None of the three looked up, even when he repeated the question more forcefully.

‘Centurion?’

Macro stepped up and delivered another kick, this time to the head. The man went down on his back with a sharp cry.

‘Well, are you going to tell me?’

The man who had escaped the kicking thus far glared up through bushy brows and said something in a language Cato had not heard before. He emphasised his point by spitting on to the hem of Narcissus’ tunic. Macro drew back his boot.

‘No!’ Narcissus raised his hand. ‘There’s no need for that. I think I know this tongue. They’re from Syria. If they’re who I think they are, they won’t talk for a while.’

‘I wouldn’t bet on that, sir,’ Macro replied coldly. ‘There are ways…’

‘I haven’t got time. We mustn’t be delayed in reaching the army. These men will come along as prisoners. When I get to Gesoriacum there’ll be plenty of time to go to work on them. See that they’re securely bound. They can march behind my litter tomorrow.’

===OO=OOO=OO===

When the century set out the next morning, the full scale of the action became clear. Twelve more bodies were found, as well as the Roman dead, and all were buried in a hastily dug trench before the unit broke camp. Macro had ordered his men to march in full battledress and they moved wearily down the road to Gesoriacum in a box shape around Narcissus’s litter and the wagon now carrying the Roman wounded. All surplus baggage had been abandoned to make room for the wounded. That had not endeared the prisoners to the centurion, who had them tied to each other by the ankle, and fastened the line to the back of the wagon. There was no stop for a rest, despite the weariness brought on by a sleepless night, as the column picked its way along the road to the coast. A pair of horsemen appeared in the distance from time to time as they shadowed the century, evidently frustrated by the lack of opportunity to continue the action. Shortly before dusk the horses wheeled away and disappeared over the brow of a narrow ridge that ran alongside the line of the road. As night fell the century’s pace quickened and the men glanced nervously into the shadows looming around them, fully expecting the ambush to be renewed the instant darkness could provide enough cover for their strange attackers.

At last they marched over the brow of a hill and Cato let out a gasp of astonishment. Below them was a vast military camp stretching, it seemed, for miles, lit by thousands of camp fires and braziers. Four full legions were concentrated in the area, together with an equal number of specialist auxiliary cohorts, engineers, shipbuilders and staff planning-officers — over fifty thousand men all told. But as they approached the gates Macro sensed that something was wrong. Small pockets of men roamed outside the camp, unarmed and out of uniform, others played at dice or just sat drinking themselves insensible.