by Peter Darman
The palace consisted of a great vaulted main hall leading to the throne room, which was flanked by two smaller rooms opening into three larger, domed halls. These in turn led to the rear of the palace where numerous private apartments were located. Everywhere there were smashed statues, wrecked furniture and torn curtains and tapestries. I ordered Domitus to go back outside and bring more soldiers into the palace to control the ones who were already inside and running amok. Nergal and I continued through the main hall to the throne room and then the private apartments. We came across corridors littered with dead servants and court officials, with Durans lounging around on furniture or hacking at desks and valuable ornaments with their swords. As soon as they saw me they stopped and stood to attention. I ordered them to leave the palace immediately and assemble on the square outside. We continued our journey, stopping when we heard the screams of women at the end of a long corridor on our left. We ran down it and came to two red doors inlaid with gold that had been forced open. Four gaudily dressed servants lay dead immediately inside the doors, their torsos ripped to shreds by repeated sword thrusts. This was Chosroes’ harem. Its floor was covered with white marble tiles, white and red curtains were hanging from the ceiling; the air was filled with the aroma of sweet incense. No doubt the dead at the doors were eunuchs charged with guarding the king’s wives. The women themselves, around twenty in number, were huddled in a frightened group in the middle of a great columned room, surrounded by at least a hundred leering, raucous legionaries. Many of the women, some young girls, had been stripped naked before being herded together. They were clinging to each other, terrified, weeping and pleading for mercy. The escort formed into close order as I marched through the throng and stood in front of the women.
‘Stop this at once,’ I bellowed at the top of my voice.
The din ceased immediately as the soldiers recognised me.
‘The finest soldiers in the empire are not rapists or murderers of young girls,’ I said sternly. ‘Leave this place and assemble on the square outside the palace.’
I drew my sword as they looked at each other. ‘Any man who wishes to touch any of these women will have to come through me first.’ Nergal likewise drew his sword and stood beside me.
The next few seconds confirmed my belief that these men were indeed Parthia’s finest warriors as they saluted and tramped from the harem with their heads down, not one of them protesting against my decision. I placed a guard outside the harem and left the king’s wives alone to compose themselves. My only wish was to find Chosroes; I had no interest in his women.
Domitus returned with more troops, who were divided into parties to carry out a sweep of the palace, halt all further looting and order the soldiers to assemble on the palace square. The palace may have been ransacked, but Domitus had ensured that the armoury, treasury and royal granary had all been secured before anyone had a chance to loot them. Order was quickly restored as the Duran Legion was assembled on the square where a roll call was taken. On the outside of the square Nergal’s horse archers were sitting in their saddles waiting for their commander. He and I stood at the top of the palace steps. I heard marching feet and turned to see Domitus leading half a dozen legionaries carrying a corpse. They halted in front of me and dumped the body on the stone slabs.
‘Behold King Chosroes,’ said Domitus. ‘We found him lying on his bed. Looks like he took poison.’
I stared at the corpse. The eyes were wide open and there was white froth around the mouth. Nergal laid a hand on my shoulder. ‘Your victory is complete, Pacorus.’
I nodded and thanked him, yet I felt cheated. Narses said that I was to be executed on this very square, and I had wanted so much to see Chosroes executed here instead, to see the terror in his eyes before he died. But now he was gone and only a pile of carrion remained. I spat on the corpse.
‘Put it on a cart,’ I said.
We left the legion to guard the palace compound and also left Marcus and his men there. It was late afternoon now and the soldiers were tired after their exertions. I also instructed Domitus to stay at the palace.
‘Where are you going?’ he asked.
‘To make sure my wife is safe.’
‘I should come with you,’ he growled as I mounted Remus.
‘You must stay here, my friend. Get some rest and food, you have earned them. I’m sure the palace kitchens can provide something agreeable to eat.’
The bodies of the palace guard were being loaded on to carts to be carried to the fires that were already burning outside the palace compound, the nauseating smell of burning flesh filling the air.
