slavers." "Argh!" "Pater!" "Is your mother dead?" "I don't know." "I was in the party that snatched young Zetes." "Lupus!" "Lupus, no!" "Look!" "Father, it's an omen!" "By whom or by what, I know not, but he is blessed indeed." "That was a wonderful thing, Lupus." "Your mother?" "It was her gods who protected you on the mast, wasn't it?" "Alive or dead, she loves you." "Poetry." "The vain prattlings of an idle fool." "Will you free him now?" "How can I do that?" "Too useful, is he?" "He was never a slave." "Zetes, if you would call me anything now," "I wish you to call me friend." "It may take a little getting used to." "Once a slave, always a slave." "And when Magnus gets hold of you, he'll cut your hands off." "He won't get me, and he won't get the other children." "Oh, yes, he will." "And those he doesn't use, he'll sell or have killed." "It's all right, Captain, nothing too serious." "What about the sail?" "It's useless." "There's an old one in the hold." "Land." "Hey!" "Hey, it's land!" "Not just land, though." "It's Rhodes." "An island of wonders." "Giants!" "Statues." "They built them to honour the gods." "And is one of these Colossus?" "I'm afraid that one fell over." "Sometimes the gods are hard to please." "Perhaps they'll help us find Magnus." "This Rhodes is a sad place." "Right, you lot, today you're just tourists, so please stay in the harbour." "I'll buy you a souvenir." "That could bring us good luck." "I'll take care of repairs and I'll see you at nightfall." "Hopefully." "So, what now?" "We look for carpets." "And what do we do?" "We split up and look around." "That's what tourists do, isn't it?" "Come on, Jonathan." "Thank you." "Believe it or not, I am extremely wealthy and I was hoping to buy some carpets, especially any made by this weaver." "Nothing?" "They're from the Temple of Apollo." "They won't talk to you." "To anyone." "Flavia?" "Flavia?" "Flavia?" "MUFFLED YELLING" "Flavia?" "SHE SQUEALS" "Let her go." "Let her go!" "Who are you?" "!" "What do you want?" "My name is Mendusa." "Stand up!" "My stick...?" "You're lame?" "She's blind." "What do you seek?" "At the moment, we're looking for carpets." "I have heard." "But what do you seek?" "She just said, we're looking..." "We're looking for Magnus." "That is not a name to be spoken." "It's a name for your nightmares." "Do you know where he is?" "Listen for the street of the coppersmiths." "You mean LOOK for the street?" "Ssh." "She means listen." "Please help me." "Why are so many blind?" "From working on the looms." "When they can't see any more, they're thrown out." "Porcius?" "He'll be in the factory, I'm sure he will." "If he made the journey." "Magnus, we know where to find him." "His emblem, it is here." "It's all right, we'll get help." "Lupus!" "Lupus!" "Stop!" "Come down!" "You!" "Keep working." "You keep working!" "Come on, back to work." "Move." "Move!" "Be quiet, get working!" "Come on, move!" "Lupus saw the children." "Working on the looms." "He didn't see Porcius." "Some of them might be sold already." "They'll be on a ship somewhere." "Well, if they're still in Rhodes, we can stop them." "Not yet." "Why?" "It will be my word as a magistrate that imprisons them." "And you'd get the credit - is that it?" "Junior magistrate." "For all your mystery-solving, young Gemina, you fail yet to see what drives men, even to the good." "We need proof." "Right." "So how do we get you into the factory?" "Your ship was wrecked and you found some children on a beach." "And now you would sell them." "All right." "But he won't buy what he can't see." "Where would I get children from?" "This way." "He's here." "Lupus?" "What is it that you seek?" "Answer me." "What has filled you with sorrow?" "Your mother?" "She rests here." "Alive or dead," "I cannot say." "But there is one who can." "It must be done." "I'll ask for some ridiculous amount, er, 30,000." "He'll think I'm an idiot and throw me out." "But if he offers anything, I've got him." "I've got a business proposition for you." "A giant." "It's true." "Well?" "And you are?" "What have you got to sell?" "Just some flotsam washed up on the shore." "Our ship was wrecked." "I thought I was the only survivor, then I found these creatures half drowned." "Damaged?" "No." "Not at all." "Good condition." "As new, I'd say." "And what makes you think I would be interested?" "Well, you are or you're not." "Magnus is a carpet-maker." "If you want a carpet, you've come to the right place." "If not, go elsewhere." "Oh." "All right." "I will offer a price." "But I never negotiate - take it or leave it." "As you wish." "50,000." "Well, that's..." "Generous." "Indeed." "But..." "I was thinking perhaps more like 80,000." "Oh, 80." "HE LAUGHS" "I pay 80, and they are mine to do with as I please?" "Er, I suppose so." "As I said, I never negotiate." "Leave my house." "And if ever I see you again, you are a dead man." "Make sure they are followed." "Flaccus, take this to the Governor." "He can organise men to capture Magnus." "I'll go to the magistrates." "What about the slave ship?" "And all those kidnapped children?" "Of course, Cyrus and I will look for the ship." "Flavia, I never known such a