Centurion

'Sir! You must come at once!'

Cato drew himself up and growled, 'Stand to attention when you speak to your commanding officer!'

'Yes, sir.' The auxiliary snapped his heels together and stared straight ahead, across Cato's shoulder. 'Beg to report, Centurion Parmenion sends his respects and says that he needs every available man to join him, sir.'

'What's happened?'

'They've hit the sheds containing the food supply, sir. Several shots close together. The whole bloody lot is going up.'

08 Centurion

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

Next morning the air was heavy with the acrid smell of burning. Macro poked one of the blackened and still smouldering baskets of grain with the toe of his boot. Ash and brittle chunks of charred material crumbled away. Much of the grain had fused into a solid black mass. He looked up and surveyed the smoking remains of the store sheds where the meat had been kept stretching out opposite the stables. Even though the rebels had run out of ammunition halfway through the night and the defenders had been fighting scores of fires through the remaining hours of darkness until first light. Now, a blaze was still consuming one corner of the royal quarters where a chance shot had passed through a high window and set light to the tapestries that lined the chamber. The king had been forced to flee while the fire was dealt with and retired to his audience chamber, surrounded by picked men from the Greek mercenaries of his bodyguard.

A pall of smoke hung over the citadel like a shroud in the pale light of the dawn. Billowing clouds from the remaining fires added to the gloom, while even the fires that had burned out still gave off myriad wisps of smoke.

'How much of the grain did we save?' Macro asked quietly.

Cato consulted his waxed slates. 'Thirty baskets. Some of what remained of the horse meat. I have men going through the fire-damaged grain vats to see what they can salvage, but it won't amount to much.'

'So I can see.' Macro gestured to the smoking ruin at his feet. He drew a deep breath.'So how many days' rations does that leave us?'

'At the current level of distribution… two days.'

'Two days,' Macro repeated bitterly.'The men are already on half rations.'

'We could cut the rations by half again. Any more than that and soon they'd be too weak to resist another assault.' Cato glanced up from his notes.'There's more bad news, I'm afraid.'

'Really? Now there's a surprise.' Macro sighed. 'Go on.'

'We had to use a lot of water to fight the fires. The remaining supply in the cistern is less than six inches. Looks as if we're going to run dry about the same time as the food gives out. Of course, if we have another night like last night then we're as good as cooked.'

'Shit,' Macro muttered. 'Do you have any good news for me?'

'Some.' Cato tapped his stylus on the waxed slate. 'Casualties were light enough. Eight dead, five of those civilians.Twenty injured, three from falling masonry and the rest with burns.' Cato closed his waxed notebook and stared at the ruins of the storehouses. 'What I don't understand is why they didn't make another effort to get through the gates or scale the ramparts. They must have known we'd have to strip the walls of men to tackle the fires.'

'That's obvious enough.Why lose men when they know they can burn us out, or starve us into surrender?'

'Makes sense.' Cato yawned and stretched his shoulders. 'What are your orders, sir?'

'Hmm?' Macro rubbed his weary eyes a moment before he responded.'The men who stayed on the wall can take the first watch of the day; the rest can stand down. They've earned a break. And they need one.'

'Don't we all?'

'We'll get ours later. First things first.' Macro turned to his friend. 'We have to decide what we are going to do about the food and water supply, or lack of it. Better send word to Thermon to arrange a meeting. The king, his advisers, the ambassador, Balthus, and us.'

'Yes, sir. At what hour?'

Macro thought a moment.'Soon as possible. Better make it the third hour. In the king's audience chamber.'

'Yes, sir.'

Cato was turning to leave when Macro touched his arm. 'That girl of yours, Julia. Is she all right?'

'Some burns. That's all. She sent me a message,' Cato explained quickly. 'I didn't have time to see for myself.'

Macro smiled. 'You don't have to justify yourself to me, lad. I'm just glad to know that she's still with us. If we get out of this scrape, do you have any plans?'

Cato shrugged.'I don't know. It's too early to say. I mean, I'd like to have plans, but she's the daughter of a senator, and I'm just a common soldier.'

'No, you're not,' Macro replied. 'You're an uncommon soldier. I've no idea how far you might rise one day, Cato, but your potential is there for all to see. Including the ambassador. I should think he would be proud to welcome you into his family. If not, then he's a bloody fool, and Sempronius doesn't strike me as much of a fool.'

'No,' Cato replied uneasily. 'I don't suppose he'll be in the dark about my relationship with Julia for much longer. If he hasn't guessed already.'

'Relationship?' Macro looked at Cato shrewdly. 'How much of a relationship are we talking about?'

'What do you mean?' Cato asked defensively.

'I mean have you two had it off yet?'

Cato winced at the expression and Macro chuckled. 'Well, if you want me to dress it up, have you two formed a basis of physical intimacy yet?'

Now it was Cato's turn to laugh.'Where did you get that from?'

'Oh, some book. Load of romantic bollocks, but I was ru

Cato nodded and Macro let out a sigh.

'Oh, that's nice going, Cato. Just when I thought Sempronius was going to approve of you. If she's up the gut, and he finds out before you have a chance to make an honest woman of her, then there's going to be a bit of a stink.You know how precious those aristocrats can be.'

'Well, what was I supposed to do? I love her, and there's every chance we'll be dead before we ever discover if she's expecting. What did we have to gain by denying ourselves?'

'Seize the day, eh?' Macro chuckled bitterly. 'Well, if I'm honest, I'd probably have done the same in your place.'

'Bollocks,' Cato responded. 'You'd have been in there quicker than Cicero up a triumvir's arse.'

'Ah, you're not wrong there!' Macro laughed.'Now away with you! See to that meeting at once.'

'Yes, sir.' Cato saluted with a broad smile, and hurried away.

Macro watched him pick his way through the party of auxiliaries searching through the least burned baskets of grain. In spite of his friend's foolhardiness, he was happy for Cato, and fervently hoped that there would be a future for him and Julia.

He muttered to himself,'In any case, the Gods know, that lad needs a good shag.'

King Vabathus sat stiffly on his temporary throne, surrounded by four of his guardsmen. In front of him chairs had been set out in a curve, and once Prince Balthus had finally completed the gathering the king nodded to Thermon.

The chamberlain cleared his throat. 'Centurion Macro, His Majesty requires to know the reason for this meeting that you have insisted upon calling at such short notice.'

Macro rose to his feet and bowed his head briefly towards the king. 'Very well then.' He looked round the room before he spoke, to make sure that he had everyone's attention. Most of those in the hall were as tired as he was, and had been engaged in fighting the fires or, like Balthus, defending the walls. Macro cleared his throat and began. 'Gentlemen, we are facing some tough decisions. Decisions we need to make and act on immediately.'