ambush, and listening patiently as they boasted of their part in the battle. It did his heart good to see how the ragged, cowed fugitives who had joined his struggle against Rome were now sofull of fight. Where he led in battle, they would follow, unquestioning. He had been used to the adulation of the mob that came to spectate at the games in Rome, but this was altogether different. These slaves, these people, did not follow him because he won them bets, nor because he excited their bloodlust. They followed him because they shared a common burden. And now, he mused, they shared a common destiny.
He had nursed their ambition with small raids on estates and villages, and then attacks on Roman patrols. Only when he had been sure that they were ready did he plan the previous night's ambush.
He had watched the Roman column ever since it had set out from Gortyna. Skirmish by skirmish he had lured the commander towards the hills, and then, when the trap was set, he had sent in the boy. The child had not hesitated for an instant when Ajax had asked Pollio to carry out the task that would almost certainly lead to his death. The boy's father had been killed by an overseer, and his mother sold to a brothel. All he lived for was revenge. He had gone to his death willingly and Ajax had been glad for him to go, knowing he would have done precisely the same if their positions had been reversed. He had long grown used to the conviction that there was nothing he would not do if it aided his desire to defy and destroy Rome and all it stood for. In time, his followers would come to share his vision as fully as he did, as the boy had, and Rome would tremble as it beheld a tide of those it had treated as little more than things rise up to overwhelm the empire.
Ajax allowed himself a moment to indulge in the dream of Rome being crushed beneath his heel. Then he reined in his imagination and focused on the immediate future. A small battle had been won.
Now was the time to exploit the victory, before the Romans could recover from the shock of the defeat.
As the fires died down, the slaves finished the last scraps of their feast and drank the last of the wine. Some began to sing, fragments of songs remembered from the time before they or their forebears had been slaves. Songs fromevery corner of the empire, and the melodies and rhythms, often strange to his ear, moved Ajax deeply.
Truly there was no corner of the earth that had not felt the scourge of Rome. Once more his heart was filled with cold, cold rage and a thirst for revenge.
Returning to the centre of the camp, he climbed on to a wagon piled high with captured equipment and stood atop the driver's bench, sword in one hand, the standard of the Batavian cohort in the other. He clattered the blade against the silver disc bearing an image of the emperor. The surrounding crowd turned towards the sound and began to fall silent, watching their leader expectantly. Ajax lowered his sword and stared out over the sea of faces, dimly lit by the wavering glow of the dying fires. Filling his lungs, he began.
'You have feasted on the best meat, the best wine and the best delicacies that we have taken from those who were our masters. Tell me, what is it that has the best taste tonight?'
'Roast mutton!' a voice cried, and scores of others called out their agreement.
'Garum!' cried another.
'Figs!'
'My girl's cunt!' some one shouted, and there was a roar of laughter.
Ajax clattered his sword against the standard again to silence them.
'You are all wrong! I'll tell you what tastes best and sweetest to every one of us tonight… Liberty! Liberty!'
The crowd cheered, thrusting their fists into the air as they echoed the cry. 'Liberty!'
When the cheering had died down, Ajax continued.' My friends, we have won the first of many fights. But not without cost. We fought with clubs and farming tools against men in armour with swords and spears. Now their weapons are ours, and when we next fight the Romans it will be on far more even terms. No! The next fight will be on
More cheering greeted his words. Ajax indulged them a moment before he raised his sword and called for quiet.
'My friends, we have tasted liberty, and now victory, but our work is only just beginning. I have a plan. We will demand that our freedom be recognised. We will demand that the Romans give us safe passage out of their empire. Now, it is just possible that they may be inclined to refuse such a reasonable request…'
The crowd laughed and jeered for a moment before Ajax continued.
'So, my friends, we must teach them a lesson, to prove how serious our demands are. Tomorrow I will lead an army off this hill and out on to the plain. Within days I will show the Romans that their defeat last night was no accident. I will give them another defeat that will shatter their arrogance and humble them. In a few days they will learn just how terrible our revenge can be… Then they will be forced to me et our demands. If they don't, then I give you my word that we shall slaughter every last Roman on the island.' He thrust his sword into the heavens. 'Death to Rome! Death to Rome!'
The crowd took up the chant, and it thundered out into the night, strident and challenging, daring Rome to defy them.
Ajax climbed down from the wagon and strolled over to Chilo.
'Time to complete the night's entertainment, I think. Have the men bring out my little pet.'
'My pleasure.' Chilo grinned. He turned away, gesturing to a handful of his men, who followed him inside Ajax's tent. They emerged a moment later carrying an iron cage. As the crowd saw the cage they edged forward, forming a loose circle around it. As Chilo and his men set it down in the glow of the cooking fires, Ajax stepped up to the cage and looked through the bars. Inside he could make out a human form, visible in the slats of orange light passing through the bars. The figure was naked and bruised and sat with her arms hugged round her knees as strands of matted hair hung down over her fleshy body.
'My lady Antonia, thank you for joining us,' Ajax mocked. 'I am sorry that you have missed the feast, but you have not missed all the entertainment. I have saved the best until last, in your honour. I know your pleasures well enough. All those months I had to service you like some rutting bull. You have no idea how much the thought of you and your soft, weak, fat body has revolted me. You have wasted my seed, and soiled me. Now it is your turn to be soiled.' He clicked his fingers at Chilo. 'Get her out!'
Chilo cut the ties that fastened the door to the cage and reached in to drag the former governor's wife out. She put up a pathetic struggle and then collapsed on the ground at the feet of Ajax as some of the crowd wolf- whistled.
'I'll be kind.' Ajax smiled coldly. 'I'll let you choose. On your back, or on all fours.'
She stared up at him with terrified eyes, her lips quivering. 'I beg you, spare me. Please.'
'No.'
'Then why did you save me? When the earthquake struck, you came for me in the garden. Why?'
'For this moment, my lady. Yes, in a way I saved you. I saved you so I could have my revenge for the indignity of being your toy. I saved you for these men.' Ajax indicated Chilo and his companions, who were grinning cruelly. 'Take her, use her in any way you want, and when you're done, throw her body down into the ravine with the others.'
Ajax turned away and strode back towards his tent. Behind him the crowd looked on as Chilo had two of his men hold the Roman woman face down on the bare ground. A moment later the first of her shrill screams of terror and agony filled the night.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Macro arrived at Sempronius's office carrying with him the faint odour of the work he had been supervising in the city's sewer.
He nodded a greeting to Cato and saluted the senator, before casting a curious eye over Centurion Micon.
'Now that we're all here, take a seat.' Sempronius folded his hands together.' Then Centurion Micon can make his report. I take it you know nothing of what has happened yet, Macro?'
Macro glanced at Cato and shook his head. 'I'm not aware of anything. Apart from some shouting from the
