Danger and great challenge are in store for a lame Roman boy and his young British slave when they begin to explore the underground Christian movement in Nero's decadent Rome.

Brought to Rome from the British campaign by a kindly Roman officer, young Gretorix is made body slave to Diomed, the crippled son of a Roman senator. Both captives in their own way, the two boys become fast friends, and when Diomed hears of the man called Simon Peter, who heals the sick, he sends Gretorix to learn more about the new religion.

Woven into this moving story of friendship and faith is the account of St. Peter's last days in Rome. The petulant, frightened Emperor Nero, spurred by the great fire of Rome, devised new tortures daily for Christians, and used Peter as the scapegoat for his angry city.

This is a beautifully-told story of the early Christian movement, set against the flamboyant era of Nero's reign in Rome.

From the dust jacket