Chapter 15

The old man paused as a contingent of Roman soldiers came marching down the road toward them. They were in multiple rows of five men each, marching in cadence to the beat of drummers who followed the military parade. People stepped aside to make sure there was room. The soldiers did not vary whether they ran into someone or not, simply shoving encroaching pedestrians away. As a result, no one stayed in front of them for very long.

The soldiers must have been no more than 20 yards away when the old man grabbed Longus’ arm. “Come on,” he urged with obvious anxiety in his voice. He hurried into shadows created by an overhanging balcony and found a spot next to a booth selling Greek ceramics and urns. Longus felt his chest tighten. He had already come as close to Roman soldiers as he ever wanted to. Instinctively, he stepped back into the darkness, too.