The Gladiator by Simon Scarrow Page A

rises I want the Twelfth Hispania to get to work.’
    There was another knock at the door. ‘Come!’ The door opened and an auxiliary entered the room and saluted.
    ‘Patrol’s returning from the bay, sir.’ ‘Have they got the crew and passengers with them?’ ‘Yes, sir.’ ‘Good. Soon as they are through the gates, have the men sent to the barracks. Spread them around. Once they’re there, you can tell ‘em they have just been inducted into the cohort and normal military discipline applies. Better explain what that means to them, eh?’
    The auxiliary grinned. Yes, sir.’ ‘Have the women and children brought to the basilica. They can kip down in the admin hall. Then ask the senator’s daughter if she would be kind enough to join me.’
    ‘Yes, sir.’The auxiliary saluted and left the room.
    Centurion Portillus raised an eyebrow. ‘Sempronius’s daughter? She’s landed herself right in the middle of it. I doubt that the kid of a purple-striper is going to like the accommodation.’
    Macro thought back to the desperate time when he had first encountered Julia during the siege of the citadel in Palmyra. She had taken her chances along with the rest of the defenders and had required no more than the meagre rations provided to the others, while devoting herself to the care of the wounded and the dying.
    Julia was no whining member of the pampered aristocracy. She had proved her worth.
    ‘She’ll cope,’ Macro replied. ‘She’s no kid. Julia Sempronia is tough enough. Besides, she has no choice.’
    Portillus puffed out his cheeks. ‘I’d sooner you tell her that than me, sir. Perhaps I’d better be offthen. Duties to attend to and all that.’ ‘Yes, get on with it,’ Macro responded gruffly. ‘Bear in mind what I said. There’ll be no slacking in this cohort from now on, and that applies to officers as much as the men.’ ‘I understand, sir.’ Portillus bowed his head and hurried from the room. For a moment Macro was alone, and he looked at his cup of wine for an instant before greedily raising it to his lips and draining it.
    ‘Ahhh! Needed that.’ He wiped a dribble of wine from his chin and eased himself back in the chair with a gratified smile. His entire body ached with the exertions of the previous day and night, and his eyes were sore. He closed them for a moment, relishing the soothing comfort of a brief instant of relaxation. The wine still tingled in his throat and felt warm in his stomach as he folded his fingers across his belly.
    ‘Just rest a moment,’ he told himself drowsily. ‘Just a moment . . .’ ‘Am I disturbing you?’ ‘W-w-what?’ Macro struggled up in the seat and blinked his eyes open. Julia was standing in the threshold of the office grinning at him.
    ‘It’s just that you were snoring so loudly’
    ‘Snoring?’ Macro shook his head guiltily. ‘Bollocks. I was just mumbling to myself.’
    ‘With your eyes closed.’
    Macro frowned at her. ‘I can do two things at once, you know, miss.’
    ‘I’m sorry, Macro. I meant no offence. You must be exhausted after all that we’ve been through. As are we all.’
    ‘Where are my bloody manners?’ Macro muttered to himself as he jumped to his feet and hurried to pull a spare chair over towards the table. He patted the seat. ‘There you are, Miss Julia. Sit you down.’ ‘Thank you.’ She let out a deep sigh. ‘So, then, where is my father and Cato?’ ‘Gone, miss.’ ‘Gone?’ ‘To Gortyna. Soon as we got here we heard that the governor, his staff and senior officers were caught up in the earthquake. Killed most of ‘em outright. Your father said he had to take charge ofthings at once. He and Cato took two of the horses from the stables and left as soon as they could.’
    ‘Typical,’Julia said with a trace ofbitterness. ‘No last word for me, then?’
    ‘Er, not as such, no.’ ‘And Cato?’ ‘Oh, he said to be sure to send you his love and that I was to take care of you until he got