Chapter 7

"Let's go," Valleia whispered. "Quickly."

We crouched and ran—even Affron, although Carmody and I still held onto his arms in case he stumbled. At first the ground was flat. Then the terrain gradually got rougher and hillier. I could see the outline of trees in the distance. If we made it to the trees, surely the soldiers on the walls wouldn't be able to see us.

Affron's breathing became harsh and ragged as we started to climb. And then he stumbled and fell.

"Can't go... on," he gasped.

Carmody and I immediately picked him up, and we kept going. Did I hear shouts in the distance? Had the soldiers noticed us? I couldn't tell; I was breathing too hard myself. I didn't know how much more of this I could take. My legs felt like jelly; my bladder felt like it was going to burst. We struggled forward towards the trees, and when we finally made it and the walls were out of sight, we all collapsed on the ground once again.

"They saw us," Valleia said. "At least, they saw something. We need to get down to the river and find a boat. Horsemen could easily have reached the walls by now with news of our escape."

"How far is the river?" Carmody asked.

"Half a mile, perhaps."

"How do we get a boat?"

"That will be the least of our worries." She looked at Affron, still stretched out on the damp ground. "Are you all right?"

"Sorry," he said. "Just... tired."

I wondered if he had been tortured while he was in prison.

I went behind a tree to pee. When I was finished, I noticed Palta squatting nearby, her robe up around her thighs, doing the same thing. She nodded to me; embarrassed, I nodded back and quickly turned away.

"Is everyone ready?" Valleia asked when Palta and I had returned to the group. "Let's go."

We helped Affron up and set out again. I felt better, but not much. The soldiers had seen us. How could we hope to outrun them?

The river, when I finally looked up and saw it, was beautiful, flowing calmly in the pre-dawn light. A few boats bobbed gently on the water or were tied up at the end of docks; on the shore were a few small shacks.

"Do we steal one of those boats?" Carmody asked.

Valleia shook her head. "No need. These people will do whatever a priest tells them to do. One look at my robe will ensure obedience."

We walked up to the first shack. Outside it a man with long, greasy hair and a scraggly gray beard was mending a net by the light of a small oil lamp. Next to him a black cat with yellow eyes glared at us. Near the shack a boat was tied up at the end of a short dock. When the man saw us, he dropped the net, stood up, and bowed deeply. He looked terrified, especially when he noticed Affron, who could barely stand up.

And then he saw Palta, and he became even more agitated. I don't know when it had started, but Palta was standing there, her arms tightly folded, trembling from head to foot. She looked like she was closer to collapsing than Affron. What was going on?

Valleia walked up to the man and started speaking to him rapidly in a commanding tone I hadn't heard her use before—like Hypatius giving orders to Palta. She gestured at the boat at the end of the dock. The man said something back. Valleia repeated what she had said. She took out one of the coins Gratius had given her and tossed it to him. The man caught the coin and bowed again, even more deeply this time. Then he hurried down to the boat.

"I told him we needed to take Affron to Roma for medical care." Valleia murmured to us in English. "And if he doesn't get us there fast enough, we'll blame him." She noticed Palta. "Are you all right?"

Palta said nothing. It looked to me like she couldn't speak.

Valleia shrugged. "Come, then. We cannot delay."

We followed the man down to the boat and got on board. The small vessel rode low in the water with so many of us in it, but it didn't sink. It stank of fish. The man used a pole to push off from the dock and then raised a single square sail. We moved out onto the water, and the current started to take us.

"Keep your heads down," Valleia whispered. "Soldiers are coming."

I took a quick glance, and on the shore I glimpsed torches and men on horseback. I hunkered down in the boat. Would the soldiers spot us? Would they be able to find a boat and overtake us? Would they be waiting in Roma when we arrived?

The bottom of the boat was wet. I was lying next to Palta. Her eyes were squeezed shut, and she was still trembling. What was the matter with her? She buried her face in my chest. That felt nice, but I was too worried to enjoy the feeling. Also, the rocking of the boat was making me a little seasick. I put my arm around her, and gradually her trembling quieted down.

Affron was lying with his head in Valleia's lap. She was gently stroking his hair. Carmody sat next to them with his arms folded. The fisherman stood up while he steered the boat; occasionally he would look down at the five of us and quickly look away, as if merely gazing at viators and their friends was forbidden.

Finally the rocking of the boat must have put me to sleep, because the next thing I knew Carmody was shaking me awake.

I opened my eyes to bright sunlight and seagulls wheeling overhead.

"Roma," Valleia murmured.