"'I know that someone close to me is dead." "'I walk towards them, trying to see who it is." "'But before I can see, a voice in my head says, "Won't you come?"" "'Before I can say goodbye, he lifts me into the sky, and then..." "I know.'" "OWL HOOTS" "DISTANT SINGING" "Uh-uh." "Slaves do not have the honour." "Dives freed me before he died." "It was witnessed." "Name the witness to this ceremony nobody knows about." "Can't remember." "Ah." "How convenient." "Hephzibah can't remember being freed." "I'm not a slave!" "I was freed, Nonius!" "Everything Dives had is mine." "Only I can free you now." "And I would only do that if we were to marry." "Never!" "Farewell, Dives." "Oh, look, my old dolly." "You must keep her for baby." "Hmm." "I like her." "She looks like how I feel." "A complete mess, but still happy." "Miriam." "Come inside and rest." "Please father, I'm fine." "Why won't you let me examine you?" "While Gaius is away, I'm responsible." "You don't need to be." "I've got a friend coming to look after me." "Who is this friend?" "Not a doctor, obviously." "Hephzibah's a midwife, and a good one." "We knew them in Jerusalem." "Little Hephzibah who used to pull your hair?" "She's just a child, Miriam." "You would choose her over me?" "I met her a month ago in the market." "It's a sign." "She's been sent to look after me." "Miriam, I must see Miriam!" "Hephzibah!" "SHE SOBS" "How's the hunting going?" "Flavia, get behind me!" "Flavia?" "Oh, it's a pain." "Ow!" "I've got enough holes in me, thanks!" "Whilst your father's away, you're not supposed to leave my protection." "Some bodyguard you are!" "Why are you letting her wander around?" "Hello?" "I am here!" "I came to fetch you." "Stick to Flavia like glue, Geminus said." "Be quiet." "Miriam's got a mystery." "Hardly life or death!" "Our mysteries are always life or death." "Jonathan." "Jonathan, wait!" "Why are you being like this?" "I had one of my dreams." "A prophecy?" "A good one?" "Aah!" "If Hephzibah can't find this witness to her freedom, she becomes Nonius's slave." "He's one-eyed, and twice as mean." "I was a slave, until Flavia freed me." "Then you know how I felt when Dives gave me my life back." "We'll find this witness." "We must." "But can you remember his name, Hephzibah?" "No." "He was some kind of official." "He had a mark shaped like a butterfly here above his eyebrow." "Yes, like that." "So Hephzibah calls her witness, to prove she's free." "Hephzibah can't call anyone to court." "Not while she's still considered a slave." "We need a Roman citizen, but with Uncle Gaius and Pater away in Sicily..." "Aristo!" "He can help." "Aristo's Greek." "We need a Roman with knowledge of the law." "I can fix that." "Let's go to the Forum." "We'll find the witness and a Roman citizen." "Coming, Jonathan?" "Jonathan?" "Help me up, idiot boy!" "You're like an ant that's swallowed a grape!" "Who are we looking for?" "A fine Roman citizen of impeccable character." "Don't hold your breath!" "If he's in Ostia, he'll be here." "Who?" "Never seen him in my life." "It's Papillio, the Decurion." "Are you sure?" "Of course I'm sure, I'm the town crier round here." "I think she guessed that, Praeco." "I know everyone." "See that birth mark over his brow?" "Papillio means butterfly." "The entrails of my sacred chickens never lie!" "There'll be a murder in Ostia before the month is out." "Fear not, for I can save you all from this prophecy - only five sesterces." "Get out of here, you drunken rascal." "For you, make it ten!" "No..." "If I see you flogging your charms around here again, I prophesy... my boot on your backside." "Oh." "Oh, sorry." "How about a sacred pullet?" "Get you a trade discount." "THEY LAUGH" "Poor Floridius." "No-one likes a soggy fortune teller." "I'd give you a coin or two, but I'm having a cash crisis at present." "Have you had any luck with your Roman citizen?" "He wrote to say he'd visit." "He must be delayed in Rome." "Order the Vigiles to bring Hephzibah back." "She's my property, Gratus." "The Court Vigiles have other duties." "As soon as they return, I will give them their orders." "That Jewish slave girl's mine." "I have spoken!" "We have to find a Roman citizen to bring Papillio to court before Hephzibah's arrested." "Aulus Probus Floridius." "Fortune teller, sacred poultry dealer and orator." "Odd jobs and horoscopes a speciality." "Roman citizen?" "Of course, Roman citizen!" "Are you dumb, boy?" "Hmm, how unfortunate." "I could, er, I could