Hibernia (Veteran of Rome Book 2)

by William Kelso

  The man was still laughing. Corbulo rose and risked a quick peek through the partially opened doorway. Something was cooking in a closed oven and two oil lamps bathed the kitchen in a reddish light. The guard had his back to the door and a cook was sitting at a table chopping away at something. She was smiling. Corbulo leaned back against the wall and took a deep breath. It had to be done. Quietly he slid his sword from its scabbard and stepped quickly and calmly through the doorway. The guard had no chance as Corbulo came up behind him and slit the man's throat in one fast and smooth movement. The soldier gurgled as the blood gushed down his chest. Corbulo lowered him to the floor. The cook was staring at him in utter shock and horror. Then loudly she rose to her feet but before she could scream Corbulo was at her side and had clamped his hand over her mouth. He raised his bloodied sword to her neck. The woman looked up at him with terror stricken eyes.

  "He was a fool," Corbulo whispered, "He was on guard duty and he left his post. That's what happens when a sentry is not alert."

  The woman was trembling now. Corbulo snatched a quick glance down the corridor that led into the palace but all seemed quiet. He took another deep breath and turned to the cook.

  "I won't harm you," he said quietly, "if you tell me where they are keeping the woman they brought in today. Tell me where they are holding her?"

  The cook looked terrified. Slowly Corbulo peeled away his hand.

  "The woman was with a child," he snapped. "Are they still alive?"

  The cook's upper lip was trembling and there were tears in her eyes now.

  "Don't hurt me," she whispered in a foreign accent, "I am just a cook. I am just a slave Sir."

  Corbulo slapped her across her cheek.

  "The woman and the child, where are they being held?" he growled. It was the only piece of information that Perialis had been unable to provide him.

  "They are down in the cellar where the Governor keeps his wine," the cook sobbed.

  Corbulo felt a surge of relief. Efa was alive. He examined the cooks face but the poor woman didn't look like she was lying.

  "Show me," Corbulo whispered forcing her towards the doorway. He touched her back with the tip of his sword. "And if you make a noise you will be dead before you hit the ground," he muttered.

  The cook did not reply. Her whole body was trembling. Corbulo nudged her into the long dimly lit corridor. As they moved deeper into the palace they passed darkened doorways on either side and Corbulo suddenly remembered that these were the offices of the officials and bureaucrats on the Governor's staff who helped administer the province. He had been here before when he had come to sign his government contract with the Procurator to supply stone to Londinium. Suddenly his foot crunched on something lying on the floor and he looked down. The stone floor was covered in shards and broken pieces of pottery. Corbulo froze whilst with his free hand he jerked the cook to a halt. What was this? He peered down the corridor. The fragments of pottery were everywhere.

  "The Governor smashed his vases today," the woman sniffed.

  Corbulo said nothing as he remembered. Of course, Perialis and Falco had mentioned that the Governor had taken to breaking everything in his own palace in his impotent rage against the Christians. He gave the cook a little shove and they started off down the corridor. The crunching noise of the shards and fragments sounded horribly loud under their feet. At the end of the corridor he forced the cook to a halt and snatched a quick glance around the corner but saw no one. The new corridor was lit with oil lamps that seemed to cast shadows upon the walls. Without a word the cook turned left and after a few paces she halted beside a flight of narrow circular stone steps that led downwards into darkness.

  "They are being kept down there," she whispered.

  Corbulo peered into the darkness. He could hear nothing. He gave the woman a little push and they started down the stone steps. The circular staircase didn't go far and he emerged onto a narrow hall that led into a dark and damp tunnel. At the end of the passageway an oil-lamp had been fixed to the wall and in its light Corbulo suddenly caught sight of the figure of a man slouched on a wooden stool. Corbulo jerked the cook to a halt. For a moment the two of them did not move as they stared at the figure. Then Corbulo heard it. The guard was snoring. He was asleep. Corbulo pressed the tip of his sword into the woman's back and brought his head close to hers.

  "Not a sound," he whispered.

