Chapter 22
The RiverIn early August heavy rains came to the valley of Aquae Sulis.
Lucius tramped about the farm in the mud trying to get a premature harvest in before it was ruined.
The rain fell day after day, night after night, and so heavily that the normally placid river swelled alarmingly, overwhelming the landing stage by Aulus’ farm, and rushing off down to the sea like a great muscular beast, ripping up trees in its path and washing away sheep and cows from neighbouring fields. Soon all low-lying land was waterlogged, and then flooded. Swans and ducks swam where once golden wheat had ripened in the sun.
Aulus’ buildings were on high ground and were reasonably safe, but many wooden shacks near the river where the peasants lived were washed away.
Lucius, thoroughly unsettled by
