‘That’s not really good enough, is it?’ Macro asked caustically. ‘You were pretty slow to come to our aid earlier today, and now this. I’m not impressed.’

Acer folded his hands together and rubbed a thumb across the knuckles of the other hand. ‘Sir, I’ve less than forty men here. We’re in the heart of enemy territory. If we take unnecessary risks then we die.’

‘That’s what you signed up for, Acer. What we all signed up for. That’s no excuse.’

The optio opened his mouth to protest but saw the cold glint in Macro’s eyes and looked down in shame instead. There was no profit in undermining the optio, Cato decided, and he returned to the subject at hand.

‘If there’s been no request for supplies then it means that Quertus and his men are living off the land.’

‘Or they’ve been wiped out,’ Decimus suggested anxiously. ‘If there’s been no word from them, then what else could have happened?’

Macro corrected him. ‘The optio says he saw one of their patrols ten days ago.’

‘Quite,’ Cato agreed. ‘So we must assume the fort and its garrison are intact. We’ll know soon enough in any case. If we start out at first light we should reach the fort by dusk.’

‘You’re continuing, sir?’ asked Decimus.

‘Of course. I have orders to take command of the fort.’

‘But things ain’t right, sir. Not by a long way. It would be madness to continue. Not before you know what you’re leading us into.’

‘Nevertheless, we will continue to Bruccium.’

‘Not me, sir. I ain’t going another step. Come the morning, I’m heading back to Glevum, and then Londinium.’

Macro smiled. ‘All by yourself? On foot, with that gammy leg of yours? Sounds like more of a risk than continuing to Bruccium.’

‘I’ll take one of the mules.’

‘One of our mules? I don’t think so, Decimus.’

The veteran turned to Cato. ‘You can spare me one, sir.’

Cato shook his head. ‘We’ve got a prisoner to carry, as well as our baggage. But if it’ll help change your mind, I’ll give you a hundred denarii bonus if you stay with us until the autumn.’

Macro looked startled. ‘A hundred? Are you mad?’

Cato raised a hand to silence him, his attention fixed on Decimus. ‘If it’s as dangerous as you think, then I’ll need you at my side. And that hundred denarii should set you up nicely in Londinium when this is all over. What do you say?’

Decimus looked distraught, his fears warring with his greed. In the end he stared bitterly at Cato. ‘Seems I ain’t got any choice anyway. I can’t stay here. I can’t get back to Londinium. The only way is forward. All right, a hundred denarii it is. I accept.’