Plot 6: The Mystic Flute/Claudius’s wick./Finding the treasure

The children happened to find themselves in a whirl of a carnival on an August day. Dozens of merchants offered their goods, and several of them employed children as town-criers. Especially the boys took the fancy of this task. Andras undertook to advertise the goods of a hat-maker with a four-line poem. As a reward for his successful activity as a town-crier he could keep the hat. He waved with it to the people in the procession. The costumed people brought back the 2000 year history of the town. Roman legionnaires, gladiators, archers and flag-artists ensured contemporary atmosphere.

As the procession moved away, music sounded from over the walls. Also a song mingled with it, which mentioned the name ISIS and OZIRIS. The children were fascinated by the music, and they put some questions: ‘Who are they? How is the story connected with Savaria? Whose cult are they cultivating? Who composed this wonderful work?

Meanwhile Andras was accosted by a poorly dressed man, who noticed the children’s interest in music. He offered a cross-word puzzle for the hat. He told them that the solution of the puzzle would give a solution to the music. The hanged realised, and the children began to solve the puzzle. The others started a research on the Internet about the story of the music, and they asked for help their friends, acquaintances, and also people in the street.

When they had solved the puzzle, they got two coordinates, which led them into the Iseum, where in a certain place they met a flute-player. They had to show the code that brought the flute of the well-known opera sound.

On the way they deciphered the code. They were pride but unsure as they were going to the mystic flute that was indicated by the coordinates. As they showed the code to the flute-player, his flute sounded, and the children began to dance round him. They were thinking of the piece which may the mirror, and than maybe also the gold coins would turn up.

The children happened to find themselves in a whirl of a carnival on an August day. Dozens of merchants

Claudius’s wick.

The time-machine started in a few seconds, and the centuries began to rush back.

The children got into the 4th century. Life was busy near the emperor’s castle. A group of soldiers were going into the public bath, and they were speaking about the emperor’s arrival. A cart was waddling on the Amber road. It stopped to pay duty at the toll-house, as usually. Its passengers were making for the inn, and meanwhile they gave the pottery a look.

Over there in the shadow of the trees the children of the camp were playing. The time-travellers approached them with a fear, but shortly they made contact. They played hare and hounds. The gist of it was that the teams took turns playing the role of the chaser and the pursued. Members of the pursued team stood along a line. The other team chose a chaser who stood several meters farther. Members of the pursued team have to run in a safe place, into a circle that is appointed farther. The children who are touched while escaping became slaves of the chasers. The children tested both roles. The smartest slave-hunters got valuable family ornaments from the local children. Most of all they got Claudius’s wick. After the game the time-traveller children set down under a tree with the children from the colony, and they started a useful conversation.

Andras showed them their devices that were quite unknown for them. The curious children of the colony guessed how the devices of the children from the future can be used. They asked the children to take a photo of them, and than they lend their clothes, so that they can also perpetuate themselves in contemporary clothes.

While speaking, it came into question that the time-travellers were searching Roman treasure and they were looking for the pieces of a broken mirror. They think that if the mirror is complete they can get the information that is necessary to find the treasure. Also the children of the camp heard from the legend, and that the demon of Savaria scattered the parts with the secret on the territory of the colony. The local children suggested they should inquire at the toll-house, as lots of valuable goods and strange things are kept in its depot.

The children greeted the soldier serving at the toll-house respectfully. When they told them the aim their travel, and spoke about the mirror, he got a bit mistrustful. Zoltan asked the soldier with respect, and he got friendlier when he heard about the children’s conscious travel-searching action. The soldier said that usually the toll-house didn’t give presents, but can make changes. But he can make changes only with the residents of the colony. The children showed them the photo in which they were in Roman clothes. Than the soldier went into the depot without a word. A long silence followed. The children were looking forward to finding the last piece of the mirror, as than it was sure that the mirror became complete. The soldier came out of the deposit. His face didn’t disclose anything, his hands were empty, and for the effect, he looked at the children silently. The children were watching his movements tensely. The soldier slowly dipped into his pocket. The children breathed freely, but the soldier stiffened for a moment. He dipped into his pocket, slowly took something out, threw a last glance on it, and showed it to the children. The emotions broke loose, and the tears of joy appeared in the children’s eyes. Through the watery veil they could read: ’public bath’.

They heard the whizzing sound of the approaching time-machine. It covered them, and took the travel-searcher away.

Finding the treasure

It didn’t hurry, but conjured a festive atmosphere around them. They could hear Beethoven’s Ode to the Joy, and a magnificent firework started. On the monitor appeared the parts of the mirror, the scattered pieces of information on them: ‘pot, money, gold, Claudius, 38 pieces, public bath’. The time-machine changed its speed. Pictures of the centuries were projected on the shell of the time-machine, and also a coordinate appeared on the monitor. It was the last help of the time-machine. It put them down on the soil of Savaria near the emperor’s public bath. It came, helped and went. The children set off to find the treasure with the GPS-es in their hands. They followed the right direction showed by the GPS in Zoltan’s trembling hand. They found them soon, in the corner of the ruinous public bath.

As the pieces of information indicated, 38 gold coins with Claudius’s portrait were in the pot. Julia took the earthen pot in her hand, and she was faced with glittering gold coins. She spilt them on the ground; they got on their knees, and looked at together the reward of their adventurous travelling.