Chapter 14

CHAPTER 14 It seemed the magistrates had listened to Festus's visitor from Rome. Within minutes, guards were rushing out of the Forum, shouting out warnings. "Leave the city! Go directly to the gates!" they commanded. Tata looked at Marcus with relief. They had done their duty. And now, at last, they could leave Pompeii. But as they soon discovered, there would be no easy escape. Marcus and Tata joined the sea of people streaming down the main street toward the city gates. There were rich men and slaves, parents

with babies in their arms and children clutching their robes. Some dragged carts piled high with clothes and dishes and baskets. Others lugged sacks. As they passed the gladiator barracks, Marcus glanced inside the open gates. There was a man's body lying motionless in the grass, a pillar smashed across his back. With a jolt, Marcus realized it was the lanista. Tata saw him too. But Tata quickly looked away as he tightened his grip on Marcus's hand. Cyclops must be somewhere in this crowd, Marcus realized. But Marcus was no longer afraid of him. Everyone in Pompeii was fighting the same enemy now, the most heartless killer of all: Vesuvius. Marcus and Tata inched along with the crowd. The sounds from the volcano were getting louder. But most frightening was the darkening sky. An enormous dark cloud had swept down from the mountain. It stretched over the city, turning the day to night. The cloud was black and boiling, and it rumbled with thunder. And then the cloud tore open.

Bits of rock fell from the sky. They were very small and light, almost like bits of ice. Tata caught some in his hand. "Hardened ash," Tata said. Ping, ping, ping, they hit rooftops. Plop, plop, plop, they splashed into fountains. They bounced off Marcus's head and shoulders and skittered across the street. But within minutes, the sprinkling of rocks had turned into a downpour. The rocks pounded down, hitting the stone streets and rooftops with an earsplitting clatter. Bam, bam, bam! The crowd erupted in panic, pushing and elbowing, shouting. Someone shoved Marcus and he almost stumbled. An old woman fell. But the crowd stampeded over her. The rocks seemed to be getting bigger, pounding harder and harder. Dust rose up, making it hard to see. Marcus clutched Tata's hand. He felt as though they were caught in a stampede of terrified animals. "Hold on tight!" Tata shouted into Marcus's ear. "I want us out of this crowd!"

They pushed and squeezed their way through, dodging sharp elbows and scratching fingers. Finally, they burst their way out of the crush of screaming people. They hurried into a narrow alley. "Too dangerous," Tata said breathlessly. "Many people are going to get trampled." He pulled Marcus into a doorway. They pressed themselves against the wooden door, trying to escape the hail of rocks. But the downpour was even stronger now. Tata pointed to a small temple just ahead. "We can wait there until it stops." They pulled their tunics over their heads and waded through the river of stones. They were just steps from the building when, Whoosh! Marcus's heart stopped as he looked up. It was a huge fireball — bigger than the one that killed Festus. Kaboom! The explosion knocked Marcus back. The last thing he saw before he fell was a huge chunk of rock smacking Tata in the head. Marcus hit the

ground hard, but within seconds he was back on his feet. He charged over to where Tata lay crumpled on a bed of stones. Marcus dropped to his knees, grabbing Tata's hand. "Tata!" he cried. But Tata just lay there, completely still.