by Nick Brown
Then to Rhodes; and a contest for a woman that Cassius had lost. More squabbles ensued before they reached Africa and united once more to defeat the rogue centurion, Carnifex. Cassius shook his head as he recalled the state of Indavara after he’d bested the veteran in single combat.
They’d enjoyed a period of peace in Bostra, Arabia before the assignment that had sent them deep into the desert to recover the Black Stone. Indavara had acquitted himself brilliantly again; and shown another side to his character as he helped Cassius deal with the consequences of killing.
Back to Bostra, then to Berytus, where they’d tried but failed to apprehend a counterfeiting gang. Worse was to follow: the abduction of Indavara and the months of searching before they found him, close to death, on a remote island.
Then his recovery in Antioch before they’d been summoned west. And during their recent time in Gaul, they had somehow won dual victories, the second of which had delivered Indavara to his loved ones. Cassius made a brief calculation. The pair had known each other for less than two years.
Simo had done most of their packing the previous night. After breakfasting, Cassius met him at the settlement’s tiny stable and was pleased to see all four mounts in good condition. He was also glad to be able to leave one of the horses for the Segusini, who only had half a dozen others. One of Brogimarus’s deputies had offered to guide them back as far as the main road and it seemed he would also take the opportunity to visit Luko’s village.
Once their saddlebags were attached, Cassius, Simo and Amarante led their mounts out to the track. Amarante had spent time with the pony and was keen to improve her skills during the long journey ahead. Brogimarus once again proved himself diplomatic by ordering the Segusini to keep at their tasks and allow farewells to be conducted without a crowd.
‘My sincere thanks,’ Cassius said to the leader before lowering his voice. ‘Please bear in mind what I said. Indavara will be a great asset to the tribe but he will need time.’
‘Of course. Best of luck for your journey. I cannot imagine such a distance.’
Cassius waved a hand at him. ‘A mere jaunt. Farewell.’
‘Farewell.’
Simo and Amarante then said their goodbyes to Brogimarus and the others who’d cared for them. Cassius had spent the morning trying not to think about the parting but now felt emotion surging within. He didn’t dare even glance at Indavara, so occupied himself by bidding farewell to Lugosara and Agriet. When he showed Agriet the figurine, she embraced him and kissed him no less than four times.
‘An affectionate woman, your mother!’ said Cassius as he moved on to Indavara.
As Simo and Amarante spoke to Lugosara and Agriet, the two young men stood in silence, regarding each other.
‘Lost for words again?’ said Indavara eventually.
‘Seems to be happening a lot lately. Ah, I almost forgot.’
Cassius reached inside his tunic and handed Indavara a piece of paper with writing on both sides.
‘There are legion bases at Segustero and Dinia, way-stations too. I’ve mentioned Prefect Venator so anyone that receives that will make sure it gets to me. It’s addressed to my family home in Ravenna. If you’re ever in trouble, send it.’
‘Thank you.’
‘Only for emergencies, mind. Don’t ask for romantic advice. Some nice-looking girls here, by the way.’
Indavara grinned as he tucked the letter into his belt.
‘And you can always visit,’ added Cassius. ‘Just ask for me in Ravenna. Everyone knows us there.’
Another pause. Then Indavara reached out and held Cassius by both shoulders. ‘You said you’d get me home.’
‘I did.’
‘Thank you, Cassius. For your friendship. For everything.’
Cassius gripped his arms and then they embraced. He spoke in a whisper cracked by emotion, words he had promised himself he would say when the moment came: ‘Indavara, you are the greatest man I’ve known. I’ll tell stories about the things I’ve seen you do until the day I die. By all the gods, I swear it.’
They parted; and Cassius walked away because he couldn’t bear any more.
‘I thought you two would never finish,’ said Amarante.
‘Sorry,’ said Indavara, wiping away a tear and feeling a fool.
‘I wish you all the best. You have a lovely family.’
She followed Cassius along the track and then came Simo.
Indavara had dreaded this moment. To him, Simo was the best friend imaginable: too kind and gentle for this world. They embraced.
‘I am so happy for you,’ said Simo. ‘I prayed for this so many times.’
‘Perhaps that’s what did it.’
‘I’ll come back. I promise I’ll come back to see you.’
‘What will you do?’ asked Indavara.
Simo gave an awkward smile but did not answer.
‘Well, perhaps you’re not sure yet. Look after yourself, Simo. May the Lord watch over you.’
‘May he watch over you.’
With that, Simo walked to his horse and mounted up as the others had. At Cassius’s signal, the guide set off down the track and the trio followed.
Indavara was not alone for long. His mother and his sister stood either side of him and held him. The feeling was odd yet somehow familiar, for once again he was surrounded by warmth and love.
Having started early, they reached the Durantio in late afternoon. Their guide repeated some instructions which Amarante translated before setting off back towards Ancamna’s Caves.
Keen to reach their accommodation in time for dinner, Cassius was about to set his horse away when Simo spoke up.
‘Master Cassius.’
‘Yes?’
‘I’m not heading south, sir.’
Despite the narrow path, Cassius turned his horse around.
