The Gladiator - Scarrow Simon - Страница 43

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Centurion Micon lowered his head.' The column didn't stand a chance, sir. I didn't know what to do... Charge back into the fight, or do my duty and report back to you.'

'So you decided to save your skin,' Macro snorted. 'Instead of going to the aid of your comrades. Typical bloody auxiliary.'

Cato leaned forward. 'There was nothing Centurion Micon could do.'

'He could have died like a soldier, and not run like a bloody whipped cur and abandoned his mates.'

'Then who would have been left to make his report to us?'

Macro sucked a breath in through his teeth. In the legions, it was a dyed-in-the-wool tradition that centurions never gave an inch in battle. Clearly a different standard applied in the auxiliary cohorts.

'Well, surely he could have found some one to ride back and break the news.'

Sempronius rapped his hand on the desk.' Enough! This is not getting us anywhere. The question is what do we do now? This defeat has changed everything at a stroke. Marcellus had the best of our men, and now he's thrown them away. All we have left are a few small detachments on the north of the island, the Tenth Macedonian, and the cohort at Matala. What's that? Six hundred men at most.'

Sempronius shook his head.' How the hell could these wretched slaves have done this to us? How could they have defeated trained soldiers? I underestimated the slaves, and this gladiator who is leading them.'

Cato kept his mouth shut and fought back a surge of anger and indignation. It was the senator's responsibility for not taking the slave threat seriously enough. Cato, and Macro to a lesser extent, had both been aware of the dangers, but their concerns had been dismissed. It was tempting to exact some recognition of who should bear the blame, but now was not the time. Any bitter divisions amongst those left in charge of the province would only make their perilous situation worse.

'So,' Sempronius continued, looking at Macro and Cato, 'you're the ones with military experience. What should we do?'

'What can we do?' Macro answered coldly. 'It seems we're outnumbered, outwitted and we've been given a good kicking. Best thing to do is send for help and hold out here until it arrives.'

Sempronius did not appear to like what he had heard and turned to Cato. 'And what do you think?'

'Macro's right, sir. With so few men, we have no choice. It would be madness to send what's left against the slaves. Gortyna must be defended.'

'Defended?' Sempronius raised his eyebrows.' How? There must be twenty or thirty breaches in the walls where the earthquake shook them down.'

'That's true enough, sir. But we have to repair them before the slaves take it into their heads to march on Gortyna.'

'Do you really think they will?'

'I would, if I was in their place. Now they have us at their mercy, they can make their demands, or threaten to wipe us out.'

'Then we have to fix the walls, at once.'

Macro shook his head. 'That's not possible, sir. The damage is too great. Even if we set every man, woman and child to work repairing the breaches, it would take us too many days to do it.'

Cato thought a moment.' Then we must abandon Gortyna. We have to bring everyone up here on to the acropolis.'

'Is there room for everyone?' asked Sempronius. 'There are over fifteen thousand people out there. The conditions would be appalling.'

Cato looked at him directly. 'They either come up here, or take their chances with the slaves.'

'What about Matala?' Macro interrupted. 'We could send some of them there. If they left now, they could reach the port before this slave army moves in from the east.'

'No. It's too risky. The slaves might already have patrols out in the surrounding countryside. We'd need to send a strong detachment to protect the civilians. We need every man here, to defend the province's capital.' Cato paused. 'However, we have to send a warning to Centurion Portillus and tell him what has happened. He'll need to protect the people of Matala. It would be best if he was ordered to move them up inside the acropolis there as well.'

Sempronius sagged back in his chair.' My gods, these slaves have us on the run. They'll have us trapped like rats in a hole. When Rome hears of this, I'm finished.'

Cato cleared his throat and spoke softly. 'If we don't do what we can to save what's left, then we risk losing the entire province, sir. That's something the emperor would never forgive.' He let his words sink in and then continued.' The thing is, we were never supposed to be here in the first place. It was just blind chance that our ship was passing when the wave struck.'

'So?'

'So I don't see how you can be called to account. The situation could hardly have been worse, and you've done all you can to restore order.'

'Kind words, Cato, but I doubt the emperor will agree with you.

Regardless of what we might have achieved, we are the ones he will hold responsible if these slaves succeed in humbling Roman interests.'

Macro puffed his cheeks.' Then you're going to have to bloody do something about it - sir.'

'Do?' Sempronius said helplessly. 'What can I do?'

'Get more men. More soldiers.'

'How? I can't just conjure them out of thin air.'

'Get them from Egypt,' Macro said tersely. 'You said that you know the emperor's legate there, right? Gaius Petronius. He's a member of the equestrian class.'

Sempronius nodded.

'And you're a senator. So you outrank him. Order him to send reinforcements.'

Sempronius considered this for a moment before responding.

'And if he doesn't?'

'Then you must tell him that if Crete falls to the slaves you will make damn sure that Rome knows that you asked him for help and he refused. You won't be the only one who draws down the emperor's wrath.' Macro forced a smile. 'I can't see him turning down the chance to avoid being in Claudius's bad books.'

'Macro's right, sir,' said Cato. 'You have nothing to lose from pressing the Egyptian legate for help. If you head to the coast and take the first available ship, you could be in Alexandria in a matter of days, and back here with the reinforcements inside a month. If you can get enough men, I'm sure we can quickly crush the revolt.'

'You think it's that easy?' Macro glanced at him in surprise.

'Why not? As long as we don't follow the example of Marcellus.'

Sempronius cleared his throat.' I 'm not leaving Gortyna. It's out of the question.'

'Why?' Cato stared at him.

'Think about it, Cato. The slaves have annihilated most of our forces and have the province at their mercy. Just at that point the acting governor decides to quit Crete for the safety of Egypt to fetch reinforcements, while his subordinates and thousands of civilians are left to face the rebels. It's not the most edifying display of leadership, is it?'

'That's for others to say, sir. You have to put that possibility aside for the moment. You have to go to Egypt. You know the legate. Only some one with your authority can persuade Petronius to send reinforcements.'

'That's true,' Sempronius conceded, and nodded slowly as he contemplated the problem. Then a smile formed on his lips and he looked up at his officers.' Of course, if I was to send some one in my place, authorised to act on my behalf, then we might get our way.

Obviously, the person in question would have to be up to the task of talking the legate round.'

At the same moment both the senator and Macro fixed their eyes on Cato. With a sudden surge of alarm, Cato sat back and shook his head.' No. Not me.'

'Why not?' asked Sempronius.

'I'm too young,' Cato admitted.' The legate would take one look at me and wonder if he could take me seriously as a centurion, let alone the envoy of the governor of Crete. Send Macro.'

'What?' Macro started, and then glared at Cato. 'Thanks.'

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