My Furry Driffield Friend?
By Robin Lewis-Light
“We might just be… friends,” I said, and the editor looked at me.
“That’s… that’s…” he said, before pausing. “A completely new approach.” He looked at me again, up and down. “It’s good. I’ll be telling that one in the thermopolium later,” he said. I smiled.
“So will I,” I said, and at this point the editor laughed.
“No, you won’t,” he said. “But yes, be friendly, if you think it will help.” He leaned closer to me. “It won’t, but it will be interesting to watch.”
He put his hand on my shoulder. “Time to go out there and make friends, Marcus,” he said, pushing me through the gate.
I couldn’t respond. There was a shout, and then another shout, and I looked up at the people watching me, and I raised my hand.
They cheered! That was a nice sound and I smiled. Then I heard another sound, which was not quite so nice. It was a low sound, frightening. I looked across at my new friend, looking him up and down.
“It’s not going to be easy to make friends with you,” I said. He looked back at me, saying nothing. He moved to one side of me, and I moved with him, looking into his eyes.
“You look…” I said, and I didn’t want to add the word hungry.
His movements were frankly amazing to see. I could see why he was so famous around here. There was another cheer as he moved closer to me, and I realised that the crowd were not cheering me, they were cheering him.
“There’s really no need for violence,” I said, watching his every move.
I followed him as he paced; I don’t think he wanted to make friends. I think his hunger was more acute than that. The theatre was an impressive place, it showed off how graceful, how powerful, how incredible he was.
It also rather showed off how pathetic I was in comparison. This was my first time fighting a lion, but I did not want to fight him and I did not want to make it my last fight. I only wanted a new friend.
The growl deepened and I knew that he, however, did not want any sort of friend, so I raised my sword. Ah, well, there were only certain places to make friends and this was not one of them, but at the end of the day, it was his choice and not mine.
Recently it was discovered that there was proof of gladiators fighting lions – and this was discovered on Driffield Terrace, in York. Those who staged games were known as editors. A thermopolium is a kind of fast-food shop or bar, offering ready-to-eat food and drinks. There is still no evidence for an amphitheatre, but archaeologists are convinced that there must have been one somewhere around here, probably in the Museum Gardens or Kings Manor.
Robin Lewis-Light has never fought a lion.
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