The Legion (39 page)

Cato did not reply. Anything he said now would damn him either way. He was conscious of the other men watching him closely, waiting for his response. He cleared his throat. ‘I have given you my advice, sir. That is my professional duty. The command of the army is yours. It is up to you to give the orders for the campaign.’

‘That’s right. The decision is made and the time for consultation or dissent is over. Is that clear?’

‘Yes, sir. Perfectly.’

‘Then I expect you, and every one of my officers, to obey my orders without question from now on.’

Cato nodded.

The legate was still for a moment and then nodded. ‘Very well then. You will all receive your instructions once the headquarters staff at Karnak have them ready. In the meantime ensure that your men are ready to advance the moment I give the word.’

The officers nodded and were waiting to be dismissed when a cavalry auxiliary entered the room and strode up to the prefect of the Alexandrian mounted cohort and quickly reported to him. The other officers looked on curiously as the prefect questioned the man and then dismissed him.

‘Something to tell us?’ asked Aurelius.

‘Yes, sir. It seems that some of the defenders managed to escape us, sir. One of my squadrons was surprised last night. They were part of the perimeter we established round the temple. They were killed where they slept. One of the sentries was still alive when they were discovered this morning. Before he died he said that one of the men who attacked them was in Roman uniform and used the night’s password to get close enough to surprise the sentries.’

‘How did he get hold of the password?’ asked Macro.

Junius pursed his lips. ‘Perhaps he overheard some of our men use it around the temple.’

The cavalry prefect nodded. ‘It’s possible. Anyway, the attackers must have been the mounted men we saw at first light. I sent two of my squadrons to pursue them. They made off towards the north, into the hills. I’ve just heard that they’ve been caught in a dead end. We have them.’

Macro turned to Cato and muttered, ‘That could be Ajax, I suppose.’

‘More than likely.’ Cato nodded. ‘By the gods, that man is like a ghost. A bloody ghost.’

‘How far away are they?’ Aurelius asked the cavalry prefect.

‘No more than four miles, sir. My men are watching them. The leading squadron had the worst of the first encounter. The officer in charge has asked for reinforcements before he tries again.’

Cato stepped forward to intervene. ‘Excuse me, sir, but it’s possible that Ajax is with them. He could have escaped with what’s left of his band of rebels.’

‘So?’

‘Centurion Macro and I were tasked with tracking Ajax down. I request permission to take charge of his capture, sir.’

Aurelius considered for a moment. ‘No. I will take command since I am here. Might as well complete the work I’ve started. I’ll take the auxiliary horse and the archers, since they will be remaining on this side of the Nile in any case. The rest of the men can return to Karnak. However, I shan’t deprive you of the pleasure of being in at the kill, Tribune. Nor you, Centurion Macro.’

‘Thank you, sir,’ Cato responded with forced politeness.

‘Then let’s not waste a moment longer.’ The legate clapped his hands together. ‘It’s time to put an end to this rebel, Ajax. To arms!’

C
ato and Macro were sitting in the shade of a rock. The horses of the auxiliary cavalry cohort were clustered together in whatever shelter they could find, while their riders sat on the ground, their cloaks propped up on sticks to provide some cover from the afternoon sun. They were waiting for the archers, together with Aurelius and his staff, to catch up before they attempted to attack Ajax and his men. Two squadrons had been sent to find another route to the top of the plateau that overlooked the gorge to make certain that none of the enemy would escape.

Even in the shade Cato felt the sapping burden of the sun’s glare. The air caught in the defile was stifling and made worse by the pale rocks which reflected the harsh light. So much so that Cato found himself having to squint when he looked round at the rocky slopes rising up on either side.

‘It’s a hellish place,’ Macro muttered sourly as he dabbed at his brow with his neck cloth. His mood was made worse by the failure of his men to locate the body of Ajax back in the temple. It was clear that the gladiator had escaped with the other horsemen trapped further up the gorge. ‘Never been so bloody hot in my life. It’s like the heat is sucking the bloody life out of me.’

He turned towards Hamedes who was squatting close by, arms wrapped round his knees and his head bowed. ‘What did you say this place was again?’

There was no reply from the priest so Macro picked up a small stone and tossed it at him. The stone struck Hamedes on the arm and dropped by his side. The priest stirred wearily and looked round. ‘Sorry, sir. What was that?’

