Simon Scarrow - The Gladiator

'He's a good man,' Sempronius said. 'You're lucky to have him as a friend.'

'I know that, sir.'

Sempronius turned to Cato and was silent for a moment.' Do you have any idea where that gladiator is headed?'

Cato nodded.' Once he put out to sea, the ship was seen to turn south, sir. Towards Africa.'

'I see.' Sempronius cleared his throat and stood back. 'You have your orders, Prefect. See they are carried out.'

'Yes, sir!' Cato stood to attention and saluted. He turned to see that the last of his stores had been carried aboard. There would be no privacy for his final parting with Julia. He took her hands, feeling the tremor of her flesh against his as she did her best not to let any tears show. He leaned forward and kissed her, letting his lips linger for an instant as they grazed hers. Then he released her hands and made his way up the gangway and gave the order to the trierarch to put to sea.

As he stood on the small aft deck, Cato watched the sailors, marines and legionaries crowd aft to raise the bows as the oarsmen unshipped their oars. Then, as the flute player began to give the time, the oars propelled the ship back from the beach into deeper water.

Once they had sea room, the trierarch dismissed the marines and the sailors returned to their normal stations. The trierarch turned towards Cato. 'Your orders, sir?'

Cato looked down the deck, conscious that he was being watched closely by the men he was about to lead on as dangerous and difficult a mission as they would ever know. He cleared his throat.

'Pass the word to the other ship that we are heading out to sea.

Once we leave the bay, we set course for Africa.'

'Aye, sir.'

As the trierarch cupped his hands to his mouth to relay the order across the sea between the two vessels, Cato turned towards the shore. The senator and his daughter were still standing where he had left them, and Sempronius raised his hand as he saw Cato look at him. Cato, mindful of his new rank and responsibility, simply saluted and then turned away. He swore a private oath at that moment to be worthy of the confidence of the senator, and more importantly of his friend Macro. He also swore that he would not rest until the gladiator was dead and he could return to Julia's side.