Tales From The Forum Cafeterium

In the middle of a Century which began with a '1', a lesser student from one of the lesser British Universities was taking his expected tour of the continent. While searching for some inscriptions to test his Latin translation skills, he apparently, and appropriately wandered into a lesser byway off the Via Sacre.

 

Here he discovered an entire wall of inscriptions.

 

The subject seemed to be a series of stories told about a store or shop within the nearby Forum. His fascination with this byway may well have had something to do with the signorina he met there one day. Valeretta was never forgotten but also, never mentioned again.

 

He made a lesser quality translation and returned to England where his Professor refused to accept his work for several reasons. One of which was that no one else was ever able to find that byway again.

 

The student gained a lesser pass and was noted as being 'unsound'. He grew into one of the lesser Tory parliamentary seats although he was never trusted with power.

 

After his untimely death, due to an excess of Port and over-bidding at Bridge, his papers were being combustably disposed of, when a page was accidentally read and saved from the flames.

 

The remaining pages are the subject of this text.