‘I asked you about this gorge,’ said Macro. ‘Earlier you said it was filled with tombs.’

Hamedes nodded. ‘The tombs of the old kings, and their high priests.’

‘Have you been here before then?’

‘Some days ago, when I visited the temples on the west bank.’

‘I remember,’ said Macro. ‘Thought it was a bloody silly time to go sightseeing. Anyway, about these tombs. What can you tell us? If they’re anything like the temples that crop up all over the place, then they’ll be quite a sight, I should think.’

‘No, sir,’ Hamedes replied. ‘There’s hardly anything to see, at least from the outside. Just holes in the rocks, for the most part. They look more like cave openings than anything else.’

‘Caves?’ Macro snorted. ‘You expect me to believe your lot stuffed their kings into holes in the ground when they died? Bollocks. They slapped them in the heart of those pyramids we passed near Memphis. Told me that yourself.’

‘Some of them, sir. Many of the others were buried here, together with their riches.’

‘Riches?’ Macro’s eyes lit up.

Hamedes nodded. ‘All the accoutrements they would need to take with them into the afterlife, but fashioned in gold and decorated with jewels. Of course, the tombs have been raided by thieves over the years. Picked clean.’

‘Oh.’ Macro’s expression turned to one of sullen disappointment.

‘What are the tombs like?’ asked Cato. ‘How easily could they be defended?’

‘Defended?’ Hamedes pursed his lips. ‘They are just tunnels, sir. Cut into the rocks. There are scores of them. Some of them are little more than caves at the end of short tunnels. Others were cut deep into the cliffs with columned chambers. I took a torch into a handful of them and went as far as I dared. Ajax’s men might try and hide in them, as a last resort.’

‘Hmmm.’ Cato took a sip from his canteen as he considered the priest’s description. He tried to put himself in Ajax’s position. The gladiator and his men had a limited supply of water. If they abandoned their horses and tried to climb out of the gorge, they would be faced by a long march across the plateau then down to the desert before they could attempt to cut back towards the Nile. Even if they managed to evade the Roman forces on this side of the Nile, it was likely the heat and thirst would kill them long before they got to safety. On the other hand, if they hid deep inside one of the tombs, they would be sheltered from the sun and could survive for days before they were forced to emerge. If they timed it to come out at night, they might be able to slip past any soldiers still in the area looking for them. The more he thought about it, the more likely it seemed to Cato that his enemy would make use of the tombs.

‘If they do try to hide, it could take quite a while to find the right tomb, and even then we’d have to winkle them out. I doubt the prospect of spending that long hunting them down is going to appeal to the legate now that he’s set his heart on putting a quick end to the Nubians.’

Macro looked up. ‘You don’t think he’ll abandon the hunt? Not now, when we’ve got the last of them trapped, and Ajax with them, like as not?’

‘You heard Aurelius. He wants the army to march as soon as possible. He won’t want to waste time hunting down a handful of fugitives.’

‘I’ll not let Ajax get away again,’ Macro responded. ‘Not this time. I don’t care how long it takes. I’ll search every bloody one of those tombs until I dig the bastard out.’

Cato fully shared his friend’s desire to put paid to the rebel. However, there was no question of Aurelius giving them permission to spend several days searching for him. He turned to the priest and regarded him thoughtfully. This might also be the opportunity to resolve something that had been troubling him since he had first heard of Ajax’s escape a few hours earlier.

‘Hamedes.’

‘Sir?’

‘I have a job for you. I need someone to go forward and spy out the enemy’s positions. If they go to ground when we attack, then I must know which tomb they are hiding in. Since you know the place, you’re the obvious choice.’

‘Yes, sir.’

‘You’ll need to make an indirect approach.’ Cato looked up at the crags and rocky outcrops that formed the sides of the gorge. ‘It’ll be hard going, and dangerous if you are spotted. Will you volunteer?’

Hamedes nodded at once. ‘Yes, sir. I have as much of a debt to settle with Ajax as you do.’

‘Of course.’ Cato half smiled. ‘I had little doubt you would agree.’ He turned to Macro. ‘Centurion, I want you to go with him.’

Macro raised his eyebrows. ‘Me?’

