Peter Darman - Parthian Dawn

There was a sharp intake of breath from those around the table, and I had to admit that my heart sank at hearing that name.

Gallia looked confused. ‘Who are the Agraci?’

Assur stroked his beard and looked at her. ‘They are pestilence, my child, sent by God to remind us that the world is a dangerous place.’

‘Thieves and beggars mostly,’ added Vata, winking at her. ‘Nomads who roam the desert and prey on any unfortunate enough to stray into their territory.’

He was right. The Agraci were fierce nomads who inhabited the northern part of the Arabian Peninsula. The southern part was inhabited by the Bedouins, Gafarn’s people, but they kept themselves mostly to themselves, though they were not averse to raiding other people’s territory should the opportunity present itself. But the Agraci were a constant thorn in our sides. They were disliked, feared and hated, and everyone in Hatra was glad that the Euphrates separated us from them.

‘Well,’ continued my father, ‘the power of Haytham grows, which is most unfortunate for both of you.’

‘Who is Haytham? I asked.

‘The king of the Agraci. He has united the tribes of his people and now controls most of Arabia. He sends raiders north to Antioch and Damascus and west to the border of Egypt. It cannot be long before his gaze turns towards Dura. At the moment Prince Mithridates sits on the throne of Dura.’

‘Prince Mithridates, who is he?’ I asked.

My father smiled. ‘The grandson of Sinatruces. The wily old fox sent him to Dura either because he wanted to be rid of him or because he is a capable commander who can keep the Agraci at bay.’

Vistaspa refilled his cup from a water jug on the table. ‘Still, when your legion is fully trained you can send it into the desert to undertake pest control duties against the Agraci.’

‘That’s being unkind to pests,’ mused Kogan, which drew chuckles from those present, all except Gallia.

‘No wonder they give you so much trouble if you treat them so badly.’ Her words produced a stunned silence. Vata was no longer smiling. ‘If all they can expect from you is death and persecution, then you will have nothing but war with these people.’

Assur put his hands together. ‘My child, I fear you speak of things that you do not understand.’

‘I am not your child, I am a queen, so kindly address me as such.’

My father raised his eyebrows at her words, while Kogan and Addu looked down at the table. She continued, undaunted. ‘I know everything about persecution and severity and treating people as animals for sport. Even an imbecile knows that if you continually beat a dog it will eventually bite you. If you slaughter the men and women of this tribe, the Agraci, do you think that their sons and daughters will not thirst for vengeance? For supposedly wise men, you appear to be unable to see the simple logic in this.’

Assur cleared his throat loudly and glared at her. Vistaspa, meanwhile, was leaning back in his chair and rubbing his chin with his right hand. He was also looking at Gallia, but was that admiration in those cold, black eyes? I thought it might be.

My father raised his hands. ‘Thank you, daughter, for your most eloquent words. But we must move on. My point is this: you are both going into a most uncertain, perhaps dangerous, situation and I want you to think hard about what you are about to undertake.’

‘I will go to Dura,’ Gallia’s words were like arrows shot from a bow.

‘Where you go, I follow,’ I said.

My father merely nodded. ‘Well, then, it is settled. To more practical matters. I have arranged for Addu to issue two million drachmas from the treasury, enough money to pay each man of your legion for a year. They may serve you now for ideological or religious reasons, but eventually even fanatics need food in their bellies.’

I was astounded. It was a huge sum.

‘You are most generous, lord,’ Gallia’s words were sincere and she bowed her head at my father, who smiled at her. Addu fidgeted in his chair.

‘You have something to say, Lord Addu?’ queried my father.

Addu, gaunt with thinning brown hair, cleared his throat. ‘I would merely wish to point out, majesty, that the treasury will miss such a generous amount.’

When my father selected Addu to be the royal treasurer it was an inspired choice. He was truly a man who knew the value of everything and the worth of nothing, an individual who had a large parsimonious streak coursing through him. He believed that taxes and customs duties were for one purpose only — to fill the treasury. But while he was happy to see great amounts of money pour into the treasury, he was loath to see any going out. He viewed any expenditure as frivolous waste, especially any resources spent on the army. He could see the value of Kogan’s garrison, though only if his soldiers were protecting the treasury, but to him all other expenditure was a waste of valuable resources.

‘Is not the money mine, to do with as I see fit?’ asked my father casually.

‘Of course, of course, majesty,’ Addu’s voice became even higher pitched. ‘I was merely pointing out that Hatra may need such a sum in the future.’

Vistaspa looked up and fixed Addu with his black eyes. ‘Are you saying that I will have more money to spend on the army, Addu?’

Addu looked alarmed. The conversation was not going the way he wanted, not at all. ‘No, no, no. Of course not. The expenditure on the army is already exorbitant. I fear that if we spend any more on it the result could be the city’s bankruptcy.’

This was nonsense, and Addu knew it.

My father sighed. ‘Lord Addu, Hatra is strong because her army is strong, you know this. The army ensures peace and peace means trade, which means crops grow, taxes are collected and customs duties are charged on caravans that pass through Hatra’s territory. In the same way, a strong Dura,’ he nodded at me, ‘means that Hatra’s western frontier is secure, so money spent on promoting that security is an investment in Hatra’s future, do you not agree?’

Addu did not, of course, but he merely smiled and politely bowed his head to my father.

‘Good, that’s settled, then. Pacorus, when do you leave?’

‘In a week, father.’

‘Then may Shamash protect you both.’

‘May He indeed,’ said Assur, eyeing Gallia warily. All nodded gravely in response.

The meeting concluded, all went their separate ways to attend to their duties. Assur stomped past Gallia and me without saying anything; clearly still angry at the way he had been spoken to.

‘He is arrogant,’ hissed Gallia.

‘He, my love, is the high priest of the Great Temple and a man who is used to others listening to him. He is wise and severe.’

‘And full of himself,’ she sniffed. ‘How much is two million drachmas?’

‘More than enough to pay five thousand soldiers for a year.’

The drachma was the currency within the Parthian Empire. A soldier was paid on average a drachma a day, so I would have enough to pay the legion and buy some weapons to equip them with. It was a good start.

Addu passed Gallia and bowed to her, then scuttled back to his tally sheets and ledgers. My father joined us and we walked to the gardens.

‘Thank you, father, for the money.’

‘It was your mother’s idea, she thought it inappropriate for a prince of Hatra to be unable to pay his soldiers.’

‘Will not the taxes of Dura be able to pay for his men?’ queried Gallia.

‘Perhaps, daughter, but five thousand men is a lot of boots to suddenly descend on a region.’ He cast me a glance. ‘You could always use your men to extract more taxes from the locals at sword point.’

‘That would make me a tyrant, father.’