"Jonathan, come back to us, please!" "..Children keep going missing." "He has great power, like a spider with a big web." "I've brought you some new playmates." "The best way to find the children is split up." "Keep away!" "Please find my daughter!" "Do you see pirates?" "Yes." "Your slave can't bathe with you!" "You ever think to run away?" "We'll escape." "We have a ship." "Your uncle's wine - my favourite." "A great pity his farm's lost under the ash." "Is it very bad?" "A sea of destruction, beyond all imagining." "Your survival seems almost a miracle." "A miracle of your own making, Flavia Gemina." "Flavia and her friends made money by playing to other poor people." "Did you hear about THAT?" "A musician too?" "I love music!" "Will you play?" "No, I don't..." "I..." "My slave girl will play for you!" "Nubia!" "SHE PLAYS A MELANCHOLY TUNE" "THEY CLAP" "She's very accomplished, a real musician." "What's the tune called?" "Nubia?" "Slave Song." "You ARE there!" "I didn't see you skulking in the shadows." "What do you want?" "Don't speak to me like that!" "I want that thing you were playing." "That." "I want to try it." "It is no toy." "Are you refusing me?" "Felix can buy you plenty." "I want this one, now!" "Give it to me!" "Now look what you've done!" "You selfish, spoilt..." "Is not I selfish, spoilt!" "How dare you!" "What's going on?" "Nubia?" "What's the matter?" "Your flute!" "What happened?" "She was insolent." "Ask her." "You broke it!" "It's your fault." "You spoilt her." "You can't let them behave like that!" "I know you mean to be kind." "I don't need you to tell me what to do!" "Here." "I expect you can mend it." "I don't need you to attend me any more this evening." "Idiots." "Taking one from a patron's own clients!" "Bring her back as fast as you can." "She'll talk." "I'll make sure she doesn't." "Why did I trust you?" "Actors." "What's her name again?" "Maia Rustica." "Daughter of Rusticus." "Now get rowing!" "I'll meet you back here at dawn." "Um..." "Jonathan!" "Have you seen Nubia?" "I thought she was with you." "Lost your slave, Fulvia?" "I'm really worried." "Nipur's gone too." "Jonathan?" "Jonathan!" "Here she is." "There we are, Maia." "All safe and sound." "Just a silly mistake." "I've got something very special for you." "If you can keep a secret?" "Nubia!" "I think she's run away." "One of the house slaves said he saw a black-skinned girl going up the hill." "Why?" "Ask your friend." "Pulchra?" "But we'll be gone in a few days." "Did you have a row?" "No!" "I don't know!" "We just have to find her." "I'll ask Felix." "Felix, the spider?" "We can use his web to help us." "Come on, he must still be seeing clients." "We wish to see Pollius Felix." "Please, it's very important." "A thousand thanks, Patron." "I'll never forget this." "Come, Maia." "Scary spider!" "We should talk to her." "Find out..." "Come in, children." "I've finished." "Pollius Felix, we've come to ask for your help." "What can I do for you?" "It's Nubia." "I think she's run away." "Nubia?" "Your dog?" "No!" "Nubia." "My slave girl." "I have men who find runaway slaves, Flavia Gemina." "But it sounds as if you're fond of this girl." "Better they don't find her." "Why not?" "These are difficult times." "The Emperor's given orders to crucify any runaways I find." "But you wouldn't!" "Not Nubia." "If you need a slave, use one of mine." "We have to find her." "Are you sure this is the right way?" "TWIG SNAPS What was that?" "Pulchra!" "You..." "What are you doing?" "Just going for a walk." "Going to sneak on us?" "No!" "I just wanted to help." "Liar!" "Loud mouth!" "Bully!" "Swot!" "Harpy!" "Gorgon!" "Ow!" "Get off!" "You fight like a girl!" "I am a girl!" "Grab her!" "Four!" "That's a good haul." "Takes us over 50." "You know what that means?" "More brats to hide?" "No, a bonus from the Patron." "You always get the easy ones." "Stop complaining and count the sesterces." "Ah, get off!" "I'm going to the refugee camp." "Do you want to drive?" "Untie their hands?" "It's that or break their necks, which would