13 I Nighttime in Rome Six months later The night was inky black. The weather in Rome had been terrible all day long. The city seemed cloaked under low gray clouds that blocked out almost all the sunlight. A hard rain fell nonstop. The wind blew, at times in gales. The superstitious saw in this storm a sign of ill omen. The weather only worsened as evening approached. Most Romans chose to stay in for the night. Those brave enough to venture out soon returned home and went to bed early. Rome hunkered down and laid low until the storm passed. Only bandits and thieves rejoiced in this foreboding weather. For them, it was a good night to roam the streets doing their dirty work. The wind masked the noise of their break-ins, and the darkness hid their evil deeds. They could act with impunity, without much fear of the Roman police. It looked to be a long and dangerous night for the occupants of the city. The Roman Forum was deserted. Though there were usually a few people hanging around between the temples at all hours, there was no one about this night. The monuments were closed and empty. There wasn’t a sound to break the silence, except for the wind howling between the colonnades and sweeping
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