JULES and Verne enjoyed the walk they had with McFlius and Lorrainia. They got to see much of the ancient city while it was standing. There wasn’t much of a city to look around since this was still in the days of the Republic. Everything behind the Capitol was still outside the city limits. The city limits were dictated by a huge wall in which the Capitol acted as part of it. The boys saw photographs of the ancient ruins but some of the buildings that became ruins have even been built yet. There was no Coliseum, Trajan’s Forum was centuries away, as were the Arches of Septimus Severi, Constantine, Titus, Claudius, Tiberius, Gellien, Marcus Aurilius, and Diocletian. All there was were temples, a huge racetrack called the Circus Maximus, and some houses. All the buildings were made of marble.
“This is awesome.” elated Jules.
Both McFlius and Lorrainia looked at each other as if to say “Awesome?”
“Young man.” commented McFlius, “Your choice in words are very strange indeed.”
Jules and Verne looked at these servants who looked so much like their Marty
and his mother Lorraine. Jules said “Sorry about that.”
“That’s alright.” said Lorrainia, “Charlton Heston talks that way too. Are you sure you two are related to him?”
“No way.” said Jules trying to avoid the fact that he and his brother are the sons of Doctor Brown who in the eyes of the Romans was Emmettus, “We’re just here for the ride.”
“I see.” said McFlius.
Jules and Verne began to notice McFlius and Lorrainia talking about them like they want to raise a family themselves.
“Uh oh.” said Jules.
“What is it, Jules.” said Verne.
“Turn off your translator.” said Jules and Verne did.
“Okay, Jules.” said Verne as Jules turned off his, “What is it?”
“Do you notice how McFlius and Lorrainia are acting?” asked Jules.
McFlius and Lorraina overheard the boys and started talking in Latin.
“Yeah.” said Verne, “So?”
“They’re acting like they should raise a family themselves.” said Jules.
“I don’t see what the problem is.” said Verne.
“That means falling in love.” said Jules.
“Oh no!” said Verne, “And if they marry each other…”
“There will be no George McFly or Lorraine Baines, both of whom are Marty’s parents.” said Jules.
“And without George or Lorraine McFly,” said Verne, “there’ll be no Marty to go back to 1955 and write dad that warning note about the Libyans or fall in love with Jennifer.”
“And without dad surviving the Libyans,” said Jules, “there’ll be no one to go back to 1885 to keep mom from falling into the Shoanash Ravine and without mom, we don’t exist.”
“What are we going to do?” asked Verne.
“We ask them what they’re talking about.” said Jules, “Now turn on your translator.” Verne did. After Verne reactivated his, he turned to the two adults and asked “Hey guys, what are you two talking about?”
“About having kids ourselves.” said Lorrainia.
“You mean with each other?” exclaimed Jules.
“No.” said McFlius, “For I am betrothed to someone else. Caesar permitted that before he died. I cannot leave this woman for my fellow servant. It seems that the Fates will not permit that kind of joining with Lorrainia.”
“And I am beloved by another man.” said Lorrainia, “I cannot leave him for McFlius.”
“Thank God.” said Jules.
“God?” exclaimed the two servants.
“I mean, thank the Fates.” said Jules.
McFluis smirked. “Are you from Judea?” he asked.
“No.” said Jules, “I’m from…I’m not supposed to tell.”
“I see.” said McFlius.
They came across a huge stadium.
Jules nudged his brother saying “Hey Verne, check it out.”
Verne did. “Wow!” he said, “What is it?”
“It’s the Circus Maximus.” said McFlius
“The circus is in town already?” asked Verne.
“No, you dork.” said Jules, “The Circus Maximus used to be-is really a race track, like a horse race. Isn’t it, McFlius?”
“It is, young man.” said McFlius, “The Circus Maximus is an oval-shaped track used for chariot races. It’s closed today because of yesterday’s tragedy.”
“You mean, Caesar.” said Jules, “Mar-Charlton told us about that. We‘re sorry to about the loss.”
“Is chariot racing your favorite sport, McFlius?” asked Verne.
“No.” said McFlius, “But there is a greater sport that is popular to the Romans. It’s called Harpastum.”
“Harpastum?” asked Jules, “What is that?”
“It’s a game adopted from the Greeks’ Phaininda.” said McFlius, “It’s a game played on a field that has a line drawn in the center from sideline to sideline. The object of the game is for one team to get the ball over from their side of the field to the opponents side of the field without letting the ball touch the ground. Of course, the opposing team would steal the ball from them and put it back on the original side of the field. Only the player with the ball could be ‘held’ which is why he keeps passing it from playmate to playmate to avoid tackle.”
“Wow.” said Jules, “Where we come from, we play baseball and football.”
“Baseball and football?” asked McFlius, “What are those?”
