Simon Scarrow - The Gladiator

THE GLADIATOR

Simon Scarrow and available from Headline

T h e Roman Series

U n d e r the Eagle

T h e Eagle's C o n q u e s t

W h e n the Eagle Hunts

T h e Eagle and the Wolves

T h e Eagle's Prey

T h e Eagle's Prophecy

T h e Eagle In T h e Sand

C e n t u r i o n

T h e Gladiator

T h e Wellington and Napoleon Quartet

Y o u n g B l o o d s

T h e Generals

Fire and Sword

THE

GLADIATOR

Copyright 2009 Simon Scarrow

The right of Simon Scarrow to be identified as the Author of the Work has been asserted by him in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

First published in 2009

by HEADLINE PUBLISHING GROUP

Apart from any use permitted under UK copyright law, this publication may only be reproduced, stored, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means, with prior permission in writing of the publishers or, in the case of reprographic production, in accordance with the terms of licences issued by the Copyright Licensing Agency.

All characters in this publication - other than the obvious historical characters - are fictitious and any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

Cataloguing in Publication Data is available from the British Library ISBN 978 0 7553 2778 2 (Hardback)

ISBN 978 0 7553 3916 7 (Trade paperback)

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This b o o k is for M i c k Webb and the staff of Stoke H o l y Cross Primary School.

T h a n k you for everything you have done for my sons, J o e and N i c k .

O n c e again, my heartfelt thanks to my wife, Carolyn, for road-testing each chapter as it came off the word-processor. Also to my agent, M e g , and surely one of the best editors in the business, M a r i o n , w h o always manages to rein in my excesses and point me towards a leaner, cleaner tale. Finally, huge thanks to my son J o e , w h o n o w has an encyclopaedic knowledge of the series and thus saved me from making a very embarrassing error. J o e , you're a star.

THE HEART OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE 49AD

ROMAN PROVINCE OF CRETE

We should reach Matala on the next tack,' announced the captain as he shaded his eyes and gazed at the coastline of Crete off the starboard b e a m , burnished by the late afternoon sun.

Beside h i m on the deck stood s o m e of his passengers, a R o m a n senator, his daughter and two centurions, b o u n d for R o m e . T h e four had boarded at Caesarea together with the daughter's maidservant, a y o u n g Judaean girl. T h e captain was proud of his vessel. T h e Horus was an old ship from Alexandria, retired from the fleet that shipped grain across the Mediterranean to R o m e . Despite her years she was still a tough, seaworthy vessel and the captain was confident and experienced e n o u g h to take her out of the sight of land w h e n necessary. Accordingly, the Horus had headed directly out to sea w h e n she left the port of Caesarea, and had m a d e landfall off the coast of Crete three days later.

'Will we arrive at Matala before night?' asked the senator.

'I'm afraid not, sir.' T h e captain smiled faintly. 'And I'm not going to attempt an approach in the dark. T h e Horus has a full hold and rides low in the water. Can't risk running her up on any rocks.'

'So what happens tonight then?'

T h e captain pursed his lips briefly. 'We'll have to stand off the coast, hove to until dawn. M e a n s I'll lose a day, but that can't be helped. Best offer a quick prayer to Poseidon that we m a k e up the time after we leave Matala.'

T h e older centurion let out a frustrated sigh. ' B l o o d y sea travel.

N e v e r straightforward. Should have taken the land route.'

T h e other officer, a tall, slender m a n with a curly m o p of dark hair, laughed and slapped his stout comrade on the shoulder. 'I thought I was the impatient one! Easy there, Macro, we'll still reach R o m e long before we ever could if we had g o n e by land.'

'You've changed your tune. Thought you were the one w h o hated the sea.'

'I'm not fond of it, but I have my reasons for wanting to reach R o m e as soon as I can.'

' N o doubt.' C e n t u r i o n Macro winked, with a faint nod towards the senator's daughter. 'I'll just be glad to get a new posting. B a c k with the legions, permanently. T h e gods k n o w we've done e n o u g h to earn it, Cato, my friend. Two years on the eastern frontier. I've had my fill of heat, sand and thirst. N e x t time I want a nice cushy post somewhere in Gaul. S o m e w h e r e I can rest a while.'

'That's what you say now.' C a t o laughed. 'But I k n o w you, Macro.

You'd be bored witless before the m o n t h was out.'

'I don't know. I'd like to get back to s o m e proper soldiering. No m o r e doing the dirty work of the imperial palace for me.'

C a t o n o d d e d with feeling. Ever since they had carried out their first mission for Narcissus, the emperor's private secretary and head of the imperial spy network, M a c r o and C a t o had faced perils from every quarter, besides the usual dangers of being soldiers. Cato's expression hardened. 'I fear that's rather out of our control. T h e m o r e problems we solve, the greater the chance that we'll be called on again.'

'Ain't that the truth,' M a c r o muttered. 'Shit...'

T h e n , r e m e m b e r i n g that the senator and his daughter were present, he glanced at them apologetically and cleared his throat.

' S o r r y , miss. Pardon my Gallic.'

T h e senator smiled. 'We've heard worse in recent months, C e n t u r i o n Macro. In fact I think we have b e c o m e rather used to the rough ways of soldiers. Otherwise I'd hardly countenance the attention C a t o has been showing my daughter, eh?'

She grinned. 'Don't worry, Father, I'll tame him sure enough.'

C a t o smiled as she took his arm and gave it an affectionate squeeze. T h e captain looked at them and scratched his chin.

'Getting married then, Miss Julia?'

She nodded. 'As soon as we return to R o m e . '

' D a m n , had h o p e d to ask for your hand myself,' the captain j o k e d .

He examined C a t o briefly. T h e centurion's features were unmarked by the scars o n e tended to see on the faces of experienced soldiers.

He was also, by far, the youngest centurion the Greek sea captain had ever met, barely in his twenties, and he could not help w o n d e r i n g if such a man could only have been p r o m o t e d to the rank through the patronage of a powerful friend. B u t the medallions fixed to the centurion's harness spoke of real achievements, hard w o n . Clearly there was far m o r e to C e n t u r i o n C a t o than the captain had first thought. By contrast, C e n t u r i o n M a c r o looked every inch the hard fighting man. Shorter by a head, but built like a bull, with well-muscled limbs on which numerous scars clearly showed. S o m e fifteen years older than his comrade, he had cropped dark hair and piercing brown eyes, yet the creases in his face hinted at a h u m o r o u s side, should a suitable occasion arise.