‘I’m aware of that,’ Cato replied tersely. ‘However, it would take several days to get a message to the governor, even if a man could find his way past the enemy and reach Glevum. By then, it’s likely that the siege will have ended, one way or another.’ Cato glanced round the room. ‘Gentlemen, I’ve given you our situation as fully as I can. The blunt truth is we must make our stand here and hold Caratacus off for as long as possible.’

‘What about Maridius?’ asked Quertus. ‘What do we do with him?’

‘We try to use him. When dawn comes I’ll have him taken to the gatehouse and show him to Caratacus. I will warn him that we will cut his brother’s throat the instant any attack is made on the fort.’

Macro looked at his friend in surprise. ‘You’d do that?’

‘Make the threat, yes. Kill him, no. He’s too important for that. Governor Ostorius will want him alive.’

Quertus leaned forward. ‘And what if the fort is taken? What then?’

Cato was still for a moment before he replied. ‘If it comes to that, then I’ll give the order for him to be killed.’

‘There is another path open to us, Prefect.’

‘I’m open to suggestions, Quertus. Speak on.’

‘We could cut our way out of the fort. March out closed up, and fight through their lines and make for Gobannium.’

Macro shook his head again. ‘That’s madness. There’s too many of them. Our cavalry will have no room to deploy. They’ll be hemmed in and cut down if they stay with the infantry.’ He looked at Quertus with a knowing expression. ‘Of course, it’s possible that the infantry could open a gap and that would give the cavalry the chance to make a break for it. It’d mean sacrificing my men. But you might escape. That’s about the size of it, am I right?’

Quertus showed no reaction for a moment. ‘If we can save one unit, then that’s better than losing two. It’s a simple enough calculation, Centurion.’

Severus glared across the hall. ‘And you call me a coward . . .’

Cato stepped forward and raised his voice. ‘Gentlemen, quiet! No one is leaving the fort. We all stay here and fight. There is no other option. Caratacus has thousands of men at his back. I have, what? Quertus, what is the latest strength return on the Thracians?’

‘Two hundred and thirty-eight.’

‘And the wounded?’

‘Twenty-seven, five seriously. The rest are walking wounded.’

‘Not any more. I want every man who can stand ready to take his place on the wall. And you, Macro? Your cohort’s strength?’

‘One hundred and forty-eight, and nine walking wounded . . . A hundred and fifty-seven in all. Though most of them still need feeding up.’