RomanQuest (15 page)

149

 

“Well done!” exclaims Caligula. “Now let's see this friend of yours who wants my autograph.”

With which he stands up and walks before you through the door to where Cassius and his men are waiting.

You are about to hurry after him when a gentle hand touches your arm. You turn to find yourself looking into the wild eyes of the Sibyl.

“Well done,” she says. “You've succeeded against all odds in making sure the monster is assassinated.”

“Yes, well,” you say, trying to shake off her hand, “if you'll excuse me I'd just like to get in there and make sure they do the job properly, maybe give them a hand if you know what I mean, help them hack him to bits - can't have too many involved in a job like that.”

The Sibyl smiles. “My, but you've grown bloodthirsty since I met you first. I'm not sure Ancient Rome has been very good for you. Fortunately you'll forget everything you've experienced as soon as you return to your own time.”

There is a dreadful scream from behind the closed door.

“Well,” says the Sibyl, “it looks as if Cassius and Cornelius didn't need your help after all. Caligula is dead and you have played a vital part in bringing that about. I know you would have liked to have done the job yourself, but I'm afraid it's time for you to get back to where I found you.” She takes out her communicator and whispers, “One to beam back.” Then she looks at you and smiles again.
“Sic friatur crustum dulce.”

“What's that mean?” you call out as the world dissolves around you.

 

But the Mercury Phone has already vanished from your ear and there's no answer as you reappear at
160

 

Please select an option from the previous page.

150

 

A small man in a Greek tunic steps in front of you as you scurry through the archway. At once you start scrabbling for a weapon, but he gives you an exasperated look. “The butch ones are always the worst, heaven help us!” he exclaims. “Don't you know the fighting's over when you come through this arch - one way or another.”

“Just let me past!” you growl, determined to get away from this lethal arena as quickly as possible.

“All in good time,” the little man tells you, not at all put out by your tone. “The Senator's made you a free person of the city and since he has his authority direct from our brand new Emperor Titus, you can go anywhere you wish. But I suspect you're a stranger here - am I right?”

Bene credas, you think, trying your hand at a little of the local Latin lingo, you'd better believe it! You're about as much a stranger here as it's possible to be. But aloud you only say, “Yes, I am.”

“In that case,” the little man smiles, “you'll need a map to find your way around. And you'll also need a few denarii to oil the wheels of commerce.” With which he hands you a large leather pouch that jingles pleasantly.

You take the pouch hesitantly. “Who are you?” you ask, frowning.

“The Senator's chief slave,” he tells you cheerfully, stepping to one side to let you pass.

You walk along an enclosed tunnel that takes you outside the circus arena, then stop to take stock of your situation. Something obviously went wrong with your trip through time. You were supposed to land in Rome with the Sibyl who would brief you on how to stop Caligula's parents getting together. You were certainly not supposed to land in the middle of the Roman Games.

You stare thoughtfully up at the cloudless sky. Obviously your most important task now is to find the Sibyl otherwise you're going to be stuck in Ancient Rome forever. But where in this great city is the Sibyl likely to be?

Quickly you open the purse and unroll the parchment map inside. The heading catches your eye at once:

POMPEII.

You blink. Was that trip ever a monumental foul-up! You didn't even land in Rome where you were supposed to. You landed in another city altogether - Pompey!

Pompey? You frown as a memory tickles the edge of your mind. You reach for your copy of the Brief Guide to Ancient Rome. The entry under ‘Pompey' confirms your immediate suspicions. Pompey was the Roman city on the Tyrrhenian Coast that was destroyed completely when the volcano Vesuvius erupted on the afternoon of 24th of August, 79 a.d.

But of course this can't be 79 a.d. since that's long after Caligula died. The Sibyl said she was taking you back to Rome before he was born.

Except she did make a mess of moving you in space since you aren't in Rome but in Pompey instead. So maybe she screwed up moving you in time as well.

A sudden thought occurs to you. The Senator's chief slave mentioned something about a brand-new Emperor Titus. Quickly you look him up in the Brief Guide. Titus became Emperor in July 79 a.d when Vespasian died and only ruled until 81 a.d. If he's brand-new now, that could mean ...

You grab the elbow of a passer-by. “Excuse me,” you say urgently. “What date is this?”

“The 24th of August,” he tells you pleasantly.

“What year? What year?” you demand, half screaming.

He looks at you suspiciously, then tells you only a month has passed since the new Emperor Titus ascended the throne, which is the way most people worked their dates in Ancient Rome. Fortunately your Mercury Phone translates it into the more modern usage. “The year is 79 a.d.” it crackles in your ear.

You release his elbow, stunned. This is the very day Vesuvius is due to erupt, burying Pompey forever!

