Trouble: by Zoe Xanthhippos "Zoe! Get up! NOW!" Lydia shouted as she opened the door. "Lydia!" I said her name groggily as I shifted Clare off my back and sat up. "Whatever is wrong?" "Leander just ran up here, Zoe. There's some kind of trouble at Clio's shop. She's sitting out on her front step, all hunched over and shivering. Leander couldn't get anywhere near her for all of the passersby who were hovering over her. He heard one of her neighbors telling someone that she'd screamed and screamed before coming outside and begging someone to go get Elgon. All she will say is that there was some sort of disaster." Lydia hadn't gotten past the trouble at Clio's shop part before I had risen and splashed cold water on my face from the ewer on my chest. I was dressed and heading out the door before she was done, Clare running ahead of me, Lydia following more slowly. When I reached the weaver's shop, it was just as Lydia had described. There was a crowd of people, the sort that always gathers when they think something will happen to entertain them. I pushed past them, not even bothering to excuse myself, ignoring the rude comments my passage evoked. Clare had already joined a very worried looking Daphne at Clio's side and they were both attempting to distract her from whatever trouble there was, with no success. Niobe and Amitressa were sitting beside Clio on a bench, holding her hands and talking softly to her. As I neared, I heard Clio state flatly, her head still down. "There is a dead person in my shop". Ami got up to allow me to sit beside my friend and I put my arms around Clio. Before I could question her I heard shouts from behind the crowd. "Make way! Make way for the Magistrate!" The crowd parted and quieted, not wanting to miss anything as Elgon strode up. "What's going on here?" ***************************************** This story is an effort between several writers of our Athens Novel at PanHistoria. The main characters and writers of this story are Clio Aristocratos, (written by- herself) and Elgon Agis (written by- myself) The story started out to create a background past for Clio, and just developed into a life of it