‘You lot — disappear,’ ordered Carnifex.
The legionaries helped the other two with the body and left through the newly opened door. Beyond was a sunlit section of grass enclosed by a cactus hedge.
Carnifex sat down and leant back in the chair, arms crossed. He turned and looked at Annia. Her hair had come loose and hung down over her face. She had lost her stola and her pert breasts were visible through her tunic.
‘Mmm,’ said the old centurion. ‘There’s women, then there’s girls.’
A soldier arrived with a jug of wine and a plate of bread and cheese. Carnifex pointed at the floor next to his chair. Once the soldier had put the food and drink down, he left. After a few more moments spent staring at his captives, Carnifex picked up the jug and drank noisily.
‘Sore throat,’ he said, standing up when he’d swallowed half of it. ‘That’s what comes of having some stinking rag in your mouth for twelve hours.’ He took another mouthful of wine and spat it at Indavara.
‘How you doing, One Ear?’
As the wine ran down over the still-drying blood, Indavara looked at him.
Carnifex grinned. ‘I’m guessing knocking me about with that stave is starting to seem like a pretty bad decision, eh?’
‘Yes,’ said Indavara. ‘I should have stuck you with a blade and had done with it.’
Carnifex laughed, and turned to Cassius. ‘I do like him.’
He sat back down, grabbed a hunk of bread and started chewing his way through it.
‘I’m so sorry,’ Annia said quietly, head bowed.
‘You should be, Beautiful,’ said Carnifex. ‘Otherwise these two might just have got away with it. What were you doing on Rhodes, Streak? The truth — or Beautiful here won’t keep her name for long. I’m not a big face man.’
Carnifex reached over and tweaked Annia’s left breast. She let out a little cry and managed to drag the chair a few inches away.
Cassius cursed Carnifex, then the girl, then himself, for ever allowing her to set foot on the Fortuna Redux.
‘I was there to meet Memor,’ he said. ‘I arrived at the house the day after Nicasias killed him.’
‘Lucky.’
‘That’s not the word I’d use.’
Carnifex tucked in to the lump of cheese.
Cassius doubted he would get another chance to reason with him, though he knew his chances of success were negligible.
‘Centurion, I’m a realist. I’m not going to pretend my position is a strong one. But neither is yours. The Service know I’m here. If they don’t hear from me soon they will come here and they will retaliate. You may think you’re untouchable, but I can assure you, you’re not.’
Carnifex didn’t bother to finish his mouthful of cheese before replying. ‘Streak, no one gets post out from here. Which means if you did contact your masters, you sent a letter from Rhodes. You telling me you already knew then that Nicasias was on his way back to Darnis?’
Cassius was ready for that one. ‘Your assassin friend talked too much. To a thief named Drusus Viator — on the ship that brought them to Rhodes from Paphos. My superior is named Aulus Celatus Abascantius. He was friends with Memor, as was Chief Pulcher — I’m sure you know that name — and when they find out the girl’s missing too, I think there’ll be a ship full of troops arriving here pretty soon.’
‘Careful, Streak. I’m starting to think maybe you’re threatening me.’
‘Not at all. Just making sure you understand the consequences of your actions.’
‘Thing is,’ replied Carnifex. ‘I’ve known Nicasias since he was your age. One of my best men till he was discharged and took up a new career. When he arrived here needing to lie low for a bit I was happy to look after him — in return for a favour for some associates and me. He sat in the mansion garden yesterday and swore with his hand on his heart that he hadn’t spoken to anyone about me or Darnis. Reckon I’ll take his word over yours any day.’
Cassius thought suddenly of the timber yard. Nicasias had ridden in from the south, probably returning from the mansion. The exchange of greetings between him and Carnifex at the quarry had been purely for the benefit of the three conspirators.
‘Course we’ll have to do something about your friends at the harbour,’ Carnifex continued. ‘I could use a ship. But all things considered, probably better to just kill them all and sink it.’
Cassius’s head dropped. He had no leverage over the old centurion and Carnifex knew it. He’d been a fool not to listen to Eborius that night at the barracks. They could have already escaped Darnis on the Fortuna and left Abascantius to deal with Carnifex later. How many lives would have been saved?
‘You should have stayed on Rhodes, Streak. You already know what I do to grain men who get in my way.’
‘I didn’t know what I would find here. I was just doing my job.’
Carnifex stood up again. He walked over to Cassius, then glanced back at Annia.
‘Reckon that’s what her old man said when he had me sent here. Took me twenty-five years to reach legion quartermaster of the Fifth Macedonian. Prefect was a useless arse-stabber with a pretty face and a palace accent just like yours, Streak. I led them men. All five thousand of them. Up into the mountains of Dacia to root out mercenaries, north to see off the Goths, even against other legions when them usurpers tried their hand.’
Carnifex stepped closer. ‘You know, I’m in the history books, me. First man to win four medals in one battle. All for chopping the heads off Carpi tribesmen no brighter than the barefoots round here. Was one of them gave me this.’
Carnifex pushed a finger into the hole in the middle of his forehead. His stinking bulk had blocked out all the light.
‘Then one day the prefect gets a letter from that cocksucker Memor and it’s marching orders for old Carn. And for what? Taking a few little extras here and there. So here I am, and I reckon that as Rome don’t need me no more, I don’t need Rome.’
‘I didn’t start this,’ Cassius said quietly. ‘You did — when you sent Nicasias to kill Memor.’
‘He’d still be alive if he’d kept out of my affairs. Same goes for you, Streak, but you just had to stick your snout in.’
Carnifex gripped Cassius’s nose between his thumb and forefinger. Cassius shut his eyes as the centurion pinched harder. He could feel his teeth grinding together.
Carnifex twisted his fingers in an instant, snapping Cassius’s nose.
He felt bone splinter and pierce his skin. As blood ran down into his mouth and his eyes filled with water, he heard himself scream. Forgetting his hands were tied, he tried to bring them down and ended up spasming against the wall, boots scraping the floor.
But the pain had peaked. And as it subsided he heard a voice: ‘Corbulo, put your head back.’
‘Cassius,’ Indavara continued. ‘Put your head back.’
Cassius did it, and after a time the flow of blood began to slow.
‘Keep it up,’ advised Indavara calmly. ‘Deep breaths.’
Cassius blinked away salty tears and spat out blood.
Procyon and Mutilus walked into the barn. With only a passing glance at the three captives, they stopped beside Carnifex and bowed their heads.
‘Sir.’
Carnifex sat down again and spoke while he chewed through the last of the bread. ‘Twelve hours I was gone. You had a hundred and thirty men and you didn’t manage to send one of them to a hut less than a mile from the harbour. If not for this’ — he nodded at Annia — ‘I’d probably be on my way back to Rome by now.’
‘I’m truly sorry, Centurion,’ said Procyon.
‘Me too, sir,’ added Mutilus.
‘Who’s still out?’
‘Couple of squads on horseback,’ replied Procyon. ‘Everyone else is here.’