Renius sighed. “I taught you better, lad, I really did. What else should I think when a boy wears his father’s crest on a gold ring big enough to buy a house with?”

Brutus blinked at him, then walked over to the three new recruits and examined Germinius’s hand for a moment without speaking. He was about to return to Renius when three more boys detached from the crowd and approached the Primigenia eagle.

“Sign your names on the scroll there and stand with the others, lads,” Renius told them. “We’ll give you the oath when there’s enough of a crowd.” A smile tugged at the corners of his mouth as he waved them over.

Chapter 22

                  CHAPTER 22                  

Between the heat of Greece and the excuses, Julius was finding it hard to keep his temper. He was desperate for recruits, but the walled Roman city had forgotten its founding duty and every demand was met with delay and discussion.

“I have the young men. Now bring out the veterans,” Julius said to the city elder.

“What? Would you leave us defenseless?” the man spluttered in indignation.

Julius remained silent, waiting a few moments before replying, as Renius used to. He’d found the small pauses gave weight to his words like nothing else.

“My men are going directly from here to attack Mithridates. There is no one else for you to defend against. I do not have time to train more farmers to be legionaries, and from what you say, there is no other Roman force within a hundred miles of here.

“Every man within these walls who has ever held a sword in service of Rome, I want out here, armed and armored as best you can.”

The besieged elder began to speak again and Julius interrupted him, raising his voice slightly. “I do not expect to have to mention the conditions of their retirement. It would be an attack on their honor for me to remind them that they were given land on the understanding that if Rome called them, they would answer. She calls. Fetch them out.”

The elder turned away, almost running back to the council hall. Julius waited with his men standing to attention at his back. He had suffered enough of the council’s delays, and part of him had no sympathy at all. They were in a conquered land and the constant worry of rebellion had occurred. Did they expect to sit it out behind their fine walls? He wondered what might have happened if Mithridates had reached them first. Hardly worth betting that they would have declared loyalty to him out of fear for their families, throwing open the gates and kneeling in the dust.

“Someone’s coming up the main street,” Gaditicus said behind him.