The parade stopped at the emperor’s special seating area. The soldiers lowered Honorius on his throne. He moved to a chair at the edge of the box. He waved to the arena crowd again.
Beth was still in the birdcage. Soldiers placed it just behind the emperor. She searched the crowd. Had Patrick gotten away from the soldier?
A guard unlocked the birdcage door. Honorius came to the cage.
“Hello, my little pets,” he said. The emperor pointed out his favorite birds. He said to Beth, “Make sure they are near me—and happy.”
Some birds sat on perches. Others simply wandered around Honorius’s throne. They pecked the seeds Beth had thrown onto the ground. A white dove landed on her shoulder. It cooed in her ear.
She scowled at it. She had spent all night catching the birds. Now she was sick of them.
Trumpets sounded again. The crowd took their seats. All eyes looked down toward the arena floor.
Acrobats emerged from several doorways. They danced and did backflips. They climbed on one another’s shoulders. They balanced on thin poles with one hand.
Beth couldn’t help but peek at the show. But she also scanned the crowds for Patrick.
Next, jugglers appeared. They tossed up large balls and even burning arrows. One seemed to spit fire from his mouth.
“More! More!” the people cheered.
The metal bars in front of the doors had lifted. Slaves drove in animals with whips. Some of the beasts were chained. The slaves poked and prodded the lions, tigers, elephants, and zebras. They roared and trumpeted.
An elephant reared back. Its front legs came down on two men. Beth feared the slaves were badly hurt or even dead.
“Bravo! That’s more like it!” a man in the crowd shouted. The people stood up and cheered.
Beth hid her face.
“What is wrong with you, bird girl?” Honorius asked.
“I can’t look,” Beth said. Her hands were in front of her face.
“What?” he asked. “Don’t you find this exciting?”
Beth peeked up just enough to see his face. “No, Your Highness,” she said. “I think it’s terrible.”
He tipped his head as if her words surprised him. “But the people love the games,” he said.
“They shouldn’t,” Beth said. “Not if people and animals get killed.”
The crowd continued to shout and cheer. Beth turned away from the emperor. She moved to the wall behind the seating area.
“Beth!” a voice called to her.
She looked up. A man in a brown robe was peering over the wall.