I raised my hand to Domitus. ‘I will return later.’
He raised his arm in salute as I rode from the palace at the head of Nergal’s horse archers. We rode back through the Royal Orchard to the White Temple located on the other side of the city. The White Temple was one of the wonders of the world. The temple itself was a ziggurat, a pyramid built in five receding tiers that sat on a massive square stone platform. Constructed of sun-baked bricks, it was faced with white stone. As we approached the temple I could see the great outside ramps that led to the pyramid’s summit. And yet the ziggurat was not a place of worship, it was a dwelling place for the gods; in the White Temple’s case the sky god Anu. Having His own house, Anu could be close to His worshippers who gathered around the temple’s base. Only priests were allowed inside the temple. The extensive temple grounds were surrounded by a white stonewall twice the height of a man. When we arrived at the walls themselves we found Gallia, Orodes, Kuban, Surena, Byrd and Malik gathered in a richly appointed house directly south of the main entrance to the White Temple’s grounds. Gallia rushed over and threw her arms around me when Nergal and I appeared. Nergal and Praxima also had an emotional reunion.
Orodes embraced me. ‘Thank the gods you are safe.’
‘Of course,’ I replied, ‘the palace has fallen. Chosroes is dead.’
‘Yes,’ hissed Surena, clenching his fists in triumph.
‘What is happening here?’ I asked.
‘The people have taken refuge in the temple compound,’ said Gallia, ‘those that haven’t been butchered, that is.’ She shot a disdainful look at Surena.
‘We have surrounded the temple,’ said Orodes, ‘but decided against ordering an assault.’
‘There are no soldiers guarding the temple, only priests,’ remarked Surena. ‘We can take it easily.’
‘Your opinion does not count,’ retorted Gallia.
‘You were right not to order an assault,’ I said. ‘We cannot begin the city’s new era in blood.’
‘Then what do we do?’ asked Orodes.
‘We show humility, Orodes, that is what we do.’
I ordered that the Exiles fall back to the south, out of site of the temple. There may not have been any soldiers inside the compound, but there would be eyes on the walls that would have seen the thousands of troops encircling them. I also ordered Kuban, Malik and Surena to withdraw their men; Surena especially as his followers had been involved in excesses in the working quarter. Even Gallia’s Amazons and Orodes and the cataphracts were pulled back out of sight of the walls.
‘What if they scorn your appeal?’ asked Gallia.
‘The troops can be summoned back easily enough,’ I replied. ‘We have to gain their trust.’
‘That might be difficult after the killings by Surena and his swamp people.’
‘Marsh people,’ I replied.
‘You indulge him far too much, Pacorus.’
‘Perhaps,’ I said, ‘but if my plan works it will be worth it.’
I approached the main entrance to the temple without weapons or armour.
I had forgotten how many times I had done this — that is, walk up to the enemy’s stronghold alone and vulnerable. I always comforted myself with the notion that the enemy would not strike down an envoy seeking a parley, but in many ways this was a foolish notion. What did honour or rules mean to most kings and generals in
the world? I myself had been betrayed more than once and yet still clung to the notion that right and wrong were woven into the very fabric of the world. As I approached the white gates I could hear the laughter of Spartacus in my mind, Domitus too for that matter. The gates were not large or particularly strong; rather, ornate and an ostentatious display of wealth, being inlaid with silver and gold, with grilles over the two spy holes, one positioned in the centre of each gate. There was no one on the walls so I banged on one of the gates with my fist and then stepped back. Silence. I banged on the gate again and waited. Nothing. This was ridiculous.
‘I am Pacorus, King of Dura,’ I shouted at the top of my voice. ‘I am alone and would speak to your leaders.’
I looked left and right for any signs of life but saw none. Then a thought flashed through my mind. Perhaps the temple compound was empty. But if that was the case, where had all the people gone? Perplexed, I turned to walk back to my men when I heard a sliding noise behind me. I turned around to see a face at one of the grilles.
‘Are you alone?’ a voice asked.
