Agent of Rome: The Far Shore

by Brown, Nick

  Still reeling, Carnifex turned to face Indavara, who had the stave up high, ready to swing once more. The centurion mumbled something, then reached for his sword.

  ‘Hit him again!’ yelled Cassius.

  Indavara moved to his right and swung a second time. This blow caught Carnifex on the base of his neck, just above the rim of his armour.

  The centurion lurched forward, then back, and seemed about to topple over, but he somehow remained on his feet. Blinking and gulping in air, he reached for his blade once more.

  ‘Again!’ yelled Cassius.

  Indavara launched a full-blooded swing at the centurion’s chest. The stave struck the armour but the sheer impetus of the blow knocked Carnifex clean off his feet. The old soldier crashed to the ground at last, arms and legs splayed wide. His eyelids fluttered for a moment, then shut.

  ‘Shit me,’ said Indavara. ‘What a beast.’

  ‘Get the ropes. Quickly,’ said Cassius as he ran over and knelt by Eborius. There was a nasty inch-long gash on the centurion’s cheek, but his eyes were open and alert.

  ‘Bad?’ he asked.

  ‘Don’t worry,’ said Cassius, ‘the ladies love a scar.’ He grabbed Eborius under one arm and helped him up. ‘All right?’

  ‘Think so.’

  Cassius watched him carefully before letting him stand alone. Eborius gazed down at Carnifex, then put his hand to his cheek and looked at the blood on his fingers. He took his canteen off his belt and sloshed water over the gash.

  Indavara returned from the barn with the pack, several lengths of rope already in his hand.

  ‘He is breathing, I take it?’ Cassius asked.

  Indavara dropped the rope next to Carnifex and bent over him, ear by his mouth. ‘Yes.’ He pulled the centurion’s dagger from the sheath and took off his sword belt. ‘Let’s turn him over.’

  By grabbing his main belt and his right arm, they manoeuvred Carnifex on to his front. Even taking the armour into account, Cassius couldn’t believe the weight of the man. Indavara pulled his wrists together and placed one on top of the other.

  Eborius came forward and looked thoughtfully down at Carnifex again.

  ‘You did well,’ said Cassius. ‘The worst of it’s over now. Can you bring the cart round?’

  Eborius was still staring. Only the blood that trickled from his cheek on to his tunic broke his reverie. ‘What?’

  ‘The cart.’

  Eborius nodded and walked round to the back of the barn.

  By now Indavara had Carnifex’s wrists well tied. He moved on to the feet, lashing them together at the ankle. ‘We gagging him too?’

  ‘Not right now,’ replied Cassius. ‘He might choke while he’s out.’

  ‘That would be a shame.’

  Eborius hauled the cart into the clearing, then set about removing the saddle from his horse.

  ‘What about Carnifex’s mount?’ Cassius asked when he was done.

  Eborius reached into the back of the cart. ‘One of my men was killed by the Maseene a few weeks ago. I found these close to the body.’

  He dropped three wooden javelins on the ground.

  ‘Ah,’ said Cassius. ‘Good idea.’

  ‘Can you yoke my horse?’

  ‘No, go ahead,’ replied Cassius, not feeling it necessary to explain that he didn’t know how. ‘I see what you have in mind.’

  While the others worked, Cassius jabbed the javelins into Carnifex’s saddle. The horse didn’t like it much but soon there were several notable indentations in the leather. One javelin actually became stuck, so he left it there.

  ‘Nice job,’ observed Eborius as he threw his own saddle up into the cart. ‘We’ll set it loose here,’ he added, walking over and untying the stallion’s reins. ‘It’ll probably find its way back to the mansion.’

  Eborius led the horse over to the track and gave it a slap on the rump. Whinnying, it charged away towards the Via Roma.

  ‘Think they’ll search the town?’ asked Cassius, flinging the other javelins into the grass.

  ‘They’ll search everywhere, probably including the ship, but I’ll try and make sure they leave the north end of town to us. That old hut is as good a place as any, and it’s close if you have to leave suddenly.’

  ‘I presume we’ll take the bridge back across the gorge?’

