Affairs at Dura continued as normaclass="underline" the armouries produced weapons and armour, the caravans travelled east and west and the army drilled and prepared for the coming war. I was in frequent contact with both Orodes and Phriapatius, though none of my letters to Surena in Gordyene were answered. Orodes wrote that he had also received no answer to his request that Surena visit him at Seleucia. I did hear from traders who were travelling through Dura that their fellow merchants who had been in Gordyene had informed them that Surena was rarely in Vanadzor, preferring the company of the wild men of his northern borders, who were constantly raiding Armenian territories. I had toyed with the idea of asking Gafarn to send Silaces to Gordyene to speak to Surena, but when I mentioned it in a letter to Gafarn I received a message back that Silaces and his men could not be spared.
There was better news from Phriapatius who reported that he had assembled forty thousand men at Persepolis as part of his Eastern Army, ready to reinforce us when the Romans invaded. However, he stated that most of the men in this force were his own Carmanians, the other eastern kings having been reluctant to send him any troops because they did not wish to weaken their own armies. And from Khosrou and Musa came news of unending war with the nomads of the northern steppes, the vast land between the Caspian and Aral seas.
‘Mithridates started a fire that cannot be extinguished,’ remarked Dobbai as I finished my summary of events in the empire to Dura’s council.
‘That is a pity,’ said Domitus, looking at the map of the empire hanging on the wall of his headquarters, ‘we could have done with some of their soldiers.’
Dobbai scoffed at him. ‘The kingdoms of Margiana and Hyrcania are a thousand miles distant whereas the Romans and Armenians are but a stone’s throw away. Even if they could provide assistance it would arrive too late to be of any use.’
‘What of Gordyene?’ asked Domitus.
‘I have received no word from Surena though I have heard that he still raids Armenia.’
‘He will never stop killing until he himself gets what he desires,’ said Dobbai.
Domitus exhaled loudly and looked out of the window while everyone else looked at her in confusion.
‘And what is that?’ I asked.
‘To be with his wife and child of course,’ she replied, ‘I would have thought that much was obvious.’
‘He has a kingdom to rule,’ I said, ‘he will find another wife in time.’
‘You are wrong, son of Hatra. He cares for nothing, not his life, much less his kingdom. You trained him well but made a mistake by unfastening his collar. He has become a wild dog that even you might find difficult to control. Still, at least he keeps the Armenians from seizing more of your brother’s kingdom. And sending men to aid the Jews will divert the Romans’ attention away from Parthia for a while. That was a clever ploy, son of Hatra.’
‘I am glad you approve,’ I said through gritted teeth.
‘Of course they will all be killed,’ she continued, ‘that much is certain. But what are the lives of few savages from the Zagros?’ She sneered at Aaron. ‘Or a few Jews for that matter.’
‘How dare you!’ snapped Aaron, his nostrils flaring. ‘Prince Alexander is an ally and friend of Dura, the king has said so himself.’
‘Prince?’ said Dobbai mischievously, ‘the last time I heard he was living like a hunted animal in the hills. He will never regain his position and is condemned to the life of a bandit, and the Jews will return to their position.’
‘What position?’ I enquired.
‘Slaves,’ she said. ‘They were slaves of the Egyptian pharaoh many years ago until he grew tired of their incessant nagging and threw them out of Egypt and now they will be slaves of the Romans.’
Aaron jumped up from his chair. ‘I really must protest, majesty.’
I held up a hand to him. ‘Please be seated, Aaron. I’m sure Dobbai meant no offence.’
‘I am merely stating the truth,’ she said innocently, ‘if some are displeased by this there is little I can do.’
‘You can be silent,’ seethed Aaron.
‘Enough!’ I said. ‘If the Romans and Armenians triumph we shall all be slaves.’
‘Just like the Jews,’ said Dobbai, grinning maliciously at Aaron. ‘Of course if you sent assassins to kill Crassus there would be no Roman invasion of Parthia.’
‘Not a bad idea,’ suggested Domitus.
‘If Crassus is murdered and it is discovered that Dura is responsible it will enrage the Romans further,’ I said. ‘And may I remind you that there would still be Roman legions in Syria waiting to invade the empire. No. Crassus and his legions have to be defeated to send a clear message to Rome that if they attempt to invade Parthia their armies will be destroyed. That is the whole point of what we are trying to achieve: to not only defeat Crassus but also destroy the Roman desire to conquer Parthia.’
Byrd and Malik had made the trip from Palmyra and I asked them both to give an account of what was happening in Syria and on Haytham’s western border.
‘My spies in Antioch report that Crassus recruits Syrians to his army,’ said Byrd. ‘He has eight legions in Syria. Seven he brought from Italy plus one that garrisons the province. Other legion is in Judea and Egypt.’
‘There has been no aggression from Emesa,’ stated Malik. ‘The rumour is that the fat king is living in fear of an assault upon his city by my father.’
‘Good,’ I said. ‘Fear will hopefully prevent him participating in any more assaults against Palmyra.’
‘One thing that I have also heard,’ said Byrd. ‘Queen Aruna has found a new lover. A Roman called Marcus Roscius.’
Gallia, who had been bored by the meeting thus far and had spent most of it either daydreaming or looking out of the window, now looked interested. ‘He was the Roman tribune who came to Dura wanting to take Aaron back to Syria.’
‘I remember,’ I said.
‘Tribune now deputy governor of Syria,’ reported Byrd.
‘Poor tribune,’ I quipped.
Dobbai was far from amused. ‘You should take care, son of Hatra, Aruna is full of malice and desires you dead.’
‘Well,’ I replied, ‘with me here and her in Syria I think I am safe enough.’
That night Gallia and I dined with Rachel and Aaron in their house near the Citadel. Rachel was pregnant with their first child and both of them were very excited about their impending parenthood. We were joined by Miriam and Domitus and soon forgot about the Armenians, Romans and war as we talked about children, getting old and our time in Italy. It was a relaxed and enjoyable evening. I liked Aaron and his wife and Miriam, whom I thanked Shamash for sending to Domitus. He was very relaxed in her company and for a while I forgot that he was a ruthless killer, consummate soldier and commander.
We had a most excellent meal and were relaxing on couches in the dining room when there was a commotion outside and a centurion from the Durans entered the room, the headman of the house protesting loudly at his interruption. Aaron rose from the couch and stilled the man as the centurion saluted me and then Domitus.
‘This had better be good,’ I said to him.
‘Begging your pardon, majesty, but there is trouble in the city.’
Domitus raised an eyebrow. ‘What sort of trouble?’
‘At one of the brothels general.’ He suddenly realised there were women present. ‘Begging your pardon, majesty, ladies.’
I stood up and jabbed a finger at him. ‘You interrupt my evening just to bring me news of trouble in a whorehouse?’
The centurion looked alarmed. ‘Not just any trouble, majesty, it involves Prince Peroz.’
I folded my arms and stood in front of him.
‘Go on.’
‘The prince has barricaded himself in one of the rooms and a few men from one of the caravans are threatening to break down the door and kill him. As it is him I thought you should take charge of the situation, majesty, seeing that he is a royal guest at Dura.’