THE INVASION OF GAUL (61 page)

With the centuries of their legions moving slowly, victorious, across the field back to their camp, the legates paused at the embankment. Varus sat on the platform next to the body of his commander, drinking unwatered wine directly from the jug. He looked up as he saw the two approach and held the jug out wordlessly. Crispus reached out and took the container, upending it and pouring the wine into his mouth and across his face in a torrent, washing the blood from his skin. He threw the empty jug onto the platform. Fronto looked around at the Tenth, dragging themselves back to camp, and grasped the mail shirt of one of the immunes legionaries.

“
Find me wine. Plenty of wine.”

The soldier took one look at Fronto’s face and hurried off into the camp as the legate turned back to see Crispus crouched by the body. He tore a long strip of blood-soaked tunic from the commander’s corpse and tied it round his upper arm. As Crispus turned back, there was a tear in the corner of his eye. The legates of the Tenth and Eleventh dropped heavily to the turf platform.

* * * * *

The sound of hundreds of hoof beats distracted Fronto from his train of thought and his voice trailed away. He dropped the wine jug to the turf and he, Varus and Crispus all turned to look at the new arrivals. Caesar sat astride his white charger, with Crassus beside him and Ingenuus with a number of the cavalry.

Crispus struggled to his feet and stood roughly to attention, faltering a little. Varus followed suit. Fronto merely hauled himself around to face the General and remained slumped. Caesar looked down at the scene with one eyebrow raised.

“
What…”

His voice tailed off as his wandering gaze took in the body on the platform behind them.

“
Longinus?”

Fronto sighed deeply and took another swig of wine.

“
He fell protecting the legions while they got into position. We’ve been mourning him, as you can see. I’ve read his will. I think you should look too.”

Caesar dismounted and strode up the bank. Standing before the body, he lowered his head in respect and then sat with the others, motioning Varus and Crispus to do the same. Looking up briefly, he noticed the other riders. Crassus wore an impatient frown, Ingenuus a look of genuine distress.

“
Crassus? Ingenuus? I think you should dismount and join us. The rest of you, go report to your comrades.”

As Ingenuus dismounted, Crassus coughed.

“
Caesar, the cavalry are without a commander. Most of them are Gaulish levies. Perhaps I should go and make sure all is in order? They may desert without command.”

Varus rose to his feet, shaking.

“
They are not cowards or animals, and they do not need shepherding! Will you not join us and drink to my commander?”

Crassus glanced at Caesar and then back at Varus.

“
He is not
your
commander. He’s gone. When
I
am your commander, you will not speak to a superior officer like that. Caesar? Permission to take command of the cavalry?”

Fronto jumped to his feet just in time to wrestle Varus back to the grass.

“
Don’t do anything stupid. Let the mindless fop make a fool of himself,” he hissed in the prefect’s ear. Turning to Caesar, he spoke in a more audible tone.

“
I presume you have no intention of putting
him
in command of the cavalry?”

Caesar cleared his throat.

“
I’m making no decision about it now. Longinus is still warm. Crassus, if you’re not joining us, you should head back to your legion for the time being.”

Crassus grunted.

“
Yes, General.”

Turning, he rode off.

Fronto suddenly realised that Ingenuus was leaning over the body. He wandered over to the young prefect and patted him on the shoulder. The man had risen high in the ranks but he was still very young, inexperienced and impressionable. He glanced up at Varus.

“
Can you take him somewhere and talk to him?”

Varus, his face still red, nodded and beckoned to Ingenuus. The two wandered along the bank. Caesar looked at Fronto and Crispus.

“
I want to see any prisoners you took. Just a couple, if you have lots. Can they be brought out here?”

Crispus and Fronto shared a glance.

“
There aren’t very many sir, if you get my drift?”

The General nodded. Crispus stood, shakily.

“
I need to exercise my muscles for a moment anyway and perhaps dip myself in a horse trough. With your permission, Caesar, I’ll bring you all the prisoners. Both of them.”

As he staggered off down the inside of the bank, Caesar looked at Fronto.

“
Both
of them?”

Nod.

“
I see that you were well in the middle of the action, by the state of you?”

Nod. Swig of wine.

“
The corpses and line of battle across the field show that you didn’t exactly
defend the wall
, am I right?”

Nod.

“
Marcus, you’re one of the best. Certainly the best I have in
this
army, but I can’t have you endangering the entire campaign through insane stunts brought on by grief and rage. And I
particularly
cannot let you lead Crispus down that path. He’s young and naïve. He’s lost a figure he respected today. You are the nearest thing he has here to a father, and how
you
treat
him
will affect his whole future. Are you going to speak to me?”

Fronto looked up and took another swig of wine.

“
Longinus is gone. We couldn’t get to him in time. Don’t underestimate how well-liked he was.”

“
You and he used to hate each other.”

Fronto glared angrily at Caesar.

“
Don’t pick apart what you don’t understand. We never hated each other. We were just different, and there was a resentment. We were both mature and sensible enough to overcome our differences, and he became a damn good friend. One of the best. And a good cavalry commander. If you let Crassus run amok with them, our cavalry will all either die or desert. Here.”

He held out a parchment that Caesar gently took from his hand and unfurled before letting it roll up again a second later.