‘Simo-’
‘My mind’s made up, sir.’
Cassius could not recall the last time the attendant had interrupted him. He cleared his throat and dismounted. Staying silent, Amarante did the same and took the reins of her pony and Cassius’s horse. They were very close to the river so she led them down to a narrow beach to drink. Simo dropped to the ground then led his horse to the same spot.
Cassius walked a little way along the trail so that they might speak privately.
Simo wiped sweat from his brow as he approached his master.
‘I don’t much appreciate that tone.’
‘Sorry, sir.’
‘Simo, listen, I’ve said I’ll honour my promise. But let’s do that in Ravenna. I’d love you to see the house, meet my family. Then you’re making an informed decision. You can still head east if you wish.’
‘I know what I want to do, sir. I want to return north – to the Brethren. I believe they would accept me and I believe I would find a meaningful life there. I believe it is the Lord’s will.’
Cassius wondered why he hadn’t seen it. For all his powers of observation and deduction, he clearly didn’t know his attendant as well as he thought.
‘I must remind you that you belong to me until I grant your freedom. I will not do so now. Not like this.’
‘I ask you to do precisely that, sir. Here and now.’
The attendant’s expression was so defiant that Cassius felt a moment of anger. But it passed swiftly. The law was one thing; yet what right did he truly have to decide this man’s fate? Had he not done enough to earn this?
He found himself smiling. ‘I never took you for such a rebel.’
Simo gulped anxiously. ‘I would give anything not to part on bad terms, Master Cassius. Will you let me go?’
‘Very well then. I grant you manumission. You are a slave no more. Might I be the first to congratulate you on your status as a freedman.’ With that, Cassius and Simo shook forearms for the first time.
‘This isn’t just some elaborate ruse to go and find Patch, is it?’
‘No, sir, but as I’ll be in the area …’
Cassius laughed. ‘Fair enough.’
Amarante became the second person to congratulate Simo. Cassius announced that this was an occasion worthy of celebration and they did so with the last of the wine bought in Segustero. They then spent a few moments rearranging their saddlebags: Cassius now carried six; Simo’s possessions barely filled two. Cassius had also divided their remaining coins in half, ignoring Simo’s protests and asking him to give what he could to the Brethren.
‘You know your way?’
‘Yes, sir.’
‘Be careful. Very careful.’
‘I will, sir.’
‘You don’t have to call me sir anymore.’
‘Master Cassius then.’
‘As you wish. Now, you must write. I insist.’
‘Of course. And I shall eagerly await a reply.’
‘By the gods, Simo, I always feared it would go to your head before but I suppose I can tell you now. There’s no two ways about it: you’re irreplaceable. You’ve ruined me. Every other servant will pale by comparison.’
Cassius regretted the sentence as soon as he said it. ‘Forget that. Every other friend.’
‘I would very much like to come to Ravenna one day. I would very much like to meet all those you have described to me over the years.’
‘You will always be welcome.’
Sensing an opportunity, Amarante kissed Simo farewell and led the mounts out of the way.
‘Come here then, you big sod.’ Cassius embraced Simo. ‘You know what? You kept me going. In those first weeks in the desert, when we lost Indavara; everything in between. You really did. I hope I wasn’t too terrible.’
‘Not at all. If I may say so, you’ve become a fine young man, Master Cassius. I was proud to serve you. It is … strange to think I can follow my own path.’
‘But exciting, I would imagine.’
‘Yes.’
‘Let’s get this over with. That poor girl’s seen me cry enough. Farewell, Simo. I will miss you very much.’
‘Thank you, Master Cassius. I will always pray for you. One last thing – remember to drink plenty of water, not just wine. That’s the best way to avoid getting one of your heads.’
‘I will.’
Simo mounted up and set off down the path. Cassius watched him for a while and they exchanged a final wave as he neared a bend. Cassius wiped his face before walking back to Amarante.
‘A day of goodbyes,’ she said.
‘Yes. Not sure there’s much good about it though.’
Careful with his injured hand, Cassius swung up into the saddle.
‘Where to first?’ asked Amarante once she too was ready.
‘We should reach Italy in a couple of days. Then it’s along the coast to Genoa, east to Bononia, then on to Ravenna.’
Amarante took some twine from her wrist and used it to tie back her hair. As usual, Cassius couldn’t take his eyes off her.
‘What?’ she asked.
‘Nothing.’
‘Cassius, listen, if all … goes well …’
‘Yes?’
‘Your family. I’m not like you. What will they think of me?’
‘I shall tell them you are a Princess of Gaul.’
‘Who would believe that?’
Cassius winked at her then started his horse along the river path.
‘Who wouldn’t?’
Historical Note
We know only the broad strokes of Aurelian’s campaign against Tetricus: that the emperor attacked in late spring/early summer and won a decisive battle near Cavillonum (Chalons sur Saone). It is believed that Tetricus was indeed taken prisoner and that this news had a devastating effect on the morale of his army. In the ensuing confusion, Aurelian’s veteran legions swiftly defeated their remaining foes. Tetricus was then sent to Rome, later to be displayed as a captive in Aurelian’s autumn triumph along with another fallen enemy – Zenobia of Palmyra. Both former rivals were spared and Tetricus was eventually granted senatorial status. Aurelian showed similar restraint as he sought to reintegrate the western provinces.
