The Legion

'Very well.' Ajax nodded and followed his companion down the stairs. Once they had descended the first three flights, he spoke softly. 'What's happened?'

Karim glanced back over his shoulder. 'It's our man, General. He's here in the temple.'

'Canthus?' Ajax was surprised. He could not think why the spy had taken such a risk to enter the temple, and stifled a surge of anger. The spy had provided useful information about the Roman army and its senior officers, passed on to Prince Talmis's scouts waiting outside Diospolis Magna. His identity had to be kept safe. Whatever the spy's reason for crossing the lines, it had better be good.

Karim nodded. 'Came over the northern barricade. He said he must speak with you.'

'Where is he?'

'I took him to one of the offering rooms, to keep him out of sight.'

'Good.' Ajax approved. Even if the temple fell, Canthus might yet provide some advantage to Prince Talmis, if his identity remained a secret.

They crossed the courtyard and entered the colo

A dark shape appeared in the doorway of the offering chamber to the left of the shrine.

'General?' a voice whispered.

'Canthus.' Ajax approached him, his expression hard. 'What are you doing here?'

'General, you have to get out of this trap while there is still the chance. If you stay here, you will die.'

'If that is what the gods will then I will show those Romans how a real man dies, with dignity and honour.'

There was a brief silence before Karim spoke. 'They will not allow that. They will kill you only once you are a broken man, when you can be disposed of in the most humiliating ma

Ajax knew it was the truth and he nodded wearily. 'Then I must not be taken alive. I shall die here, if not by a Roman sword, then by my own hand, or by yours, my friend.'

'No,' Karim interrupted. 'While there is a chance of you continuing our fight against Rome, you must live. With Ajax at large, no Roman can sleep easily. That is what matters. That is all that can give hope to those who are still in chains, General. You must live. You must escape.'

'He's right,' said Canthus. 'And I'm the only one who can get you out through the Roman lines. There is a way, and if we are challenged they will recognise me.'

'Escape?' Ajax shook his head. 'You would have me shame myself.'

'There is more at stake than your pride,' Karim insisted. 'Sometimes a man becomes more than himself. He becomes an inspiration. His name is a weapon in the hearts of those who follow him, and a threat to his enemies.'

'This is true even if he dies,' Ajax countered.

'If you die, then all that you might still achieve, all your name might yet stand for, is lost.'

Ajax lowered his head and thought for a moment. Earlier that evening he had set his mind to meeting his death here in this obscure temple on the fringe of trackless wasteland. He was tired of ru

There was still an hour or so before first light when the small party of men flitted across the gap between the temple and the curtain wall. On the far side of the temple they could hear the uproar as Hepithus led a strong force of the defenders in an attack on the Romans guarding the breach and the bolt throwers and their crews beyond. The Nubian had volunteered to remain behind and cover his leader's escape and Ajax silently pledged to honour his companion's memory with the lives of ten Romans as swiftly as possible.

The ropes that Canthus had used to scale the wall were still in place and one by one the handful of gladiators and the best of the Arab warriors that Ajax had chosen to come with them climbed carefully up the mud-brick wall, keeping flat as they heaved themselves over the top of the wall and then quietly descended to the ground outside. As the last man dropped into the shadows, Ajax tugged the sleeve of Canthus's Roman tunic.

'What now?'

'There's a dry irrigation ditch in that field.' Canthus pointed to a vaguely delineated area of wheat a short distance from the wall. 'You follow me and stay as low as you can. There are two Roman outposts about a hundred paces either side of the ditch. Once we get past them then the ditch joins a wider irrigation cha

'You're not coming?'

Canthus shook his head. 'Provided I get back to the right side of the temple before I'm missed, I should be all right. My cover story's worked well enough up to now. No reason to suppose they'll discover who I really am. I may be of more service to you and our allies for a while yet.' There was a dull gleam as the man gri

'Recognition? Be glad they aren't here.' Ajax smiled back, then punched the spy's shoulder lightly. 'Let's go.'

Canthus led the way as the string of dark figures crouched low to the ground and crept towards the edge of the field. Behind them the sounds of fighting from the far side of the temple began to die away as Hepithus recalled his men and retreated inside the temple. Entering the field, Ajax moved as stealthily as possible to avoid rustling through the stalks of wheat. They moved forward with painful slowness and all the time Ajax feared that dawn would be upon them before they were safely away from the enemy lines. At last Canthus edged down into the empty ditch and they began to make better progress. The sound of voices caused Ajax to stop, but then someone laughed and the conversation dropped into a low unconcerned tone and Ajax moved on. The ditch gradually deepened and then sloped down into a cha

Abruptly, Canthus held up his hand to signal the others to stop. The faint rush of ripples washing into the reeds faded away and then all was quiet, except the faint scrape of a horse's hoof and a brief whi

'This is it,' said the spy.

'All right then.' Ajax drew his sword. 'We'll deal with the sentries. Once they're down, the men can take care of the rest while they sleep. Clear?'

The others nodded and drew their weapons and then Ajax led the way out of the water, up through the screen of reeds. He stopped to look over the ground. The horse line was away to the right, the animals tethered to a rope tied between two palms. Two of the sentries were talking together beside the mounts while the dark shapes of their comrades were scattered a short distance away. Some of the men were snoring. Beyond them a solitary figure strolled slowly up and down. Ajax indicated him.