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Septimus slumped back against a low stone
wall and puffed out his cheeks.
"Phew, but I'm getting exhausted. I can't
really Walk more than just me, normally, so I'm tapping your talents to
let me do a lot of this. I'm not as powerful as you, Tommy boy, and it
seems it's beginning to tell. I need a rest," he said, yawning. Tom too
felt very tired, confused and bewildered. He also wanted to ask Septimus
about his family, but felt to weary to ask right now. He just nodded.
"Yes, indeed, we all need a rest," Septimus
said, "so, we must find somewhere to hide. I know just the place and
just the time. Whoever they are, they won't find us there."
He stood up but then slumped back down,
looking pale and weak.
"You can't manage anything, Septimus," Tom
said. "Let me Walk us all. Where are we going?"
"Rome ... let's say, AD 25. It's a busy city
at the heart of a mighty empire: very easy to hide and hard for anyone
to follow us there."
Tom nodded and tried to move them back to
ancient Rome. He found it difficult to concentrate on the task, however.
He was still depressed over his failure to save the family, as well as
scared about being chased by these men armed with guns. So it transpired
that, distracted by these feelings, they found themselves appearing not
in the bustle of ancient Rome, but in a field. Tom stared around,
realising that he had no idea of where they were, or, indeed, what year
it was.
There was a shout from nearby. As they
turned at the noise, they saw a dozen men advancing on them from twenty
yards away: men wearing tunics and sandals, helmets of bronze, and
carrying large round shields, brightly painted with different symbols,
and long, very sharp spears. Mary gave a gasp of terror and Tom felt his
hear pounding, half with fear and half with excitement. These were Greek
warriors: he recognized them from the movie Troy, which had been
about the hero Achilles.
"Well, that could have gone better!"
Septimus observed, as they were surrounded.
"Sorry!" Tom said weakly. He tried Walking
again, but the journey they had undertaken, along with those earlier on
in the day, not to mention that he had hardly slept the night before,
had drained him.
One of the warriors said something,
presumably in ancient Greek. To Tom's surprise, Septimus answered in the
same language.
The warrior scowled and snarled a reply to
the Welshman. Septimus' face blanched and he whispered a few words to
Tom and Mary.
"Sorry to say, but we're in deep trouble.
They think we are spies from their enemies and they want to execute us!"
The warriors now leveled their spears and
advanced upon them.
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