“
His will? It wasn’t meant for me to read. What do I
need
to know?”

Fronto sighed.

“
He left me his best cloak. Bit of a joke I think, the old bastard. Left me his horse too, would you believe it? Other than that, he appears to have left his sword to Varus, though I haven’t told him yet. The rest of his stuff goes back to his family in Italy.”

Caesar nodded.

“
He obviously held you in more esteem than I thought. He loved his horse a great deal I understand. Other than that, fairly ordinary, yes?”

Fronto nodded.

“
Apart from one thing. He wanted me to propose Varus as his replacement should this happen. He specifically stated him in the amendment he made at Vesontio. Surely you can’t select Crassus.”

Caesar sighed.

“
I cannot always do what I wish, Marcus. I am not a God, so I must sometimes do as I am required. I have to give Crassus a chance. I can stop him doing something if he does it wrong, but I cannot prevent him from trying. I owe his father much too much for that.”

“
So you’re going to ignore this?”

He waved the will at Caesar.

“
It is
my
prerogative and
my
duty to assign commanders, not their own. I would be happy to accept Varus and would go with the recommendation were he the only candidate. He has proved himself a number of times. However, Crassus
wants
it, and he’s currently got the more important claim. Things may change, Marcus. There’s a long way ahead of us yet. Crassus will get his chance to prove he can do it, but only one chance. No more.”

Fronto nodded unhappily.

“
If you’d like, I’ll speak to Varus and tell him all about it.”

“
Thank you Marcus. Here comes Crispus with the prisoners. Before he gets here, I want you to remember one thing. Crispus is going to look to you now. He’s very young, and he takes inspiration from the other commanders. Be sure you inspire him correctly and not toward chaos, yes?”

Another unhappy nod.

The two surviving prisoners of the German attack were dumped unceremoniously at the foot of the bank. Crispus indicated the auxiliary soldier standing beside him.

“
This is one of our Aeduan allies who speaks both their language and ours fluently.”

Caesar looked down at the Aeduan cavalryman.

“
You’ll translate for them and I?”

“
Yes Caesar.”

“
Ask them why Ariovistus won’t come out and fight me.”

A brief and garbled exchange followed between the prisoners and the auxiliary, after which he turned to face the General.

“
It’s a little hard to explain, Caesar, but… well you know how before the legions are committed, a Haruspex is consulted, and the entrails of a bird are opened in order to determine the auspices for the day?”

The General nodded. “Yes.”

“
Well, Ariovistus has his own Haruspices to consult, but his are Matrons of the tribes; revered old women. They cast bones and determine the will of their Gods from how the bones fall and, if they fall wrong, Ariovistus will not commit.”

“
And the bones keep falling badly for him?”

The auxiliary exchanged brief words with the prisoners again and then addressed the General once more.

“
They do not need to, Caesar. They cast their bones once when they first arrived and they informed the King that if he attacked before the new moon, the Gods would not let him win. Thus he has committed to small actions only and won’t commit his main force until then.”

Caesar frowned.

“
How long to the new moon, Crispus?”

The young legate shrugged.

“
A little over a week, I suppose.”

“
Too long. I won’t let their barbarian superstitions prolong this stand-off.”

Crispus cleared his throat.

“
Sir, we are just as superstitious in our observance of ritual Haruspicy before taking action.”

Caesar nodded.

“
Yes, but frankly, I’ve never believed in them. I go along with it to keep people happy but life is what you make it, Crispus, and I intend to make it difficult for Ariovistus. We hold Longinus’ funeral tonight. I want everything out of the way before tomorrow because in the morning we set upon the Germans.”

He turned and called over to the two cavalry officers. Varus and Ingenuus walked over to the General and stood side by side.

“
Sir?”

“
Gentlemen. I want you to arrange a pyre for your commander. This ballista…” he patted the weapon that stood next to Longinus’ body “will be removed to the camp interior. The pyre will be built here on this platform, and it should be high. I want the Germans to be able to clearly see it burn. Have torches lit all along the defences.”

Fronto glanced over at Caesar, a sad look about him.

“
You can’t even give Longinus a send off without making a statement with it, can you General?”

Caesar glared back at Fronto. The man was usually only this bold when they were in private. It could cause trouble if he started questioning his commander in front of other officers. Still, Caesar was aware of the grief clutching him at the moment and, whether he should have said it or not, he was, of course, correct. His glare lessened.

“
Marcus. Anything that might give us an edge could save other lives. Besides, Longinus would have been the first to agree.”

Fronto snorted.

“
I suppose so. If you’re going to do it like this, though, do it properly.”

He turned to Varus and Ingenuus.

“
Go and find Priscus of the Tenth and get him to send a forage party into the woods. We want thousands of torches making. One for every spectator when we burn Gaius.”

Varus and Ingenuus bowed and, turning, went about their tasks.

Fronto turned round to see Crispus and Caesar look at him.

“
We line them all up on the field before the pyre, but also before the German camp. Can you imagine what a sight eight thousand burning torches will be? Shame we haven’t got the rest of the men here.”

Caesar nodded.

“
Still, it will be a great send off for Longinus and a sight to behold for Ariovistus. And, in the morning, we will force the man to fight us. If
he
will not come
out
,
we
will go
in
!”

Chapter
20

(The field before the small fort)