Read Online The Furies of Rome by Robert Fabbri - Free Book Online

Vespasian, Sabinus and Titus in pursuit, Pollux sped past Domitian, who was threatening all manner of high-pitched retribution to his erstwhile captors, and quickly gained on the two fleeing brigands, now just twenty paces from the gully.
    With a backhanded swing, Tralles brought his bow crashing across the bridge of Cadmus’ nose, sending him, with a terrified howl, tumbling to the ground and, within a few quickening heartbeats, right into the jaws of Pollux.
    Whether the hound had sensed, and therefore been angered by, the worry that Cadmus had caused his master and his master’s friends or whether its canine mind had set itself on some course of revenge for the harm done to its companion or whether it was just that its blood was up after the fury of another chase was uncertain; what was certain, however, was the viciousness with which Cadmus was attacked. Not even in the circus had Vespasian witnessed such a blur of claw and jaw as the brigand was bitten, torn, mauled and ripped to the accompaniment of human and bestial cries of pain and anger, respectively, that were so similar and intense as to meld perfectly until it was impossible to tell man from hound as one complemented the other in macabre harmony.
    Vespasian sped down the hill. ‘See to your brother, Titus,’ he shouted as he passed his younger son whooping and clapping at the sight of the blood and flesh flying from the two beings joined in the frenzied and savage dance of hunter and prey. ‘Call Pollux off, Magnus!’
    Magnus whistled as he ran, the notes rising and falling, but to no avail as they did not penetrate the noise emanating from the hound and its victim. It was Sabinus who got there first but, as he dismounted, Pollux briefly took his attention away from a writhing Cadmus to turn and roar a warning at him not to interfere; Sabinus did not need to be told twice nor did Vespasian, once he arrived, feeling it wise not to try to do anything whilst waiting for Magnus to get there other than watch the beast gnaw, with satisfied guttural growls, on the forearm of the screaming Cadmus as he held it over his face to protect what was left of it.
    ‘Off, Pollux! Off!’ Magnus yelled as he came panting down the hill; he tried another shrill whistle that this time seemed to penetrate the hound’s consciousness as it began to cease. ‘Get off him, you disobedient dog.’ Magnus reached down and grabbed Pollux’s collar, hauling him off the mangled Cadmus who, apart from his boots, was now as good as naked, his clothes bloody rags and his skin shredded and smeared in gore; he was, though, unbelievably, still alive and stared in horror, with his one remaining eye, at the dripping jaws of Pollux who was being reprimanded as if he were a puppy who had peed on his master’s foot.
    ‘You do as you’re told next time, you bad boy,’ Magnus scolded, smacking his dog on the muzzle causing it to whimper and hang its head, looking up at its master with sorrowful eyes.
    Sabinus looked to where Tralles was making his way swiftly up the hill and away. ‘Do you think Pollux could catch him, Magnus?’
    ‘Don’t,’ Vespasian said before Magnus could reply. ‘I gave my word that one of them would live.’
    Sabinus grunted. ‘As you wish; it was your son that was in danger.’
    Vespasian knelt down next to Cadmus and asked conversationally: ‘What were you doing on my estate, Cadmus?’
    Although obviously in great pain, Cadmus formed his ruined face into a sneer.
    Vespasian sighed, irritated; he stuck a finger into a rip in Cadmus’ cheek and pulled, tearing it open even further. ‘Do you remember what I said just now about you having a very painful last few hours? Well, there’s a taste of it. Now, I’ll ask you again: what were you doing on my estate?’
    ‘Hunting.’ Cadmus spat out the word.
    ‘An expensive and painful trip.’
    ‘As it will prove to be for you.’
    ‘I doubt it.’
    ‘Oh, but I don’t; not once the Cripple comes back to this