Gladiator: Son of Spartacus by Simon Scarrow Page B

before I am permitted to begin any campaigns in Gaul. It’s not going to be easy. I had a taste of what we’re up against on the road from Rome. We were ambushed in the mountains and lucky to escape with our skins. I lost one of my men, another was wounded, and my scribe was killed as well.’ He paused and turned to Marcus. ‘You know how to read and write?’
    Marcus had received a sound basic education and nodded. ‘Well enough, sir.’
    ‘Then you will take Lupus’s place for now. You can do that alongside being a member of the bodyguard, and my expert on gladiators.’
    ‘Yes, sir,’ Marcus replied with a flush of pride.
    ‘Good.’ Caesar patted him. ‘Then see to it that you find what you need for the job from the headquarters staff. If anyone questions you, say that you are acting on my orders.’
    ‘What are your plans for Brixus?’ Labienus asked.
    ‘I’ll take the best soldiers you have. You’ll remain in command here with the rest of the men, preparing the recruits for Gaul. I’ll divide my force in two. The commander of the Ninth legion, Balbus, will march his men south to Corfinium, and then work his way north, clearing out each valley as he advances. I’ll start from the other end of the Apennines and work towards him. We’ll roll them up and crush them between us. I expect it will not take much more than a month.’
    ‘I see,’ Labienus mused. ‘When do you intend to begin?’
    ‘In two days’ time. I want the two columns equipped and provisioned for a month. They’ll need to march quickly when we enter the mountains so I can’t afford any heavy baggage. Just enough to feed them for a few days at a time. The rest of the supplies will have to be stockpiled in the towns running down the edge of the mountains. You’ll need to see to that.’
    ‘Two days?’ Labienus puffed his cheeks. ‘Yes, it can be done.’
    ‘Can be done?’ Caesar frowned. ‘Labienus, it will be done.’
    ‘Yes, sir.’
    ‘Then you can give the necessary orders at once. Oh, one more thing. You have a new tribune serving in the Ninth by the name of Quintus Pompeius, the nephew of Pompeius.’
    ‘That’s right.’
    ‘I take it he’s billeted in the town?’
    Labienus nodded. ‘He’s taken over a slave trader’s house for himself and a rather pretty young wife he’s just married. A very nice little filly.’
    Marcus felt his anger rise at this disrespectful reference to Portia.
    ‘The little filly is my niece,’ Caesar said sharply. ‘Very well, my men and I shall stay with her. Once you’ve given the orders I want a full report sent to me in Ariminum. I need to know the names of my officers and the strength of the units chosen for the job. Also, I’m expecting a man to arrive here in a few days’ time. The lanista of the school Brixus ran away from. Clodius is searching for him now. He’ll send the man here as soon as he is found.’
    ‘Yes, Caesar. I’ll send him to you the moment he arrives.’
    ‘Good, then that concludes our business.’ Caesar stood up, followed by Festus and Marcus. ‘Now let’s find a decent bathhouse in the town and get ourselves cleaned up before we descend on Portia and her husband.’

9
    ‘Uncle Cams!’ Portia beamed as she saw him enter the atrium. She flew across the tiled floor and hugged him tightly as Caesar laughed. Caesar was wearing a tunic borrowed from one of Ariminum’s magistrates, and a slave had cleaned his boots while he and the others had been through the town’s largest bathhouse. The steam, massage, scrape and cold plunge had left Marcus feeling clean and refreshed, and he and Festus were wearing the spare tunics from their saddlebags.
    ‘Easy there! You’ll crush my ribs.’
    Marcus and Festus stood at the threshold looking on, and Marcus felt a pang of envy that he was denied a family. Until he had tracked down his mother and set her free, there would be none of the simple pleasures of such a homely scene.
    Caesar took her shoulders and