When Wicton Village Museum and Library are to be developed, the
mysterious curator, Miss Isadora Dean, is incensed. On a visit to the
museum, Charlie and Saima, in Year 5 at the village school, are given a
statue's head of Janus to draw but as they hold it they are thrust back
to Wicton in Roman times.
Orcus, a cruel Roman tax collector, is involved in stealing thousands of
denarii. Ruus, the son of the blacksmith Metallus, witnesses a fake
ambush and murder, all part of an elaborate plot to steal thousands
more. When the silver is stolen, it is buried in a clearing not far from
town. Charlie, Saima and Ruus, not without some danger, unearth the
bags.
However, all three children become embroiled and they themselves become
suspects 'on the run'. Whilst Metallus is imprisoned at the fort, they
are trapped by Orcus in the temple, yet notice another hoard within.
Charlie, always full of ideas, sees a way to trap the real culprits and
sets out his plan. They must use the Janus head and go back to the
future then return to free Ruus.
Saima, truthful, stubborn and fast, runs to the fort to inform the
authorities and just in the nick of time, soldiers arrive and arrest the
true thieves. Charlie and Saima return to present day Wicton and when
Alfie, a classmate, mentions a horse he had to draw carved on a brick
from the temple, they set out on a treasure hunt. In the dead of night,
they dig up a fortune at the museum building site but are immediately
arrested.
Back at school, they are marched into assembly. They expect the worst
until Mr Blewin, the developer, springs a pleasant surprise.
