The Fatal Fire by Terry Deary Page B

tumbled out from under the stall. She snatched the cloth from the table and beat at the flames that were steadily climbing the arena wall.

    But the fat was burning fiercely and she only managed to set fire to the cloth, which scorched her hand. She dropped the cloth and watched in horror as the greasy sausage table burst into flames.

FOUR
    Mary looked around for water. There was none. She threw herself into the arena entrance. She ran inside and up some steps that led out into the rows of seats.

    Luckily, the first race had finished so the crowd had quietened down. Hundreds of people were able to hear her scream:
    â€œFire – the arena’s on fire!”
    The masses turned and saw the smoke rising.

    The arena was huge and there were lots of ways to escape. In the time it takes for a chariot race, the place was empty and the frightened horses had been led away.
    Mary followed the crowd that hurried through the streets. She looked back to see the arena was already a wall of flame.
    There hadn’t been any rain for weeks, and the blue, spark-spangled smoke rose into a clear sky. A breeze blew the smoke towards the city and showers of fiery soot fell on the houses and temples.

    The cloud of smoke travelled faster than Mary could run. By the time she’d reached the centre of the city, some of the roofs were already smoking and people were running to save their families and their homes. A few tried to gather buckets and form a chain from the fountain.

    But the fire from the sky was defeating them.
    Mary sprinted to her master’s house and panted her message: “Rome is burning!”

    The servants ran to the pond in the garden and plunged in a bundle of blankets. They threw them onto the roof to stop it catching alight.
    Master Tullus hobbled in to give orders. “Load a cart with our best gold and silver ornaments. Take them out to my country villa. If this house burns, it burns. The gods will have their way.”

    Mary helped load small statues that were studded with precious stones. Then she ran behind the cart towards the hills.
    When at last the family and servants were safely away from the thundering roar of falling buildings, they looked back. Everything in the path of the breeze was burning. Half of Rome was tumbling into ruin.

    â€œAll from one sausage pan,” Mary groaned.
    â€œWhat was that?” her master snapped.
    â€œNothing, master. Nothing,” she said and turned to follow the cart. She muttered a prayer to her god. “He saw me, didn’t he? The man with the eye patch… Just before he disappeared, he saw me. He knows I saw him. He’ll try to find me and kill me, won’t he? You will look after me, won’t you?”
    Mary’s god didn’t answer.

FIVE
    Rome lay in ruins. It smelled of smoke and soot. Mary led the donkey that carried master Tullus back into the city.

    The old man couldn’t stop chuckling. “Oh, Mary, today could be the day that sees more excitement than a hundred chariot races.”
    â€œYes, master Tullus,” she said, and shook her foot to get rid of a stone that had stuck in her sandal.
    â€œDon’t you want to know why it will be exciting?” he cackled.
    â€œYes, master,” she said wearily.
    â€œBecause today could be the last day of the emperor Nero. He could be thrown out of Rome… or even killed! And it will serve him right. He is a cruel man… of course I can’t say that he is cruel or he’d have me executed in some horrible new way.”
    â€œBut you did say it, master,” Mary pointed out.
    â€œAh, but only to you… and you don’t matter.”
    â€œNo, master.” Mary led the way through the city gates and passed a group of weeping people who were searching the warm ruins for anything they could rescue.

    â€œThe tales they tell about Nero! He had his own mother murdered, you know? Then he had his wife murdered so he could marry the lovely