‘Be an even tougher nut from this side,’ Caecilius assured him.

‘Impossible?’ Crispinus asked.

‘Not much is impossible if you’re willing to put in the time, the material, the labour, and the sheer sweat. But’s it’s a bugger and no mistake. Take much longer.’

‘All that matters is that they think we are launching – or we might launch – a big assault from this side as well as the west. Make them look two ways at once. And make them feel surrounded. We’re coming for them and if it takes all year we’ll get in, so they either die or they make peace. That’s what we want them to see.’ The legatus grinned because that helped him control his face.

‘Sir.’ Caecilius did not show any emotion. Rufus was keen, Arrian mixing enthusiasm with nervousness, and there was no point glancing back to see Ferox.

A cohort of legionaries and the auxiliaries formed a line in front of the campsite facing towards the eastern gate. The cavalry watched the northern flank. After an hour, a couple of hundred horse archers came and sniffed at them for a while, without pressing their interest any further. In the meantime, the other legionaries marked out the camp, and started digging a ditch and piling up the spoil into a rampart, while lixae and other slaves and followers unpacked tents and other equipment. A little later a stone was shot from one of the towers, lobbing high into the air, but still thumping down a good sixty paces in front of the infantry screen.

‘I hear you did better,’ Crispinus said to Ferox. That was another flash of the dashing young tribune, who could never resist parading his knowledge. Back in Dacia, Ferox had held up an enemy column besieging his fort, by using a powerful one-armed catapult with a far greater range than most machines. It worked well, until one of the cords snapped and the thing shook itself to pieces.

‘If they have sense, they’ll keep quiet about anything with a longer reach,’ Ferox said. ‘Why kill a couple when you can wait and kill far more – and give us a scare.’

‘The lad’s right.’ Caecilius’ praise was gruff, but it was the first he had given to Ferox. ‘Don’t just see what they want us to see, my lord. See what’s really there, and think about what you cannot see.’

‘Sage advice, I am sure.’ Crispinus smiled. ‘Let’s try to make sure they only see what we want them to see then, shall we? Well, we have our other big camp. Let’s settle for three small ones at the moment – one to the south and two covering the north. That’s better cavalry country so let’s make life more difficult for them. We can build those tomorrow if there is time – today is busy enough. Do you need a closer look, primus?’

‘Seen all I need, my lord.’

‘Good, then I shall not detain you any longer as you have so much to do. Draw up your lists and orders. There is no need to tell you how important this is or urge you to do your best. You have first call on everything… Well then. Is there anything else you need now? No. Consilium in the principia in my camp at the start of the second hour of the night.’