be a waste." "No funny stuff, or I'll give you a helping hand." "Go!" "Downstairs." "Nubia?" "Well..." "looks good." "And just in time." "Bonus time." "You're making a huge mistake!" "And how's that?" "Don't you know who I am?" "Sorry, darling." "Happens to us actors all the time." "I'm Polla Pulchra, daughter of Pollius Felix." "You've heard of him?" "!" "I am!" "And this is my slave girl." "Tell them, Leda!" "Nice try." "Had me going for a moment there." "Now get over there!" "We have some business to attend to." "Don't go away." ""I'm Pulla Poker." "I'll tell my daddy on you, naughty man!"" "All of these people are runaways and they all have a story." "Master beat me every day, and Mistress was worse." "Always watching... waiting to find fault and scream." "I worked 25 years in the family house... but when I lost my looks..." "What about you, Nubia?" "What is your story?" "My story?" "No story." "Then play for us." "No flute." "I tell flute story." "First note is father note... la." "Then mother note, laughing and low." "Taharqo, big brother, bravest hunter in the clan." "Kashta, my cousin, my friend." "Shabaqo and Shebitqo, little brothers, always fighting." "Seyala, baby sister on my mother's back." "You'll be free." "You can find your family, Taharqo and the rest." "I think they all die." "Then I'll look after you." "Ahem!" "What's the news?" "Good news." "The ship's ready." "We sail at moon rise." "You can start getting everyone on board." "We have to do something." "But what?" "We can't swim." "And we can't climb up with our hands tied." "I'm sorry." "I got you into this." "It's all my fault." "No, it isn't." "Cheer up!" "Cheer up!" "Is that the best you can do?" "No." "As a matter of fact..." "Hello, everybody." "I'm Jonathan and I've got a question for you." "How many pirates does it take to light an oil lamp?" "I don't know." "How many pirates does it take to light an oil lamp?" "Three." "One to light it, and two to make ugly faces." "I say, Jonathan, how many Patrons does it take to light an oil lamp?" "How many Patrons does it take to light an oil lamp?" "Just one." "But he can't do it without 20 clients kissing his..." "Flavia!" "And I thought you were a nice girl." "Is there a Rufus here?" "Boy, are you in trouble with Julia!" "You know Julia?" "I want Rufus!" "Melissa from Pompeii?" "You are so late." "Isn't your hair done yet?" "Who are you?" "Why are you here?" "We've come to save you." "LAUGHTER" "No, really, we have." "Exactly how?" "We're not sure yet." "Pollius Felix controls everything round here." "My father would never do this!" "You heard them, Pulchra." "The Patron's paying a bonus for 50 children." "No!" "It can't be." "How much do you know about what your father does?" "He's changed." "He's always busy now." "Ever since Mother left." "Your mother left?" "They divorced last year." "She prefers to be in Rome." "I wanted to stay with Father." "He was so lonely." "But he never has time for me any more." "Last night was so lovely, like being a real family again." "I'm sorry, Pulchra." "Really, I am." "I'm sorry I hit you and called you names." "But Nubia's my friend." "You're lucky." "Time to go!" "This is the last one, Fuscus." "She's with me." "Isn't that right?" "You are my friend," "I trust you." "Fellow slaves, I promised you a ship to Alexandria." "And here it is." "But ships cost, I'm afraid." "A few decent ransoms and the selling price of the children should cover it." "MEN LAUGH" "Where's Crispus?" "He's late." "Crispus is my father's right-hand man!" "Thank you, Lucius." "Put him down." "I've been expecting you." "Jonathan?" "Jonathan." "Here, take this." "Hot wine for my comrades." "I'll do it." "What is truth?" "Are you Kuanto or Fuscus?" "Both." "I was Kuanto but my master was good to me, made me his freed-man, Fuscus." "Put me in charge of capturing runaways for crucifixion." "Your master is Felix?" "Yes." "But he isn't as sharp as he used to be." "Always doing as Rome tells him." "Crispus and I saw opportunity." "Waifs and strays...no-one to know where they've