Balbus nodded.
“I don’t like the man myself. That’s not why I’m here though, sir.”
Caesar smiled.
“I realise that. You’re not petty enough to come here demanding I get rid of Crassus. What did you come for?”
“I was conversing with Priscus of the Tenth, and we’ve come up with a disturbing thought. He only thought it halfway through, but I’ve taken it a step further and thought I ought to see you.”
Caesar rubbed his head and sighed.
“You’re being needlessly cryptic, Balbus.”
“Alright General, here’s what I think: You and your campaign have been endangered by the failure of morale in your army. If things get any worse, you could find that you’re facing the entire German army with only a dozen men.”
Caesar nodded.
“I realise the peril, but I won’t flee.”
Balbus shook his head, smiling.
“I’m not suggesting you flee, Caesar. The question is, who stands to gain from a collapse in your army here in Gaul?”
A frown.
“Ariovistus. The Gauls in a way, I suppose.”
A thought struck him and he looked up at Balbus sharply.
“My rivals and enemies in Rome!”
“Indeed, sir.”
His headache all but forgotten, Caesar leaned forward.
“Do you really think the conspiracy that Fronto unearthed stretches this far?”
“Far sir? No distance at all. If, as the Gaul said to Fronto, the conspiracy spread through the Roman ranks as well as the Gauls, the conspirators will have come with us. This current situation has come down from the higher ranks, and you realise what that means?”
Caesar nodded again.
“The tribunes. They’re all high-born Romans. I’ve got around fifty tribunes attached to the army, along with other staff officers. How many owe their patronage to me? I wonder if there are clients of my opposition among them. I can’t bring myself to suspect any of my more senior officers. They’d have too much to lose.”
Balbus nodded.
“I tend to agree, Caesar. Even Crassus I would think above that. What we need is to watch all the officers who try to get out of here. I’d be pretty sure that any conspirator who tried to leave you high and dry wouldn’t stick around to share in the consequences.”
“Hmm. I’ve already had a number of officers call on me requesting permission to vacate the city. So far I’ve refused them all. I think I need to speak directly to the centurions of the legions. We’ll gather them together and I’ll go over the heads of the tribunes and legates. If we can shame the army into fighting, it doesn’t matter what the officers do. I shaln’t let any of them flee, but anyone who tries will be noted. Any officer who doesn’t feel he can fight in the front line will be assigned temporarily to my staff. They’re not getting away that easily.”
Balbus nodded.
“I would suggest that you keep your personal guard close and prepared. Keep an eye on all your officers.”
“I shall, Balbus. I shall. Thank you for bringing this to my attention and I hope we can resolve it. I think you need to get back to the Eighth and have them fall in.”
“Sir.”
Balbus left, wandering out of the building and down the main street. As he passed the corner of the side street with the tavern on, he spotted Tetricus coming the other way.
“Tribune.”
“Sir.”
“Has Priscus finished with the Tenth already?”
Tetricus nodded.
“No nonsense. Cut the deadwood away and promoted a few good men to replace them. I don’t think we’ll have much of a problem now. If you don’t mind me asking sir, what are you planning to do with the Eighth?”
Balbus smiled at the tribune.
“I don’t really have much choice, do I? I either do the same as Priscus or I watch the Eighth slide into rebellion. I’ve got to do something before Balventius takes matters into his own hands like your primus pilus did. Priscus dismissed the chaff. Balventius would probably gut them. He’s not very subtle.”
Tetricus lowered his voice.
“Could I ask that any tribunes you get rid of be pointed in my direction up on the hill sir?”
“If you like. Why?”
“I’m doing a little investigating to try and find out where these rumours came from.”
Balbus frowned.
“That’s good, but be very careful. There’s something deep and dark afoot here. You’ll have been back in Geneva at the time, but there was at least one assassination attempt on Fronto and one insurrection among the cavalry. This goes much deeper than a little rumour mongering. Fronto trusts you, and that’s good enough for me, so anything you can find out would be most welcome but don’t push anything too much in case it pushes back. As soon as you have anything to go on, call Priscus and myself and we’ll all go and see Caesar.”
Tetricus nodded again.
“I’ll do that, sir.”
They became slowly aware that someone was running up the street towards them shouting “Legate Balbus!”
Balbus squinted and saw an optio heading for them. As the man reached the crossroads he pulled himself to attention, exhausted from the climb though he was. Tetricus recognised him as one of the men from the Tenth’s command tent earlier.
“Legionary, what’s all this row?”
The man straightened and grinned.
“Message from centurion Priscus for you both sir. Riders have just entered the camp carrying news of Fronto and the Second Cohort. They’re alive and are on the way here.”
Balbus let out a slow sigh.
“Thank the Gods for that. Best get back to your unit, optio.”
As the man ran off, he turned to Tetricus.
“I’ll no doubt see you later, tribune. I’d best get along to the Eighth and talk to them before Caesar does.”
* * * * *
The dell was filled with centurions. Balbus knew, of course, how many centurions a legion actually had, but you never saw them all together. Sixty grizzled veterans from the Eighth stood at ease, watching the tribunal. With the other five legions’ centurions, excepting the Tenth’s Second Cohort that was still racing the Germans to Vesontio, there would still be nearly three hundred officers here, waiting to hear what the army’s commander had to say.
Caesar had initially wanted to organise a private meeting at the citadel or in one of the camps, but Balbus had had to point out that nowhere was the General going to be able to have a ‘private’ meeting with three hundred centurions. And so here they were, three miles from the city in a clearing with only the centurions, a few senior officers and a small group of Caesar’s Praetorians.
Balbus stood on the far left of the temporary tribunal, next to Tetricus and Crispus. More tribunes stood to the other side. Of Crassus or the other commanders there was no sign. Perhaps he had taken Caesar’s decision to speak directly to the troops as a personal dig. Balbus hoped so. The thought of it brought a smile to his face.
The centurions of the six legions glittered in the dappled sunlight of the clearing. It would be warm for them, crammed in like this in such hot sun, with the trees around them preventing even the slightest of breezes. Balbus continually wiped his own brow, and he was standing high on the podium with room to breathe.
There was, as he’d expected, the continual murmur of conversation among the veterans.
A creak on the wooden steps behind Balbus caused him to turn. Caesar, with Sabinus at his shoulder, climbed onto the platform. The General walked to the front rail and held out his arm in an age-old gesture. In other circumstances, Balbus would expect a roar from the crowd to greet such a gesture. Not now. Caesar leaned on the rail with his left hand and addressed the crowd of centurions.