The Siege by Nick Brown Page B

you?’
    ‘Later. How big is this breach?’
    ‘Eight feet across, about the same in height.’
    ‘Why wasn’t it dealt with?’
    ‘It happened after all the locals had left. The clay they use here is unusual and, well, I suppose we just never got round to it.’
    ‘You mean to tell me there’s no one here who can repair a wall?’
    ‘No one volunteered their help. Needless to say I’ve had other things to attend to.’
    ‘There’ll be someone,’ interjected Strabo. ‘I’ll ask around.’
    ‘Do so. Right then, the walls.’
    At a nod from Cassius, Simo made his first note.
    ‘Two – water and food,’ continued Barates. ‘Although this lot have done their best to get through the contents of the granary, I should say at least three-quarters remains. There’s grain, pork, fish, plenty to see us through. Water too – the spring under here must be huge. Even in this season, the well still gives us all we want and what comes up is remarkably pure in taste and colour.’
    ‘Enough for drinking,’ said Cassius. ‘But we’ll need a good deal more if attacked.’
    He had received basic instruction on the art of the siege and knew it was likely the Palmyrans would try to fire the buildings before mounting an assault.
    ‘There’ll be enough,’ answered Barates. ‘We have barrels sitting empty in the granary. I’ll have a detail fill as many as they can.’
    ‘Right,’ said Cassius as Simo made another note. ‘What’s next?’
    ‘Three – weapons and equipment,’ said Barates.
    ‘We’ll have a good idea about that after muster, won’t we?’ Cassius said.
    ‘True, as far as personal arms go. There are also perhaps fifty or sixty of the light javelins. They might prove useful.’
    ‘Perhaps if we had five or six hundred,’ replied Strabo. ‘I could chuck fifty myself in the time it takes you to cross the square. Anyway, a lot of good they’ll do us against oven men.’
    ‘Oven men?’ Cassius asked.
    ‘Palmyran cavalry,’ said Strabo, leaning forward and thumping his elbows theatrically down on the table.
    ‘They cover themselves and their mounts in a coat of iron. Workmanship you wouldn’t believe: joints that move with their limbs, metal hardy enough to deflect any sword, their only vulnerable point a tiny opening for each eye. I spoke with a man who saw them hit the Persian flank at Callinicum. He watched one of their lances go clean through a horse – in one side and out the other.’
    Strabo illustrated the blow with a jab of his finger and leaned back, still holding Cassius’ gaze.
    ‘Wonderful horsemen. Worth twenty infantry each at least. The only time they lose is when they faint from the heat.’
    ‘But surely cavalry are ill-suited to a siege,’ said Cassius optimistically.
    ‘Has happened. To punch a hole at a weak point. And you’ve seen our gate.’
    ‘Which should be our next area of attention,’ said Barates. ‘It needs reinforcing.’
    ‘And the gatehouse?’ queried Cassius.
    ‘If the enemy bring artillery they’ll knock it down in half an hour,’ said Strabo.
    ‘Siege warfare is not their speciality as well you know,’ replied Barates. ‘They prefer to move quickly and there’s little suitable material for artillery in these parts. More likely they’ll attack in numbers, try to fire the buildings, use ladders for the walls.’
    Cassius checked that Simo was keeping up. The ink was a tad watery but the Gaul had written concise notes in a large, clear hand.
    ‘Didn’t we have some artillery around somewhere?’ asked the Sicilian, drawing a look of dismay from Barates.
    ‘As well informed as ever, Strabo,’ he answered, taking his own turn at sarcasm. ‘There was a light onager and a pair of scorpions but they went east with the legion. Not that we have a trained crew anyway.’
    ‘Do you have any horses?’ said Cassius.
    Barates shook his head.
    ‘The pair that bolted were our last. Both had broken legs and had to be killed.’
    ‘There are no