Reaching into his tunic, he pulled out a small purse and threw it to the ground in front of Caesar. Roman coins spilled out onto the ground.
“I have assurances from some of the great men of Rome that I’d have their friendship and their support should the great Caesar die. If you go home, I’ll count you friend and give you gifts to take back to Rome and we’ll have peace. If not, I may make a gift of your body to your enemies in Rome. It’s your choice Caesar. Are you my friend or my enemy?”
Close behind Caesar, Fronto waited for the outburst he had felt building. Balbus leaned over in the saddle and whispered to him.
“Be prepared for this. Caesar’s got something up his sleeve. I don’t know how or what, but something’s about to happen. Keep your eyes and ears open.”
Fronto frowned quizzically at the older legate as the General spoke once more to the German King.
“I will not leave, German. Neither I nor any of my officers would leave a deserving ally in need. Rome would not leave them. Your threats will bring you nothing but death. You think to frighten me with tales of my enemies in Rome. Those men of whom you speak would think of you as an animal and would be less inclined to parley with you than I. Beware of them, for they are not as friendly as I. Gaul does not belong to you, anymore than it belongs to us. Our Provinces in the south and east are long-standing and peaceful and we are not seeking new lands. Quintus Fabius Maximus subdued the Arverni and the Ruteni but he did not attempt to turn them into a province, nor did he demand tribute. I…”
The General was interrupted mid-flow by the voice of Longinus.
“General!”
The various officers looked around at Longinus, who was pointing down the hill to the plain. Below, a large number of the German cavalry had swept around the side of the mound and were hurling stones at the mounted Tenth. As Fronto watched, a large rock came hurtling uphill, whizzing past his horse’s head and missing by only a couple of inches.
He turned and looked back down at the Tenth. They had formed lines with their shields facing the Germans and were readying their javelins. Wheeling his horse, he charged down the hill toward the column.
“No! No one fire back. This is a conference and a truce. Let them break it, but not us!”
He called out to a nearby centurion.
“Keep the line tight and slowly retreat from the field, keeping the shields to the Germans.”
The centurion nodded and began to relay the order down the line, while Fronto turned to climb the hill again. As he turned he saw the other officers descending at a steady pace. He fell in beside Caesar.
“I’ve had the Tenth fall out slowly without engaging the enemy, sir.”
Caesar smiled.
“Quick thinking Fronto. Now we are in the right and he’s broken a truce. I think that will put the Gods on our side, don’t you?”
Fronto nodded.
“It’ll put our army in a real bloodthirsty mood, too. Not just the Tenth, but the other legions once they get to hear of it. I can’t help but wonder how you arranged this?”
Caesar’s irritating knowing smile crossed his face again.
“How I arranged what, Marcus? Events just sometimes have a fortunate way of turning out in my favour.”
Harrumph.
As Caesar laughed, Fronto dropped back to where Balbus and Longinus rode side by side.
“Alright. Which of you knows what happened there and is going to explain it to me?”
Balbus shrugged and Longinus narrowed his eyes.
“What makes you think either of us was involved in this?”
Fronto growled.
“One of you has to have helped Caesar do this. He’s devious enough to do it, but it has the hallmarks of a Longinus plot. Bear in mind that it was my legion that just got pelted with stones. There may have been fatalities; there were certainly casualties. Unless you want me to go round inflicting those injuries on your men to even up the score, tell me what happened.”
Longinus looked at Balbus and then sighed.
“Fine. It was my idea. Caesar wanted something that would incense the army. It really had to be the Tenth. I’m afraid that you’ve made them the most high-profile of all the legions, Marcus. If it’s any consolation, Caesar wanted us to use German spears, but I managed to barter him down to rocks. That way we could keep the casualties to a minimum. I know you’re angry, but you’ll accept it later.”
Fronto cleared his throat in annoyance. It was true that no real damage had been done. For all his comments, he couldn’t believe there had been bad casualties and he’d not seen anyone left for dead. Longinus had only done what Fronto might have come up with had he been involved. The only thing that annoyed him was that it was the Tenth.
“I need a drink!”
Longinus smiled at him.
“I happen to have a small stock that I brought from Vesontio. It’s not fantastic, but it’s quite an acceptable taste. Care to join me when we get back?”
Fronto nodded and the first hint of a smile played across his lips.
“So how did you get the Germans to throw stones at my men?”
Longinus grinned.
“Auxiliary cavalry, Marcus. I sent them to infiltrate three days ago. They were in amongst the men when Ariovistus brought them to the meeting. They managed to manoeuvre not only themselves but even some of the real Germans into shouting angrily at the Tenth and then hurling rocks at them. When Ariovistus leaves the field, he won’t have a clue who it was who started it, but he will feel like a truce-breaking idiot. And he will know that he’s given Caesar an excuse to destroy him now. Our auxiliaries will wait until the camp is quiet tonight and then slip back out and return to their units.”
“Oh you are a clever little bastard, Longinus. I’m glad you’re on our side.”
“Are you really? It doesn’t seem like so long ago when you said you wished I’d fall down a really big hole!”
Fronto laughed.
“What makes you think I don’t wish stuff like that now?”
Balbus coughed.
“When you’ve finished, I think we need to go and see our legions. News is going to spread like wild fire now and we want to make sure it channels into controlled aggression aimed at the Germans, and not into stupid outbursts. We don’t really want a riot at the moment.”
The others nodded and began to pick up pace.
A short while later, Fronto entered the gate of the camp and made his way to the praetorium. The Tenth rode in behind him, some a little battered and bleeding, but no one seriously hurt. They were the last of the party to arrive. Caesar had made sure that Fronto rode his legion in full view of the rest of the army before they could settle into camp.
Fronto dismounted in front of the valetudinarium, a joint temporary hospital for the use of all six legions and manned by staff from them all. He saw two capsarii lowering a man onto a stretcher just outside.
“Capsarius!”
The nearest turned and looked up. He smiled.
“Legate Fronto.”
Fronto blinked.
“Florus. How’s the medical life treating you?”
“Very well sir. I’m now officially a capsarius. No more trench digging for me, sir. What can I do for you?”
Fronto gestured at the dusty troops behind him.
“Just cuts and bruises really. Lot of them though. I’ll come and chat while they work if you’ve got the time.”
* * * * *
Gaius Valerius Procillus sat in a campaign chair and sighed contentedly. He reached him arm to the left and waggled the goblet. With audible grumbles, Velius reached down for the jar of wine and the jug of water and refilled the staff officer’s drink. Procillus smiled down into the red liquid and shook his head as if in a daze.