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Authors: Simon Scarrow
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So rest easy on that account.’
‘Nevertheless, you are aware of Pallas’s plans with respect to me.’
‘I was told to make your life difficult.’
‘I think it was more than that. I think you were told to make it difficult for me to survive my last command.’
Quintatus shrugged. ‘It might have come to that. Fortunately it didn’t. You came through your experiences at Bruccium and learned that you were too good an officer to be thrown away on the whim of some freedman in Rome. You have nothing to fear from me, Cato.’
Cato gave a wry smile. ‘You say that now . . .’
The other man frowned. ‘Please yourself. I merely wished to put your mind at ease on my account. The danger comes from another direction.’
Cato felt a tiny trickle of icy fear work its way down the nape of his neck. ‘Who? The general?’
‘Ostorius? Hardly. He’s a straight as they come. You think that’s the reason for your being posted to the baggage escort?’
‘It had crossed my mind,’ Cato admitted.
‘You were chosen for other reasons,’ Quintatus said wearily. ‘In fact it was my suggestion. Both units of the Bruccium garrison had suffered grievously. There aren’t enough of your men left to take their place in the battle line. I have no doubt about their fighting quality, and sought to put your men where they could do the most good. That’s the reason. I’m not trying to undermine you.’
Cato thought it through and saw that there was sense to it. He was even slightly flattered by the thought that he and his men were well regarded by the legate. But he still could not bring himself to trust Quintatus.
‘Thank you, sir.’ He said wearily.
‘Think nothing of it. I just wanted you to know that your quality is known by your superiors. I, for one, would sooner have you fighting at my side than stick a knife in your back.’
‘That’s gratifying to hear.’
The legate cocked an eyebrow. ‘Don’t push your luck . . . We’d better get a good night’s sleep before the hunt.’
Without waiting for a reply Quintatus turned away and strode out of the tent. Cato closed his eyes and rubbed his brow. His heart was heavy with foreboding. The very reason that Narcissus had pulled some strings to get a posting for Macro and him in Britannia was to get them far away from the scheming of the imperial freedmen. Especially as Macro had witnessed an intimate encounter between Pallas and the Emperor’s new wife, Agrippina. Now it seemed that the reach of Pallas comfortably extended to the very wildest frontier in the empire.
A nasty thought struck Cato. It was just possible that Narcissus had sent them here for reasons other than their safety. It would be typical of the man. In which case they faced danger on two fronts: the enemy warriors to their front, and the agents of Pallas at their backs.
His heart felt heavy and a terrible tiredness seemed to settle on his shoulders. Was there no escaping the machinations of those who played their deadly game of self-advancement in the shadow of the Emperor? One thing was certain, he must be careful and watch for signs of danger. If the agents of Pallas were already in Britannia, and if they believed that he and Macro were still acting on the orders of Narcissus then they would take every opportunity to remove them from the game, as they saw it.
‘Fuck . . .’ Cato muttered to himself bitterly as he trudged out of the tent and began to make his way back to the tents of the escort units. ‘Why me? Why Macro?’
He smiled at himself. He knew exactly what Macro would say to that. The same thing he habitually said when faced with such questions: ‘Because we’re here, Cato, my lad. Because we’re here.’
CHAPTER FIVE
‘ F ine morning for it!’ Cato stretched his back and looked up into the clear heavens. Not a cloud was in sight and there was no wind. The air was still damp and cool and he breathed deeply. He had tried his best to dismiss his concerns the
‘Nevertheless, you are aware of Pallas’s plans with respect to me.’
‘I was told to make your life difficult.’
‘I think it was more than that. I think you were told to make it difficult for me to survive my last command.’
Quintatus shrugged. ‘It might have come to that. Fortunately it didn’t. You came through your experiences at Bruccium and learned that you were too good an officer to be thrown away on the whim of some freedman in Rome. You have nothing to fear from me, Cato.’
Cato gave a wry smile. ‘You say that now . . .’
The other man frowned. ‘Please yourself. I merely wished to put your mind at ease on my account. The danger comes from another direction.’
Cato felt a tiny trickle of icy fear work its way down the nape of his neck. ‘Who? The general?’
‘Ostorius? Hardly. He’s a straight as they come. You think that’s the reason for your being posted to the baggage escort?’
‘It had crossed my mind,’ Cato admitted.
‘You were chosen for other reasons,’ Quintatus said wearily. ‘In fact it was my suggestion. Both units of the Bruccium garrison had suffered grievously. There aren’t enough of your men left to take their place in the battle line. I have no doubt about their fighting quality, and sought to put your men where they could do the most good. That’s the reason. I’m not trying to undermine you.’
Cato thought it through and saw that there was sense to it. He was even slightly flattered by the thought that he and his men were well regarded by the legate. But he still could not bring himself to trust Quintatus.
‘Thank you, sir.’ He said wearily.
‘Think nothing of it. I just wanted you to know that your quality is known by your superiors. I, for one, would sooner have you fighting at my side than stick a knife in your back.’
‘That’s gratifying to hear.’
The legate cocked an eyebrow. ‘Don’t push your luck . . . We’d better get a good night’s sleep before the hunt.’
Without waiting for a reply Quintatus turned away and strode out of the tent. Cato closed his eyes and rubbed his brow. His heart was heavy with foreboding. The very reason that Narcissus had pulled some strings to get a posting for Macro and him in Britannia was to get them far away from the scheming of the imperial freedmen. Especially as Macro had witnessed an intimate encounter between Pallas and the Emperor’s new wife, Agrippina. Now it seemed that the reach of Pallas comfortably extended to the very wildest frontier in the empire.
A nasty thought struck Cato. It was just possible that Narcissus had sent them here for reasons other than their safety. It would be typical of the man. In which case they faced danger on two fronts: the enemy warriors to their front, and the agents of Pallas at their backs.
His heart felt heavy and a terrible tiredness seemed to settle on his shoulders. Was there no escaping the machinations of those who played their deadly game of self-advancement in the shadow of the Emperor? One thing was certain, he must be careful and watch for signs of danger. If the agents of Pallas were already in Britannia, and if they believed that he and Macro were still acting on the orders of Narcissus then they would take every opportunity to remove them from the game, as they saw it.
‘Fuck . . .’ Cato muttered to himself bitterly as he trudged out of the tent and began to make his way back to the tents of the escort units. ‘Why me? Why Macro?’
He smiled at himself. He knew exactly what Macro would say to that. The same thing he habitually said when faced with such questions: ‘Because we’re here, Cato, my lad. Because we’re here.’
CHAPTER FIVE
‘ F ine morning for it!’ Cato stretched his back and looked up into the clear heavens. Not a cloud was in sight and there was no wind. The air was still damp and cool and he breathed deeply. He had tried his best to dismiss his concerns the
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