‘I don’t understand. Either you are against slavery or you are for it.’

‘Of course I am against it. And when Rome no longer claims to own us, then Servilia can go free too. Until then, she is my slave.’

‘But-’

‘That’s enough, Marcus. I will not discuss the matter. She deserves to be treated as she once treated others until there’s an end to it. Is that clear?’

Marcus nodded, surprised and a little intimidated by the cruel edge to Brixus’s words. A silence fell between them and Marcus stared into the flames, deep in thought. He was worried about Brixus’s plan. Apart from the prospect of being the figurehead of the new rebellion, he was unsure that the rebels could overwhelm Rome’s legions. Even if tens of thousands of slaves escaped from their masters to join the rebellion, they would lack the training and experience of the legionaries. Only a small proportion of the rebels were gladiators or had some fighting experience. Marcus had seen at first hand the huge advantage that a trained fighter had over a raw recruit, no matter how eager that recruit might be.

‘You can’t win this, Brixus,’ he said quietly. ‘You cannot defeat Rome.’

The rebel leader stared back at him. ‘And why is that?’

‘You know only too well. Look what happened when you went up against Caesar. You were defeated.’

‘We were not defeated,’ Brixus replied sharply. ‘We fought like lions. My followers have the courage to see this through.’

‘Courage is not enough. We have both seen that at Porcino’s ludus. It takes more than courage. You cannot win without discipline and training. That’s why your men refused to charge at the Romans a second time.’

‘They will have discipline and training in time. More than enough to match the enemy.’

‘But there isn’t any time,’ Marcus argued. ‘Caesar and his men are hunting you down. How long do you think it will take them to find this valley?’

‘No Roman has found it yet.’

‘That’s because it was being used by just a handful of rebels before you arrived. Now there are more, many of whom have been captured by Caesar. One of them is sure to tell him about this valley. The Romans will use torture, or offer a reward, to get what they need. Then they’ll blockade the entrance to this valley and starve you and your followers out.’

‘Those who follow me would die rather than betray the cause.’

‘I wonder.’

‘Besides, you are here now. Your name, your legacy, will inspire the devotion of all to the cause of fighting for their liberty. With you at the head of our army, nothing can stand in our way!’

‘Brixus, I am not the man my father was.’ Marcus stopped and smiled thinly as he touched his chest. ‘I am not even a man. How can I lead an army?’