  The two of them ducked into the low tunnel and started towards the guard. The passageway was too small for them to stand up in. Corbulo could see the man's spear leaning against the brick wall. In the dim light he caught sight of a large number of keys hanging from the soldiers belt. Corbulo tensed. As they drew closer to the sleeping guard they passed doorways on both sides and behind the doors he heard little noises, a whimper, a cough, a quiet voice uttering a prayer. These cells must be where the Governor kept his Christian prisoners. As he reached the end of the tunnel Corbulo suddenly shoved the cook forwards, grabbed hold of the soldiers hair, yanked his head backwards and slit his throat. Blood spurted over Corbulo's hands and arms, splattering his face as the man died. Corbulo lowered him to the ground. The cook had pressed her hands to her mouth and was staring at him with renewed horror.

  "He would still be alive if he hadn't been sleeping on duty," Corbulo hissed. Without waiting for an answer he crouched and unhooked the keys from the dead man's belt. There were eight in total. He rose and lifted the oil lamp from its holster on the wall. Then he grabbed the woman by her arm and pushed her down the tunnel in the direction from which they had just come. The first cell was occupied by an old man. The second by two women. Corbulo said nothing as he left the doors unlocked. Then as he opened the third door and shone his oil lamp inside the tiny space he saw her. Efa was slumped on the floor her back leaning against the wall. She raised her hand as if to fend off a blow.

  Corbulo pushed the cook into the tiny space and crouched down beside his wife.

  "Efa, it's me, your husband," he whispered touching her face, "I have come to take you away. Are you hurt?"

  Efa gasped but said nothing. In the dim light it was hard to see whether she was allright.

  "Come on girl, we have to get out of here," Corbulo whispered. He slipped his hand around her waist and lifted her up onto her feet and as he did so he heard a clinking metallic noise. He lowered his lamp and groaned. Efa's ankles were locked together by an iron slaver’s chain. She couldn't walk. Corbulo placed his lamp on the hard cold stone floor and fumbled around with his hands. Then he cursed with relief. At least the chain was not fixed to the wall.

  "Climb onto my back, I will carry you out of here," he said quietly. For a moment he wasn't sure if his wife had understood. Then he felt her fingers grasp his neck as she heaved herself up onto his back. Corbulo grunted as he went down on one knee and adjusted himself to take her weight. Thank the gods that his wife was not overweight. He rose and carefully backed out of the cell. The cook was pressed into a corner of the tiny space. She looked frightened.

  "Stay here and do not make a sound or I will come back and finish you off like I did with those two men," Corbulo said sharply.

  The cook said nothing. Corbulo turned and started off towards the circular stairway.

  "The child," Efa suddenly whispered, "We must rescue the Christian child."

  Corbulo shook his head. "No, it can't be done," he muttered, "We have to get out of here. I am sorry."

  "The child," Efa whispered, "we can't leave her here. They will kill her. She is only a child. Please, we must go back for her."

  Corbulo said nothing. There was nothing more he could do. He made it to the staircase and was just starting up the steps when a high-pitched female scream shattered the silence. Corbulo froze in horror as the woman screamed again. It was the cook. Corbulo cursed and stormed up the staircase, puffing and heaving as Efa clung to his back. The two of them staggered out into the corridor, turned left and then right. From inside the Palace Corbulo could hear men's voices. They w
ere close. In the tunnel below his feet the cook screamed again. Up ahead he could see the doorway leading to the kitchen. The corpse of the soldier lay on the floor amidst a large pool of blood. Corbulo felt Efa's nails digging into his neck. The kitchen doorway was just a few yards away when he heard a noise and saw something move. A man stepped out of one of the office doorways just ahead of him. Corbulo's eyes bulged. It was Bestia. The bounty hunter was clad only in his undergarments and he was unarmed. Without pausing Corbulo raised his leg and kicked Bestia in the groin. The blow caught the bounty hunter completely by surprise and he went down with an agonising hiss. Fear lent Corbulo a savage strength and without hesitation he lashed out again and his foot caught Bestia on the side of his head sending him crashing backwards against the wall. Corbulo pushed passed him and had reached the kitchen when he heard a shout behind him.

