‘So we will not give them any time. The weather is breaking and spring on its way. From now on we work, day in and day out. Sabinus.’ Ferox nodded at the man.

‘Sir.’

‘I want that bath house finished and running before the end of the month. You are in charge.’

‘Sir.’

‘I also want the ditches cleared, roofs repaired where they need it, and then we go through all the stores and equipment here and make sure they are in perfect condition. That’s your job, Festus.’

The ape nodded.

‘Both of you will take work parties from all the units here. You know how it’s done. Put them into teams and make it a competition over who can do a job best and fastest. Prizes will be extra wine in their ration, and extra passes to bathe or to visit the canabae. I know it is small, but there are a couple of bars.’ He did not need to add, that in the bars there were bound to be at least a few girls available for hire.

Festus coughed. ‘Our men are veterani, sir. They are not obliged to work or perform fatigues.’

‘The craftsmen won’t mind, and all of them will be happy to help with the bath house. The rest will do the lighter jobs, but we will mix up the teams. Give each party some auxiliaries, galearii when they can be spared from their own duties, and a score of Brigantes to help. Then it’s about making their Britons do a better job than the ones with the other teams. We will make sure there are men with decent Latin in every group. See to that, Cunicius.’

Festus and Sabinus still looked dubious.

‘And the Brigantes are also going to drill like they have never drilled before. I want some of your best legionaries to act as instructors and tell them not to go easy. Let ’em pass on all those years of experience. And the workshops can make sure all the kit is up to scratch. I’m also putting you in charge of that, Festus. See if you can turn those barbarians into proper soldiers. You deal with the infantry.’

Festus was grinning now. ‘A pleasure.’

‘I want them exhausted, not dead, mind you.’

‘Do my best, sir.’

‘And never strike them. Not ever!’ Ferox could see the centurion’s look of disappointment. ‘Do that and we will have a mutiny. Scream at them, insult them, but they are warriors and if you touch them they’ll try to kill you for honour’s sake. So warn your men. And tell them that as soon as they start training with practice swords they can pound on them as much as they like – if it’s in a fight, even a training fight, then a blow is no insult.’

The ape bared his teeth happily.

‘Julius Dionysius?’ Ferox wondered whether the man really was a citizen. A lot of educated easterners were a good deal more civilized than many a Roman, and if they enlisted often gave themselves Roman names to make people think that they did have the franchise. No doubt it was in his records, but he was not sufficiently curious to check.