The Gladiator

'You, a tribune? I don't believe it.'

'I have already presented my written authority to two of your officers. I can produce it again, if you wish.'

'Later. First, tell me what a tribune is doing in Alexandria. Who sent you? Narcissus?'

Cato could not help smiling at mention of the emperor's private secretary. Aside from being Claudius's personal adviser, Narcissus also ran a formidable network of spies and assassins to protect his master.

'I haven't come from Rome, sir. I sailed here from Crete.'

Petronius's nose wrinkled. 'You stink of rotting fish.'

'A fishing boat was all that could be found to bring me here. Now send these people away, Legate Petronius. We must talk.'

'Send them away? How dare you?'

'I must speak with you alone, on a vital matter. I have been sent here on the orders of the acting governor of Crete.'

'Acting governor? Has that fool Hirtius been replaced?'

'Hirtius is dead, along with the majority of the senior officials of the province.'

'Dead?' The legate pushed the masseur away and rolled round to sit on the bench facing Cato.' How? '

'There was an earthquake on the island. He was entertaining his officials and local dignitaries when it struck. Much of the palace collapsed, burying Hirtius and his guests.'

'Earthquake?' The legate raised his eyebrows. 'There have been rumours in the city about Crete being destroyed by a giant wave.'

'The island's still there. But there was a wave, and between it and the earthquake nearly every city and town has been reduced to ruins.'

'So who's in charge now?'

'Senator Lucius Sempronius. We were travelling together when the wave struck. The ship was forced to head for the nearest port, and that's when we learned that the disaster had struck the island. He took charge of the situation.'

'Sempronius?' the legate mused.' I knew him once. A fine officer.

So he's taken charge in Crete? Well, good for him. But forgive me, how can I be certain that you speak the truth? You've just washed up from the sea with some fanciful tale of disaster. Why should I believe you?'

Cato took the ring from the leather tube around his neck and handed it to Petronius. 'There, recognise the crest?'

Petronius held it up and examined the design, a wolf's head over crossed forks of lightning. He nodded. 'It belongs to Sempronius. All right then, why has he sent you here?'

Cato looked meaningfully at the other guests, all of whom had been listening to the preceding conversation in avid silence. 'Sir, I really must insist on speaking to you alone.'

'Alone, eh?' Petronius stared at Cato for a moment before he clapped his hands.' Out! Leave us! At once.'

His officers and other guests hurriedly climbed out of the pool and, picking up their robes from the benches and seats that surrounded it, made off towards the far corner of the garden, where a terrace overlooked the harbour. Once the last of them was out of earshot, the legate waved the optio away. 'Stand over there, at the end of the pool. If I call for you, come ru

'Yes, sir.' The optio saluted and strode away.

Cato could not help a small smile at the legate's precaution.

'I had no idea that being the Legate of Egypt was such a dangerous job.'

'A man in my position must always be cautious,' Petronius sighed.

'Egypt is an imperial province. The legate is appointed by the emperor in person. Therefore he is always the target of envious senators, and at the same time he is in grave danger of disappointing the emperor, and you know how that ends.'

'Indeed.'

'So,' Petronius took his linen tunic from the end of the massage couch and pulled it over his head, 'what does Senator Sempronius want of me? Emergency supplies, some engineers to help with the clear-up?'

'Those would be welcome, sir, but the situation is rather more serious than that. There is a full-scale slave rebellion in Crete. For the moment it is confined to the southern half of the island, but we've lost control of things. The slaves have wiped out the force sent to deal with them, and the remaining soldiers and officials are bottled up in a handful of cities and towns.'

'Sounds bad.' Petronius stroked his chin and looked at Cato shrewdly. 'I imagine you are about to ask me for some men to help put these rebels down.'

Cato nodded. The time to deploy his persuasive skills was on him, yet his body was still coping with the giddy effect of so many days at sea and his mind was dull with fatigue. He opened the top of the leather tube and extracted the second scroll from inside. 'This is from the governor.'

He handed the letter to Petronius, who broke the seal and opened it. Before he began to read he glanced at Cato. 'I expect you could use a drink? Something to eat?'

'Yes, sir.'

Petronius indicated the tables vacated by his officers. Several platters of fruit and delicacies lay half eaten, together with silver jugs of wine. 'Sit over there and help yourself while I read this.'

'Thank you.' Cato walked over and helped himself to some grapes and oranges, relishing the taste after days of chewing dried fish and hard baked bread. He sat down on a cushioned stool and poured himself a cup of the watered wine, sipping it as Petronius read through the brief report on the situation in Crete. At length the legate rolled the papyrus up and strode over to join Cato, sitting down opposite him and pouring a cup of wine for himself.

'I always find that a massage leaves me feeling thirsty.' He smiled.

'In fact almost anything one does in Egypt makes a person thirsty. At least the climate is bearable here in Alexandria. But further down the Nile it gets unbearably hot, and almost nothing lives in the deserts on either side. You have it good in Crete.' He stopped and tapped the scroll. 'At least you did.'

'Can't say I've been there long enough to notice,' Cato replied.

'It was our bad luck to be sailing past the island when the earthquake struck.'

'Unlucky for you maybe. Lucky for Crete that such high-ranking officials just happened to be on the scene to take charge.'

'I suppose,' Cato said carefully So far the legate had not questioned his rank, and it was necessary to convince him to come to Sempronius's aid before his mind was clouded over the questionable status of Cato's elevation to the rank of tribune.

'Sempronius mentions the need for military support but does not say how many men he requires. Do you know what he has in mind?'

'Yes, sir.' Cato took a deep breath. The senator and his two senior officers had carefully considered the forces required to guarantee victory over the rebels.' One legion, two cohorts of auxiliary infantry and two cohorts of cavalry, as well as a squadron of warships to provide transport and support any coastal operations.'

Petronius stared at him, then laughed. 'You can't be serious.

That's nearly half the garrison of this province. We're thinly stretched as it is.'

'But you're not engaged in any campaigns at the moment?'

'No,' Petronius admitted.

'And are there any uprisings to contain?'

'No. But that's because I have enough men to keep the locals in their place, and the desert Arabs at bay'

'I understand that, sir, but Sempronius will only need the use of your forces while he puts down the slave revolt. As soon as Ajax — '

'Ajax?'

'The leader of the slaves, sir. A gladiator. As soon as he is crushed, the forces can return to Egypt at once. The governor gives his word on that.'

'That's reassuring.' Petronius took an exasperated breath.' Look here, Tribune, I'm happy to do what I can to help out in another province, but what Sempronius asks is impossible. I have two legions here. The Twenty-Second is down at Heliopolis. The Third Cyrenaica is dispersed along the coast, and my auxiliaries are garrisoning towns across the delta. It would take some days, months even, before I could concentrate such an army as Sempronius requires. By then your revolt will probably have fizzled out.'