Worrisome Gossip: by Leander I had just finished unloading a cartload of heavy amphoras at the Taverna and was leaning on a stone wall to rest for a moment when I caught the words of a very fat woman who was loudly regaling her much smaller companion with the day's gossip as they walked past me. "It's that weaver and that antiquities dealer! They cut some poor guy to ribbons in the weaver's shop. You know what I think? I think they got tangled up in some sort of weird cult while they were in Egypt. You know how those people are so fond of their tombs." The response of her companion was lost as the two women moved out of hearing range. The weaver and the antiquities dealer? That must be Clio and Zoe! But how could they have stabbed anyone? That's not possible! I decided to be late for my pickup of the crates bound for Piraeus from the grain merchant and turned my cart toward the center of the Agora. The crowd was oddly thick for the heat of the day and I soon discovered why. They were all gathered around a rope which blocked Clio's shop, which was being guarded by some of Athens' finest...and biggest. "Leander! Over here!" I heard my partner's voice over the din and parked my cart in an alley before making my way toward its source. "What has happened Cleon?" I asked worriedly. "I heard that Zoe and Clio have stabbed someone." "You're lucky that's all you've heard. The story grows every time one of these oafs opens his mouth," Cleon said grimly. "From what I understand, Clio awoke this morning and found a body in her shop. Zoe, and Niobe and Amitressa from the fashion shop, are with her now. Elgon was summoned, and he's brought his goons who are positively reveling in the opportunity to strut about officiously." "Let's see if we can get closer and find someone we know who might be able to tell what's happening," I urged Cleon forward, worried now about my friends. ************************************************************************************** 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