The dead gladiator Maximus lay dead on the soiled ground, while his
crestfallen fans sighed with disapointment. Another good man dead. "You're
free," the lovely Lucilla said to his closed eyes. And indeed he was . . .
. . . Maximus walked through the field, feeling the grass blades against his feet. He heard a child's laughter, and, squintinghis eyes, he saw a son and his mother. And soon he realized that he was dead and was staring at his wife and son--in the afterlife.
    The woman turned in his direction, shading her glittering green eyes from the hot rays of the sun. And down the road she saw who she and her son had been waiting for since the moment they appeared in the afterlife. "Maximus," she murmured dreamily, not believing it. He began to run towards her, picking up speed with each step. They they locked into a tight embrace, his wife weeping joyfully.
    "Papa!" his son yelled, running as fast as his little, stubby legs could carry him to his father. Maximus gently let go ofhis wife and took his son in his broad, strong arms.
    "All these weeks and months," his wife breathed. "We knew it would take many, many years for you to join us together, united at last."
    Maximus kissed his wife and smiled at his giggling son who was sqealing around excitedly. "It doesn't matter now," he declared boldly. "I'm home at last."
    "What caused your death so quickly?" the wife inquired.
    Maximus sighed and put his son down. "Commodus was named Emperor after Marcus died. I was made a slave and had to live by killing for the amusement of others . . . I was a gladiator, and at my last battle . . . I was engaged in combat with Commodus. I killed him, but I fell from a brutal stab from him before we fought. I died then. . . ." His deep voice trailed off. His wife looked down at the ground and shared the same pain with Maximus as she and her son had experienced.
    Maximus suddenly knew what she was thinking, and held her in his arms. "It's all right now. We are together and that's the only thing that matters." He stroked her ebony hair and sighed happily. The sun began to go down, and it began to get dark. "Let's go inside," he urged her. "It's getting late and chilly." Then, with their arms around each other, and their son at Maximus' side, they slowly walked back to their countryside Spanish home.
. . . Maximus walked through the field, feeling the grass blades against his feet. He heard a child's laughter, and, squintinghis eyes, he saw a son and his mother. And soon he realized that he was dead and was staring at his wife and son--in the afterlife.
    The woman turned in his direction, shading her glittering green eyes from the hot rays of the sun. And down the road she saw who she and her son had been waiting for since the moment they appeared in the afterlife. "Maximus," she murmured dreamily, not believing it. He began to run towards her, picking up speed with each step. They they locked into a tight embrace, his wife weeping joyfully.
    "Papa!" his son yelled, running as fast as his little, stubby legs could carry him to his father. Maximus gently let go ofhis wife and took his son in his broad, strong arms.
    "All these weeks and months," his wife breathed. "We knew it would take many, many years for you to join us together, united at last."
    Maximus kissed his wife and smiled at his giggling son who was sqealing around excitedly. "It doesn't matter now," he declared boldly. "I'm home at last."
    "What caused your death so quickly?" the wife inquired.
    Maximus sighed and put his son down. "Commodus was named Emperor after Marcus died. I was made a slave and had to live by killing for the amusement of others . . . I was a gladiator, and at my last battle . . . I was engaged in combat with Commodus. I killed him, but I fell from a brutal stab from him before we fought. I died then. . . ." His deep voice trailed off. His wife looked down at the ground and shared the same pain with Maximus as she and her son had experienced.
    Maximus suddenly knew what she was thinking, and held her in his arms. "It's all right now. We are together and that's the only thing that matters." He stroked her ebony hair and sighed happily. The sun began to go down, and it began to get dark. "Let's go inside," he urged her. "It's getting late and chilly." Then, with their arms around each other, and their son at Maximus' side, they slowly walked back to their countryside Spanish home.