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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

‘No . . .’ He frowned as he stared down at the face, eyes staring blankly back at him and the mouth slightly open. ‘No . . . NO!’

Cato glared at the body, then threw the helmet aside as he rose back to his feet. Around him the marines and legionaries stared at the prefect in surprise. Cato raised his hand to his forehead and rubbed it in frustration as he looked down again. The dead man was the same build as Ajax, and had the same dark hair, but that was where the resemblance ended. Cato took a deep breath and turned to stare bitterly at the other ship making for the far side of the bay beneath the swirling haze of smoke. He had been duped. Ajax was still alive.

CHAPTER TEN

CHAPTER TEN

Cato ordered the decurion to leave a squad of marines to take charge of the ship and then led the rest of the men back aboard the Sobek. As soon as the corvus was levered up from the deck of the other ship, the trierarch gave the order to fend off and unship the oars. The warship got under way and began its pursuit of the Thoth. Ajax had almost reached the far side of the bay, but there was no clear route to the open sea. Two of the Roman warships had angled across the bay and blocked his escape. Three more, besides the Sobek, were in pursuit and the last ship had hove to on the inshore side of the headland to pick up Macro and his party. Ajax was trapped. His ruse had only delayed his capture, or death, Cato decided as he returned to the turret to follow the chase. A moment later Phermon climbed up beside him.

‘He’ll not get away, sir.’

‘I trust not,’ Cato replied flatly. ‘That would be difficult medicine to swallow.’

The trierarch squinted into the rising sun, then shaded his eyes as he followed the course of the ship. ‘They’re still on fire. Why haven’t they put it out yet?’

‘Perhaps they need every spare man on the oars,’ Cato suggested.

‘Hmmm.’

They watched in silence for a moment longer before the trierarch shook his head. ‘In the name of the gods, what does that fool think he’s doing? He’s heading towards the mangroves at full speed. They’ll run aground for sure.’

Cato nodded. ‘Then that’s his plan.’

‘To escape through the mangrove?’ The trierarch shook his head. ‘Impossible.’

‘Why?’ Cato turned to him.