Prefect Some.

Caesar Dead?

Prefect No Romans. Of them – (He shrugs.)

Caesar Think they’re getting together in the trees, Centurion?

Primus What wogs do in the trees, General –

Caesar Quite. I want to give the men a rest. What do you think?

The Prefect and the Primus Pilus uncertain.

Quite. (A silence.)

Divided watch. An hour’s recreation for the men stood down. Then change round. No alcohol. For every man swimming a man in battle readiness, watching the trees.

Prefect Yes General.

Caesar waves them away.

(To the Primus Pilus:) That order down the lines.

Primus Pilus Sir.

The Primus Pilus walks quickly to the Standard Bearer. They talk privately for a few moments, then the Standard Bearer runs off.

The Legate, near tears, walks towards Caesar.

Legate This is my command. You are humiliating me, before the Legion –

Caesar walks away.

Caesar Asinus, my friend.

Asinus walks to Caesar, who leads him away from the Legate.

What tribe was it we’ve just cut to pieces?

Asinus As far as I can see, not Trinovante. But a loose grouping, a handful of families –

Caesar In the federation of the Trinovantes?

Asinus Probably sympathizers.

Caesar Sympathizers of sympathizers with us.

Asinus Yes.

Caesar Wonderful. If their chieftan killed, or what?

Asinus The body of a woman was bitterly fought over. That body.

He points to the body of the Mother. Caesar doesn’t look.

Caesar A woman?

Asinus They are not belgaic, they do not originate from the mainland. They are of the ancient stock of Britain. Traces of matriarchy are to be found among them. The Iceni –

Caesar All right all right! (A silence.) Forgive me. Your scholarship is invaluable. But I’ve got toothache.

Asinus I’ll call a surgeon –

Caesar No no. (He calls out:) The Legate of this legion. (The Legate comes forward quickly.) (To Asinus:) Stand back. But overhear us. Conspicuously.

Asinus steps back. A silence.

Legate Protector of my family –

Caesar (angrily) You what?

A silence. Then Caesar holds the knife up by its tip, looking at the handle.

See, I would like to know how they lay the bronze into the iron. Curling patterns. Like marketry, but with metal. Very fine and on a simple hand weapon. I could have you stoned by your own soldiers for what happened here. (A silence.) Stoned. (A silence.) Do these niggers have steel? The Celts of Northern Italy had steel, eh?

(Over the Legate’s shoulder:) Asinus, when we come to a smithy, look to see if there are steel tools.

The Legate looks at Asinus and back to Caesar.

Or did they just trade it from abroad, eh? For a dog, eh?

Caesar tosses the knife and catches it by the handle.

I am not the protector of your family, Aurelius Drusius. I just seduced your sister.

Legate I know you are angry with me, I learn from your anger, it is justified, I –

Caesar Don’t. (A silence.) Don’t begin to speak like that. Don’t go down that path. Ten sentences and you will be promising to kill yourself. Then you will have to kill yourself. And you will never forgive me. Nor will your family.