I held out my arms. ‘I am alone and unarmed.’
The spy hole snapped shut. A few seconds later one of the gates opened and a man came from the compound, a tall individual with a long stride and broad shoulders. In his late fifties, he wore a white robe with long sleeves edged with gold and gold earrings. He had a long face and nose and dark brown eyes and was completely bald. His eyebrows had also been shaved. He halted a few paces from me and looked around to see if I had told the truth about being alone.
‘As I said, I am alone.’
‘So it would seem,’ his voice was deep and commanding. ‘I am Rahim, high priest to Anu.’
I bowed my head. ‘It is an honour to meet you, sir.’
He studied me for a few seconds. ‘So you are King Pacorus, the great warlord whose infamy is known throughout the empire.’
‘I like to think of myself as a man who was wronged and who has searched for justice.’
His brow creased. ‘Perhaps you confuse justice with revenge.’
I smiled. ‘If I was intent on revenge I would have ordered my soldiers to have stormed the temple compound. I assume the people are within.’
His nostrils flared. ‘They are under the protection of Anu. He watches us now, especially you young warlord.’
‘I have no desire to harm the people, Rahim.’
He maintained his defiance. ‘You have already killed some innocents.’
‘I deeply regret that. I did not desire it.’
‘Who else have you killed this day?’
‘Only those who desired to kill me,’ I replied casually.
He looked to the east, where the Royal Orchard lay. ‘You have taken the palace?’
‘Yes.’
His eyes narrowed. ‘And you have killed the king?’
I sighed. ‘He killed himself, took poison I believe.’
‘It is a terrible thing that you have done.’
‘No more terrible than assaulting my city with the intention of killing my family,’ I replied. ‘Did Chosroes believe that I would forget such a gross insult, that I would not seek redress for his crimes?’
He looked away from me. ‘The affairs of kings are of no concern to me. I serve Anu and all those who follow Him.’
‘I have no wish to offend Anu, Rahim.’
‘Then keep your soldiers out of his temple,’ he snapped.
I raised my arms. ‘Do you see any soldiers, Rahim? I wish to bring peace to Uruk.’
‘By slaughtering its king and his people? A curious stratagem.’
‘By ensuring that there is a friend of Dura on its throne.’
He pointed a long finger at me. ‘So you wish to make yourself king in Chosroes’ place. I detect ambition to be your chief motive rather than to redress any wrongs done to you.’
I feigned a hurtful expression. ‘I? Of course not, I already have a throne.’
He was confused. ‘Then who?’
I looked up at the sky. ‘It is late, Rahim. We will talk more in the morning. Please come to the palace at your convenience where I shall explain all. And tell the people they can return to their homes if they wish.’
He shook his head. ‘They are fearful and will remain in the temple compound until they feel safe.’
I bowed my head to him. ‘Very well. Until tomorrow, then.’
I turned and walked back to the house where Gallia and Orodes were waiting. The light was fading as I ordered the Exiles and the horsemen to march to the palace of Chosroes. It had been a most satisfactory day.
When we arrived at the palace Gallia became most annoyed. Not only was she appalled by the existence of Chosroes’ harem, she also learned that the women had come close to being mass-raped. And to compound her fury some of the walls were splattered with blood from where servants and court officials had been killed by the first Durans who had swept through the palace. She insisted that the Amazons stood guard over the king’s wives and prohibited any man from entering that part of the palace where the harem was located. She also wanted those men who had stripped the women to be publicly flogged in the palace square, a demand that I talked her out of with great difficulty. In the end I told her that I was responsible for the looting of the palace and therefore some of the blame for what happened in the harem was my fault.
‘Those women are under my protection,’ she hissed.
‘Of course.’
‘And any who wish to join the Amazons will be free to do so. Those who do not wish to ride with me will be free to go where they will, and will have gold to start their new life.’
‘As you wish.’
