However, when I mentioned this, Motius didnot agree. “They were not looking at the ship, Centurion. While itis true the Britons do not possess ships of this size, they haveseen more of them than they can count. They were examining your menstanding watch.”
When explained, it made perfect sense, so Iaccepted this with a nod. Now, in the tent, I thought I wasbeginning to get an idea of where Alex’s mind was heading.
“Are you thinking of using the boys assome sort of diversion?”
“Yes,” Alex replied immediately, andnow that we were of the same mind, I mulled the best way toaccomplish that.
“We only passed one Brigantes town ofa decent size when we came upriver, isn’t that right?”
“That’s what we were told,” Saloninuspointed out. “All we could see was a dock and some boats tied up toit, and the mud track that the Parisii told us led to thetown.”
This was true; Ivomagus had informed us thatwhat, to our eyes, looked like nothing more than a convenient spoton the river to moor the boats used by the Brigantes, mostly forfishing, although I had noticed a number of flat-bottomed, widebarges that actually served a town that was a bit more than a mileaway from the riverbank, hidden from our view by a stand of trees.As I recalled, it was roughly halfway between the first Parisiivillage and Petuar, but while what Saloninus said was true, I couldnot see any reason for Ivomagus to lie about it.
Consequently, to Saloninus, I replied,“That’s true, but there was nothing in it for Ivomagus to lie aboutit being there. And,” I took a deep breath, “it’s all we’ve got touse.”
“Use for what?” Columella asked, and Isaw that he was suddenly and truly alarmed. “You’re not thinking ofattacking that town, are you, Pilus Prior?”
“Of course not,” I snapped, irritatedthat he would think I would be that reckless. “But,” I went on,“the Brigantes won’t know we have no intention of doing anything,will they?”
This settled the Optio down a bit, and Itook it as tacit acceptance when he asked, “What did you have inmind?”
With Alex’s help, I outlined what wouldbecome the bare bones of our plan, yet what became apparent wasthat, while deceiving the Brigantes and focusing their attentionaway from Petuar and any activity there was of paramountimportance, the fact that we would have to deceive the Parisii wassecond only by a matter of degree. In terms of execution, the mostcrucial aspect was time; we had to move before the Parisii kingreturned from his hunting trip. Determining that return was mytask, and it was Alex who came up with an idea that would turn outto be crucial, not for the success of our mission, but in handlingthe Parisii and the inevitable backlash that would be coming.
I found Ivomagus where I expected himto be, down on the dock watching as Acisculus and the men he hadselected to help were beginning the work of constructing the crane.That he was there worked out even better, because there wassomething I needed to tell my Immune, but first, I approached Ivomagus. He sawme coming and turned to greet me; I cannot say we had become overlyfriendly, but I sensed there was a mutual respect between us.Which, if all went according to plan, would bedestroyed.
Nodding to me, he said, “Centurion, Icompliment your men again. They are very organized and work verywell together.”
Now that I had resumed carryingmy vitus, I raised it andsaid with a smile, “That’s because they don’t want to feel thisacross their backs, Ivomagus.”
His expression changed suddenly, and for aninstant, I thought my mention of our method of punishment evokedmemories of his time on the bench of our ship, but that was notwhat he had in mind.
“That is not the reason, Centurion,”he spoke quietly enough that I got the impression he did not wantthe working party to hear. “I have seen your men enough now to knowthat the reason these men work so hard is because of you. You arelike my brother.” There was what I heard as a note of bitternessthere. “Our warriors follow him because they want to follow him, not because he is theirKing. Oh,” Ivomagus carelessly indicated the vitus in my hand, “that certainly plays a role,but I have been around men enough to see those who are obeyingsimply because they are expected to and those who do so becausethey completely trust their leader.”
It was quite a compliment, and I confessthat, if I had not had other things on my mind, I would haveappreciated it more, and hoped that my father, grandfather, andgreat-grandfather were somehow watching from the afterlife.
However, Ivomagus had provided the opening Ineeded, and I asked with a casualness I hoped did not sound forced,“Speaking of Cogidubnus, when is he expected back?”
Judging by his reaction, Ivomagus foundnothing suspicious in my question, yet his answer froze myblood.
“Probably tomorrow,” he answered, hisattention shifting back to where Acisculus and his men were in theprocess of binding the beams that would serve as the legs of thecrane, which was a good thing because I am certain my expressionwould have betrayed me.
Now that I had learned what I needed, as badas it was, I needed to move to the next task I had to complete todo what we planned, so I excused myself and walked over toAcisculus. I placed myself so that my back was turned to Ivomagus,but to distract him, I pointed at where two of the men were busylaying out the pieces that would be used next. As quietly as Icould, I explained that we were going to be moving much morequickly, and he was clearly shaken
