“Tell them all that, Adàn. Let them know that I will not take Roman lives unless I am forced, that I will honor the traditions as Pompey has not. He is the one who had the Senate house burnt on his watch. The gods have already shown their dislike of him.”

The men around him watched bemused as Julius laughed aloud. He shook his head at their expressions.

“They will want to believe in me, gentlemen. They will hesitate and wonder if I am a champion of the old liberties.”

“And will it be true?” Adàn asked softly.

Julius glanced sharply at him. “If I make it so. My first act will be in Corfinium. If they will surrender to me, I will spare them all, if only to have them spread the word.”

His humor was infectious and Adàn smiled as he scribbled in the soft wax, ignoring the inner voice that mocked how easily he fell under the man’s charm.

“They won’t surrender,” Domitius said. “Pompey would have them killed as traitors. You saw what he did to the Tenth for turning.”

Julius frowned. “He may, though if he does, he will be helping me. Who would you follow, Domi? A man who stands for law and consul, who frees good Romans, or one who has them killed? Who is the better man to lead Rome?”

Domitius nodded slowly and Julius smiled.

“You see? It will be hard for them to condemn me if I am merciful. It will confound them, Domi. Pompey will not know how to react.”

Julius turned to Brutus, his face alight with the old energy.

“But first we must take the road guards and do it without bloodshed. They must be reduced to a level of panic so total that they will not have the chance to fight. Who leads them?”

Brutus frowned, still reeling from the sudden change in Julius’s mood. The march south had been overshadowed by doubt and gloom, but in a moment Julius was as he had been in Gaul. It was frightening.

“The scouts saw no legion flags,” he said stiffly. “Whoever it is will be a ranking officer.”

“Let us hope he is still ambitious,” Julius replied. “It will be easier if we can tempt his guards from the town. I’ll draw him out with the Tenth and see if he comes. If we can catch them in the fields, they’re ours.”

All around them, those who could hear were getting to their feet, gathering their kit and readying themselves to move. An air of long-familiar tension stole over them all as they prepared themselves to go back to danger and hardship.

“I will take the Tenth closer to the town, Brutus. You have overall command of the others. We will spin these lads until they’re blind and useless. Send your scouts out and this time let them be seen.”

“I’d rather be the bait,” Brutus said.