19
Pushed from their stone waiting cells by guards with pointed spears, the mass of convicts grouped together into a narrow dark hall. The sheer number of men being pushed into the space forced those who had already entered to move forward, down the hallway, until they were finally funneled into a wider room where they crowded together and waited.
High in the darkness above their heads the heavy wooden ceiling pulsated with thundering movement. The sounds of racing horses and chariots, along with the deafening shrill hum of the cheering crowd rose and fell like ocean waves flooding through the darkened space, washing over the captive’s fearful souls. A mist of dust released from the vibrations above, filling the air with a musty choking smell.
More men were pushed in through other adjoi