gone." "So, we've started a business of our own, selling children." "DOOR OPENS Crispus, at last." "Nice, Fuscus." "Yours?" "Let's get on with it." "Name?" "Jonathan ben Mordecai." "Can your parents pay ransom?" "My father owns his house." "Name?" "Flavia Gemina, daughter of Flavius Geminus, sea captain." "Sea captain?" "Over there." "Name?" "That one's a slave." "Next?" "Polla Pulchra, daughter of Pollius Felix." "What?" "Lucrio, you've captured the Patron's own daughter!" "You fool!" "How was I supposed to know?" "They brought her in." "You told us as many children as we could." "Venus and Mars!" "If he hears of this, we're all dead men." "Throw them overboard." "We can still sell them." "You'll pay for this." "Back with the others." "Aren't you going to ransom us?" "Not any more." "Thanks to her." "We need to get rid of you all." "Aren't they supposed to be falling asleep?" "What has happened?" "This is bad, very bad." "We will sell them far away, they'll never find them." "Britannia." "Felix a spider, monster web." "If it were up to me, we'd throw her overboard." "Crispus will not hear it." "This is a great pit we've fallen in." "Great Jupiter, keep still!" "What is there?" "Sand cobra!" "I can fly!" "Get it off me!" "I can't breathe!" "Stay away." "You harpies won't get me!" "You father's got some funny stuff in his capsa!" "It's all right, Leda." "We're going to be all right." "I dreamed this!" "Save the children." "It was all in my dream." "Is there anything to eat?" "I'll show you." "Let's turn it round and head back for shore." "Great." "Er..." "How do we turn it round?" "Behold!" "NO!" "Not Venalicius!" "Not now!" "Who?" "Venalicius." "The slave dealer!" "I knew he was in league with pirates." "So, what's the plan?" "What plan?" "Breakfast, anyone?" "Nubia, would you have run away?" "Door to freedom was open." "You would." "But I thought we were friends." "You are kind." "But I am a slave." "I think we're all in the same boat now." "Don't make a sound." "Where's Crispus?" " That's me." " What have you got for me then?" "You haven't kept them very well." "Captain Geminus' daughter." "What a nice surprise!" "I'll take them off your hands now, if you don't mind." "Or even if you do." "Seize them!" "Breakfast!" "Nubia, watch out!" "Lucius, restrain these men." "Daddy!" "Crispus, what happened?" "We tried to... ..Save them." "He's lying, Daddy." "He's the ringleader!" "No!" "No, Lupus." "It's all right, it's all right." "Why did Lupus attack Venalicius?" "He's hating... more than I or you." "We don't really know much about Lupus." "And why did Venalicius call you one of his Nubias?" "He is calling us all Nubia." "All girls of my clan." "Your name isn't Nubia?" "What is it?" "Shepenwepet, daughter of Nastasen of the Leopard Clan." "Oh!" "Is that what I should call you?" "Shepenwepet?" "Here I'm Nubia." "Patron, I've heard that if you ask your slave to recline with you it means you're setting them free." "That is the tradition." "Nubia..." "In front of all these witnesses, I invite you to recline with me." "No." "What?" "Nubia, don't you want to be free?" "Of course." "But I have no family, no place to go." "You don't have to leave!" "You're part of our family." "As long as you want to be." "Then..." "I choose to be free, and stay." "Thank you." "Nubia, I have something for you, to say sorry and thank you." "Thank you, Pulchra." "What will happen to the children?" "I'll return them all to their families." "Runaway slaves?" "I will give them their freedom." "And I'll pay their price to any who have owners." "But my greatest thanks is to all of you for helping me remember what is most precious in life." "Silly daddy, as if he'd forget me!" "Nubia, will you play for us?" "This song name Land Of Green." "Come on, you two." "The roads are open." "We're going home." "Mum is alive, isn't she?" "Yes." "He's gone to find his mother." "We thought she was dead." "She is." "Susanna is a slave in Titus's golden house." "You're going to kill Titus?" "We've got to go after Jonathan." "Watch out!" "Mother?"