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Burn.
    ‘And there it goes,’ she muttered as Ryan looked in the
direction of the tumbling backpack and swore loudly. He stumbled off down the
bank of the stream and disappeared from view. Liv sighed. She made her way to
the other side of the temple, following the wire fence that surrounded the
monument. The entrance to the temple was through a kissing-gate, and she pushed
it open, wincing as a loud creak echoed around the valley. She read the
information board, and traced her fingers around the drawing which showed the
temple in its heyday. It was difficult to equate the colourful, mystical place
of fiction with the stone walls which remained in reality. It had been revealed
in 1949, she read, during a long, hot summer. The water from Coventina’s Well
had kept the ground moist, which was why everything had been preserved. She
allowed herself a little smile. The ancient gods and goddesses of the area were
looking out for one another, as if they were guardians of the area. It was a
shame nothing remained of the shrine to the Water Nymphs. She would have liked
to have seen that as well. It was incredible what secrets the ground had kept
over the centuries.
    ‘Have you seen Coventina’s Well?’ asked the backpacker lady,
standing up and crumpling up her sandwich wrappers. ‘It’s supposed to be around
here somewhere.’ She looked around her. ‘I’m not sure where I can find it.’
    ‘It’s over there,’ said Liv, indicating the area across the
field. ‘At least I think it is. There’s a spring over there, anyway. I’d have
loved to have seen it when it was in use.’ The backpacker lady nodded, her
curls bouncing wildly around her face.
    ‘Me too. Such a lot of history. It’s fascinating. I don’t
know whether I believe it was destroyed deliberately or just fell into
disrepair. So many questions. I don’t suppose we’ll ever get the answer to
them.’ She shrugged. ‘Some people think the offerings they found were placed
there for safekeeping. Others think it was a slightly more exciting reason. Enjoy
your day, anyway. I’m going to head up there and see what I can find.’
    Liv smiled at the lady and stood back to let her past. Why
couldn’t Ryan be as excited or as interested in it? It was a Boy Thing. It had
to be. And speak of the Devil; here he came, stumping up to her. He grinned at
her, silently seeking absolution and hoping she was in a forgiving mood.
    ‘So. This is the Mithraic Temple,’ he said, trying to sound
enthusiastic and knowledgeable. Liv nodded, looking at the backpack which was
now dripping water onto the ground. Ryan had the grace to blush.
    ‘Yes, this is the Mithraeum. This was where the Roman
soldiers worshipped,’ Liv said. She headed through the gap at the entrance to
the temple, and walked up the central aisle to approach the altars. Ryan stood
outside and looked around him. He gave a cursory glance to the information
board.
    ‘It’s a bit like a sheep pen, isn’t it?’ he said, dumping the
backpack onto the ground; where it rolled over again and settled itself in a
pile of dirt.

 
    AD 390
     
    Marcus had returned Aelia’s purple dress to her and been
thanked most delightfully for doing so. The festivities of Saturnalia were over
for another year, and Marcus fingered the small bone gaming pieces Janus had
given him as his token gift. He had them in a leather pouch slung around his
waist, carrying them with him in case he was overcome with an urge to gamble in
the vicus. As promised, Milenius had pulled rank on him for the comments he had
made about his wine.
    ‘I know you are more used to working with weapons, Marcus,
but I believe my standard needs attending to. There is a small tear on the edge
of it. Do you think you could mend it for me, perhaps?’ Milenius had said.
Marcus had taken the task on with a smile, and returned the repaired standard
to his superior with good grace. Longinius had been less than forgiving with
poor Janus. Janus had been tasked with