Chapter 4

Sirius and Rosa were on the roof of Curios' domus. They walked along the edges where they were closer to the light down below. The job paper was right: the place was heavily guarded with Roman soldiers.

They made their way over to the atrium (the room on the other side of the doorway. In Rome, the doorways were called ostiums), and to the compluvium (the whole in the roof of the atrium to let in rainwater and light. Underneath the compluvium is the impluvium, which collects the rain water and sends it throughout the domus to supply the plumbing systems).

"Who is Senator Brocooli and why does he want Senator Julius assassinated?" Rosa asked Sirius.

"Senator Brocooli is doing it for a good reason, I'm sure. He's genuinely a nice man."

"And he wants a fellow senator assassinated?"

"Senator Broccoli is known as the 'Peoples' Champion'. The papers in front of him were from his most recent excursion to the middle class and poor areas. He goes and asks the common people of Rome what they think would benefit themselves and Rome. He even asks women and children what they think. He brings these issues to the senate floor and has actually made many changes for the common people."

"He seems like a raging sexist."

"That's just how everybody was raised, don't think too much into it."

"And who is Senator Julius?"

"He's a crooked senator who shouldn't be in that position of power. He tries to counteract all of Brocooli's bills and make it harder for the common people to live and to just survive. He also tries to make it so the aristocrats can do anything. Literally taking from the poor and giving to the rich. Sort of like a reverse Bulla Felix." (Bulla Felix was the Roman Robin Hood).

"Oh. He sounds like an a-," She was cut off from a scream down in the garden. She looked at Sirius. "By the way, what is your specialty? You've never told me."

"I'm an archer by trade."

"Oh," She blinked a few times feeling stupid that she hadn't seen the bow and arrow quiver strapped to his back. "I'm blind, apparently."

Sirius laughed then said, "Alright, I'll shoot the men who are still around Julius. Most of the men went over to investigate the scream."

Rosa looked over the edge to see, in fact, that a lot of the guards had gone to check on the scream. It was a fat lady who had fallen into the fountain. Rosa assumed it was Julius' wife, as she looked like an aristocrat, as she was in a fine, now water-ruined dress, and she looked like she ate well. Rosa chuckled as Sirius looked over the ledge and had to cup his hand over his mouth to stop him from laughing and giving away their position. Rosa could see tears forming in his eyes from holding in the laughter. That can't be good for his health. But his laughter made her chuckle, too.

The guards were having a hard time getting the lady out of the fountain and the two had finally settled down. "If our location gets compromised, I'll jump down and finish them. I'll throw my kunai up and if it doesn't land right, just stick the tip into the roof," she showed what she meant by doing it with her kunai.

He looked at her confused, "But how will you get back up if you're just going to throw your kunai?"

She stared at him. Then, she pointed to the rope belt tied to the end of her kunai.

"Ohhhhhhhh. I'm slow."

"A little." And with that, they set their quickly made plan into action.