cure that, for a small fee." "The court will start soon..." "What do you want?" "Ah, the universal language of money." "Lead on." "Floppy!" "Please don't call me that, Flavia Gemina." "I've been looking all over for you!" "Too late now." "For the summons, but Flaccus is an orator, he can speak for Hephzibah in court." "Lupus found a Roman citizen to issue the summons and Nubia found the name of the witness, Papillio." "What did you do?" "I found you." "Very wise." "My first case and my shortest." "With witness testimony, the hearing will be a formality." "Your slave girl will be free by this time tomorrow." "I wish he hadn't said that." "It tempts fate." "Did Jonathan tell you about his dream?" "He saw a funeral." "A body." "He thought it was his." "Sometimes a vision is not about the person who dreams it." "The body could be Hephzibah, it could be me." "It could be any of us." "It'll be your coming of age soon." "Yes, I can't wait." "Don't be in such a hurry." "I'm not a child." "I've fought in the arena." "It takes more than a sword to make you a man." "What's wrong?" "I'm worried about your sister." "We'll look after her." "If she lets us." "That's probably money that Miriam gave to her to act as midwife." "Who are they?" "I think I saw them at Dives's funeral." "They must be his slaves." "She can spend it how she likes." "Miriam trusts her." "Isn't that enough for you?" "Summons one, Nonius." "Summons two, Papillio." "Papillio first." "Yes." "I thought I'd lost my best friend forever when we fled Jerusalem." "I can't lose you again." "Not now." "I'll keep my promise." "Your babies will live, I swear." "We've been going round the temples." "An old Centurion told us that Papillio became friends with Dives while training for the Legion." "He was there the same time as you." "When the city fell, we went to the temple, but it was already burning." "I saw a fat legionary running away, carrying treasures." "It was Dives, wasn't it?" "That's how Dives became so rich." "He stole the temple treasures." "My mother and I were sold." "Dives recognised us in the slave market and bought us." "Why?" "Thought he owed the Jews his fortune." "He was ashamed of his wealth and how he'd got it." "Nonius reminded him of it every day." "Nonius?" "How did he know?" "He also witnessed the looting." "He blackmailed Dives." "Dives agreed to leave him everything." "And then dropped down dead." "Convenient." "Rumour was, he was smothered in his sleep." "Are you sure you issued the summons to Papillio?" "I give you my word." "If he doesn't turn up, there'll be one less nervous chicken round here." "Citizens, the court will sit shortly." "Greetings." "Greetings." "A copy of the summons." "Gnaeus Helvius Papillio of the Garden Apartments at the Marina Gate." "Why isn't he here?" "Excuse me, Gratus, I have to go to the latrines." "Oh, thank you for sharing, Nonius." "I will alert the Senate." "The Hydra fountain is near here, I'll get us some water." "Don't be long." "Follow her." "I don't want her disappearing now." "Would you like me to sacrifice this nervous chicken to ensure the verdict?" "Only three sesterces." "No, thank you." "Let's go and search the square and the Basilica for Papillio." "I will try his apartment." "I'll come with you." "I really do appreciate you staying." "I just didn't want to be alone." "Not with Hephzibah away." "She has to be there." "It's her freedom." "I know." "But I'm afraid, Jonathan." "You're not the first to have a baby, Miriam." "It'll be fine." "I hope so." "I'm having twins, Jonathan." "Hephzibah's sure of it." "Twins?" "Like Gaius?" "Have you told father?" "No." "And you mustn't tell him." "It's my wish that you keep him away from me during this birth." "He can't know." "I mean it." "But why?" "It might be dangerous." "I can see that you like Hephzibah." "I want you to trust her." "She's delivered twins before." "I need her." "Swear you'll protect her, whatever happens." "I swear." "I just don't like keeping things from Father." "A man has to make many difficult decisions in his life." "According to Father, I'm not a man." "According to Father, I'm still his little girl." "He can't admit we've grown up." "He's forced to admit YOU have..." "lumpy!" "You try the first floor." "I'll knock on the doors down here." "We couldn't find him anywhere." "I'm a busy man." "I cannot wait all day." "Where's Nonius now?" "There he is." "He looks sweaty." "You look a bit nervous, Master Flaccus." "Quite sure about that