The wall walk was wide enough for four men abreast. Ballista took the position on the right, next to the parapet. Maximus fell in beside him, Acilius Glabrio beyond him, Turpio next. Ballista ordered Turpio to the rear. It would be senseless to commit all the senior officers to the front rank. A trooper from Cohors XX, unknown to Ballista, took the place vacated by Turpio. Ballista looked round at the tiny phalanx. It contained just twelve men all told: four wide and three ranks deep. Maximus told one of the troopers in the rear to hand his shield to the Dux. The man reluctantly complied.
'All ready?' Ballista asked. 'Then let us go – quietly: we may yet give them a surprise.'
They set off at a jog along the wall walk. The tower was not above fifty paces away. There was a group of a dozen or so Persians by the open door which led from the wall walk to the interior of the tower. They were looking into the town, pointing and laughing. The Roman phalanx was almost on them before they realized. The Persians may not have been expecting a counterattack, but they stood up to it.
Ballista accelerated over the last few paces into an all-out run. The Sassanid facing him raised his long sword to bring it down on Ballista's head. Ballista ducked down and, with all his momentum behind it, smashed his shield into the man's body. The Sassanid went flying backwards. He crashed into the warrior behind him. Both fell back on to the wall walk. As the first Persian tried to get to his feet, momentarily his left leg was not covered by his shield. Ballista brought his sword down, cutting savagely into the man's knee. The Sassanid howled. All thought of defending himself overcome by the pain, he clutched his shattered kneecap. Ballista drove the point of his sword into the man's crotch. He was of no further account.
The second Sassanid had got to his feet. Ballista jumped at him over the man whimpering on the floor. The Sassanid brought his sword down in a fierce cut. Ballista took it on his shield; splinters flew from it. Quick as a flash, from Ballista's left, Maximus's short sword thrust into the Persian's armpit. The man crumpled and fell against the parapet.
With about half their number down, the Persians turned and fled.
'After them,' bellowed Ballista. 'Do not let them shut the door.'
The Roman soldiers burst into the tower on the heels of the fleeing Sassanids. The pursued hurled themselves down the stairs to find safety in the numbers pouring into the town from the Christian necropolis. Ballista went for the stairs up to the roof. He took them two at a time.
As Ballista emerged on to the fighting platform, he saw two Persians with torches, their backs to him. They were signalling to those outside still ascending the ravine. A backhand cut to the head dealt with the one on Ballista's right. A forehand cut caught the other at the left elbow as he turned. He looked bemused, at the blood fountaining out of the stump of his arm until Ballista drove the point of his sword into his mouth. For a second the blade snagged. Then Ballista pulled it free, fragments of teeth and blood coming away with it.
'Come!' A voice like thunder echoed round the tower. 'And I saw, and behold, a pale horse, and its rider's name was death, and Hades followed him.'
Theodotus was pointing at Ballista. Between the two men was a line of men fighting. Ballista could clearly see the tall Christian priest over the crouched, ducking figures of the combatants. Theodotus's face was shining. He was shouting, his voice carrying over the clash of weapons.
'The sixth angel poured his bowl on the great river Euphrates and its water was dried up, to prepare the way for the kings from the east.'
The words made no sense to Ballista.
'Why, Theodotus? Why betray your townsmen?'
Theodotus laughed, his great bushy beard bobbing. 'The number of the troops of cavalry was twice ten thousand times ten thousand; I heard their number… the riders wore breastplates the colour of fire and of sapphire and of sulphur.'
'You fool,' Ballista yelled. 'They will kill us all. They will not spare the Christians. They will not spare anyone.'
'I saw a beast,' Theodotus continued to rant, 'with ten horns and seven heads, with ten diadems upon its horns and a blasphemous name upon its heads… let him who has understanding reckon the number of the beast, for it is a human number, its number is six hundred and sixty-six.'
'Why?' Ballista roared. 'Why let the Sassanids massacre the people of this town? For pity's sake, man, why?'
Theodotus stopped chanting. He looked keenly at Ballista. 'These Sassanids are reptiles. I do not do it for them. They are no better than you. They are merely God's instrument. I do it for pity – pity for the sins of the people. The Sassanids are the punishment that God has ordained in his infinite mercy for the sins of the people of Arete. Christians and pagans, we are all sinners.'
Outnumbered, the Sassanids on the fighting platform were falling. A trooper broke through their line and made for Theodotus.
'If anyone worships the beast… he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the lamb.'
The trooper swung his sword, catching Theodotus on the leg. The Christian staggered.
'Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord.'
The trooper swung again. Theodotus fell to his hands and knees.
'Salvation…'
The trooper despatched him in drill-book style: one, two, three heavy cuts to the back of the head.
Persian resistance on the fighting platform had ended. Ballista numbered his remaining men: Maximus, Turpio, Acilius Glabrio, two equites singulares, three troopers of Cohors XX; nine men including himself.
'Are there any wounded who cannot run?'
There was a pause. Turpio came forward. 'They have been… dealt with.' Ballista nodded.
'This is what we will do. The Persians are coming up under the wall. They are going straight on into the town. There are no Persians on the wall.' Ballista had no idea if this last were true. He found that he was pacing, crackling with energy. 'We will head east along the wall towards the river. When it is safe we will come down from the wall. We will make our way to the house of Iarhai. There we should find… should gather some more men. We will make our way up through the eastern part of the town to the palace.'
Ballista saw the blank looks. 'There are horses waiting for us there.' The men nodded. Ballista knew they had no idea what he intended they would do if they made it that far and got mounted, but any plan seemed good to the men now, at least it gave them something to work towards, provided a tiny glimmer of hope.
With Ballista in the lead again they clattered down the stairs and out of the eastern door. As they exited, there was a shout and a volley of arrows. Just behind Ballista men screamed. He ducked his helmet down to meet his shield and ran. An unlucky arrow in the leg here and it was all over.
In a short time the incoming arrows stopped. The shouts of the Sassanids fell away behind them. It was a long run to the next tower. Ballista's lungs were burning. All around him he could hear laboured breathing.
The door to the next tower was open. Ballista hurled himself inside, ready to fight. The tower was deserted. He plunged on through it and out the other side.
The next tower was not far. Again it had been abandoned by its defenders. This time Ballista led them down the stairs and to the ground-floor door into the town. Just inside the door he stopped to let them catch their breath. He looked round. Just two men were missing.
Ballista peeked around. The alley by the wall was empty. He led them out and, turning right, they ran on in the direction of the river.
By the time they crossed the open area where the soldier had been hit by the arrow intended for the traitor – Theodotus, you bastard – there were people about, soldiers and civilians heading the same way as Ballista and his men, down towards the Porta Aquaria and the river.
After a time Ballista turned north into the street that brought him to the mansion of Iarhai.
The main gate of the house stood open. There were six mercenaries there, their weapons drawn. They looked anxious. Ballista pulled up by them. Bent over, hands on his knees, sucking air into his lungs, it took him some time to speak.
'Iarhai… where is he?'
A mercenary jerked his head. 'Inside.' He spat. 'Praying.'
As Ballista stepped inside Bathshiba ran straight into his arms. He held on to her. He felt her breasts against him. We are all about to die, he thought, and I am still thinking about fucking her. A man remains a man.
