It was a long way from the wild island of Britain to the court of the Emperor Hadrian in Rome, but to young Paul it was a journey he had to make—a journey marked with excitement, adventure, urgency—because he bore a message that meant the life of his friend.

Young Paul's journey was more than hazardous. Would he, after all his perilous adventures, be able to gain the ear of the great Emperor? Ruler of a far-flung empire, builder of the Roman Wall in England, founder of an unusually humanitarian law code, patron of the arts, protector of the colonies—was Hadrian too busy, too important to listen to a young boy, however desperate? But though corruption might exist in Rome, Hadrian upheld the right of free speech; and honesty and dignity in government, with Paul's help, triumphed over political fraud.