Then I heard the voices of the animal-tenders essaying, with their long- handled tridents, to chase back into their cages the beasts loose about me.
Soon someone cut my ankle-thongs and the cords about the quilt, also my arm-thongs. The quilt was twitched from my face and I was assisted to my feet. The amphitheater was full of the yells of the populace, affirming my innocence and the manifest intervention of the gods in my behalf. I rolled my gaze around the audience and sought to interpret the demeanor of the Imperial retinue.
Then, as I gazed at the Emperor, too far off for me to make out his expression, the yells altered their quality.
I turned round.
I saw, running towards me across the sand, Agathemer!
Behind him was an official in the robes of a magistrate!
Behind him six more human shapes, four lictors convoying two bound prisoners.
Agathemer embraced me and I him.
"Saved," he breathed, "we've got 'em and most of the loot. Enough to convict 'em and clear you!"
As we loosed our embrace I looked at the approaching magistrate.