Tomb of the Lost (18 page)

Falco nodded towards the sleeping figure.

“
He
’
s not much good to us tired and tired men make mistakes.
”

“
That
’
s true,
”
Scato looked across at the timekeeper,
“
It
’
s time you took a break.
”

“
Yes sir.
”

“
I
’
ll wake you at the next watch.
”

Falco saluted. He went over to a group of his men and removed his helmet.

“
Here why does he get to sleep and we don
’
t then eh?
”
one of the legionaries asked.

“
Because he is your commanding officer that
’
s why.
”

“
So that gives him the right to sleep while we have to work.
”

“
You
’
re having your break now aren
’
t you?
”

“
A break? Yes. Squatting here in the dirt. It
’
s hardly comfortable is it?
”

“
Then why don
’
t you try and sleep.
”

“
I
’
ve tried but all I get is a crick in my back. Not a nice bench to sleep on like he does.
”

Falco cuffed the legionary hard around the ear. He instinctively ducked from the much older, heavier man.

“
Do you want to keep your voice down before you
’
re heard by one of the senior officers.
”

“
Sorry Falco.
”

“
That
’
s centurion to you when the General
’
s are about and don
’
t ever complain like that when Caesar
’
s about or he
’
ll feed you your balls.
”

One of the others winced.

“
Or worse.
”

“
Tell the little pipsqueak what Caesar did to the pirates eh!
”
an older legionary said.

Falco dipped his mug in a barrel of water drawn from one of the many palace fountains and sat down with his back against the wall. They all faced Falco now. He was renowned for his story telling.

“
This was back in the days when Caesar was serving on a naval trireme
…
.
”

“
Why did he join the navy?
”

Falco glared at the youngest legionary under his command. He hated to be interrupted.

“
Caesar originally wanted to enter law and politics but there was no money in it. His family of course held sufficient rank but Caesar needed money and lots of it. So he chose a military career. There always being lots of money for a conqueror. The spoils of war young Gaius. You see you even share the forename of our commander.
”

“
Maybe some day I
’
ll be as great as Caesar,
”
Gaius Domitius answered. The other legionaries laughed.

“
Do not mock the mighty Caesar young whelp,
”
Falco said,
“
Gaius Julius Caesar is the greatest Roman who ever lived.
”

“
I wasn
’
t
…
.I wasn
’
t mocking the General.
”

“
You had better not be either boy.
”

“
Leave him alone Falco,
”
one of the longest serving soldiers said,
”
Stop bullying the boy long enough to tell the story will you.
”

Falco had raised his drink to his lips but he pulled it away again and stared in amazement at the way he
’
d been spoken to. Then he shrugged, put his cup down and said.

“
Very well. I
’
ll tell you but stop interrupting.
”

One of the soldiers grabbed Gaius around the neck in a headlock and clamped his hand over the youth
’
s mouth.

“
He won
’
t interrupt again. Will you?
”

Gaius fought against his opponent who removed his hand.

“
No I promise!
”
the youth shouted.

“
Good lad,
”
the legionary said ruffling the boys hair.

“
How did Caesar end up being captured by pirates anyway?
”

“
If you shut up long enough I
’
ll tell you. In the autumn of the year of the Gods by our counting, it was twenty seven years ago and Caesar a young man of twenty five. His first wife Cornelia had just given birth to their daughter Julia. Caesar an up and coming politician in Rome had left his household to go to study on the island of Rhodes. But Caesar never made it. Near Miletus, Asia minor, Caesar
’
s ship was attacked by Cilician pirates. Piracy was rife in the Mediterranean back then. The great Homer, the Greek writer, even mentions piracy in his work the
’
Odyssey
’
. Now, the pirates who captured Caesar
’
s ship had the usual goods to trade and passengers for the slave markets. Well you can imagine their surprise when suddenly amongst their booty they find themselves with a Roman nobleman. They were used to their captives being afraid and begging for mercy and their lives, but not Caesar. He spent forty days with them while his ransom was being raised. The pirates had originally asked for twenty talents but Caesar, insulted by such a trifling amount, personally raised it to fifty. The pirates were both shocked and amused by his courage. He wrote them poetry and called them illiterate barbarians when they failed to understand it. He also joked that he would return once his ransom was paid and crucify them.
”

“
What happened? I know Caesar survived, obviously, but how was he saved? Or was the ransom paid?
”

This time Falco didn
’
t mind being interrupted. He himself had been a young recruit once, keen to learn anything and everything about his commanding officers.