  ‘No, we’ll cross the Via Roma and head west. The other bridge is five miles away but we can come around the town, then cut across the Via Cyrenaica and down to the shore. I doubt we’ll see anyone given the hour. We better hurry or we’ll need torches to light our way.’

  Cassius collected up Carnifex’s weapons and also threw them into the high grass.

  ‘Don’t think he’ll be getting free in a hurry,’ said Indavara, tapping Carnifex on the shoulder.

  Cassius walked over and inspected the wound on the back of the centurion’s head. The stave had taken off a big lump of skin.

  ‘Something tells me he’s going to be in a fairly bad mood when he wakes up,’ added Indavara.

  ‘Let’s put him in,’ said Cassius. Indavara took the legs and with the other two grabbing the straps of his armour they hauled Carnifex’s dead weight up into the cart. Eborius took the blanket he had left there and draped it over the inert centurion.

  ‘You watch him,’ Cassius told Indavara. ‘Any noise …’

  ‘I hit him with the stave again?’

  ‘No. Just gag him.’

  Indavara climbed into the cart. Eborius and Cassius jumped up on to the narrow bench at the front.

  ‘Good idea – that story about the optios,’ said the centurion. ‘Those two usually go with him everywhere.’

  With a gentle tug on the reins, the horse set off and the cart trundled out of the clearing.

  XXVI

  In fact they saw five people during the journey, the first of them at the second bridge. The gorge was narrower here, and the bridge – though composed entirely of timber – was still in good repair. As they reached the northern side, they passed an elderly peasant with two dead birds in his hand and a bow over his shoulder. He looked down as the cart came near and continued on his way without a word.

  Then, as they crossed the Via Cyrenaica outside Darnis, they spied four riders, also traversing the road a mile to the west.

  Even at that distance, Eborius could see enough to identify them. ‘Maseene. Gods, they come and go as they please now.’

  Beyond the tribesmen, and partly obscured by trees, was a damaged section of the aqueduct – an arch with its middle missing.

  Cassius glanced over his shoulder at the still-unconscious Carnifex.

  ‘With that bastard gone, perhaps you’ll have a chance of improving things here.’

  ‘If it’s not already too late.’

  Eborius whipped the reins at his horse’s back, sending the cart bumping down the side of the road and on to a narrow track that ran between fields of swaying, golden wheat.

  ‘Why has no one harvested this?’ asked Cassius.

  ‘Not enough workers,’ replied Eborius.

  No one spoke again until they were approaching the marsh.

  ‘I assume there’s a way through to the hut?’ asked Cassius.

  ‘A path. But it’s not wide enough for the cart.’

  ‘I think he’s coming round,’ said Indavara.

  ‘Might be better if he does wake up,’ said Cassius. ‘At least we won’t have to carry him.’

  Eborius pulled up his horse and halted the cart. The marsh was thick with low, sprawling trees, twisted branches hanging close to the mud. The path was indeed narrow but clear, made of gravel and sand. Cassius waved away a pair of persistent flies, jumped down and joined Eborius at the rear of the cart.

  Indavara removed the blanket and dragged Carnifex back by his legs. The centurion was stirring; grunting and moving his hands. With Indavara holding his armour straps, Cassius his belt and Eborius his feet, they lowered him to the ground, then propped him up against one of the cart whe
els. Cassius took the top off his canteen and poured the contents on to Carnifex’s face.

  As Carnifex blinked and sniffed, Indavara examined the old wound on his forehead. Cassius didn’t want to get any closer but also couldn’t take his eyes off the hole; it was at least half an inch deep.

  ‘Did an arrow do that?’ Indavara asked Eborius.

  ‘The way Procyon tells it, it was a stray bolt that came over a shield wall. Apparently he left it in, kept fighting, then pulled it out later.’

  Indavara whistled as he pulled the stave from over his shoulder. Eborius put a hand on his sword hilt.

  Cassius took a step backwards. ‘How old is he anyway?’

  ‘No one knows. Old. He was at the Battle of Carthage.’

  ‘By Mars,’ said Cassius, ‘that was almost forty years ago.’

  Carnifex’s chin was against his chest. Eyelids flickering, he slowly raised his head. He flexed his arms, then realised his hands were tied behind him. Glancing at the trio in turn, he settled his gaze on Eborius.

