‘Of course, sir. My master instructed that you were to be shown whatever sites you wished to visit before you left. He asks only that you do not proclaim your identity to all and sundry.’
I smiled. ‘That would be most sensible, I think.’
We left our horses at one of the properties owned by Crassus, an apartment block that had a shop selling leather goods on the ground floor and stables around a courtyard immediately behind it. Ajax gave orders that the horses were to be groomed and fed (Remus had never been groomed so many times in so short a space of time), and that we would return for them later. It was mid-morning when we walked to the valley between the Palatine, Quirinal and Viminal hills, the location of the Forum. Unfortunately, the entire Roman Empire seemed to have had the same idea, for the paved open space was a seething press of people. But they were dwarfed by the magnificent buildings that enclosed the area, white colonnaded structures with red-tiled roofs. The senate house itself, though having impressive bronze doors, was actually the least impressive building in the Forum. The grandest were the temples: tall, imposing structures built to pay homage to deities called Saturn, Vulcan, Concordia, Vesta and Castor. I noticed a large group of young men gathered at the doors of the senate house and asked Ajax who they were.
‘The sons of senators who are currently sitting inside, sir. They listen to the debates so that one day they will be familiar with its procedures, and will thus be able to take their place as senators when their time comes.’
‘Is your master debating today.’
‘No, sir, he has more pressing matters to attend to.’
‘Such as planning to crush the slave rebellion.’
He looked sheepish and uncomfortable. ‘Yes, sir.’
I also noticed a large wooden platform in front of the senate house, on which a speaker was addressing a crowd. I also noticed that there were spikes mounted on either side of it. Ajax told me that the platform was called a rostra and was used by speakers to harangue the crowds. The heads of notable Romans who were on the losing side in Rome’s seemingly frequent civil wars were mounted on the spikes. I wondered if the heads of the father and brother of General Crassus had ended up here. After an hour we left the Forum and retraced our steps back to where our horses were stabled. After a meal of bread and cheese we began our journey out of the city. We left via the Porta Collina and rode east. After ten miles I halted and bade Ajax farewell. He told me that the latest news he had heard was that the slave army had moved further south, towards Campania. I shook his hand and asked whether he would reconsider his decision about joining us. He said no, and who could blame him? He may have been a slave, but he enjoyed a position of power serving a powerful Roman senator.
I rode hard and camped for the night at a miserable place called a hospitium, a wretched hovel where I had to share a large, draughty room with around a dozen stinking fellow travellers. In the morning I had to hunt down and kill the lice that had migrated from them to me, but from talking with them I did learn that Spartacus had camped fifty miles southeast of Rome. It took another day to reach the army, the diminishing number of travellers on the road a sure sign that I was getting close to its camp. On a drizzly autumn morning, with my cloak wrapped around me in a futile attempt to keep dry, I ran into a patrol of cavalry armed with spears and shields. I recognised them at once as being part of Burebista’s dragon. Fortunately, they also recognised me and told me that army was five miles away.
‘Any sign of the enemy?’ I asked their commander.
‘No, lord.’
I dismissed them and carried on with my journey. An hour later I was in the arms of Gallia, brushing away the tears of joy as I told her that I loved her and would never leave her side again. It was so good to see her, as well as Godarz, Gafarn, Nergal, Burebista and Diana, even the wild Rubi gave me a sort of smile. Godarz informed me that we would be moving south into Campania within two days, and Nergal said that he had patrols operating up to fifty miles away from the army.
‘So far, highness, they have not encountered any Romans.’
Later that day I rode with Gallia to see Spartacus, and found him on the training ground practising his swordsmanship. He stopped when he saw me and we embraced.
‘Not tempted to become a Roman, then?’
‘No, lord. But I must speak with you about a matter of some importance.’
We walked back to his tent where we found a blooming Claudia darning one of his tunics. We hugged each other and I told her that pregnancy suited her.
‘And having you back suits Gallia,’ she smiled. ‘Don’t go away again.’
‘No, lady.’
Spartacus told me to wait in his tent and then went to fetch the other members of the war council, leaving me alone with Gallia and Claudia.
‘What did you think of Rome, Pacorus?’ Claudia asked me.
‘It was unlike any city I have ever seen, huge and imposing.’
‘Is Hatra not large?’ said Gallia.
I took her hand. ‘It is, but in truth it could fit inside Rome many times.’
Half an hour later Spartacus returned, along with Akmon, Castus, Cannicus and Afranius. Castus gave me a bear hug.
‘There was a rumour that you had joined the Vestal Virgins, but I said you were too ugly for them.’
‘And certainly not a virgin’ said Akmon, at which Gallia blushed.
When we had all settled into chairs and wetted our lips with wine, I told them of the meeting I had had with Crassus.
‘He is rich, that much is true. His reputation for greed is known throughout Italy,’ said Spartacus. ‘I talked with Godarz while you were away, and he had certainly heard of Marcus Licinius Crassus, of his reputation anyway.’
‘He told me that in addition to the army he was raising, another army was going to land at Brundisium and a third was on its way from Spain.’
Akmon looked at me. ‘Do you think he was trying to awe you with his power?’
‘That was part of it, but he was also sending a message to you, lord.’
Spartacus nodded to himself. ‘That the only outcome of this war would be our slaughter.’
‘Yes. How did you know?’
‘Because that’s the only fate for slaves who rebel. Death. And that’s why he would only speak to you. You are a royal prince whereas we are lower than animals. Their pride forbids any Roman to talk to a slave as an equal.’
‘There is one thing more,’ I said.
All eyes were on me. I took another gulp of wine. ‘He offered me safe passage out of Italy, back to Hatra.’ I glanced at Gallia. ‘Along with Gallia.’
Spartacus’ expression did not change. ‘So why are you still here?’
‘Because all of you are my friends and I will not abandon you. And I could not go back to Hatra having abandoned my friends. This I told Crassus.’
‘And your honour forbids you from deserting this army, doesn’t it?’ Akmon’s tone was one of mockery but I also detected a hint of admiration in his voice.
‘That too.’
‘Well, then,’ said Spartacus, ‘it would appear that Hatra will have to do without you awhile yet.’
Chapter 16
Crassus was as good as his word. It took us three months to reach Rhegium in the toe of Italy, marching down the Via Annia. The journey was straightforward enough, but the army that Crassus had raised in Rome snapped at our heels like a dog and we were forced on a number of occasions to halt and form a battle line. We beat off their probing attacks with ease, but we could not shake them, and Spartacus was unwilling to risk a battle with the threat of other Roman legions coming from Brundisium. He did not realise it, but the movements of Crassus were dictating his strategy.
‘We don’t know if any enemy troops will even land at Brundisium, lord,’ I said.
It was a cloudy day but humid. Spartacus was marching on foot as usual, though he had insisted that Claudia, now she was pregnant, should ride on a cart. A bad-tempered mule pulled the two-wheeled contraption and Spartacus had a firm grip on its bridle.