We had all gathered in one of the rooms in the palace’s private chambers, a small feasting hall near the kitchens with the walls decorated with scenes of hunting. Domitus had posted guards on the city’s walls and at the gates where we had forced an entry. He had also organised patrols to enforce the curfew that had been put in place. The Ma’adan had been brought into the palace compound where they could be watched and prevented from committing any more mischief, while the horsemen of Nergal and Orodes were also camped in the palace grounds, their mounts finding fresh bedding and food in the royal stables. As the palace servants had either been killed or had run away, we were served a meal of roasted lamb that had been prepared by some of Domitus’ legionaries. Gallia sat at one end of the long table flanked by Praxima and Nergal, while I sat at the other end. Domitus and Orodes sat next to each other on one side of the table, facing Surena and Marcus on the other side. I had asked Marcus to join us because it had been his machines that had made our victory possible.
The wine that had been found in the cellars beneath the palace was excellent, and soon Domitus was in high spirits. He rose and held his silver cup aloft.
‘Here’s to you, Pacorus. A great victory.’
The others rapped their knuckles on the table.
I stood and acknowledged their acclaim. I held up my cup to Marcus. ‘Without Marcus and his men we would not be sitting here, so I thank him and them for their splendid work this day.’
The others toasted our Roman ally, who blushed and avoided our eyes.
Domitus drained his cup and refilled it with more wine. He stood once more. ‘Hail to Pacorus, King of Uruk.’
More rapping on the table. I held up my hands. ‘Thank you, Domitus, but I shall not be king of this city.’
Domitus looked confused. ‘You won’t?’
‘No.’
He sat down, shrugged and drank more wine.
Gallia leaned forward and focused her eyes on me. ‘Then who will rule Uruk?’
‘Who, my love? The two people sitting either side of you, that’s who.’
Gallia leaned back in her chair and eyed me suspiciously, while Nergal and Praxima said nothing. Indeed, Nergal appeared not to have grasped the meaning of what I had said, but Praxima certainly did. She looked at Gallia, then at Nergal and then at me. I smiled at her.
> ‘That is correct, Praxima, you two shall rule Uruk.’
‘So,’ said Gallia, ‘this is the little scheme that you have been plotting all this time.’
‘Hardly a little scheme, my love. More like a great scheme’
Nergal had finally grasped the significance of my words.
‘And do Nergal and Praxima have a say in this?’ asked Gallia.
‘Of course,’ I replied.
‘You hear that, Praxima,’ said Gallia, ‘Pacorus would make you a queen and your husband a king.’
‘It is a great honour,’ said Nergal.
Gallia’s eyes were still on me. ‘Is it, Nergal? You will be alone without an army when Pacorus returns to Dura. What will happen then when Narses and Mithridates march against you to avenge their ally’s death? Do you think so little of our friends, Pacorus, that you would sacrifice them so easily?’
I jumped up. ‘Of course not. Uruk will have an army. Surena will stay and train his people to be the garrison, and Kuban and his men will also stay to serve Nergal. Babylon lies to the north of Mesene, and so I will ask Vardan to send soldiers to reinforce the garrison. I think he will be glad to have a friend to the south of his borders rather than an enemy.’
‘I accept the charge, lord,’ said a partly drunk Surena.
‘Be silent,’ hissed Gallia.
‘Surena will raise more men from the Ma’adan,’ I said, ‘and the citizens of Uruk will accept their new rulers.’
‘They will?’ said Gallia, incredulously.
‘Of course. Chosroes and his sons are dead. His line is ended. Dura needs an ally on Uruk’s throne. So what say the both of you, will you accept? I promise that you will never stand alone.’
I could see that Gallia still had reservations, but Praxima was grinning with delight and Nergal was bursting with pride. They looked at each other and Praxima nodded at her husband.
Nergal looked at me. ‘We accept, Pacorus, you are a most generous friend.’
He and Praxima went to bed in high spirits that night. I told them to meet us the next morning in the throne room. Gallia was far from happy.
‘It is a ridiculous plan, hare-brained. You think the people of this city will accept Nergal and Praxima?’