‘Two pairs of eyes are better than one. Hamedes knows the ground. You know how best to use it. Go with him and report back to me as soon as you have discovered which tomb the enemy are using. It’ll be hot work. You can both leave your armour behind. Just take your swords.’

Macro opened his mouth to protest, then puffed his cheeks and nodded. ‘As you command.’

Once the two men had struggled out of their chain-mail armour and rebuckled their sword belts over their tunics, Cato sent Hamedes to fetch some spare canteens from the nearest cavalry squadron. While the priest strode away, Cato addressed Macro in an undertone. ‘I’d have gone myself, but for my shoulder.’

‘I know.’

‘Be careful, Macro. Don’t take any risks . . . Keep an eye on Hamedes.’

The last remark caught Macro by surprise and he turned towards Cato with a puzzled expression. ‘What?’

Cato glanced at the priest as he was explaining his orders to the decurion of the nearest cavalry squadron. He faced Macro again. ‘I’m not sure how far I trust him any more.’

‘Hamedes?’ Macro shook his head. ‘What the hell are you talking about? He’s served us as loyally as any soldier these last months. Besides, you know his story. Hamedes wants revenge just as we do.’

‘That’s his story,’ Cato replied quietly.

Macro let out a sharp, exasperated breath. ‘You mind telling me what’s brought this on?’

Hamedes had secured two spare canteens and was striding back towards them.

‘I can’t explain now. Just do as I say. Go with him, find out what you can about Ajax’s position, and watch Hamedes closely. I may be jumping at shadows. I don’t know, but just watch him.’

‘As you wish. But I’m telling you, Hamedes is all right. I feel it in my bones. He’s no traitor.’

Macro stilled his tongue as the priest approached and handed him one of the canteens. Macro nodded his thanks and slung the strap over his shoulder, adjusted his sword belt and then looked at Hamedes. ‘Ready?’

‘Yes, sir.’

‘Then let’s be off.’ Macro surveyed the sides of the gorge and then saw a small cut in an outcrop that seemed to offer a steep climb up to higher ground. ‘That way.’

He was about to set off when the sound of hoofbeats echoed up the gorge. A moment later the legate and his staff officers appeared, cantering up the track. They reined in in front of Cato and the others in a cloud of dust and dismounted. Aurelius handed his reins to one of his orderlies and paced over to the three men who stood to attention.

‘The archers are half a mile behind me,’ Aurelius announced. ‘We shall put this business to an end before the hour is up.’

‘I’m not so certain, sir,’ Cato replied, and explained his intention to send the two men forward to reconnoitre. The legate dismissed it with a brusque shake of the head.

‘Out of the question. There’s no time for it.’

‘But sir, the moment we advance in force, the enemy will go into hiding. If we don’t know which tomb they use for cover, it could take us days to find them. Better to spend an hour or so now than risk that, surely?’

Aurelius was perspiring freely from his ride up through the baking heat of the gorge and like most of his officers he had had little sleep for some days.

‘You presume too much, Tribune Cato. I told you earlier, I am in command of the mopping up. Not you. You have no right to issue orders for our men to hold position while you send these two forward on some pointless spying mission.’

‘Sir, I gave the order while we waited for you to reach the gorge. I did it because you wished to save time. You made it very clear that we must end this part of the operation as quickly as possible and march against Prince Talmis. Your priorities were very much in my mind when I gave the order.’

Aurelius sucked in a calming breath and frowned. Cato could see him struggling with the prospect of concurring with his subordinate’s judgement while at the same time retaining his authority. At length the legate nodded curtly. ‘Very well, we’ll scout their position. But not Macro. It was remiss of you to involve one of my most valuable and experienced officers in such a risky venture. When the time comes to face the Nubians, I shall need Macro at the head of the First Cohort.’

‘Sir, it’s precisely because of his experience that I chose Macro.’

‘Then you must choose another. Better still, I will find the man.’ He turned to his staff officers. ‘I need a volunteer to scout ahead.’

Tribune Junius took a step forward. ‘I request the honour.’

‘Done! Brave lad.’ Aurelius turned back to Cato. ‘Far better to give a fresh soldier the chance to win his spurs than lay additional burdens on the shoulders of those who have already proved themselves. See? That’s how a good commander does the job . . . Tribune Junius!’