Oh wow, out of the frying pan of the Roman Games into the fire of a volcanic eruption! What sort of solo adventure author would do this to you? But it's happened now and unless you want to spend the rest of this adventure digging your way out of a lava flow at 13, you'd better get out of here fast. But do you get out by leaving the city or by finding the Sibyl? You've got your map. The choice is yours, but better make the right one before the whole thing blows up in your face.

 

POMPEII

 

Go to...

16
24
75
143
125
95
150
115
45
6
85
35
65
156
135
53

 

Please select an option from the previous page.

151

 

Above the door of this tasteful, shrine-like building, are two words:

Parens Patriae

“The Father of the Nation,” murmurs your Mercury Phone with a catch in its voice.

Beside the door squats an old man with cataract in both eyes. He looks up at the sound of your approach. “Take your hat off if you're wearing one,” he says.

“What is this place?” you ask him.

“It's the tomb of the Divine Augustus,” he tells you soberly.

 

Do you really want to waste time visiting some mouldy old grave? You can always return to
25
right now and select another destination. But if you really must see where the Emperor Augustus was buried, turn to
129
.

 

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152

 

For a moment it seems you've stepped outside of time. The crowd freezes. All sound stops. Caligula's eyes widen. “I remember you!” he exclaims.

 

Maybe you can make a run for it. Try an Absolutely Anything Roll. If it kills you, go to
13
. If it succeeds you can pick another destination from your tourist map at
25
. If it fails, you can meet your fate at
134
.

Alternatively, of course, you can try to brazen it out at
26
.

 

Please select an option from the previous page.

153

 

These gardens are really delightful, beautifully laid out and immaculately kept, while beyond them you can see an extensive sweep of vineyards. But as you move onto the path, you can hear the approach of marching feet and in a moment a contingent of soldiers comes into view.

Their Centurion steps forward smartly and salutes.

“Beg pardon,” he says politely, “but no-one leaves the villa without an Emperor's Pass. “

 

If you have one, you can head for Rome at
25
. If you haven't (or even if you have but don't want to use it yet) you can either return to
83
or go around the side of the villa to explore an odd little annex room at
4
.

 

Please select an option from the previous page.

154

 

“Well, Janus, who's your little friend?” asks Caligula. “No, don't tell me - I really don't want to know. One of your gambling cronies, no doubt, since I only ever seem to meet you giving guided tours of my palace - my palace, do you hear me? - to pay off your stupid debts. Well, you know what happens to anyone you bring here ...”

“No, Caesar, please no! Not that! Please not that! Anything but that!”

“What happens to anyone he brings here?” you ask with sudden interest.

“Please, Caesar, no!”

Caligula smiles at you and his eyes dance with a lunatic light. “What happens is that they face the Quiz of Death, a small amusement I invented one wet afternoon. The rules are simple. I ask you general knowledge questions and if you give the wrong answer I have you executed in the most horrible way I can think of. Fun, eh?”

“Caesar, this young person doesn't deserve the Quiz of Death!” Janus pleads.

Caligula ignores him. “Your first question is this,” he tells you. “Was the name of Julius Caesar's adopted son Anthony or Octavian?”

 

What's general knowledge to Caligula is Roman history to you and me. But if you can't come up with the right answers, you're as dead as bell-bottom pyjamas. If you think Caesar's adopted son was called Anthony, turn to
133
If you think he was Octavian, turn to
106
.

 

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155

 

You look up, panting from the exertion of the fight. A small crowd has gathered around you.

“Here,” says one of the men, “you can't do that. I mean, you can't just go around hacking up Roman citizens - this is a law-abiding city.”

But the crowd gives way in panic as you push your way through. With a huge feeling of relief you skip towards the gate and onto the road out of town.

As you do so, there is a terrifying roar as the peak of Vesuvius splits open and a black pine-shaped cloud erupts from the volcano showering massive red-hot cinders and great globules of molten lava.

“Arrrgh!” you howl as a great globule of molten lava lands directly on your head, burning off most of your face and eating its way through the bone of your skull.

 

After which it becomes quite difficult for you to continue your adventure. Go to
13
.

 

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156

 

The crowds here are enormous and a look round tells you why. This is the forum area of the city, a wide triangular space which features not only the administrative buildings, but an endless array of market stalls and shops of all descriptions. It's the political and commercial heart of Pompeii.

 

And as such you could spend several weeks exploring here, if only you had time. But you don't, so get back to your map at
150
and select another destination.

 

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157

 

“Right again!” exclaims Caligula. “But can you keep this up? Here's a really, really difficult one: Where was I born? Was it Herculaneum? Was it Antium? Was it Alexandria? Was it Capri? Or was it Rome? Believe me, if you get this wrong I shall have an extra specially painful death prepared for you!”

 

Are you going to survive this? If you think it was Herculaneum, turn to
137
If you think it was Antium, turn to
127
. If you think it was Alexandria, turn to
119
. If you think it was Capri, turn to
109
If you think it was Rome, turn to
86
.

 

Please select an option from the previous page.