‘Must be some. I heard the dogs, saw the door forced and came in here. Fortunately I found this room before they did and Privatus recognised my name. Good lad, that one – he’d done what he was told and got all but one or two somewhere safe. Then this pair appeared and I was busy for a bit. There was a third, but then someone shouted from down below and he ran off. Heard a scream, so I reckon one of the slaves had the bad luck to get in their way, but they all left. Thought that I’d better wait here just in case. Don’t feel much like running, truth be told.’ The old soldier slid down to sit with his back against the wall.

Vindex leaned down to help.

‘I’ve had worse,’ Longinus said. ‘And I’m still here, although whether that’s a blessing or a curse who can say.’ He laughed until he started to cough and the motion must have brought more pain because he hissed and went still. ‘Omnes ad stercus.’

‘How did you know?’ Ferox asked.

‘The letter from Crispinus. Himself didn’t pay much heed, but she told me and so I did my best to protect them. Owe him that much, even if his father was such a bastard.’ With an effort he stopped himself from laughing. ‘We’re Batavians. If we don’t look after each other then who will? And she’s special, and I knew her grandfather and owed him, so that was that. Whoever they wanted, they were going to find me.’

‘You are him, aren’t you?’ Ferox said, wondering why he had taken so long to realise. ‘There were always stories that he survived, was hiding in the army somewhere.’

‘Everyone’s someone.’ The single eye watched him closely. ‘Even you. Does it matter what we were?’

Someone shouted from inside the room asking what was going on, but Ferox ignored them. What did it matter? If Julius Civilis, former prefect, former equestrian, and former leader of the Batavian revolt, was now Longinus, a simple cavalryman here in the cohort at Vindolanda, then what did it matter?

‘Not a damned thing,’ he said, and then a thought struck him. ‘I have heard that Civilis was of royal blood.’

‘Worked it out, have you?’ He pointed at one of the corpses. ‘A couple of them came for me earlier on. Almost offended it was only two, but then I’m an old man, aren’t I? They won’t give any more trouble, but it slowed me down and let that one scratch me.’

‘If this is a scratch, Father,’ Vindex chipped in, ‘then I’d hate to see what you call a real cut.’

‘Why didn’t you keep some men with you?’

‘Not many I can trust to stay sober enough and to stick with their duty tonight. They were all needed elsewhere.’

‘Where is she?’