“These precious merchants won’t stir to save us,” Crixus replied. “It has to be the pirates. The gods know, they have enough ships, and spitting in Rome’s eye will give them some pleasure, as well.”

“But how to get word to them? We must send riders out to each port. There has to be a way to reach them.” Spartacus looked over the water at the pale specks of faces clustered in the ships. It was possible, if they could speak to Rome’s enemies.

Antonidus walked up to stand at his side, squinting out over the waves with a sneer.

“Brave Roman citizens hiding from us like children,” he said.

Spartacus shrugged, tired of his bitterness and spite. “Sixty or seventy ships like those and we can leave Roman lands. A fleet bought with their own gold seems like justice.”

Antonidus looked at the two gladiators with more interest. He’d been tempted to slip away at the port, taking off his armor and joining the crowds of people who would surely gather once the slaves were gone. Then he’d seen the gold they’d taken from the treasury. Enough to buy him an estate in Spain or a vast farm in Africa. There were many places for a man to hide that would not shelter an army. He knew if he stayed, their trust in him could give him the chance he needed. Would Pompey forgive him if he brought Spartacus’s head? Antonidus frowned. No, he’d faced a Roman court once and that was enough. Better just to run for a place where he could start again.

Spartacus turned, putting the sea at his back. “We will send local men to every port with a few coins to prove their promises. Speak to them, Crixus. Someone must know how to reach the pirates. Let them know the plan. It will raise their spirits on the march south.”

“We’re heading south toward Rome, then?” Antonidus asked sharply.

A terrible anger creased the features of the gladiator for a moment, and Antonidus stepped back as he answered.

“We should never have turned our backs on the mountains, but now we must keep ahead of them. We’ll run those bastards ragged on our trail. Remember, we’re the ones who till their fields and work every hour of light for their wealth. It’s made us strong. Let’s see what sort of state they’re in by the time we sight their beloved city.”

As he spoke he stared west into the sun, his eyes glinting gold with it as he imagined the legions hunting them. His face was bitter and Antonidus had to look away.

Chapter 40

                  CHAPTER 40