* * *
It was early morning. The sun was rising and the streets were beginning to fill with busy, hurrying townspeople going about their business. A street vendor plying his trade on the corner began setting up his stall and a smell of baking bread permeated the morning air, as I looked from the window of the tenement that Junius and I shared. I had awakened and Junius was snoring. It drowned out much of the street noise below, of children shouting and carts passing.
'Veridius,' I heard a voice calling from the street. It was a gruff voice with a broad Sicilian accent. It took only a few seconds before my head appeared and I looked out.
'What in Hades? Oh, sorry sir,' I said as I recognised Asinnius. My hair was tousled and my eyes blinked in the sunlight, 'I'll be right down.'
Junius and I appeared in our tunics unwashed and unkempt. Our officer seemed impatient.
'We should talk,' the Centurion said.
'Can you wait here for a few moments? We'll be ready in no time,' I said. Junius scowled, his usual morning demeanour involuntarily appearing.
'There is a food place round the corner. We can talk over breakfast,'
Asinnius had walked around the corner and sat on one of the benches of the eating-house, where they served fresh garlic bread, olives, and watered wine.
'I'm not sure I want to be seen talking to you in the open,' I said as I approached wearing my gladius and my helmet, somewhat out of place without any armour.
'Relax, what could be more natural than talking to your Centurion in an open street?'
'What do you want?' I asked as we sat down.
'I'm being pressed for information, but I have little to tell my business associates. Have you spoken to your cousin yet?'
Junius looked at me quizzically. I had not told him about the night I had bumped into Asinnius near the palace.
'Not yet. I haven't had time.'
'Good. There's a change of plan.'
'What do you mean?' I said.
'Relax, there's money in it.'
'How much?' asked Junius.
'Twenty pieces of gold each. They'll pay me to find out where the treasure ship foundered.'
'How stupid. Do you mean to tell me they can launch an expedition with divers and gear to raise the ship?'
'No they don't want to do the work, they'll be content to let the army raise the ship if it's possible but they want to get the treasure afterwards.'
'We know roughly where the wreck occurred; the Queen herself has been working with the engineers to locate the spot on our maps. In five days we set off with the navy and the engineers to look for the ship and see if it can be retrieved.'
'How would they raise it?'
'Depends on whether it's deep or not. I was discussing it with one of our engineers and he said that they would put bladders of air underneath the decks and pump the ship up until it floats then pull it to land. They have done it before near Antioch when a treasure ship went down,' Junius said.
'We are both going along since we should be able to recognise the place.'
'Five days, you say?'
'Yes,' I said, 'they've assembled their gear and they'll only take three ships. They're not expecting trouble from either the Armenians or the corsairs.'
'I'll pass the message along. Meanwhile you two just go along with whatever they ask of you. Who's in charge of the operation?'
'Meridius,' I said.
'That big-headed bugger? He'll get his, when the corsairs board the ships! I wish I could be there to witness it. He's been riding me ever since we arrived.'
'I've never forgiven him for beating me in the sword contest, so I'm with you,' I turned to my friend, 'how about you Junius, are you in?'
'Of course I'm in. Any chance to make enough to get out of this army!'
We parted then and neither of us spoke until we were back in our quarters.
'It seems a little unwise you know, to get so heavily involved.'
‘Junius trust me. I'll relay the information to Meridius this evening that we have a means of passing messages to the corsairs through Asinnius and then the trap will be baited and the traitor will get what he deserves.'
'What now?' Junius said.
'Drill and then a spot of lunch,' I grinned, 'let’s hope we aren’t late.'
We got ready and walked through the now crowded streets of Sinope to begin a routine day in the legion.
I glanced over my shoulder nervously.
'You know Junius; I could swear we're being followed.'
'You seem to say that a lot these days, maybe the heat is getting to you.'
'No. It's a sense I picked up in the Subura, you can feel the person behind you. It's a funny feeling, but it saved me from being caught many times when I was a thief.'
'You're crazy,' Junius said, 'I can't feel anything. Let's just have a relaxed day with a little marching, guarding and weapons drill and then we can both sleep soundly tonight. Well perhaps one of us can sleep soundly. I don't know where you will be!'
'Junius, there's no harm in meeting Hypsicratea, we're just good friends.' I said with a serious look on my face.
'Really? I thought perhaps…'
'Don't be stupid my friend. You were right all along. There is as much chance of me having a real relationship with that woman as there is of me becoming Centurion next week!'
'Oh, I'm sorry. I know how you feel about her. Many more birds in the trees though.'
'Maybe so, but I just can't stop thinking about her. I'm seeing her again this evening.'
'Again? If you don't, you know… don't… what do you do?'
'We talk. We laugh a lot and she likes me.'
'Just be careful. If you try it on, she can cause you so much shit you wouldn't believe it!'
'I don't think she would, but I have no intention of spoiling our friendship by being stupid.'
'Well said.'
'I still want her very badly. I'd do anything for a chance of just one night with her.'
'Why?'
'I think I love her.'
'Rubbish man! Love is for women and children. Take what you want and move on until you want children and then get married. It's always been that way.'
'For you maybe, but not for me.'
'Have it the way you want, Aulus but mark my words, it won't bring you anything but grief. It's like being a fox and looking up at a bird in a tree. You'll starve long before you get what you want!'
'Bloody farmers,' I said.
'Of all the men I know in this army you are one of the bravest in a fight, but when it comes to women you don't have a clue.'
'And you do?'
'Yes, my little friend, I do.'
'What about this Ari... whatever?'
'Aripele? She's great. She's stopped charging me and comes because she really likes me. Impressed?'
'Not a lot. She's a whore.'
'But maybe she won't always be that way. I think of her quite a lot you know.'
'I thought you said…'
'Well, yes. All right, maybe I was being a bit harsh.'
'Sounds like neither of us really knows anything about women. But who does? Even Jupiter had his problems.'
'That reminds me. What happened to that bull you were going to sacrifice?'
'We can't afford it now.'
'True. If we help raise that ship though, we'll get a reward. We may end up rich after all.'
'Can't see how they'll do that. It's at the bottom of the Black sea.'
'Where there's a will there's a way. And there is a will.'