  "There he is, get him, stop him!"

  There was no time to look behind him. Corbulo skidded through the blood on the kitchen floor and banged his head against the door but he didn't feel the pain. Then he was out into the dark night. Efa's weight was slowing him down and he was gasping for breath. There was no way he was going to outrun his pursuers. He heaved her higher up onto his back and felt her muscles clamp onto him. Watch out for the pool, watch out for the pool he thought as he scurried through the darkness. Behind him his pursuers were closing. Their shouts of alarm seemed to be everywhere. He nearly tripped head long over the short wall. He had forgotten about the wall. With straining muscles he forced himself over it. Not far now. The river had to be straight ahead. High above him in the night sky he caught a glimpse of the blood red moon. Mars was watching. Corbulo staggered up to the waterfront. He was exhausted. Where was the log boat? Where was Priscus? He had told the young man to wait but in the darkness he could see no sign of him or the small boat.

  "Priscus, Priscus, where are you?" Corbulo hissed furiously.

  The shouts of his pursuers sounded horribly close by. They would find him within seconds. Out on the dark river nothing moved. There was no sign of Priscus.

  "Oh fuck it," Corbulo cursed taking a couple steps backwards. On his shoulders he felt Efa tense as if she had guessed what he was about to do. Then before she could say anything he launched himself forwards and leapt out into the river. Efa managed a small cry of panic before they crashed into the water. Corbulo gasped at the coldness of the Thames as he went head under. For a moment the dark and cold were utterly disorientating. He thrashed around with his arms. Then he surfaced gasping for air. Efa was still clinging to his back, her arms and thighs locked around him so tightly it was as if their two bodies had become one. From the embankment he heard angry cries and in the red moonlight he could make out figures. Corbulo spluttered as he took in a mouthful of river water. Efa's weight was becoming too much, she was going to drown him if she stayed on his back but there was no way she could swim, not with that heavy iron chain around her ankles.

  "Priscus," Corbulo cried out taking in another mouthful of water. "Priscus."

  For a moment the dark river seemed utterly peaceful. Then something moved. A shadow against the red moonlight.

  "I am here, I am here," a voice suddenly whispered loudly in the darkness. Corbulo spluttered as he caught sight of the shape of a log gliding towards him. He raised his arm and tried to swim towards it but he had no strength left. Startled he suddenly realised that the tide was taking him towards the bridge. Close by something splashed into the water. It was an oar. Corbulo made an attempt to grab it but missed. His head went under and he coughed and spluttered as the river water surged into his mouth. On his back he felt Efa shift her weight. He surfaced and cried out. Then suddenly he was being dragged through the water. Efa had caught hold of the oar. The low hull of a boat appeared and Corbulo felt Efa being lifted from his shoulders. The release felt wonderful. Exhausted he caught hold of the hull but he lacked the strength to haul himself over the side. For a moment he clung to the side of the boat. Then a pair of hands were pulling him out of the water and after a short struggle he rolled over the side onto the middle plank of the craft.

  "Sorry Sir, I had to move the boat," Priscus whispered apologetically.

  Chapter Seven - All Change

  Corbulo lay on the bottom of the narrow log boat staring up at the red moon as he struggled to regain his breath. Then he turned on his side and vomited, bringing up a mass of river water and bile. As he wiped his mouth on his sleeve the boat drifted under the bridge and to his left he heard voices and saw the torches of the soldiers guarding the northern entrance. He turned to look behind him and in the moonlight caught Efa staring back at him. She was shivering.

  "Do you know what you have done?" Corbulo hissed furiously. There was no stopping his pent up anger now. It came flooding out of him like a great unstoppable tidal wave. "I told you to stay at home and you disobeyed me. I told you. You foolish woman. Do you realise what you have done?"

  Efa had started to cry. Her shoulders shook as she raised her hands to her face. Her tears however did nothing to placate Corbulo's rage.

