Гладиатор
A Prisoner Again
heardshoutsinastrangelanguage.Itwashot,toohottobreathe...
Maximus’seyesopenedslowly.Centimetersawayfromhisfacewasawildtiger-andthisonedidnotgoawaywhenheclosedhiseyesandopenedthemagain.
Helookedaroundandrealizedthathewasoneofseveralmenchainedtogetherinadirtyslavecarriage.Thereweresmallwindowsatthefrontandbackandonbothsides.Helookedthroughoneofthewindowsandsawothercarriagestravelingwiththem.Wildanimalsinchainswerewalkingalongwiththem,someclosetothewindowthathewaslookingthrough.Hefellbackontothefloor,thinking,"Thismustallbeaterribledream."
WhenMaximuswokeagain,hesawtwelveslaves,allchainedtogether,alllookingathim.Outsidethecarriagehecouldhearmentalkinginalanguagehedidnotunderstand.Someonewaslookingdownathim,abigAfricanman.
"Juba,"saidtheAfrican,givinghisname.He,too,waschained.
Maximusmovedwithgreatpainandsawthattheswordwoundonhisshoulderwasworsethanhehadrealized.Jubawasputtingsomethingonthewound.Maximusfellbackagainandslept.
Whenhewokeagain,theAfricanwasstillwithhim."Yousee?"hesaid."Nowyourarmisgettingbetter-it’sclean."Heputhisfingergentlyonthewound."Don’tdie,"saidJuba."They’llfeedyoutothetigers.They’remoreexpensivethanweare."
Maximusstaredathim,andJubalookeddownwithasmallsmileonhislips.
***
ThedesertheatofMoroccowasnotlikeanythingthatMaximushadknown.Thehotairmadebreathingdifficult.
