Macrinus and Flaminius looked at each other,then at me, and under other circumstances, I would have found theway both of their mouths were hanging open humorous.
"His role?" Flaminius shook his head. "Whatrole? You were just like us! Following orders!"
Somehow, I found my voice.
"Apparently, Augustus doesn't see it thatway." Even to me, my voice was so hoarse it was almostunrecognizable.
"This is not just!" Diocles burstout, and it comforted me somewhat to see him angrier than I hadever witnessed before, even when Eumenes had been poisoned.
"What can we do?" Macrinus askedquietly.
While I appreciated the sentiment, at themoment, there was nothing I could think of, so I shook my head.
"I appreciate it, Macrinus, but I don'tthink there's much you can do. Or me, for that matter."
"There has to be something," Dioclesinsisted, and I was deeply touched by his passion.
"You've done absolutely nothing wrong! Youwere ordered to participate in this campaign! As was everyone elsein the army! If Augustus is going to claim you committed a crimefor following orders, then he better put every man in the8th and 13th up as well!"
Finished with his outburst, Diocles suddenlyseemed to lose energy, slumping back onto his stool, head bowed ashe stared at the ground.
"It's not just," he repeated, and I realizedI had to say something that would at least quell my servant andfriend's tongue.
Macrinus and Flaminius I did not worry aboutas much; they had been playing this game for some time by thispoint, and I did not expect them say or do anything that would putthemselves in jeopardy. Diocles was another story altogether, and Ifound myself in the unusual position of walking over to place ahand on his shoulder in an attempt to comfort him.
"It's still a long way off," I said, as muchto myself as to him. "And that gives us time to think ofsomething."
Diocles looked up at me, and his eyessearched my face, I suppose to try and determine if I was sincereand believed what I was telling him. All I can say is that this wasmore of a desperate hope than a strong belief, but at that moment,it was all I had. With nothing more to be said, the two Primi Pilistood.
"We need to go pass the orders that we'regoing to be marching back home," Macrinus said, and I could easilysee he was not looking forward to it.
Before he left, I beckoned to Macrinus.
"As soon as you can, will you send Porcinusto me?" I asked him quietly.
"Of course," he said immediately, but hehesitated for a moment as Flaminius exited.
Macrinus looked down at the scroll, stillclutched in my hand, seemingly searching for the right words.
"Go ahead, Macrinus. Say what's on yourmind," I told him.
"It's just that...I was thinking aboutPorcinus," he blurted out. "He's not going to take this well."
"No, I don't imagine he will," I had toagree. "But I'll be the one to tell him."
"Then, will you be sure and warn him not tosay anything...foolish?" he asked me, and I cannot describe howtouched I was by his concern for my nephew. However, it diddemonstrate to me exactly how valued Gaius was by his Primus Pilus,which was something I found extremely touching and telling, and Iassured him that I would.
Macrinus nodded his acceptance, then madehis own exit. Without hesitating or even thinking about it, Ireached for a cup, picked up the amphora of wine, and broke my vow,pouring myself a full one. I realized I was going to need Bacchus'help for any chance at peace this night. I was well into my secondcup when Gaius appeared. He had lost the bandage around his head,but the patch of hair that the medici had shaved away sothey could stitch the gash caused by the horse's hoof that hadstruck him down still had not grown back, and although the stitcheshad been removed, the scar was still an angry pink. In truth, itwas somewhat comical-looking, but Gaius was in no mood to beteased.
"Macrinus said you had something importantto tell me, but he wouldn't say what it was." His eyes bored intomine as if he could divine the answer from deep in my soul.
I found it extremely difficult to form thewords, and I am afraid I tormented my poor nephew by fits andstarts, until I swallowed the lump down in my throat and forced thenews through my teeth. When I was done, he sat back with anexpression that I am sure was very close to the one on my own whenI first read the scroll. It was stunned disbelief, mixed with afair amount of fear.
"How can this be? This isn't right," hefinally managed, echoing Diocles in spirit if not in the exactwords.
"No." Even to me, I sounded as weary as Ifelt. "It's not. But it is."
Gaius was silent for a bit, then looked upat me with the same question written on his face that I had seen onDiocles, Macrinus, and Flaminius.
"I don't know right now, but as I toldDiocles, I still have to get the army to Siscia first. That givesus some time," I answered before he could utter the question.
"How long a march is it going to be?" Gaiusasked, and I sat for a moment, considering what I knew of theterrain between Serdica and Siscia.
We would be going back in the most directfashion, more or less heading on a westerly course that veeredslightly north, but if we took that route, there was one potentialtrouble spot along the way. Serdica is three day's march southeastfrom Naissus, and it had been almost six years since we hadassaulted the city with Marcus Crassus. While that was enough timefor repairs to be made on the walls and the buildings that had beendamaged or destroyed in our assault, it was still recent enoughthat I suspected the townspeople would not have forgotten the sonsand husbands they had lost, and the women that had been raped. Onthe other hand, the bulk of the population had been taken asslaves, leaving perhaps
