Insurgent of Rome

by Ken Farmer

  Julius looked around to see if any were listening to their converse, but the attention of all was toward the Praetor, holding court by the pool. Quietly, Julius said, "If you wish to consult with our new savior, I suggest that you make haste, before his bones are moldering in the wilderness."

  "Husband! What are you saying?" Camelia was obviously upset at the blunt words - not at their meaning, but for the assumption that a fête was the place for unhappy statements.

  "Nay, daughter. Your mate is not one to bandy words as if he were one of yon soft and complacent highborns. He has more experience in matters of fierce contention than Varinius in his dreams of glory." To Julius, he asked, "You have little hope, then, of the rebellion being put down by... the force sent by Rome."

  Julius shook his head, still looking for any ears wandering too closely. "Nay. His numbers are far too diminutive and his movement mistimed for the season."

  Now Aulius said quietly, "Aye. That last is already sprouting weeds instead of stalks. There is word of discontent in the camp from the inclement conditions." Another look around, then, "And some resentment of their officers abiding under warm roofs without even giving inspection of their force. A pair of our freedmen are Caupoe of their own taburnae, and give that each evening, the tables are filled with soldiers come for a cup and to sit by the warm hearth."

  "Then mayhap nothing will occur until the change of seasons," was the comment from the Dominus Calvinus. "If battle is unsuitable in this season for the Legions, then it must be also for the rebellious slaves."

  Julius looked at his brother before answering, then said, "It may be that the leader of the insurrection has thoughts that do not conform with the conventional military wisdom..."

  Chapter 43

  Julius had spent a part of the month in giving hirement to new sailors, placing one or two on each family ship leaving the port, then receiving the report from the Captain on return. This was something that he had done since first going to sea as the newly fledged master of the Petrel, but usually it was for one or two men, at the most. Now, however, should the grain-plans of his brother come to fruition, he would need many more - mostly for the large ship of Kaeso, and the as yet nonexistent escort vessel.

  He had early learned that the best sailors for the family were made from men new to the sea. Such could be molded and formed into the desired crewman - or rejected early as unsuitable. Older and veteran men of the sea tended to be frozen into the mold of their experience, agreeing to the needs of Julius, but in fact, when at sea merely continuing what they were familiar with and had always done.

  His skill for such recruitment had been sharpened over the years sufficiently that only occasionally did a man have to be discharged as unsuitable. Youth was not entirely necessary for his requirements, although a man approaching his dotage certainly would find the life at sea more than his aging body could sustain. More desirable, was the willingness of a man, mayhap newly come to the sea, to realize that this vocation was for himself, that new places and uncertainty of each day was a boon to life, not a thing to be feared.

  And, of course, the new sailor had to be familiar with weaponry, or with the skill to learn such. Judoc would take the prospective crewmen beyond the streets of Neápolis, with a hired cart holding good rations for a day, and bundles of practice arrows. And a pair of straw men as marks. By the end of the day, he could give report to Julius about the potential skills of each with a bow. The requirements were not to be the equal of either Judoc or the Captain - no man that had not begun the learning of the wood and string starting in his boyhood could do so - but just the natural differences between men gave that some would gain the skill with more haste and proficiency than others. But, almost any man can learn to feather a mark at a distance long before two ships can come together, and that was all that was required for skill.

  Ngozi - or mayhap Julius, should he be in Neápolis - then would gather the prospective sailors in the backyard of the inn, testing each for use of the gladius, assigning each a level of need for their training. Some would give that their skills with iron were on a level with Mars himself - a common trait among men, and the boast of prowess usually increasing in proportion to the youth of the man.

  After the first sparring bout with the black crewman - with wooden swords - they would quickly realize that in reality, their skills barely rose above that of a younger sister.

  The Petrel made a fast voyage up the coast, to Ostia then on to Genoa, the port city known for its massive shipyards and skilled shipwrights. Indeed, it was from this city that the last two ships with the name of the roving seabird were obtained. As the path would take them through the benign waters of the Ligurian Sea, that body of water to the west of Latium, Pontika was allowed to ride as passenger, her delight at new adventure bubbling to the surface of her countenance - as always. Also along was the family shipwright, Lartius, to give intense eye to any hulls that might be examined.

  Only Flavius, in his capacity as ship's carpenter, young Caius, as cook, and Densus as first mate were along as original crew, the other three being left in Neopolis with their training duties. In their places were five new men, brought along that Julius might make determination of their qualities for permanent employment.

  A quarter of the month was passed in the port of Genoa, and contracts made for a standard merchant ship - this one to replace their oldest, now showing signs of wear and worm-rot from its many years of crossing the Great Sea.

  And another was purchased, already three parts of four in completion, and considerably smaller than the usual merchant - tender and large sailed, with a deep keel fin. This one would not be as nimble as the Petrel, but far more agile than any merchant ship or galley. And, with the cargo spaces made into comfortable cabins for an expanded crew.