  "We're finished here," he snapped, "We will have to leave Londinium. We can't stay here, not after what has happened tonight. We're going to have leave everything behind, our house, my business, my boat, everything. Damn you Efa, you have ruined us, you have ruined everything that I had built up. I am too old to start from scratch again. Where will be go? How will we survive?" There was a note of desperation now in Corbulo's voice. He had never expected this. He had not been prepared for this but now the looming realisation that they would have to go on the run was making him feel sick.

  "You put everything we had at risk by trying to rescue that child," he hissed, "You had no right to do that Efa, you should have told me, damn you!"

  "I am sorry," Efa sobbed, "I am so sorry."

  Corbulo shook his head in dismay and looked away into the darkness. For a long moment no one spoke. The log boat bobbed up and down on the water as Priscus tried to steer her towards the southern bank. Corbulo ran his hands over his face and took a deep breath.

  "We will leave tonight," he growled. "We will pack what we can carry and we will leave before light. That man, the one I kicked, he knows me, it's only a matter of time before they come for us and they will show no mercy Efa, no mercy. I know these men, no law or custom is sacred to them."

  Efa's soft weeping was all that he got as a reply.

  "Priscus," Corbulo said quietly, "I am going to have to ask you to look after my house and the business whilst we are gone. Will you do this?"

  "Of course Sir," Priscus said without hesitation. Corbulo twisted to look at him but in the darkness it was impossible to see the young man's face.

  "If I do not return by Saturnalia, at the end of the year, then it will all belong to you," Corbulo murmured.

  Behind him there was no immediate answer. Then Corbulo heard a gasp.

  "That is most generous Sir," Priscus said, "Most generous but I cannot accept it. We are partners, you and I, so I shall keep things going until you return Sir."

  Corbulo sighed and turned to stare into the darkness. His anger was fading. The goddess Fortuna was playing with him, watching to see how he would react to her games but the goddess could fuck off; he wasn't here for her amusement. Suddenly he felt in charge again, his decision was the right one. He knew it in his bones. He raised his hand to his mouth and cursed. When he had banged his head in the kitchen the blow had loosened a tooth.

  "Where will you go Sir?" Priscus said from the back of the boat.

  Corbulo shook his head. He hadn't had time to think about that.

  "What about the children?" Efa sniffed, "we can't just leave them behind. They will die if we leave them. The Governor is bound to find them. He will kill them and if he doesn't then the Procurator will."

  Corbulo groaned. He had forgotten about the nine Christian children hiding in his house. Efa was right, there would be no one to look after them if he left. The boat fell silent and for a while the
only noise was the gentle lapping motion of the waves against the hull. Corbulo looked up at the blood red moon as he struggled with the decision that he had to make.

  "Fine," he said at last in a quiet dignified voice, " We shall take them with us, all nine of them. Those children deserve a fighting chance I suppose."

  Behind him he heard Efa cry out in relief. Then he felt her hand on his shoulder and a moment later her head was resting against his back.

  "Thank you," she murmured wearily. "The Christian God says that the strong must protect the weak. You would make a good Christian, Corbulo."

  "The Christian God can fuck off," Corbulo snapped irritably. "I have heard that these followers of Christus claim that they and they alone are just and merciful but I have known many good men who were not Christians. These Christians think that they are better than me, they think that they know something that I don't. Well I will tell you something, if those children are strong, they will survive but if they are weak they will die and there is nothing that we or Christus can do about that."

  "So why do you want to take them?" Efa murmured.

  "Because I am not a complete arsehole," Corbulo growled, "Now shut up woman and let me think about what we are going to do."

  In front of him tall river reeds suddenly loomed up out of the darkness and without warning the bottom of the log boat scraped over stones. Their momentum carried the narrow craft on and straight into the reeds where it finally came to a shuddering halt. Close by a river creature vanished into the water with a loud plopping noise. Corbulo scrambled over the side and lurched onto a sand bank. A quarter of a mile away he could see lights and the torches of the soldiers guarding the bridge. He turned as Efa and Priscus waded ashore.