  ‘Not bad for a barefoot. How long you been planning this?’

  ‘It wasn’t his plan, Centurion,’ said Cassius. ‘I trust you’re going to cooperate? If you try anything, I’ll have to have my friend here hit you again.’

  ‘Who are you, boy?’

  ‘I’m with Imperial Security. I’m taking you into custody because of your involvement in the death of Augustus Marius Memor. Once we’re in Cyrene, my superiors will decide what to do with you.’

  When Carnifex frowned, the scar became oval. ‘Guess you were on that ship. Looks like I overrated Nicasias.’

  ‘Is that Dio’s real name?’

  Carnifex let his head drop back against the wheel.

  ‘Get on your feet,’ Cassius told him.

  ‘What d’you like, grain man? Gold? Sapphires? Girls?’

  ‘Don’t waste your breath.’

  ‘Boys?’

  ‘Get on your feet or we’ll knock you out and carry you.’

  The old centurion looked up at the sky. ‘It’s almost dark. If you’re putting me on that ship, you won’t be leaving till morning. My lads’ll find me.’

  ‘The man told you to get up,’ said Indavara, stepping closer.

  ‘You got my blood on that stick of yours, One Ear,’ replied Carnifex. ‘I’ll get me a lot more of yours. Count on it.’

  Indavara held the stave one-handed and tapped it against the side of Carnifex’s head. ‘Not going to say it again, old man.’

  Carnifex butted the stave aside, then nodded at his feet. ‘What about the rope? Unless you want me to hop?’

  Nobody moved.

  ‘What? No one wants to get too close to old Carn?’

  Indavara drew his sword and put the tip of the blade under Carnifex’s chin.

  ‘You so much as twitch and I’ll give you a nice new scar for your collection.’

  The centurion stared back at Indavara, then gave a lopsided smile. ‘I like you. I’ll get me that blood of yours, but I do like you.’

  Carnifex turned his attention to Eborius as he drew his dagger, knelt down and cut through the rope. ‘Got to say, didn’t think you had the balls for this, Manius. Don’t reckon you could have managed it on your own, though. And you still can’t look me in the eye even now, can you?’

  ‘All right, that’s enough,’ said Cassius.

  Eborius finished. He stood up and grabbed Carnifex under the left arm. Indavara grabbed him under the right and they hauled him up.

  Carnifex inspected Cassius. ‘You really a grain man, boy? Good disguise – ’cause you look like a useless streak of piss.’

  ‘Appearances can be deceptive,’ countered Cassius. ‘You look like a centurion.’

  Carnifex snarled his reply: ‘I was a centurion an age before your piece-of-shit father shot his load into whatever bitch you call Mother.’

  ‘Well,’ replied Cassius, ‘as much as I’d like to continue this stimulating exchange, we don’t have time to waste.’

  Indavara sheathed his sword and aimed the stave towards the path. ‘Move.’

  With another grin, Carnifex set off, Indavara close behind him.

  ‘You’ll get rid of the cart?’ Cassius asked Eborius.

  ‘Later.’

  Eborius hurried ahead of the others and led them into the marsh. Cassius took the pack from the cart – and a final glance along the track – then jogged over to take his place behind Indavara.

  As they walked on, the smell of mud and decaying vegetation grew stronger. Tiny birds flitted about above them in the higher boughs of the trees, greeting the dusk with their merry chirruping. Twice Indavara told Carnifex to slow down when he got too close to Eborius; the younger centurion turned round regularly to check on the captive. For his part, Carnifex didn’t seem overly concerned by his predicament, and even took to whistling a tune that Cassius recognised as an old marching song.

  By the time they reached a wide gap in the Phoenician wall, there was barely enough light for them to see their way. Fortunately the hut was close. It had been built only a few yards above the high-water mark, on sandy soil surrounded by pebbles and weed. Atop the uneven stone walls was a sloping timber roof. The two doors – one facing east, the other west – were stained green at the bottom and hinged by lengths of rotting rope. Eborius pulled the west-facing door open and stood to one side.

  ‘In you go,’ he told Carnifex.

