RomanQuest Read Online Free PDF Page A

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33
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    â€œWell,” Caligula shrugs absently, “you’ve survived the Quiz of Death, although in my opinion that was a sheer flook since you don’t look nearly intelligent enough to have answered all those questions correctly. But I’m a man of my word, as anybody will tell you and Sic biscuitus disintegratus as we Roman Emperors like to say.”
    â€œWhat?” you ask abruptly. “What did you just say?”
    â€œ Sic biscuitus disintegratus ,” Caligula repeats. “It means That’s the way the cookie crumbles.”
    â€œNo it doesn’t,” whispers your Mercury Phone. “It’s pig Latin. It doesn’t mean anything.”
    â€œNo it doesn’t,” you tell Caligula. “It’s pig Latin. It doesn’t mean anything.”
    â€œAre you contradicting me?” Caligula frowns.
    â€œOf course not, Your Majesty,” you say quickly. “I was absolutely wrong and I withdraw what I said unreservedly. Sic biscuitus disintegratus does indeed mean That’s the way the cookie crumbles.”
    â€œNo, it doesn’t!” whispers the Mercury Phone.
    â€œShut up!” you whisper back.
    Caligula smiles broadly. “I’m glad you’ve come to your senses,” he says. “Now here’s your prize - a ticket for the Palatine Games at the Circus Flaminius. I’ll be in attendance myself a little later this afternoon, so I’ll probably see you there.”
    With which he sweeps away humming a mad and merry little tune to himself.
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    Leaving you to exit double quick to 25 where you can select another destination.
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34
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    This is some building. The U-shaped structure seems to go on forever. There’s a notice outside the main entrance reading:
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    Circus Maximus
    Seating Capacity
    150,000.
    Come early to
    avoid disappointment.
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    You join the queue parading through the archway, but as you are about to enter, a sad-faced man stops you.
    â€œWhere’s your ticket?” he demands.
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    If you’ve got a ticket for the Circus Maximus, you can find yourself a seat at 51 , otherwise you’ll have to return to your tourist map at 25 and pick another destination. Unless, of course, you want to make like a gladiator and fight your way in at 148 .
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35
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    â€œExcuse me,” you call politely to a passer by, “but where will this road take me?”
    â€œTo the sea” she tells you cheerfully. “This is the Porta Neptunia . You’ll find the Temple of Neptune just across the way if you want to make sacrifice for a safe journey.”
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    Look, not to sound superstitious, but when in Rome and all that - it might be a good idea to ask this puella for directions to Neptune’s Temple and maybe make a small donation for your safe journey at 12 . As against that, Vesuvius may blow at any second, so an even better idea might be to get on your bike and head out of here quick as boiled asparagus, as the Emperor Augustus used to say, at 69 .
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36
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    These old Romans were amazing engineers. You sort of think things like central heating and all that jazz had to be modern inventions, but that first room you beamed into when you arrived had underfloor heating and this little room seems to be the boiler house that drives it. Apart from the fact that it uses solid fuel, this set up wouldn’t be out of place in an ofch s-d in East Cheam.
    â€œOil-fired centrally heated semi detached in Cheamus Orientalis,” murmurs the Mercury Phone, obviously bored at having so little to do lately.
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    There is a door in the western wall of this room leading to XXII and a door in the southern wall leading to XXXXVIII .
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