Reading the Haruspices

Caesar grimaced as he walked down the right passage. There was a heavy, foul smell, like that of the slaughterhouses. A group of men wearing brown hoods over their heads were gathered around something. Was it a murder victim? Caesar had not gotten as far as he had by showing fear.

"What is going on, citizens?" he bellowed, advancing toward the ring.

"We are reading the haruspices of this bull. We wish to know the fate of a loved one."

"Who are you, then? Such ceremonies should be held in the Temple of Jupiter Superior, or in the Field of Mars. On what authority do you do this?"

"The best, sir," one of the men replied. "Do you wish to observe?"

Curiosity determined Caesar's course. "A coward dies a thousand deaths, a brave man dies but once. I will gladly observe, and wish the best for the Senate and people of Rome."

One of the men took out the bull's liver, and nodded, approvingly. "Excellent. Perfect, with no signs of sickness or wounds."

Another man observed, "But there is something very significant."

1. There is no gall bladder.
2. There is a pattern of six veins, radiating from a single point, on the back of the liver.

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