Simon Scarrow - The Gladiator

Balbus frowned, and thought a moment, his face eloquent testimony to the struggle that was going on in his mind. Then he sighed and shook his head. 'That won't be necessary, sir. As you pointed out, it's a long ride and I'd better waste no time in returning to my ships.'

'Then you should go. Good luck.'

The navarch smiled. 'It is you will need the luck tonight, sir. The gods protect you.'

He bowed his head, then turned stiffly and marched out of the tent.

'Sailors.' Centurion Fulvius nodded.' Who needs 'em?'

'You won't be saying that when he comes to your support tonight.'

Fulvius looked offended. 'I aim to be through the rebel camp and nailing Ajax up by his balls before the first marine sets foot ashore.'

'Would that it were so easy' Cato laughed for a moment. 'There is one last element of the plan still to arrange. Once I have secured the ships at anchor, I am going to need three of your best men. They must be volunteers, mark you. I'll not order any man to come with me.'

Fulvius stared at him. 'You're going after the hostages, aren't you, sir?'

'Yes. I have no choice. I will not leave my friends to the mercy of that gladiator.'

'I understand, but you must know that you have very little chance of rescuing them.'

'Long odds,' Cato agreed. 'But I've faced long odds before and seen the dawn of another day'

'No man's luck lasts for ever, sir.'

'Really? I shall have to put that proposition to the test, Centurion.

Or die in the attempt. Come now, we have plenty of work to do before night comes.'

'Good news, Centurion!' Ajax smiled as he squatted down at the end of the cage nearest Macro. It was late in the afternoon and the heat had finally gone from the sun. It had been some hours since Macro and Julia had been given their midday ration of food and water and their lips were parched. The gladiator had brought a water bottle with him and took a long swig before lowering it and smacking his hps with exaggerated satisfaction. 'Ah, I needed that! It's been a long, hot day, but I think we're ready for your friends if they try to spring an attack on our camp.'

'You mentioned news,' said Macro. 'Just tell us and go.'

'All right then. You'll never guess who I ran into when I went to discuss my demands up at the Roman camp?'

Macro turned his head to see Ajax. He knew it must be Cato, yet he would not give the gladiator the satisfaction of responding to his question. 'What do I care?'

'Oh!' Ajax feigned disappointment.' No need to be such a grump, Macro. After all, I bring you news of your friend, Centurion Cato.

Or Tribune Cato as he is now. Quite the coming man, it would seem.'

'Cato?'Julia raised her head.

'That's right,' said Ajax. 'I've set him something of a difficult problem to resolve before tomorrow morning.'

Julia frowned. 'What do you mean?'

'It's simple.' Ajax looked at them both before he continued. 'I've decided to have one of you killed at dawn, and I've tasked your friend Cato with choosing which of you it will be.'

Macro lashed out with one of his feet, kicking the bar in front of the gladiator's face. The cage rattled under the impact but Ajax did not flinch for an instant.

'You bastard!' Macro shouted in a cracked voice.

'Come now, Centurion, you knew that I would have you killed in the end. This way there is a chance you might live a little longer. If Cato chooses you. If not, then you'll know where his affections truly lie before you finally beg me to put an end to your life. Either way, I get to increase his suffering. I imagine that neither the good tribune, nor you or the lady here is going to have much sleep tonight, eh?'

Macro shut his eyes, fighting back the black rage that burned in every muscle of his body. He clenched his fists tightly. The urge to bellow at Ajax was almost irresistible, and yet he knew that it would only provoke laughter and fresh torment, so he kept his lips clamped together and tried to clear his mind of all thought.

'It will be a shame to lose one of you. Particularly you, Julia Sempronia. You were quite a beauty before I had you put in here.' He leered at her, and Julia clutched her covering more tightly about her body. 'Such beauty should not be wasted. I think I shall give you one last chance to enjoy the comfort of being clean, to have fresh clothes and to share the company of a man, before we find out what Cato has in store for you tomorrow morning.'

Julia stared at him, terrified as she spoke tremulously. 'What do you want with me?'

'Only to use you, as slave women are used by their Roman masters.' Ajax winked. 'It might be something of an education for you. We shall see.' He paused to sniff the air and made a disgusted face. 'However, it will take some hours to make you presentable.

I'll have to give orders for you to be cleaned up at once, if there is going to be time to enjoy you tonight without having to pinch my nose.'

Ajax rose to his feet, clicked his tongue and pointed at Macro.

'You might want to try to get to sleep as soon as you can, Macro.

Wouldn't want me and the lady here keeping you awake with the noise of our merry making tonight.'

This time Macro could not contain his anger. He let out an animal groan, then opened his eyes and stared at Ajax as he growled through clenched teeth,'I swear to all the gods, if I get out of here, I will tear out your tongue and your eyes and rip you apart with my bare hands.'

'How charming!' Ajax laughed. He came round the cage and crouched opposite Macro before he rattled the bars. 'Don't count on it, eh?'

Then he rose and padded off towards his tent. Macro turned his attention to Julia. Her eyes were wide with terror.

'Macro! Don't let him take me. Please don't let him take me.'

Macro shook his head. 'I–I can't help you.'

'Macro, please!' Her lips trembled and she began to cry. 'Please don't let him! Please!'

He tried to shut the sound out, driven half mad by the knowledge that there was nothing, nothing at all that he could do to protect her.

Julia's pleas suddenly stopped as their guard strode towards them. The guard unlocked and opened the end of the cage. He drew his sword and pointed it at Macro.

'Stay back there, you!'

With his spare hand he grasped Julia's arm and dragged her from the cage, before kicking the door shut and sheathing his sword. As he locked the door, Macro scrambled over to the bars nearest Julia and shouted,'Julia! Look at me! Look at me!'

She winced as if he had struck her, and then turned fearfully as the guard reached down to grip her under the arms.

'Julia,' Macro continued with icy intensity,'If you get the chance, kill him!'

'Yes.' She nodded. 'Yes.'

Then the guard pulled her to her feet and half dragged and half carried her across the ground towards Ajax's tent.

Macro leaned back against the bars, praying for the gods to release him from this torment, one way or another.

Cato and his men did not reach the small cove at the head of the bay until the second hour of the night. There was no moon, and even though a local shepherd had led the way, it was hard to follow the narrow track that wound along the side of the hills and then down a steep cliff to the shore. Like the others, Cato carried a haversack with a dagger and a sword bundled together and firmly tied to an empty waterskin. Although every man who served in the legions was trained to swim after a fashion, most never be came proficient. Cato's officers had selected just over five hundred men capable of swimming the length of the bay, nearly two miles. The three men chosen by Fulvius marched directly behind Cato as he followed the shepherd. They had readily volunteered when asked, and Cato felt confident that they would serve him well. One of Fulvius's choices was an auxiliary optiofrom Gortyna who knew the area and had asked to join the column when it marched from the city.