girl." "Well, perhaps once - and I married her." "Now please get on the ship and wait for us to return." "I don't like to see them unguarded." "Marcus?" "Sextus!" "I don't believe it!" "Oh, excuse me, sorry, Captain Geminus, I forget my place." "Your place is with me." "Sit down." "I thought you'd drowned." "Yeah, so did I!" "Bato, Sextus here was a member of my crew on the last ship." "We went under." "So, what brings you to Rhodes?" "The tide, as ever, and the search for work." "I'm looking for a crewman." "Well, if you promise to stay afloat this time!" "We're looking for a man called Magnus." "The slaver?" "We think he's loading his ship with children from Ostia, Neapolis and Syracuse." "Well, there's a vessel in the mouth of the southern harbour." "Sextus, as ever, I'm indebted." "And as ever, I won't forget it." "Flavia Gemina?" "Sextus!" "Hi." "Yes, I'm supposed to be dead." "I'm a ghost!" "And who is this?" "A traitor." "One of Magnus's men, eh?" "Well, you know what I do to traitors." "No, Sextus, we should wait until the magistrates arrive." "I never wait for magistrates." "No, no, please." "Magnus will reward you for saving me." "I know." "Come on, chain them up." "One thing I learned since your father left me to the fishes is never let sentiment get in the way of business." "Chain them up." "Magnus is all powerful." "Don't worry, your father won't miss you." "He'll be dead." "And do you know how?" "There's aren't any children on that ship, only Magnus's men." "And they're waiting for him." "I think she's sick." "Well, it's a big sea, plenty of room for another Gemina." "What about the other children?" "What have you done to them?" "Welcome to the Vespa, king of slave ships." "FLAVIA:" "No!" "This is my father's ship!" "Bring them in." "Flavia, what is it?" "Shift yourselves, it's going to get crowded." "Porcius?" "Porcius, is that you?" "Nubia?" "And Jonathan, Flavia?" "We've come to save you." "Well, thanks." "Get a move on." "Quiet!" "Thank you, Mendusa." "This is the voiceless boy I've been hearing about." "Don't blame her, she's just one of my many possessions - along with you." "Your mother's dead." "Sorry to break the news, but she died well, gave her life to the gods for you." "Child of the storm, you are special." "Now I'm offering you a life." "You will be my son and heir." "I'll teach you everything." "Think about it." "What else have you got?" "No home, no mother." "You can't hurt me." "Ursus!" "Careful, careful, Ursus!" "Put me down." "Thank you." "That's right." "Ursus, my bodyguard." "So, what do you say?" "It's yes, or..." "I'll have to kill you." "Oh, all right." "Ursus." "Kill him." "Ursus, stop him!" "AAAAAAARGH!" "Ursus, you idiot!" "Changed your mind?" "I didn't think so." "Careful." "FLAVIA COUGHS" "Is this how I should die - of the plague?" "She has it." "Look at her." "Lupus, come here." "Now, let's discuss what I can do for you." "You wouldn't let me die!" "Mendusa, give me a hand." "Come on." "I left you hands, didn't I?" "HIS VOICE FADES:" "Mendusa!" "I know the signs." "I lost friends to plague in a ship like this." "And the ship lost crew." "You should throw her overboard." "What's your master going to say to a ship full of dead children?" "And the others." "There are more sick - throw them too." "Quickly!" "Before it spreads." "What are you doing?" "What's going on?" "She has the plague." "She has tricks, that's all." "Nice try, Flavia Gemina." "Kill them." "If they're free, kill them." "Do you hear me?" "All of them." " Is that clear?" " Yes, Captain." "None of them will leave this ship alive." "Chain them!" "Flavia?" "Flavia!" "The slave ship was empty." "I thought I told you to keep out of trouble." "Porcius, my friend," "I think you might be going home." "OK!" "THEY LAUGH" "Looking for someone, Cyrus?" "Me?" "No, no." "I just thought...a vain hope." "Sometimes one has them." "Uncle?" "Sorry, I thought the voice..." "Mendusa?" "Is it you?" "My child, I've looked for...for so long." "My mother?" "Father?" "Waiting." "Waiting." "Lupus." "Your mother has no grave." "But she is not in this world." "She has given her life to the gods as a sacrifice." "Yes, yes." "She is alive, as I am alive." "But you cannot see her." "Lupus, if you would trust me, then you may dream of her." "Drink." "# To a child's eyes" "# The moon is wise" "# For it's in him that wisdom lies. #" "I cannot leave the gods' service, for that is my vow." "But you, you have a family again." "Friends who love you." "But never, never think that I have left you." "(Wherever you travel... (I am with you.)" "Goodbye!" "We're going home." "I'll miss you, goodbye." "Goodbye, Declan." "Goodbye." "It'll take a while to find all their families." "Yes." "But a joyful task." "I'll be staying on a little." "There's much to discover in Rhodes." "Right." "Well, I suppose I'll miss you, a bit." "I've written you a poem." "It's beautiful." "Well, it had to be." "Hey, what's that for?" "Bye now!" "Hope to see you soon!" "Have a good voyage." "Bye!" "What's that he gave you?" "Nothing." "It's just a little..." "No." "He wrote you a poem!" "Let me see." "No!" "Let me see!" "No!" "Everyone, to work." "We're going home!"