A little Roman boy name Octavian received the first Valentine message, and it was Smoky, the light-gray carrier pigeon, who brought it to him. When Octavian visited his friend, Valentine, his little sister Agrippina, was afraid for him. She came to warn him that Emperor Claudius had ordered the arrest of all who, like Valentine, failed to worship the Roman gods.

But Octavian and his friends loved Valentine. His garden was a refuge from the narrow streets of Rome, crowded with charioteers and soldiers. The young boys helped the priest care for his flowers, while Smoky hopped along behind them and pecked at the fresh earth.

Then one morning Valentine was not there. A whirring of wings surrounded overhead and Smoky lighted on the stone pillar of the gate. As he shifted his gray-pink feet, there was a soft, clanking sound—tied to his leg was the key to the garden, and a message.

In his efforts to help Valentine, Octavian made a dangerous journey along the Sacred Way to the great square of Rome. He pushed his way through the crowds, past the brightly decorated market stalls, and stood trembling at the gates of the prison. A little blind girl, Julia, stood in the courtyard. On her depended Octavian's safety and the success of his mission.

From the dust jacket