“
Oh yes the ransom was paid all right. Caesar waved at them from the ship that rescued him to their laughter.
”

“
And that was it? He just sailed away after giving them a fortune in money?
”

“
Sailed away yes. But only as far as Miletus. Once there he quickly hired some ships and mercenaries. He caught the pirates while they were still in their lair on board their ships. He got his money back and all their stolen loot. He promptly reminded them of his promise and crucified them but because he liked them and to save them the torture of slow agonising death he had all their throats cut first.
”

“
Why didn
’
t he want them to suffer?
”

“
They had done him no harm personally. He recorded in his records that he found his capture to be a mere hindrance of his personal time, nothing more. It did his political career no harm either. Two years later, aged twenty seven, he became Pontifex.
”

“
And all was good again was it? For Caesar I mean?
”

Falco yawned. He reached for his water.

“
What? No! Just then Mithridates rose against Rome and a young gladiator named Spartacus began an uprising.
”

“
I
’
d love to hear all about that centurion, sir.
”

Falco was still yawning.

“
Yes I
’
m sure you would but some other time. I
’
m too tired now.
”

Falco closed his eyes. Gaius sat where he was musing over what he
’
d heard. He dreamed of being a General like Caesar. A hero. A hero to Rome. He watched the others as they settled down to get some rest. Falco
’
s breathing was starting to get heavier as he was rapidly falling asleep. Gaius picked up his cup of water and took a long swig. He swallowed the first of it and felt it burning his throat. Then he tasted the salt and he sprayed himself with it as he spat it out. He threw the cup down as a couple of the legionaries turned to look in his direction.

“
What
’
s the matter with you?
”
One of the soldiers asked.

Gaius was grimacing while wiping his mouth with his sleeve.

“
Like you don
’
t know!
”

“
What?
”

“
One of you lot has put salt in my water. Ha Ha! Very funny.
”

Falco opened his eyes.

“
Do you want to keep your voices down. Some of us are trying to sleep.
”

“
It was Gaius.
”

“
Gaius shut up will you. You
’
ll get your chance at glory.
”

“
Great! Now you
’
ve annoyed him. He
’
ll probably give us some shitty job to do.
”

“
Well I couldn
’
t help it. You lot shouldn
’
t have put salt in my drink.
”

“
We didn
’
t.
”

“
Then who did?
”

“
Are you sure you didn
’
t imagine it?
”

“
Of course I didn
’
t.
”

Falco opened one eye and glared at them.

“
Here he
’
s right,
”
said one of the others,
“
My water is salty also.
”

The legionary got up and slowly moved towards Falco.

“
If someone has done it to him he
’
ll go bloody mad,
”
he whispered. He checked in the darkness to see if Falco
’
s eyes were closed. They were. He reached quietly for the centurion
’
s mug and brought it slowly towards himself hardly daring to breathe. He looked back at his colleagues. An iron grip suddenly fashioned itself around his arm, crushing his wrist. He let out a yelp of pain.

“
What are you doing boy?
”
the centurion growled.

Falco took the cup and got up, forcing the legionary up with him. The man was trying to prise Falco
’
s steely grip away when the centurion suddenly let go. The legionary was left rubbing his wrist.

“
I asked you what you were doing.
”

The legionary stopped rubbing his wrist and gestured to his friends.

“
Sir. Somebody has spiked our drinks with salt and well, sir, as much as we all enjoy a joke sir we were worried that they
’
d done it to yours and as we all know
…
well that would be taking it too far sir,
”
he swallowed hard, knowing that Falco
’
s temper was never far under the surface, just waiting to be scratched.

Falco took a mouthful of his water, swilled it around his mouth and spat it out.

“
Who did this?
”

His voice had become menacing. No one dared move or answer. Falco had been known, legally, to beat soldiers to death.

“
I do not need to remind you that water is a precious commodity and that we have to ration it. It is too priceless to waste by accident or practical joke. Now who did this?
”

He glowered at his men. Clearly no one was going to own up. Especially not now.

“
Very well. In that case you leave me no choice. You are all
…
.
”
he stopped as the legionary with the crushed wrist stepped forward.

“
So it was you Marcus Iunius.
”

“
No sir. In truth it was none of us.
”

“
Is that so?
”

Falco looked past Iunius as he saw other legionaries who had just received their water ration begin spitting it out and throwing cups to the ground. Two palace servants struggled past carrying a fresh barrel of water.