With a soul-wearying sense of sadness Macro peered into the hut. In the gloom he saw three naked bodies, one little more than a girl. The older women had bruised faces and all had been killed with the same thrusts. One of them was missing a breast, and a congealed mass of dry blood and butchered tissue sat alongside the mottled skin of the remaining breast. Macro felt a dreadful weight bear down on his heart as he stared at the scene. What had happened here? Only Cato’s men could have done this. But surely Cato would not have allowed this? Not the Cato he knew. But that would mean that Cato no longer controlled his men. Or - a dark thought crossed Macro’s mind - perhaps the reason for Cato’s men being out of control was because Cato was no longer around to command them.

05 The Eagles Prey

CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

Over the following days Caratacus sent for Cato almost every evening, and continued with his curious interrogation. On the second night he offered Cato some food, and before the centurion could help it he had snatched up a leg of lamb and was about to sink his teeth into the meat when he paused. The scent of it wafted up to his nose and tormented him for a moment, before he lowered his arm and set the meat down on the wooden platter Caratacus had pushed across the floor towards him.

‘What’s the matter, Roman? Afraid I’d poison you?’

That thought had never occurred to Cato as the gnawing hunger had taken over his senses an instant before.

‘No. If my men go hungry, then so must I.’

‘Really?’ Caratacus looked amused. ‘Why?’

Cato shrugged. ‘A centurion has to share the privations of his men, or he’ll never earn their respect.’

‘How would they ever find out? You’re hungry. Eat it.’

Cato looked at the leg of lamb again and felt his gums moisten in anticipation. His imagination of the flavour of the meat was almost overwhelming in its intensity and the power of the temptation to yield suddenly filled him with shocking self-knowledge. He was weak, a man without control over his own body. How quickly his will began to crumble against the urge to indulge himself. He clenched his fists tightly behind his back and shook his head.

‘Not while my men go hungry . . .’