The Legion

There had been no alternative, Ajax told himself. He had not wished to have the villagers' blood on his hands, but the safety of his men came first. The Romans could not be alerted to the danger. The order was given to his most reliable men and they entered the animal pen and slaughtered the villagers. Years of training in Roman gladiator schools meant they were accustomed to obeying orders immediately, just as they had become hardened to the suffering of others. It was over swiftly and when the last of the dying screams had faded, the village stood still and silent, waiting for the arrival of the Roman column.

Karim finished tying off the dressing round the Nubian's arm and nodded at the man to withdraw from their presence. He wiped the blood off his fingers on the rim of his filthy tunic which stank of sweat and the stagnant odour of the swamp.

'What now, General?'

Ajax glanced at him, wondering if Karim was mocking him. His followers had always referred to him as their general, and in time Ajax had come to insist on the title. Karim used it in front of other men but usually he spoke frankly and without deference when they were alone.

'We wait for them to make another attack.'

'What makes you think they will?'

'What choice have they got?' Ajax replied simply. 'They are here to hunt us down. They must attack, and soon.'

'Why?'

'Because they fear that we may escape them again.'

Karim took a sip of water from his canteen and cleared his throat. 'Then why don't we escape? Now, while they hesitate.'

'Because we are evenly matched. They have no more men than we do. We can kill these Romans and leave their bones to rot in the swamp. Are all the preparations complete?'

Karim nodded. 'Canthus has concealed the stakes in the grass and his men are ready.'

'Then let the Romans attack.' Ajax smiled grimly as he stared at the enemy.

Karim watched him closely for a moment before he spoke again. 'There is another reason why you choose to stand and fight, isn't there?'

Ajax nodded. 'So you heard him too?'

'I did.'

'Then you will know why I must stand my ground and seize the chance to kill that Roman officer. Unfortunately, I did not see the other one with him.'

'Centurion Macro.'

Ajax nodded and clenched his fists. 'To think that I had Macro at my mercy for so many days back on Crete. I could have killed him at any time. I was a fool, Karim. I should have taken justice when it was offered, rather than indulge my desire to torment my enemy.'

Karim shrugged. 'It is always easy to be wise after the event, General.'

Ajax frowned briefly. 'True… All the more reason why I cannot endure the thought of losing this chance to have vengeance. For being sold into slavery, and for the death of my father.' Ajax's tone was ice cold. 'As long as Prefect Cato and Centurion Macro still live, I'll not be able to rest, not be able to be content.'

'You shall never have those things while there is still a Rome,' Karim responded wearily. 'What do you think to achieve, my friend? Is your heart set on killing every Roman in the world?'

'If that were possible, then yes.'

'But it is not possible.'

Ajax turned to him and flashed a smile. 'Give me the time to do it and we shall see. Besides, do you think that we are alone in our hatred of Rome? Remember what we got out of that fat captain of the last cargo ship? That the Nubians were poised to invade the south of the province.'

'I remember.'

'Then perhaps we should consider throwing in our lot with the Nubians.'

'Perhaps. But Nubians are an unknown quantity,' Karim reflected. 'It might not be wise to join them, even if they hate Rome as we do. I would not make that decision lightly.'

'Nor would I.'

Karim shook his head pityingly. 'The desire for revenge weighs down on you, my General. The burden blinds you to the responsibility you have to others. To me, and to all those who follow you. And all those who might one day follow you, if you can put aside your personal craving for revenge. You must put reason before feeling. That is what it means to be a true leader.'

Ajax shrugged. 'I am a man, even as I am a leader, Karim. I cannot be untrue to the dictates of my heart. Not for you, or any other who chooses to follow me. I must have my revenge. If the gods are kind I will have it here in this village this night. I will kill those Roman soldiers. I will cut the head off Prefect Cato. But, if I take him alive, then I will do to him what he did to my father and nail him to a cross, and sit and watch as he dies, burning under the sun, begging for water or the deliverance of a quick death. I shall give him neither,' Ajax concluded harshly.

They were both silent for a moment, then Ajax stirred and stared intently down the length of the village to where the legionaries were stirring. As he watched, they formed into a line and presented their shields in the dull glow of the dying flames. At the centre stood a tall, slender figure with a plumed helmet. When the soldiers were ready, he raised his sword and swept it forward and the legionaries began to advance.

Ajax cupped a hand to his mouth and called to his men. 'Here they come! Archers, make ready! Gladiators, on me!'

As the figures of his men rose up from the shadows, Ajax turned to Karim with a grim smile. 'Pray that the gods are generous, my friend, and we end this tonight.'

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Centurion Rufus and his party had crept away into the long grass beside the dyke shortly before and should be making their way towards the enemy, Cato calculated, glancing down a gap between two of the houses to his left. There was nothing to see there, just the shadows now that night had set in. The fires had quickly consumed the flammable materials of the houses and small flames licked lazily along charred timbers and provided some illumination for the street and the ground immediately to the rear of the houses. Rufus and his men should be able to advance parallel to the street without being seen, Cato decided.

Ahead of him he could see several figures gathering just beyond the far end of the street and he offered a quick prayer to Fortuna that Ajax was amongst them. He could just see more of the dim forms of the renegades spreading out either side of the main body awaiting them and a moment later the first, unmistakable phut of an arrow as it passed above his head.

'Incoming arrows!' Cato warned his men. 'Shields up, lads!'

The men in the rear ranks raised their shields overhead to protect the formation from plunging shots. More arrows fell out of the starlit sky and cracked into the shields or pattered off the hard earth as the line, six men wide and four deep, paced forward, behind the sturdy curves and brass bosses of their shields. The archers kept up a steady shower of arrows as the legionaries approached up the street. The knot of gladiators waiting for them stood still and silent, waiting for Ajax's order to attack.

'Watch the flanks!' Cato ordered, anxious to avoid the formation being broken up by another charge of spearmen. The arrows stopped coming as the Romans approached the waiting gladiators and Cato tightened his grip on his sword and shield. When the two sides were no more than ten paces apart, there was a sharp cry of pain from the left, then Centurion Rufus's voice cut through the darkness.

'Forward! Charge 'em! Up the Twenty-Second!'

His men echoed his cry with a roar and a moment later there was another cry, and then a shout and then a deep groan.

'What the fuck is happening over there?' said one of the men behind Cato.

'Silence!' Cato yelled. 'Keep moving!'

Ajax smiled as he heard the cries of pain down beside the dyke. He had been right in his suspicion that the Romans might try to flank him. That was why he had ordered his men to plant sharpened stakes in the long grass soon after they had dealt with the enemy scouts. Now it seemed that the enemy attack had come to grief and, better still, they had charged into the trap. He turned to Karim.