Etruscanprophecywhichsaith，\"Whenthemountainopens，thecityshallfall——whenthesmokecrownstheHilloftheParchedFields，thereshallbewoeandweepinginthehearthsoftheChildrenoftheSea。\"Dreadmaster，ereIleavethesewallsforsomemoredistantdwelling，Icometothee。Asthoulivest，knowIinmyheartthattheearthquakethatsixteenyearsagoshookthiscitytoitssolidbase，wasbuttheforerunnerofmoredeadlydoom。ThewallsofPompeiiarebuiltabovethefieldsoftheDead，andtheriversofthesleeplessHell。Bewarnedandfly！’
’Hearme，’answeredArbaces，risingcalmly，butwithagitationvisibleinhisface。’Thismancametothreatenthathewouldmakeagainstmethechargehehasnowmade，unlessIwouldpurchasehissilencewithhalfmyfortune：Iremonstrated——invain。Peacethere——letnotthepriestinterruptme！Noblepraetor——andye，Opeople！Iwasastrangerintheland——Iknewmyselfinnocentofcrime——butthewitnessofapriestagainstmemightyetdestroyme。InmyperplexityIdecoyedhimtothecellwhencehehasbeenreleased，onpretencethatitwasthecoffer—houseofmygold。Iresolvedtodetainhimthereuntilthefateofthetruecriminalwassealed，andhisthreatscouldavailnolonger；butImeantnoworse。Imayhaveerred——butwhoamongstyewillnotacknowledgetheequityofself—preservation？WereI
guilty，whywasthewitnessofthispriestsilentatthetrial？——thenIhadnotdetainedorconcealedhim。WhydidhenotproclaimmyguiltwhenI
proclaimedthatofGlaucus？Praetor，thisneedsananswer。Fortherest，I
throwmyselfonyourlaws。Idemandtheirprotection。Removehencetheaccusedandtheaccuser。Iwillwillinglymeet，andcheerfullyabideby，thedecisionofthelegitimatetribunal。Thisisnoplaceforfurtherparley。’