"I should like to learn about Christ," he said.
"I will teach thee, Lycias, though I am but a weak follower of my
Master."
The next day, the one before the games were to take place in the
Circus, two things happened.
Alyrus, met again by Lycias, took him to the marble quarry by the
Tiber, where, on the slowly flowing river, were moored great ships.
There was a veritable forest of masts, cut from the strong cedars of
Lebanon, and the groves of Mt. Hermon.
"That is my ship, yonder," he said. As they emerged from the wharf, Alyrus was suddenly jostled by a rough-looking shepherd. Lycias caught the Moor in his arms to prevent his falling. The draperies Alyrus wore were disarranged and a small object fell, unnoticed by him, to the ground. Lycias placed his big, sandaled foot over this object.
"Dog of a shepherd!" raved Alyrus, running after the man.
Lycias stooped, picked up the small object and thrust it into his gown and soon reached the Moor by a few long strides.
"Let him go!" he advised. "See, he is already almost out of sight."