Chapter 1 Lucy petted her cat's ears. "Sassy," she said, "I'm really having trouble with my history homework. I wish I could go back in time and just talk to them to see what went on. Right now we're doing the Romans, and I have no idea where to start!" Suddenly the whole room went dark, and Lucy felt an odd swooping sensation. She landed on soft ground with a muffled thud. "Oof," she said. She sat up, rubbing her backside. "Where am I?" she asked Sassy. "In Ancient Rome," Sassy said simply. Lucy jumped; of course she had not expected the cat to answer. "Oh," she said. "I see." "Right," Sassy said. "Let's finish this history homework."