chicken?" "Yes, quite sure." "Take it all in your stride, as my old rhetor Quintilian would say." "You studied with Quintilian?" "For five years." "Such a fine orator." "The best." "I have his collected works." "What did you study?" "Well...well, all of his oratorical skills, my boy." "Quintilian was particularly impressed by my gestures." "Not those kind of gestures, Lupus." "I lost her in the back streets." "SHE SCREAMS" "Papillio!" "I...didn't tell." "Find the other six..." "..by Hercules!" "Get the Vigiles." "Hurry!" "A clumsy blow, but it did the job." "Hephzibah's only witness." "What's going on?" "Papillio, he's been murdered." "I found him." "No!" "His left hand!" "No greater insult than to point with your left hand." "It was her." "She killed Papillio." "That makes no sense." "Why would this girl want to kill the one person who could prove she was free?" "Perhaps he was the only person that could prove that she wasn't." "Except Dives." "By Hercules, she could have killed him too." "I thought his death was suspicious." "Brutus, arrest that girl." "Why?" "I'm sorry, Flaccus, she was absent for a time, so is a suspect." "Nonius has accused her." "You know a slave has no rights." "My only proof has gone." "You are not slave." "Tell Miriam I'm sorry." "What did I tell you?" "I said there would be a murder." "My feathered friends never lie." "There'll be a real trial now, you're going to need all of Quintilian's tips and tricks." "Why don't you engage me as a tutor?" "I'm very cheap." "Yeah, I've noticed." "But even a bad student of Quintilian would be a help." "Yes, yes, let's go." "How could this happen?" "Because Dives freed Hephzibah, in secret with only one witness." "Papillio was killed with a short dagger." "A gladius taken from his own wall." "A legionary's weapon." "It was a killing stroke, but not wielded with great strength." "A woman could have done it." "What are you saying?" "What do we know about Hephzibah?" "We haven't seen her since you were children." "A lot can happen to a slave in that time." "You don't trust her!" "I will do what I can." "I will take her some food and a cloak." "I'll see what bail they're asking for." "The rest is up to Flaccus." "You swore you would help her." "It is too dangerous now." "Someone is prepared to kill." "I'm not afraid." "These people are my friends." "It's good to have friends." "But this is business." "There's enough money here to buy a town house." "It's yours, if you can help me win this case." "Now, what can you tell me about these cursed children?" "Well, we could start with how Flavia Gemina acquired her little friend Nubia." "And then he said, "Find the other six, by Hercules."" "The other six?" "Six what?" "That's what we must find out." "They want to arrest Nubia!" "I've sent Caudex to delay them." "Why?" "She's told the magistrate what she saw." "Nonius told them she's a slave." "But I freed Nubia." "Did Marcus pay the slave tax and register it at the Forum?" "Don't know." "Know what they'll do?" "What?" "A Roman citizen just died at your feet." "If they want you to give evidence, they' torture you." "It's the law for all slaves." "KNOCKING AT DOOR Run, Nubia!" "Where's the girl?" "Nubia did not kill Papillio." "Now that thought hadn't occurred to me." "But who knows what will tumble out under torture?" "Where is she?" "How should I know?" "She's not a slave, she goes where she pleases." "She was freed." "Just like your friend, Hephzibah?" "Slaves must be tortured to prove they are not lying." "What can I do?" "It's the law." "You're hiding a fugitive." "We're hiding no-one." "Jews." "Trouble-makers." "Since we burnt Jerusalem, they've spread around the Empire like rats from a sinking ship." "But then, I'm an expert rat-catcher, eh, lads?" "She won't get far." "Quit fighting, you slave!" "Stand still!" "Get her chains on her!" "Two slave girls together." "You'll have lots to talk about." "For a short while, anyway." "The gods are laughing at us." "Now they say I was not freed either." "They'll torture you for your testimony." "I know." "If I confess to killing Papillio, they won't have to." "There won't be a trial." "Did you kill him?" "Are you a slave?" "No." "Then you stay free and you tell the truth." "And when they come, I will go willingly." "I can't let you do this." "Miriam needs you." "No-one needs me." "That's not true." "The body in your dream, Jonathan, it could be anyone." "If I die, the prophecy will be fulfilled." "The rest of you will be safe."