“Baseball is a sport where someone throws a ball to someone holding a stick called a bat and the person with the bat is supposed to swing and hit the ball so he could run around touching four bases while the guy who threw the ball has to get it to stop the runner before he could score.” explained Jules.
“Score?” asked McFlius.
“Yeah.” said Jules, “You have to touch all four bases in order to score.”
“And football?”
“Football is similar to Harpastum.” said Jules, “But the players have to wear helmets and shoulder pads in order to play.”
“Why?”
“Because it’s a rough sport. And you run these plays called ‘downs’ and you got four downs to make ten yards or you have to give up the ball to the others side.”
“I see.”
“And if you march it down the field about a hundred yards without giving up the football you score a touchdown.”
“This is an interesting sport this football.” commented McFlius.
“McFlius.” said Lorrainia.
“Yes, Lorainia.”
“It’s getting late. We have to get back and help with the other servants prepare dinner.”
Eying the sun, McFlius said “You’re right. Okay boys we gotta go home for supper.”
“Aw.” said the boys.
“Don’t worry.” said Lorrainia, “You got a week to see the Rome our late master built.”
“And remember,” said McFlius, “it wasn’t built in a day.”
“Heard that expression before.” said Jules as the four turned to return home.
++++++
Upon arriving at Caesar’s house, Marty was in the living room talking to Calpurnia about the trip to 15th century Florence he had with Jennifer.
“…and she said ‘What’sh ith to you, losher?’” said Marty.
Calpurnia laughed as Marty said that. “She was that drunk?” she asked.
“Believe me, ma’am,” said Marty, “She was plastered. I mean she was awesome when she was drunk.”
Calpurnia laughed some more.
McFlius and Lorrainia gave each other a peculiar stare. Jules and Verne understood this since it was only yesterday that their mistress lost her husband. They knew what was going through those two servants’ mind: Why is she so happy even though she had just lost her husband?
If only they knew that Calpurnia had spent yesterday in the future.
Then, she and Marty noticed that the two servants had returned with the boys and said “I see you’ve returned.”
“Jules.” said Marty, “Verne, how do you like Rome so far?”
“Awesome.” said Jules.
“Yeah.” said Verne, “I’d like to see more of Ancient…” Then, Jules nudged Verne on his shoulder, so Verne said “…I mean just Rome.” He had an embarrassing smile on his face.
McFlius turned to Calpurnia and asked “Shall I prepare dinner?”
“Yes.” said Calpurnia.
“What will it be tonight?” asked McFlius.
“I’ll join you shortly.” said Calpurnia, “Get the kitchen ready and I’ll tell you what I would like to have tonight.”
“Very good, ma’am.” said McFlius as he bowed and left.
Turning to Lorrainia, Calpurnia said “Lorrainia, please have the servants prepare the guestroom for Heston.”
“Very good, ma’am.”
“And then, have the nursery room prepared for the two boys.”
Lorrainia studied her mistress before saying “Yes ma’am.”
She bowed and left.
++++++
After dinner, Calpurnia had the servants take cots up to the nursery. The nursery itself was intended for the children of Caesar and Calpurnia in the event they had any. It was adjacent to the master bedroom. It had a crib that was removed and put into storage as the cots were moved in.
Marty was to sleep in the guestroom that he had when he first arrived here in the past while Jules and Verne were given the nursery. It was late in the evening, when the two boys were tucked in their beds.
Calpurnia came in to say good night when the boys requested that she read them a story. Knowing their father, Calpurnia said to them “There was another inventor like your father one time.”
“Oh yeah?” asked Jules.
“Yes.” said Calpurnia, “His name was Daedalus. He and his son Icarus lived in Athens where there reigned an evil king called Minos who exiled the both of them to the island of Crete.
“But Daedalus was smart and one day he and his son collected some feathers and wax and made two pairs of wings in order to escape the island.”
“And what happened?” asked Jules.
“Well the two put on the wings and flew off the island back
to civilization.” said Calpurnia, “But Icarus flew too high and the sun
melted the wax causing the feathers to fall. Without feathers Icarus couldn’t
maintain his height and fell into the sea.”
“How sad.” said Verne.
“Grief stricken, Daedalus continued to Sicily where he constructed a temple dedicated to the god Apollo and there he left his wings there.”
She looked at Jules and Verne and saw that they were both asleep.
“Good night Jules and Verne.” she said as she blew out a candle that was lit and left.
++++++
Outside Calpurnia’s room was a figure lurking in the shadows. It was Jandicius. He was in allegiance with the conspirators who yesterday murdered Julius Caesar. And when he overheard the widow mention the name “Jules”, he though the he was named after Caesar and that he and Calpurnia did have a son after all.
Realizing this, he went down to the bird cages where the homing pigeons were, wrote a note, removed one of the birds and attached the letter to the leg of the bird. Then, he sent the bird east saying “Now go to Brutus and Cassius.”
Of all the servants that the late dictator had, one of them was a traitor.