Though we know that the Army of the Rhine remained loyal to Tetricus, I’ve used educated guesswork regarding which specific legions fought for the opposing sides. Similarly, the Rhone provided a strong setting for the story but we cannot know if it was as crucial as I have suggested here. Aurelian certainly had the numbers but he faced a powerful and very well-established enemy. With the defeat of Tetricus, a rift that stretched back fifteen years to the revolt of Postumus was at last repaired.
As is mentioned within the story, this remarkable emperor achieved a tremendous amount during a rule of just five years and two months. He spent AD 275 campaigning in the Balkans and there is a suggestion that he was also planning an offensive against the old enemy – Persia. Lucius Domitius Aurelianus met his end in Thrace; stabbed to death by conspirators. There are numerous theories about the motivation for the killing: a strained relationship with his commanders, his severe treatment of corrupt officials or a plot by a scheming servant. The ‘Restorer of the World’ was no more and his demise was greeted with widespread shock and horror. In the illuminating text, ‘Aurelian and the Third Century,’ Alaric Watson concludes that his subject ‘inspired renewed hope and vigour which gave the empire a new lease of life. For this he earned the respect and affection of his subjects.’
Acknowledgments
‘The Last Battle’ was written between 2017 and 2019. For a variety of reasons, this was not a straightforward process and I’m very grateful to all the readers who kept asking about the next novel and encouraging me to continue. As many will know, my publishing deal ended with book 6, so I’ve had to organize this myself. Fortunately, I’ve had some great people to help me along the way. Firstly, I must thank Milena Brown, Sarah Brown and Neil Brown for assisting with the editing. Leila Summers again provided sterling work with formatting and Viktoria Riabova created the maps. The very talented Diogo Lando of Red Raven Design produced another outstanding cover, doing a superb job of emulating books 5 and 6.
As I write this, publication is only a few days away and my feelings are a combination of relief and that familiar writer’s sense of fearful expectation. I did my best and I do hope this delivers a fitting end to the series. Seven seems a good number to end on but if ‘The Last Battle’ does well and there’s a continuing appetite for my Roman novels, I may write more. Future works might feature the established characters, Tarchon (the veteran agent introduced in book 6) or some other iteration. Time will tell.
For the moment, all I can say is thank you to those who have supported the series. ‘Agent of Rome’ has never been a massive seller but the positive messages and reviews I have received over the years from across the globe have made it all worthwhile. One of the great gifts of the arts is that you can create something ‘bigger than yourself’. Sometimes, when I look back on the series, I can’t believe that Cassius, Indavara and all the characters and stories came out of my head. They’ve really taken on a life of their own.
Fans of Alistair Maclean will notice a certain plot similarity to his classic World War Two thriller, ‘Where Eagles Dare’. I’m happy to acknowledge my debt and pay homage to what I consider one of the most exciting novels ever written. If you haven’t read it, buy a copy now!
Q and A
When you started, did you know how many books you would write, and did you have a storyline for the whole series?
When I began ‘The Siege’ it was my first venture into historical fiction and just something I wanted to get published. My agent suggested that I develop sequel ideas and of course these became crucial once we began talking to the publishers, who initially asked for three. I certainly didn’t have detailed storylines for a series but the two crucial elements were the agent angle and the introduction of Indavara. I felt that a second lead character would really enhance the overall tale and, as a ‘grain man’, Cassius could be sent on all manner of varied, exciting operations. I then created individual plots
within this overall arc.
Who or what gave you your love of Roman history?
Before becoming a writer, I was a history teacher and I always enjoyed delivering lessons about the Roman period. Having said that, my knowledge was very limited until I started researching for the novels. In fact, my knowledge is still quite limited – I know what I need for the stories and that’s about it! I think the reason we still find the era so appealing is that we know just enough to be able to approximate life two thousand years ago. Yet we don’t really know how the Romans lived and thought; that depends on the active imaginations of novelists.
Did you have a specific historical incident that gave you inspiration and that led you to some of these adventures?
I suppose the key incident is the Palmyran revolt of AD 270. ‘The Siege’ is based around this and the series sprang from there. I also knew that the eventful reign of Aurelian would provide a strong backdrop for Cassius’s continuing adventures. Most of the other plots have some basis in reality and I have always tried to be as accurate as possible with historical detail: weaponry, food, clothing and so on. Hopefully the historical notes have illuminated some of this for readers.
What first fuelled your interest in the frumentarii?
I had already started ‘The Siege’ and it just seemed such a great concept for Cassius to be almost an ‘impostor’ – a very bright, dutiful young man but with very little military experience. I then created the ‘Imperial Security Service’ based on the frumentarii (grain-men). It is the case that they were involved in all manner of activities: from interrogation and assassination to spying and intelligence-gathering. It’s also true that the grain-men were often hated by the regular army and their historical reputation is not exactly heroic!