legions will simply camp outside Rome and starve the fools until they come out weakened. Then, of course, their backs’ll be against the wall.’
‘Macro’s right. Caligula will want them out and on the battleground of his choosing. As I say, he’s not stupid.’
‘So… how are you planning to get those two legions to suddenly believe the Praetorians are planning to turn on Caligula?’ asked Maddy.
Cato sat back and let Crassus answer that.
‘General Lepidus commands those two legions,’ the old man replied. ‘He’s a career-minded general. He very nearly joined us. Came here to my home on several occasions. He’s no friend of Caligula, but he’s certainly not an idealist. He’ll sit tight because his men are well paid, and so is he. But I have been working on him quietly, discreetly.’
‘And he’s prepared to help?’
Crassus laughed. ‘No, of course not. The man is a coward. He became nervous and excused himself from our plans.’
‘Isn’t that dangerous?’ asked Liam. ‘What if he told Caligula about you?’
‘He won’t. He’s already implicated. I’ve been doing my best to make the fat oaf look as guilty as possible of conspiring against Caligula. Bribes and gifts in certain places, correspondence in his name. A whispered word or two in Caligula’s ear and he’ll want Lepidus’s head on a spike alongside mine.’
‘The trick is,’ said Cato, ‘to let Lepidus know that someone is about to whisper of his treachery to Caligula. Lepidus knows that with Caligula there is no right of reply. He won’t get a chance to try and prove his innocence. The only thing he’ll be able to do is act quickly; either run for his life or make a pre-emptive move on Caligula.’
‘But I thought you said his men would fight to defend the emperor?’ said Liam.
‘The men of a legion will always follow their general, up to a point that is. So, yes… he will convince them that they’re marching on Rome to protect their emperor, not usurp him.’
‘And how will he do that?’
Cato shrugged. ‘The regular legions are always suspicious of the Praetorian Guard. Atellus, the officer you met the other day?’
Liam and Maddy nodded.
‘He is one of Lepidus’s tribunes. He’ll feed Lepidus enough hearsay and rumour that even that idiot general can convince his men the Praetorians are up to no good. If those soldiers suspect for one moment their generous benefactor, Caligula, might be replaced with another emperor less generous,’ Cato grinned, ‘they’ll be on their feet and marching towards Rome.’
Maddy and Liam looked at each other and grinned. ‘That’s clever,’ said Liam.
‘While Atellus is pouring suspicion into Lepidus’s ear, I will be doing the same with Caligula,’ added Cato.
‘What?’ Maddy sat upright. ‘You meet with him?’
‘I’m the tribune in charge of the Palace Cohort. Of course I do. Almost every day. I believe… he is beginning to trust me. Perhaps even likes me. Sometimes we talk and I’m as close to him as I am to you right now. I could try and have a go at him, but his Stone Men are fast.’
‘You wouldn’t stand a chance,’ said Macro.
‘Caligula does listen to me. He doesn’t listen to the praefectus, but I know he trusts my advice. Perhaps if I can persuade Caligula to send some of his Stone Men into battle and get your Bob within the palace itself… it’s possible he could overcome any of them left behind.’
‘And us as well?’ said Liam. ‘Could you get us inside too?’
‘Perhaps.’
‘Bob…?’ Maddy said in English. She patted the mound of one knee. ‘You up for it?’
He replied in English, Cato, Crassus and Macro looking on in silence as they talked.
‘The description we have of these Stone Men suggests they are third-generation military recon units. Designed to have normal physiques and pass more easily as human beings. As a full muscle-chassis combat unit, I am approximately fifty-five per cent stronger. This gives me a tactical advantage.’
‘And you did sort out that other unit that came through the portal,’ said Sal. ‘And that was another big one, just like you.’
‘But it was missing feet and a hand,’ replied Bob. ‘This also gave me an advantage.’
‘But do you think you can take them down?’ said Maddy. ‘More than one?’
‘Individually, yes. More than one at a time, this would be difficult.’
She sucked air through her teeth. ‘We’re rolling our dice on a pretty steep bet. We’re helping these guys with their coup and there’s no guarantee we get anything out of this. There may be nothing in the palace. No tech, no displacement unit, nothing.’
‘In which case that leaves us stuck here,’ said Sal.
‘Right,’ said Liam.
Maddy nodded. ‘Right.’
‘And without Bob… if those Stone Men kill him,’ added Sal.
They looked at each other. A decision unresolved hung in the space between them.
‘Actually, if computer-Bob doesn’t activate that six-month window, his head chip’s going to end up as helmet-spaghetti anyway,’ said Maddy. ‘He’ll be a dribbling vegetable.’
The three Roman men were looking at them expectantly.
‘Even if we end up successfully killing Caligula,’ said Maddy, ‘we might also not find anything in the palace that can get us back home.’
‘Well, the way I see it is this: if we are goin’ to be stuck here for good… I’d not want to live here with this Caligula fella still in charge.’
‘There is that.’ Maddy nodded slowly. ‘If this is it for us, if this time we really can’t put things right and we’re stuck here for good… I think I’d rather Caligula wasn’t around.’ She turned to Bob. ‘How does that fit with your mission priorities?’
His deep voice rumbled. ‘This is an already contaminated timeline. If we cannot correct it, the mission has failed whatever course of action you choose to take.’
‘Bit of a downer there, Bob,’ said Maddy, ‘but you’re quite right.’ She consciously switched back to listening to the translator burbling quietly in her ear.
‘OK, count us in.’
CHAPTER 48
AD 54, Imperial Palace, Rome
Caligula felt a tremble of excitement course through his body. This place, this large chamber was once a temple to Neptune. Now it was a temple to… himself; more than that, an act of homage to his approaching destiny. Its large marble and tiled walls echoed his light footsteps as he walked among the artefacts inside. With those large heavy doors closed, the daylight outside was entirely gone, the only illumination the flickering flame of the golden oil lamp he held in his hand.
Objects that the Visitors left behind. He crouched down and picked through the strange-looking things.
‘Incredible.’ His voice echoed round the chamber. Such curious possessions they had brought with them. He never tired of looking at them.
There was a shuffling coming from the wooden cage in the middle of the chamber.
‘But you see… that is something I find so fascinating. These devices of yours…’ He picked up an empty hydro-cell. The smooth metal glinted in the gloom; a residue of liquid sloshed around inside its casing. ‘I always believed gods needed nothing. That a mere wish, a desire, was all that was required for a thing to happen. And yet you and your friends brought with you all these odd contraptions. Objects you needed.’
A mewling whimper came from the cage.
He tilted the hydrogen fuel cell, listening to the liquid inside. ‘Objects that stopped working for you
