The Siege Read Online Free PDF Page A

and he found himself struggling to remember precisely what the scout had said about bandits. Given the present situation, he knew his garb would do nothing to deter any would-be attackers. Simo carried a dagger, but he hardly seemed the warrior type, and with his own fighting ability still so limited, he had been stupid not to bring along a couple of the legionaries.
    Squinting into the haze, Cassius looked for horses on the plain, or moving along the base of the hills ahead. As they had at least two or three more hours until they reached those hills, he decided to occupy the time with conversation, knowing at least that if they were attacked, it would not be difficult to see their foes coming.
    ‘So Simo. Remind me how it is that a Gaul comes to be so far from home.’
    Simo also seemed eager to distract himself and eased his horse a little nearer.
    ‘Well, sir, I have worked for my master all my life, as my father did for his. My antecedents were captured in battle and taken to Rome. My grandfather’s grandfather came here in the service of a leather merchant. It was during the time of the Emperor Hadrian – ‘the days of glory’ as my father would call them. He used to tell stories passed down to him: the building of Antioch’s great temples and aqueducts and theatres; the garrison parading the walls, five thousand strong; and the rise of the Christians, of course.’
    Cassius rolled his eyes.
    ‘The Christians. I heard almost as much about them in Antioch as the Palmyrans. It seems they are with us to stay.’
    ‘I should say so, sir. My uncle’s dwelling in the city is not far from a house used by Paul of Tarsus no less. Do you find nothing of merit in their teachings?’
    Cassius shrugged. Ever since his earliest days, he had lacked a natural interest in things religious. Here in the East, he had found that every tenet of traditional Roman belief seemed to be a subject for debate, and his interest had declined even further.
    ‘Not particularly. It seems to me that life is short, difficult and dangerous, and one is better off looking to oneself if one wishes to progress. Although I must accept I am in a minority as far as such thinking goes. Of course, if the Emperor and his general Aurelian do well, it may be that one day they find themselves worshipped as divine beings.’
    ‘The Emperor does seem the type to bring the provinces to heel, sir.’
    ‘Indeed, though I must confess I never expected to be involved in such efforts myself. If only that rampaging bitch Zenobia would be content to stay in her lair, I would be spared such a trial. Only a mob of witless barbarians would allow a woman to rule them.’
    ‘Barbarians they are, sir. I have heard tales of their treatment of prisoners that turn the stomach.’
    Cassius was relieved that Simo didn’t go into any detail.
    ‘There’s one issue I might agree with the Christians about. War is one thing but an interest in needless torture and suffering is the mark of a feeble mind. Anyone who’s seen the parade of inbreds and freaks emerging wide-eyed from a gladiator contest can attest to that.’
    ‘May I ask something, sir?’
    Cassius had just finished another sweep of the horizon.
    ‘You may.’
    ‘Why exactly are we journeying to Alauran? Forgive my question, I wish only for an idea of what awaits us.’
    Cassius took a deep breath. When he replied, he found himself listening to his own words with an unsettling sense of detachment, as if they were being spoken by someone else.
    ‘An attack by the Palmyrans is expected. If there is no senior officer present, I will have to do what I can to ensure that the fort and its well do not fall into their hands. As to what precisely awaits us, I advise you take the position I have adopted. I think we’re just going to have to wait and see.’
    As the sun dipped below the horizon and their shadows stretched away from them, the two riders reached the edge of the plain and turned south at the base of the hills.