  Then, with Lartius giving his final strict requirements to the master Shipwright for the constructions, they set sail for home again. Their arrival back in Neápolis was not as expected. Even as they dropped the sail to give coast to the wharf, Julius could see Judoc and Maccalus, along with the Caupo of their inn and apparently a horseman in wait. To Densus and Pontika, standing beside him on the afterdeck, he muttered, "I will give wager that we are about to hear of our old crewman, Melglos, once again."

  Indeed, it was. The horseman was with a scroll of some urgency, requiring Julius to ride to Capua at once. The Caupo pointed back toward the town, saying, "The stables have your mount ready, Capitaneus. And one for the femina, if needed."

  As on their return from Alexandria, the city was buzzing with activity, none of any use that he could see, and now the city gates were closed in the midst of the day, and only opened far enough and long enough for the two horses to enter. At the house, he sent word to the Tabularium, giving his brother the news that he had returned, then settled gratefully onto a mat to ease the soreness in his backside from the fast ride from Neopolis.

  Pontika, of course, could have just risen from her nap, showing no discomfort at all, and settled onto her own mat beside Camelia. The older woman allowed the femina to give her tale of the journey up the coast, then both discussed the growing belly that indicated the approach of the new family member. Finally, his mate said, and without any indication of jest, "Your suggestion was sound, Husband, even if given in jest. Melglos would be a powerful Dux, had he a trained Legion to command."

  Julius nodded. "Aye, and from the babble that I heard on the street, apparently he has given chastisement to our bloated savior, Varinius."

  "Nay. It is far worse than that, but I will allow Aulius to give the tale. I fear that my knowledge is polluted with gab that is expanded beyond any rational belief. But I have sent for... Ah, here he is."

  Julius sat up as Patroclus entered the atrium, the oldster giving a smile and bow to both woman and femina. "Greetings old friend. It appears that your travails have been put behind you for now."

  "Aye, Sos. There is a twinge from a sinew now and again, but I am back to the man I was before my adventure." Patro
clus just stood beside the low table in his talk. Neither Julius nor Camelia would have given objection if their servant had reclined with them, but such a sight made by the Domina of the household, the mate of Aulius, would possibly have caused her expiry even as she looked at the scandalous vision.

  Camelia waved at the scribe-tutor, then said, "Patroclus is fully aware of the events while you were away. Aulius has given him all scrolls and tablets come to his attention."

  "I presume that Melglos has given lessons on the differences between gasconade and actual ability."

  "Worse than that, Sos. The soldiers of the Praetor were becoming... restless at their inactivity and many were contracting the lung catarrh from the damp and rain. He decided against the wait for the inclement weather to end, and sent his second, some officer with the name of Furius, to move south with one Legion - about two thousand men - to fright the slaves into submission. Those were his declared words to the Cryer, Sos."

  "And Melglos did not take fright, I assume."

  "To the tale of a man and his son on the mountain of Vesuvius - shepherds, they were - the men were strung out in a marching train when the... rebels attacked from four sides, and in numbers that were such that most of the assailants did not even reach the active battle before it was done." He shook his head. "Not a man of that force has returned, Sos."

  Julius gave thought to the news of the disaster to the Legion of militia, then said, "That is an evil turn of events. If Melglos gives enough fright to Rome, he may find himself facing far more formidable opponents."

  Patroclus glanced at Camelia, who nodded in return. "That is only a partial rendering of what has happened in your absence to Genoa, Sos. Another unit of soldiers was moving around the opposite side of the mountain - near Herculaneum - to gather the slaves as they fled for their lives." From the expression of both, Julius knew what was about to be said. "The sub-Commander, some Cossinius, by name, was surprised, then trapped against the sea. Some soldiers returned, if only a few, to give the tale." There was a pause, then the oldster said quietly, "The reports say that the captured soldiers were crucified by the slaves, Sos."

  There was a long pause as Julius assimilated the disturbing, nay, the horrifying tales from only a hundred stadia, or so, to the south. This rebellion... insurrection, revolt, whatever label it might be given, was about to raise the specter of the Gorgon. The land and people might not be changed to stone, but it was not inconceivable that both might be turned into an empty land of dust. Then he asked, "What of the Praetor Varinius, himself?"

  "Alas, his wrath was uncontainable, departing with his remaining Legion in chase, as he says, of the rebels."

  "With a single Legion of two thousand men, and not even Legionaries, but city militia?" Julius was dismayed at the effrontery - or mayhap the stupidity of the Praetor. "Even now he does not realize the numbers that he will confront?" The noble jumped to his feet. "Nay. Let us retire to your map room where you can give me the actual details of what you know."

