‘As are you.’

Caratacus smiled briefly. ‘You can’t imagine. As I recall, when you were my prisoner we talked at length.’

‘We did, sir. I hoped to persuade you to give up the struggle.’

‘And here we are, years later. You are older but no wiser, it seems.’

It was Cato’s turn to smile. ‘I was thinking the same thing about you, sir.’

Caratacus’s expression was fixed for a moment before he smiled sadly. He clasped Cato’s forearm. ‘Well said. It is a pity that we should be enemies.’

‘Then let us not be enemies, sir.’

‘It is too late for that. Rome should have treated us as partners, rather than try to be our masters. If we ever meet in battle, I shall kill you without pity or regret.’

Cato pursed his lips. ‘Perhaps. Or maybe the next time we meet, you will be my prisoner.’

Caratacus’s expression darkened. He released Cato’s arm and strode back across the ring towards the gateway, summoning his followers. Macro watched him leave and then muttered to his friend, ‘It seems that the time for talking is over. Now we’ve got a fight to the finish on our hands.’

Cato said heavily, ‘There was never going to be any real negotiation. It was already too late. Caratacus wants a war, and Ostorius is all too willing to give him one. This was all a waste of time. Now it’s about to become a waste of good men.’

CHAPTER ELEVEN

As soon as the governor and his party returned to the outpost he dismissed his bodyguards and retired into the optio’s cramped quarters to confer with his officers. The meeting with the tribes had been far shorter than Ostorius had anticipated and there was no prospect of it being resumed the following day. After Caratacus and the Romans had withdrawn, several other contingents had followed suit, some setting off immediately for their homelands even though night had fallen. It was clear that any attempt to agree terms for peace across the island had failed.

‘If Caratacus wants to continue the war then he shall have it,’ Ostorius announced to his officers as they crowded round the small table which, together with a stool and bed, constituted the only furniture. ‘I shall not be returning to Londinium but making for the army headquarters at Cornoviorum at first light. Decianus, you will ride back to Londinium and inform the staff of my decision. They are to pack up and join me as soon as possible. Send word to the commanders of the Ninth and Second Legions that I shall be commencing the campaign as early as possible, and they will be responsible for ensuring the security of the province behind the frontier zone. Prefect Cato, you and Macro will ride to Glevum and report to Legate Quintatus.’

‘Yes, sir.’

‘Gentlemen, my plans are made, it only remains to put them into effect as swiftly and fully as possible. There will be no mercy shown to those who side with Caratacus. My orders are that there is no requirement to take prisoners. Such women and children as are spared will be marched to the rear and sold to the slave contractors at the depots. All hostile settlements we encounter are to be torched and razed. I meant what I said earlier. Those who take up arms against Rome are to be crushed. Is that quite clear?’