“Pilus Prior!” Saloninus interruptedme, his agitation clear, “You can’t expect me not to tellGermanicus why we’re returning without you! How am I supposed to dothat? Lie to him?”
Despite my irritation that he usedGermanicus’ name, although it did not really matter, I alsoimmediately knew he was right, and I had to stop myself fromuttering a curse aloud.
I thought for a moment, then as much as Ihated it, I admitted, “You’re right, Saloninus. But,” I shook myhead since I could not use my hands to emphasize my order, “tellhim that I’m making my own arrangements to secure my release, andthat I swear on Jupiter’s stone that I’ll return to Ubiorum asquickly as I can. Now,” I took a breath, “do you understand yourorders, Pilus Posterior Saloninus?”
Like the good Centurion of Rome that he is,he responded immediately, “I understand, and will obey, Pilus PriorPullus.” Then, in a quieter voice that was infinitely moremeaningful, he said, “I swear on the standard that I’ll get ourboys back home, Gnaeus. They’ll be able to spend the winter withtheir families.”
“I know you will,” was all I couldthink to say, because I could not have managed more than a few morewords.
“Now that you have concluded yourbusiness,” Ivomagus spoke up for the first time, and I could hearthat he was still angry, “we will be taking the Centurion with usand allow you to make your preparations to depart.” He indicatedme, “As your Centurion said, you do not have much time.”
With that, he reached out and grabbed thereins of my horse that had been allowed to trail, turning mymount’s head.
“Remember what I said!” I called out,meaning this for Alex.
“I will! And I’ll be back as soon as Ican!” He had to shout this, but I was just happy to hear that heunderstood.
“Oy! Barbarian!” Saloninus’ voice rangout, with enough iron in it that our party, which was now abouttwenty paces away, pulled up, and we all turned back to see himpointing, not at me but at Cogidubnus, although he addressedIvomagus, “Tell your cunnusof a brother that if any of you misbegotten sons of whores doanything to Pilus Prior Pullus, I’ll be back. And,” he shouted,“I’ll be bringing the rest of Rome with me, becauseRome never forgets and Rome never forgives!Remember Carthage!”
This last was delivered with the kind ofbellowing shout that we use in battle, but all Saloninus did wasspeak the truth, one that has been delivered across the knownworld, and even in the torchlight, I could see Ivomagus’ face gopale. And, for the first time, I had a broad smile on my face.
The way I knew my men had departed was whenIvomagus showed up in the same makeshift room where I had beenheld, and while he had two warriors with him, neither were Berdic.Somewhat surprisingly to me, he was the one who actually slicedthrough my bonds, although he was speaking as he did so.
“I assume that you are intelligentenough to know not to do anything foolish, Centurion. And,” I didnotice how he almost hopped backward immediately after he severedthe last piece of the leather thong that had been used to restrainme, “as long as you behave honorably, you will be treated withhonor. You will, however,” he added needlessly, “always be underguard.”
“As long as it’s not Berdic, then Igive you my word that I won’t cause any trouble.”
“That is wise, Centurion,” Ivomagusreplied, and I should have noticed how he was moving carefully sothat the two warriors were between us. “Berdic is one of ourgreatest warriors, and I am afraid that you would not fare wellagainst him.”
Oh, he may not have known me that well, buthe knew me well enough, and I just barely managed to restrainmyself from behaving in the very manner he had warned me about,although I did take some satisfaction from the flicker ofdisappointment in his eyes.
Instead, I simply asked, “How is Berdic,Ivomagus? Is he having any trouble breathing?”
I will give him credit; he did not sayanything to this, instead only walking to the opening created byplacing two of the partitions wide enough apart and walking out.When the pair of guards followed him, I realized that he expectedme to follow, so I did so, and we walked out into the open part ofthe hall. There were still remnants from the feast, althoughseveral slaves were busy picking up the scraps and bones thatlittered the floor; I had noticed that the Parisii were indifferentto such niceties as not just dropping the remnants of their mealson the floor. It helped that they also love their hounds, and I hadalso observed that anything edible thrown down did not remain therevery long. Aside from the slaves, the hall was empty of thecelebrants, but my eyes went to the central table, which was stillarranged as it had been the night before. Most importantly, it waswhat was on the table that got my attention, or the attention of mystomach.
Ivomagus indicated the pile of meat and loafof barley bread as he said, “I suspect that you are hungry,Centurion. Please eat, and once you are finished, my brother issending his most experienced healer to attend to the wound on yourhead.”
I was about to point out there were actuallytwo, and of the two, I was most concerned with the gash that hadbeen stitched up by Alex what seemed to be weeks earlier, then Irealized that it would bring up how I suffered that wound. Walkingto the table, I dropped down onto the bench, my hand alreadyreaching for a piece of the roast boar that was cold now but wasstill very good. When a slave came with a pitcher and a wooden cup,I