  It was late evening before his brother returned from the Tabularium, and not with news of any sweetness. Meeting in the room of Patroclus, that they might not sow fright and despair to the women and servants, the elder said, "Scouts give that Melglos is moving south into the region of Lucania, gathering willing recruits as he marches. The numbers are different as given by each mouth, but he may have as many as seventy thousand men under his command now. All will not be armed, or even fighters, but... if there are ten work-slaves with scythes for each Roman soldier, what matter if the single Legionary that moves against them is properly kitted?"

  "Where is he now?" ask Julius.

  Patroclus pointed at the large map on the table, then tapped it with his scribe-pen. "Here, supposedly, just outside of Metapotum."

  "Over a thousand stadia, then. He moves with great haste, even with a mob of random recruits - and dragging a tail of families."

  Suddenly, Aulius asked, "What of the alterations to the ships for the haulage of grain?"

  Surprised at the sudden change in topic, Julius answered, "The big ship of Kaeso is almost ready. The additions to the others has not yet begun. Your reason for asking is..."

  His brother walked to the entrance of the room and looked out, then shut the thick wooden door. Quietly, he said, "The fields from here to the far south of the land have either been trampled, or are devoid of workers. The land is in for a hungry winter if other supplies are not found, and quickly. I would have you take the ship of Kaeso, and all others that are in port or can be found and make the trip to Alexandria. Amulius has returned in his speculatoria and gives that the bags are overfilling the wharfs at that city and with few ships standing in to collect the bounty. The fear I have is that the grain will be fed to animals rather than allow it to stand for rats and vermin."

  Julius nodded slowly. "I know of two that are still in - with Kaeso that will give us three. I will have to give escort in the Petrel. Our ship for the dedicated escort is still on the ways. It will not be completed for at least two months."

  "I will give you our senior numerarius, Gordino. He is well versed in negotiations for lading, as you well know."

  Early the next morning, a mounted messenger was sent off to the port of Neopolis with a missive, while Julius waited for his traveling kit to be packed - and fended off the pleas of Pontika to make accompany of the Petrel. "...nay. This is not as a trip up the coast to a shipyard. The far end of our journey will be through waters that are becoming the abode of reavers..."

  After giving a farewell to Camelia, the household stood out to watch him board the wagon that would take himself and the agent to Neopolis - and Patroclus, of course, in his position of navigator. Horses would have been faster, but however great the bargaining skills of the old accountant, his proficiency on a steed was less than that of Julius in figuring weights and measures of grain not to be sown until the next year. And, of course, neither had Patroclus ever learned to ride.

  At the port, the missive had caused a sudden and hurried flurry of activity. The ship of Kaeso now had the double bottom that would prevent bags on the bottom of piles from becoming soaked with brine. The other two would just have loose lumber held up by blocks about half the height of a man. As a permanent solution it was poor - any heavy weather would cause the bilge to slosh and wet the lading, but it was all that could be done in the time of two days.

  The new men were spread among the three merchants, with Julius gaining two young men that had shown promise in work with both Judoc and Ngozi, and on the morning of the third day, the four ships stood out of harbor, turning their bows to the south and the narrows between the coast of Latium and Sicilia. The crew of the Petrel had long experience in keeping pace with a slower ship, but such could not be said for the other vessels. Such practice had had little use until now - merchant hulls made their voyages at their own best pace and without worry of a fellow. It took a while to ascertain which ship was the slowest, then for the other pair to learn the best set of sails to maintain the same gait.

  Such a determination was not as easy as a landsman would assume. All ships have varying qualities depending on the amount of wind and its direction across the beam or bow or stern, and even by the height and haste of the waves. When the little fleet had to tack or wear, or make a major change of course, such as when they reached the end of the Latium peninsula, the determinations would have to be made again.

  During the voyage south, Julius could see men standing on the stern of each vessel, using the length of the ship for their practice. Bales of straw at the very forepeak held the cloth outline of a man, and during part of each day, the crews would make their drill, and especially the new men.

  After traveling the narrow straits at the end of the peninsula, they turned southeast to point their bows toward Alexandria, or as close as the eye of the winds would allow on any given day. Now the practice changed, or rather, was added to. The Petrel would sail off into the distance, usually upwind, then return in imitation of a pirate vess
el swooping down upon their quarry. Depending upon the tactics of their attacker, the two of the vessels would maneuver to give support to their comrade that was under assault. If the closure was rapid, and with intent to grapple, one ship would attempt to approach from behind, that vessel having men lining the forward railing to launch shafts in swarms into the hull of the putative pirate. The other would attempt to gain the weather side of the foe, to give concern that the attacker was about to be boarded from his backside.

  Julius thought it unlikely for any such assault to take place. Pirates, from their general nature, were not men who could work in conjunction as if a Century of Legionaries, but preferred to make their task alone and without need to share in any bounty. And he was doubtful that a single pirate vessel would attempt to engage a closely knit fleet, even if only of merchants ships.