‘Ah, my chief training officer!’ Aurelius greeted Cato as the latter approached his desk at the end of the pool. Torches flickered in brackets attached to the columns and lit up the space with a golden hue. Outside, the sun had just set and the red sky reflected on the surface of the water. Cato hoped that it was not an ill omen for the campaign as he stood erect in front of the legate’s desk.

‘What can I do for you, Tribune?’ Aurelius leaned back in his chair.

‘It concerns a training matter, sir. If you recall, you said that I would have complete authority in matters relating to preparing the men for the coming campaign.’

‘Yes, I did,’ Aurelius replied warily. ‘Subject to my ultimate approval, naturally.’

‘Of course, sir.’

‘Well? How are things proceeding?’

‘The soldiers are steadily improving and given time they will be in good shape once the campaign begins. It would help to know when you intend the army to march, sir.’

‘Of course.’ Aurelius nodded, and gestured towards the sheets of papyrus on his desk. ‘As you can see, the need to prepare the men is not the only consideration affecting my decision. There are conflicting reports on the location of the enemy. Rumours are rife. Some say that Prince Talmis is no more than fifty miles away. Others say that he is still camped outside Ombos, besieging the garrison there. The overall picture is very uncertain, Tribune.’

Cato was not surprised. Since the ambush of the previous legate’s column, Aurelius had restricted the range of his patrols to within half a day’s march of the army’s base at Diospolis Magna. Any intelligence of the enemy’s movements beyond that margin depended upon questioning travellers or those fleeing the Nubians, and the truth had to be filtered out from rumours and wild speculation.

‘It appears that the enemy have rather greater numbers than I thought,’ Aurelius continued. ‘So I have sent a request to the governor for reinforcements before we proceed.’

‘Reinforcements?’ Cato raised his eyebrows. ‘Sir, when I last spoke with the governor he was adamant that every man that could be spared had been sent here.’

‘There is always a way to find more men,’ Aurelius responded dismissively. ‘In any case, I do not ask for a vast host with which to overwhelm my enemy, merely enough to ensure the job is done well. Until then, it would be imprudent to proceed, even though I am straining at the leash to get to grips with those Nubians.’