Laughing Wolf Read Free Page B

old-fashioned — Mr. Taylor projected an air of formality yet was clearly pleased to be in the garden. The abundance of green was such a treat for his eyes, the grass, the shrubs, the two fruit trees, both of which were starting to blossom. A wall of bushes was broken here and there to accommodate flowers or the bust of a thinker. And along the garden’s boundaries was a high brick wall that blocked out everything except the sky’s expanse and the meandering clouds.
    With its vegetation and simple fixtures, it was hard to believe this sanctuary was perched on a terrace fifteen stories above street level.
    â€œ Vale fili mi .”
    â€œ Vale pater .”
    These greetings exchanged, Felix eyed his father and was surprised to see how tired he looked. Instead of standing with his impeccably straight posture, his shoulders were stooped and his neck drooped slightly, as if his head were too much of a burden to carry. And his eyes were ringed and lacked their usual lustre.
    â€œAre you okay?” Felix asked with a note of concern, “You look tired.”
    â€œI am tired, but there’s work to do.”
    â€œYou saw mom’s hologram? She’ll be home in six weeks.”
    â€œYes I saw it. It’s wonderful news.”
    â€œWhat’s that?” Felix asked, pointing to a book his dad was carrying. It was small and bound in bright blue leather.
    â€œIt’s nothing really,” his father said vaguely. “A work of history, that’s all.”
    â€œBy whom?”
    â€œSextus Pullius Aceticus.”
    â€œAceticus? The vinegary one? I’ve never heard of him.”
    â€œHe’s not well known,” his father agreed. “And this edition in my pocket is particularly rare. Still, he’s … interesting.”
    â€œWhat period does he cover?”
    â€œWe’ll discuss it later,” Mr. Taylor said dismissively. “Let’s start and read about Spartacus’s struggle. His story is why I assigned the Life of Crassus . Over the last few days this era has come to obsess me.”
    â€œOkay,” Felix agreed. While his dad took a seat, he selected the right chapter and translated from the Latin into Common Speak.
    He read how Spartacus had been a gladiator in the town of Capua. His owner Batiatus had treated his slaves badly, confining them and beating them often. Spartacus and others were determined to escape. Using a mix of kitchen utensils, they stormed their guards, fled the school, and armed themselves with swords and spears before venturing due south. When the praetor Clodius led three thousand troops against them, Spartacus and his companions crushed this army, gained a cache of weapons for themselves, and attracted many more slaves to their cause.
    â€œThe Romans don’t come off well,” Felix said.
    â€œThey most certainly don’t,” his father agreed.
    â€œThey had slaves and encouraged gladiatorial games ….”
    â€œThey have their better aspects, too. It’s strange how civilization can contain such savage elements.”
    Felix continued. A second Roman army arrived — it consisted of six thousand soldiers — and Spartacus promptly routed it, too. By this time twenty thousand slaves had joined him. Aware he couldn’t beat the Romans forever, he led his troops as far as the Alps and advised them to leave Italy and return to their homelands. They refused, preferring to plunder instead. As they roamed the countryside and attracted more slaves, they killed Rome’s soldiers by the tens of thousands.
    â€œThere’s so much death,” Felix lamented.
    â€œIt isn’t pretty,” his father sighed, “But it’s important to know the truth about ourselves. If we want to grasp humanity in all its dimensions, we have to see ourselves as we are, and not as we would like ourselves to be.”
    â€œI suppose,” Felix said, with a lack of conviction. “I’m just