who think the king little more than a traitor.Your treaty is a sham, and soon the king will be forced to renounce it. And if he fails to do that you can be sure that his successor will cut the chains that bind Palmyra to Rome. If Rome attempts to intervene in Palmyran affairs by force, then Parthia will do all it can to protect its neighbour from Roman aggression.’
Now it was Longinus’ turn to laugh. ‘Parthia the protector? That’s a new one! Your desire to seize Palmyra is transparent. What makes you think the people of Palmyra will welcome Parthian intervention?’
‘We have our reasons to believe they will. And we have made it known that we will protect their independence. From Rome and any other interlopers.’
‘And you think they believe that? Why should they have any more faith in your good intentions than ours?’
‘Because we have not sent soldiers into their lands to build fortifications that will slowly but surely become the bars of their cage.Already you have attempted to build a fort on the very banks of the Euphrates, and before long the camps of Roman armies will sprout along the banks of the river, like knives aimed at the throat of Parthia.’
Macro leaned towards Cato and whispered, ‘These Parthian buggers are partial to a poetic turn of phrase, aren’t they?’
‘Shh!’ Cato hissed as loudly as he dared. There was a pause as the Parthian emissary, Longinus and the legate of the Tenth turned to look at Macro and Cato before the emissary resumed his master’s diatribe.
‘Parthia will not tolerate such naked aggression.The fort was a clear sign of Roman intentions and you are warned not to attempt any such incursions again.’
‘Was?’ Longinus interrupted. ‘What has happened to the fort?’
‘It has been razed.’
‘And the auxiliary cohort sent to construct it. What of them?’
‘They were destroyed.’
‘Destroyed?’ Longinus was startled. ‘What of the prisoners? Where are they?’
‘Regrettably, there are no prisoners.’
‘Bastards,’ Legate Amatius grumbled. ‘Murdering swine.’
The emissary shrugged. ‘They did not surrender. Our men had no choice but to wipe them out.’
Longinus was silent for a moment before he responded. ‘Five hundred men, and one of the best field officers in the army. Centurion Castor . . .’ He glared at the Parthian prince. ‘Tell your master that this is an act of war.’
Metaxas smiled as his emissary translated his reply. ‘Which? The destruction of your cohort, or the threat it posed to our sovereignty?’
‘Don’t try to confuse the issue!’ Longinus snapped. ‘He knows what I mean. When word of this reaches the ears of the Emperor I doubt there is any power in this world that will prevent him from wreaking a terrible revenge on Parthia. And it will be a fate you have drawn down on yourselves.’
‘We have no wish to provoke war, my general.’
‘Bollocks!’ Amatius snorted. ‘You wipe out one of our cohorts and you say you don’t wish to provoke a war!’ The legate’s hand slipped towards the handle of his sword and the gesture was noticed at once by the Parthians.With a sudden rasp one of the prince’s escorts drew his sword and the curved blade glinted in the sunlight. Prince Metaxas snapped an order at the man and with a brief show of reluctance he returned the blade to its scabbard.
‘Sir.’ Cato spoke softly to the legate. ‘I’d take your hand off your sword.’
Amatius’ nostrils flared as his eyes fixed on Cato.Then he blinked and nodded and released his grip. ‘All right then. But there will be a reckoning for Centurion Castor and the men of that cohort. One day.’
The emissary was unimpressed. ‘Perhaps, but not in this life. Not if Rome truly values peace on its eastern frontier. My master says that you are to remove your forces from the lands of Palmyra. Furthermore, you are not to intervene in its internal politics. Breach of either condition will force Parthia to take military
Now it was Longinus’ turn to laugh. ‘Parthia the protector? That’s a new one! Your desire to seize Palmyra is transparent. What makes you think the people of Palmyra will welcome Parthian intervention?’
‘We have our reasons to believe they will. And we have made it known that we will protect their independence. From Rome and any other interlopers.’
‘And you think they believe that? Why should they have any more faith in your good intentions than ours?’
‘Because we have not sent soldiers into their lands to build fortifications that will slowly but surely become the bars of their cage.Already you have attempted to build a fort on the very banks of the Euphrates, and before long the camps of Roman armies will sprout along the banks of the river, like knives aimed at the throat of Parthia.’
Macro leaned towards Cato and whispered, ‘These Parthian buggers are partial to a poetic turn of phrase, aren’t they?’
‘Shh!’ Cato hissed as loudly as he dared. There was a pause as the Parthian emissary, Longinus and the legate of the Tenth turned to look at Macro and Cato before the emissary resumed his master’s diatribe.
‘Parthia will not tolerate such naked aggression.The fort was a clear sign of Roman intentions and you are warned not to attempt any such incursions again.’
‘Was?’ Longinus interrupted. ‘What has happened to the fort?’
‘It has been razed.’
‘And the auxiliary cohort sent to construct it. What of them?’
‘They were destroyed.’
‘Destroyed?’ Longinus was startled. ‘What of the prisoners? Where are they?’
‘Regrettably, there are no prisoners.’
‘Bastards,’ Legate Amatius grumbled. ‘Murdering swine.’
The emissary shrugged. ‘They did not surrender. Our men had no choice but to wipe them out.’
Longinus was silent for a moment before he responded. ‘Five hundred men, and one of the best field officers in the army. Centurion Castor . . .’ He glared at the Parthian prince. ‘Tell your master that this is an act of war.’
Metaxas smiled as his emissary translated his reply. ‘Which? The destruction of your cohort, or the threat it posed to our sovereignty?’
‘Don’t try to confuse the issue!’ Longinus snapped. ‘He knows what I mean. When word of this reaches the ears of the Emperor I doubt there is any power in this world that will prevent him from wreaking a terrible revenge on Parthia. And it will be a fate you have drawn down on yourselves.’
‘We have no wish to provoke war, my general.’
‘Bollocks!’ Amatius snorted. ‘You wipe out one of our cohorts and you say you don’t wish to provoke a war!’ The legate’s hand slipped towards the handle of his sword and the gesture was noticed at once by the Parthians.With a sudden rasp one of the prince’s escorts drew his sword and the curved blade glinted in the sunlight. Prince Metaxas snapped an order at the man and with a brief show of reluctance he returned the blade to its scabbard.
‘Sir.’ Cato spoke softly to the legate. ‘I’d take your hand off your sword.’
Amatius’ nostrils flared as his eyes fixed on Cato.Then he blinked and nodded and released his grip. ‘All right then. But there will be a reckoning for Centurion Castor and the men of that cohort. One day.’
The emissary was unimpressed. ‘Perhaps, but not in this life. Not if Rome truly values peace on its eastern frontier. My master says that you are to remove your forces from the lands of Palmyra. Furthermore, you are not to intervene in its internal politics. Breach of either condition will force Parthia to take military
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