The Fatal Fire by Terry Deary

ONE
    Rome, AD 64
    â€œRome is a dangerous place, Mary,” the old man whispered. He pulled a hood over his head to hide his face. “Death is all around us.”

    Mary looked about the street. She could see lots of people… but not this strange thing called Death.
    â€œWhere, master Tullus?” she asked.

    The shops in the street were closed. Today was the day of the chariot races. The shopkeepers knew that the crowds would pack the streets. And where there were crowds, there were thieves.
    In all the shoving and shouting, the dust and the din, thieves would rob the shops and disappear quickly in the crush of the crowds.

    Master Tullus pulled the girl into a shop doorway. He leaned forward. “See that man with one eye standing on the corner?” he asked.

    â€œYes, master.”
    The girl could see the man with a dark beard and a patch over one eye. In the rushing rabble, he was the one standing still on the corner. His one eye flickered round, watching the scene.
    â€œHe’s a thief,” the old man went on. “He’s waiting for a rich man to pass by. If the rich man is drunk then the one-eyed villain will follow him. When the crowd packs into the arena, he will push up against the rich man. He’ll slip a hand into his toga and pinch his purse!”
    â€œHe won’t!”
    â€œHe will!”
    â€œShall we stop him?”

    â€œHe carries a knife. He’ll cut your throat if you try. Would you like that?”
    â€œNo, master Tullus,” the girl sighed. “How do you know this?”
    â€œI’ve seen him hanging around the baths. When the men get undressed, he tries to creep into the changing room and search for their purses. Sometimes the slaves on guard get careless.”

    â€œHe’s a villain,” Mary moaned.
    â€œAnd he’s not the worst. See those gangs?” her master asked.

    â€œThe ones carrying ribbons?” Mary had seen them, with their red or white, green or blue ribbons, charging down the street, bawling and battering people out of their way.
    â€œThe colours are the chariot team they support. They get very excited… some say they don’t sleep the night before the races, and they drink a lot and can turn very nasty. The reds hate the whites and the blues hate the reds. Everyone hates the greens.”

    â€œPoor greens!”
    â€œThat’s the emperor’s team,” the old man said.
    â€œWhat colour are you?” Mary asked.
    â€œGreen, of course,” her master smiled. “But don’t tell that to a red, blue or white. They would probably give me a beating.”
    â€œRome’s a dangerous place,” the girl groaned.
    â€œI told you that before we left the house.”
    â€œYou did, master Tullus,” Mary nodded. This was the first time her master had let her go into the city with him. His serving boy was ill from eating a rotten snail, so she had to take his place.
    Mary watched as the man with the eye patch slid into the rushing crowd, his eye on a fat man in a purple toga. And she shivered.

TWO
    â€œIf the thieves don’t get you, the soldiers might,” said master Tullus.
    â€œGet me?” Mary squeaked. “Why?”
    The old man’s face was as wrinkled as a walnut shell, and it crinkled nastily as he said, “I know your secret, little Mary.”
    â€œSecret?”

    â€œYou’re a cannibal!”
    â€œI’m not!”
    â€œYou are one of those Christians, aren’t you?”
    â€œYes, but…”
    â€œAnd when you have your services, you eat bread and drink wine?”

    â€œWe do, but…”
    â€œAnd you believe that the bread turns into the flesh of your god and the wine turns into his blood, don’t you?”
    â€œWell, yes…”
    â€œSo, you’re cannibals. That’s why you have to keep it secret. The people of Rome don’t like you and your priests. They just need any excuse to turn