The Last Days of Pompeii Page #6

Those people? They'll always be

barbarians. What will they ever do?

Here's a savage fellow.

A sort of chief, they tell me.

- He looks capable of fighting 20 men.

- Well, there you are.

What'll the battle look like if I have

a handful of slaves to fight these men?

Marcus!

I'll take care of that.

Throw some water on him.

These Britons don't know

how to use their fists.

Your pardon, Excellency.

- Well?

- Pontius' ship has dropped anchor.

What? Order the galley

to be made ready at once.

Your pardon. Pontius Pilate

has arrived sooner than expected.

I must go out and bring him ashore.

Pontius? He's a very distinguished man.

I've never met him.

Then give me the pleasure

of dining with us today.

To meet Pontius? Thank you, I will.

Whatever the motive,

you still will give me pleasure.

Welcome to my house, Pontius.

I've looked forward to this day

for many years.

The house of Marcus.

It's well-established.

Founded upon a rook. I'm glad.

You founded it.

Now, where's my protg?

Where's Flavius?

I sent a messenger

to look for him in the town.

- I wish you could stay for the games.

- I must go on to Rome tonight.

This...

This prefect who asked himself to dinner,

what sort of man is he?

Just a prefect. You know,

great idea of his own importance.

Come, you must rest and bathe

before we dine.

They fought each other.

Ever heard better stories

than our host tells?

I'm not judge of the reminiscences

of self-made men.

You flatter me. It's not my work.

- Pontius is responsible.

- I? Nonsense!

- All that I am, you made me.

- Then I've a good workman.

- Don't you agree, Aulus Martius?

- Oh, assuredly, Pontius.

Fine specimens.

They should look well in the arena.

The arena.

Do you realize that tomorrow's games

may be a failure?

They are my games.

I'll take the responsibility.

You must. It's your soldiers

that must capture the runaways.

Allow me to attend to it.

Fine grapes grow in your vineyard,

Marcus.

It's good to taste again

the fruits of Italy.

The gods are propitious.

Your son doesn't even arrive in time

for the family worship?

I hardly know how to apologize.

I arrived before I was expected.

How was the boy to know?

Where can he be?

- What is it, Leaster?

- The captain of the city guard...

...with a message for the prefect.

He says the prefect gave orders

to follow him here.

- Where is he?

- I sent him to the terrace, Excellency.

If you'll excuse me.

This may be interesting news

to you too.

I hope so. Where is Flavius?

He came in a few moments ago, master.

He's changing his clothes.

Tell him to hurry.

I can hardly wait to tell him

he's going with you.

May we have a favourable wind tonight.

To think that the last time I saw you...

...all you owned was carried

by a few packhorses.

But you haven't changed.

Looking at you...

...I fancy myself back in Jerusalem.

On that day, years ago...

you hurried out of the city

with your treasure.

Loan hear you saying

"Neither god nor man

shall take it from me."

How can you remember

my very words?

I seem to remember everything

about that day.

Things that happened

only yesterday...

...are not so vivid.

At last.

Pontius, this is my son.

A thousand pardons, Excellency.

- I didn't know you'd arrived.

- I'm glad to see you, Flavius.

- I suppose you don't remember me.

- Yes, I remember you.

But there's something else

I'd hoped to remember.

Come with us, Pontius,

while I tell him the news.

The last time I saw you,

I couldn't have leaned upon you...

...not very comfortably.

Very good, Excellency.

Pontius, I must take my leave of you.

I am honoured by our meeting.

- Good night.

- Marcus, good night.

- My soldiers are better than you think

- News of the runaways?

They've caught a slave

who knows the hiding place.

Don't worry about the fight tomorrow.

I'll make him speak.

- We'll catch them before dawn.

- Splendid.

- Now, Flavius--

- Father. Father, I must-

Pontius has gratified the greatest wish

of my life.

He's going to take you

with him to Rome.

- Rome?

- You can be a great man, my son.

Sponsored by an aristocrat,

all the money you can spend.

- There's every chance you may be a noble.

- But-

Everything I've ever hoped for you

is within your grasp.

- You leave for Rome tonight.

- No.

Listen to me, Father.

There's no way I can spare you.

I'm not going to Rome. I'm not going

to do any of the things you've chosen.

- What do you mean?

- You've made plans for me to be a noble...

...like the prefect, I suppose.

He's gone to torture a man

to make him betray his fellows.

- A heartless swine like--

- Silence!

Shall I keep silent forever

in the face of injustice and brutality?

The poor, the persecuted.

There must be someone to speak for them.

Take the world as it is.

I can't. I know

there's something better.

My boy, I've heard such ideas

a long time ago.

They are dreams.

Beautiful dreams, I know...

...but only dreams.

Was it a dream that once

I knew a man of pity who said:

"You shall love your neighbour

as yourself"?

- There never was such a man, I tell you

- Don't lie to him, Marcus.

- There was such a man.

- What happened to him?

I crucified him.

Now, I remember.

The crosses on the hill.

I know now what he meant.

That man accomplished nothing

but his own death.

His teachings will never die.

Have you ever heard

what else that man said?

"Sell all you have

and give to the poor."

Where would you be

if I'd listened to his teachings?

You'd be a labourer...

...sweating all day for a few coppers

as I did when I was young and foolish.

I've done everything I could

to spare you the sorrows of the poor.

You're a rich man's son with a fine

house and slaves to wait on you.

You've had everything

that money has to offer.

I made that money for you.

I know you did.

And I won't benefit by it any longer.

If you don't want my money,

what do you have to give the poor?

Myself.

- Flavius, come back here!

- No, no, Marcus...

...let him go now.

Why did you tell him

his dream was real?

For years I've tried to blot

that memory from his mind.

And from your own too, haven't you?

You can't.

I know.

Master, the galley is waiting

to go out to the ship.

Come see me aboard, Marcus.

Don't let this make a breach

between you. And remember...

when the boy sees reason again...

send him to me in Rome just the same.

He's young-

He still believes in things.

And you and I are wiser?

Perhaps.

What is truth?

But who is this friend?

Who in Pompeii would help slaves?

We don't know.

But he's the man who'll save us.

Friend, what's happened?

Quick, out of here.

The soldiers have got a slave

who knows this place.

- They're torturing him. He'll tell.

- What shall we do?

Scatter and try to reach the ship.

It's our only chance. Hurry.

- He's a spy. He's a spy, I tell you.

- Stop!

- This is our leader, our friend.

- That's Flavius, the son of Marcus.

- You're raving.

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