"In a way," Romeo said, shrugging. "The poets seemed not to be at peace, and the room they were in was in an upheaval. The bottle was liberated as a survivor."

It was a good vintage; this justified theft.

"And I see what you mean," he added softly, staring hard at the crumbling buildings. "What people would build a place like this and leave it to rot? It is beyond my imagination."