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Chapters (43)
  1. Title Page
  2. Copyright Page
  3. By Simon Scarrow
  4. Dedication
  5. Acknowledgements
  6. CHAPTER ONE
  7. CHAPTER TWO
  8. CHAPTER THREE
  9. CHAPTER FOUR
  10. CHAPTER FIVE
  11. CHAPTER SIX
  12. CHAPTER SEVEN
  13. CHAPTER EIGHT
  14. CHAPTER NINE
  15. CHAPTER TEN
  16. CHAPTER ELEVEN
  17. CHAPTER TWELVE
  18. CHAPTER THIRTEEN
  19. CHAPTER FOURTEEN
  20. CHAPTER FIFTEEN
  21. CHAPTER SIXTEEN
  22. CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
  23. CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
  24. CHAPTER NINETEEN
  25. CHAPTER TWENTY
  26. CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
  27. CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
  28. CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
  29. CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
  30. CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
  31. CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
  32. CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
  33. CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
  34. CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
  35. CHAPTER THIRTY
  36. CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
  37. CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
  38. CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
  39. CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
  40. CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
  41. CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
  42. EPILOGUE
  43. AUTHOR’S NOTE

‘Yes. I think we can safely say that we have announced our arrival. Now let’s see what the Romans do about it.’

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

The legate and his senior officers made their way through the camp to the landing stage in front of the temple complex by the light of the torches held by the legate’s escort. All around them the men of the Twenty-Second and the cohorts attached to the legion were emerging from their tents, armour and weapons in hand. Those who were the first to dress and fasten their straps hurried to their stations as each unit formed up and waited for orders.

As they made their way up the ramp between the line of Sphinxes, Cato could clearly see the flames leaping up from a distant site, hovering a small distance above the rippling sparkles of the reflection in the Nile.

‘Is that the outpost?’ he asked Tribune Junius.

‘Yes, sir.’

‘Tell me what you know about it,’ Cato snapped.

Junius looked at him in surprise.

‘Look, I’ve only been here a few days,’ Cato explained. ‘I haven’t had a chance to familiarise myself with the area.’

‘Sorry, sir. I don’t know much. It’s little more than a fort. Garrisoned by a half century of auxiliary troops. It’s there to keep an eye on the trade route running along the far bank. Or it was, before the Nubians got here.’

Macro stood on the landing stage and strained his eyes towards the distant fire. ‘And how do you know that’s the work of the enemy, eh? Could be desert raiders, or perhaps some fool’s set the granary alight. Has there been any word from the garrison commander?’

‘No, sir.’

‘Hmmm.’ Macro stroked his lip. ‘Still, we can’t be sure. If you’re wrong, Tribune, then you’ve sounded the alarm and called the entire army out for nothing. You’re not going to be a popular man. Oh, and by the way, you don’t call me “sir”, even if I am the first spear centurion.’

‘Sorry.’ Junius looked abashed and Cato decided to come to his rescue.

‘You did the right thing. It’s possible that it’s an accident. However, we’re on a war footing and it could be the result of enemy action. It’s hard to say now that we’re not sending patrols out any further than ten miles.’

Aurelius overheard the remark and stirred but he did not say anything, continuing to stare across the river. At length he turned to his chief of staff. ‘Geminus, any other reports of enemy movement?’

‘None, sir. Nothing from the lookouts, and none of the day’s patrols reported anything out of the ordinary.’

‘Well, something’s up now. It could be an accident. If we’ve had no report from the fort within the hour then send someone across the river to investigate.’