  With a prod from Indavara, the centurion shuffled through the doorway. Eborius stayed outside and took a fire-starting kit from his pack. Cassius walked past him into the hut. It smelt of salt and fish.

  ‘Far corner. Against the wall,’ he said.

  Cassius and Indavara kept their distance as Carnifex got down on his knees, then sat on the thin reed matting that constituted the hut’s floor. Eborius struck the flint with the fire-striker four times before he got a flame. He lit a tiny clay oil lamp and put it in the middle of the hut, then went back outside.

  Carnifex calmly watched his captors. ‘So you followed Nicasias, eh, grain man?’

  ‘That’s right.’

  ‘How’d you connect him to me?’

  ‘We were at the quarry. We saw it all.’

  Carnifex failed to hide his surprise at this, but recovered swiftly. ‘Reckon you two should go outside with your new friend and take a look at the sun. Might be the last one you ever get.’

  ‘I’m not listening to his shit all night,’ said Indavara. ‘May as well gag him now.’

  ‘Agreed.’

  ‘Can’t see the lamplight from outside,’ said Eborius as he returned.

  ‘Good,’ replied Cassius, taking a length of cloth from the pack. ‘Indavara, if you can again persuade the centurion that he would be wise to cooperate.’

  Indavara leant the stave against the wall, then drew his sword and held the tip close to Carnifex’s throat.

  ‘Head forward,’ instructed Cassius.

  ‘You forgot to say “sir”, grain man.’

  ‘Head forward,’ Indavara repeated, pressing the metal into Carnifex’s skin.

  ‘You ain’t going to kill me, One Ear.’

  ‘Who says I have to kill you? Maybe I’ll just cut out your tongue – see how you like it.’

  ‘Head forward,’ Cassius repeated. Still grinning at Indavara, Carnifex finally complied. Cassius bent over him and placed the strip of material in his mouth.

  The centurion managed a final taunt. ‘Be easier if your hands weren’t shaking.’

  Cassius pulled the gag tight and tied it off. Indavara sheathed his blade, reclaimed the stave and stood over Carnifex.

  Cassius followed Eborius outside. ‘What’ll you do once you’ve got rid of the cart?’

  ‘Get back to the barracks. Needs to look like a normal night when the men of the Second turn up – which might be fairly soon. I’ll be back before dawn.’

  The very mention of the word reminded Cassius just how interminable the night would be. Twelve hours. And at this time of
the year – when almost three-fifths of the day was spent in darkness – they were long hours.

  Eborius gripped Cassius’s arm. ‘Corbulo. Watch him. Every single moment.’

  ‘I think he’s asleep,’ whispered Indavara. ‘Either that or he’s choked on the gag.’

  Cassius took three steps across the hut and peered at the slumped shape next to the lamp. He could just about make out Carnifex’s chest moving up and down. He walked back to Indavara. ‘No. He’s still breathing.’

  ‘Pity.’

  ‘What do you think? Two hours gone? Seems like an eternity already.’

  Indavara didn’t reply. Cassius knew that he sometimes struggled to keep track of time, which – on occasions like this – seemed almost a skill. Cassius had also noted his remarkable powers of concentration – he could easily spend three or four hours on a single task, a consequence of his training perhaps. It didn’t hurt, of course, if one lacked the intellect to consider wider matters or the grand scheme of things.

  Cassius could seldom avoid doing so. His mind had a tendency to wander and he constantly had to remind himself to stay alert, focus on the job in hand. But as he stared at the dark shape on the other side of the hut, he felt his eyelids getting heavier by the moment. He and Indavara had been checking outside at regular intervals, so he decided to take his turn.

  ‘Won’t be a moment.’

  The chill wind woke him up soon enough. He brushed his hair out of his eyes and looked west along the shore. He thought of those black kites from the gorge; imagined them flying high past beaches and coves and cliffs before finally reaching the harbour at Apollonia and the sprawl of Cyrene. Fifty miles – they might be there in two days.

  It wasn’t until he turned east towards the town that he saw the torches. Some were close to the warehouses but another group were moving along the breakwater towards the Fortuna. Cassius had expected as much. But who were they? Men of the First Century or the Second? They’d find no trace of Carnifex on the ship, but what if they realised Cassius and Indavara weren’t aboard?