Chapter XV
"Deos fortioribus adesse." (The gods are on the side of the stronger.) - Tacitus
I stood in the alleyway with Junius at my side. My friend's presence was a comfort. I had known few friends in my life and Junius was the only man in this group I trusted. Trust to fight with me, trust to watch my back. I thought about the time struggling to feed myself in the gutters of Rome and my mouth tightened. The legion had taught me self-reliance, how to fight, and the value of my fellow legionaries, but above all, I had learned the value of trust in my friend.
I glanced at the farm-boy. His stature alone would be enough to put off an attacker. Having fought side by side on the Roman bireme, having waited then for death together, we had forged a bond that would not easily be broken, here or ever. I knew I had learned the value of loyalty too. I would die defending my honour, my woman or my livelihood but I would die also for this tall blonde farmer with whom I had fought once and expected to die with.
It was late and an owl hooted continuously in the background. A cloudy sky blotted out the moon and hoary shadows reached out for the five of us as we waited. This time, I wondered if owls were a particularly bad omen in my life, as I recalled the arrows flying on my way back from visiting Hypsicratea.
None of us felt cold, for many winter nights in Rome were colder, but we all wore our red military cloaks. Asinnius was the only one without a helmet and Marcus and Bassus were both dressed in their full armour.
'Are you sure he's coming?' Marcus said looking around at the empty alleyway.
'Yes sir, he said he would be here and he's never let me down before. We must be patient,' Asinnius said.
'Patience be damned! I'm not spending my entire evening just for you to make money, when I could be enjoying myself,' Marcus said irritated and jumpy.
'Asinnius is right sir,' Bassus said, 'to make money one has to be as patient as an Aedile!'
Junius glanced at me and we both smiled, for the simile was appropriate. If we had our way, all three men with us would be before an Aedile with their hands bound.
The sound of a footfall in front of us announced the arrival of the corsairs. Their leader was a big brown-skinned man with a slight limp. He spoke with a Scythian accent and had a habit of playing with his beard as he spoke. I wondered if it was only a means of keeping his hand up ready to draw his sword. Ten or more others accompanied him. They lurked in the background, for the alley was narrow. It is hard to count heads in the dark. One of the corsairs lit a lantern.
'Why here?' the corsair said.
'My companions chose the meeting place, nothing wrong with it,' Asinnius said.
'We usually meet in the tavern. I don't like this alley it smells of a trap.'
'You wanted to meet the officer. He has details of a weapons shipment that is coming in and maybe it will be a worthy cargo.'
'Your information last time was unreliable. Perhaps you are no use to us anymore.'
'Is that why you brought all these men?'
'Only a fool has trust in a traitor. Well, which of you is Mettius?'
Marcus stepped forward and looked the man in the face. He showed no sign of fear and he had a look of arrogance that I thought optimistically, might get him killed. Marcus on the other hand seemed blithely unaware of the danger.
'I am Marcus Mettius Costa. I wanted to meet the people who wanted the information on the cargo to ensure that they can be trusted.'
The corsair looked at Marcus with a quizzical expression. The left side of his face twitched slightly as he did so and any fool could see that he had only a slim hold on his temper.
'Trusted? Trusted! You Roman dog! You dare to question if I can be trusted. I could have killed you at any time since you entered this street. Do you think me blind or stupid?'
'Give up. Which is it?' Marcus said adding fuel to the flames.
My mind drifted to another alleyway and Asinnius' escape, leaving me and Junius to be captured by another group of corsairs. I wondered whether Asinnius would try to betray me a second time but spared little thought to the matter. I knew now to expect nothing from anyone but Junius.
'We aren't here to quarrel. We came only to make a deal,' Asinnius said in as placatory tone as he could muster. He could clearly detect the atmosphere as well as I could.
'Keep out of this,' Marcus said.
'Well?' the corsair said.
'Would you pay to know when and where the next arms shipment is coming in?' asked Marcus, calming down a little. I think the inept way he was dealing with the corsair was only a sign of nervousness for I was sure he could not be so stupid as to risk a fight with five against more than ten.
'We might, we need ballistae, like the ones mounted on the Roman Corvus ships.'
'We have a shipment arriving in a week. I will need a map from you so that I can indicate just where the convoy is going to sail but I want payment in advance,' Marcus said.
'Payment in advance? No chance. We make little enough as it is and we won't pay until we have the shipment in our hands.'
'Then we don't have a deal. How can I be sure you won't just take the shipment and renege on the bargain?'
'You have my word.'
'Not good enough,' Marcus said, 'I want the money first and then the information, or no ballistae.'
The big corsair looked at the Roman. He seemed uncertain for a moment.
'You drive a hard bargain, Roman. How about half in advance and the rest on completion?'
'I would settle for that but I still don't trust you,' Marcus said frowning.
'This one is beginning to annoy me,' the corsair said.
With a suddenness that surprised me, the corsair drew his sword. With lightening speed, he struck a backhanded blow at Marcus. Marcus however, surprised me equally. He drew his sword with frightening speed. He parried the blow. In his left hand, he had a small gladiator's shield. We all had one hidden beneath our cloaks. He thrust it at the corsair with a force that belied his angular frame.
It struck the corsair on the right shoulder. It threw him back towards his comrades as they drew their weapons and advanced. As the corsair fell backwards, he took the weight on his back foot and launched himself towards Marcus. This time, Marcus was not expecting a return and the corsair, short of space to swing his long curved weapon, used the hilt in an uppercut thrust, striking Marcus square on the tip of his outthrust chin.
For a split second a mental picture of Marcus in a similar pose, when we were boys, crossed my mind. He had been taunting and bullying and I had lashed out. For once, it was he, who had landed on the floor. The smile on my lips was short-lived however, for within moments I had plenty to do.
Bassus, who was standing behind Marcus, managed to catch the falling Tribune. He dragged him backwards towards the wall on his right as Junius and Asinnius and I faced the onslaught before us. Fortunately, the alleyway was only broad enough for three men to stand shoulder to shoulder, so the attackers had difficulty utilising their superior numbers.
The alley rang to the sound of swords hammering, thrusting and parrying. Shields flashed as we three Romans defended ourselves.
I faced with two attackers. Both large men. One with a sword and the other with a long handled, double bladed axe. It was a heavy, murderous weapon. He swung it in a ponderous arc at my head. I stepped back. I let the blow pass. It was too heavy a weapon for the corsair to make a quick riposte.
I stabbed with my gladius at the man to my left. I thrust forward with my shield. The shield hit its mark, striking the corsair full in the face. As he raised his sword, my short sword, the ideal weapon in a close combat, leapt forward and stabbed him in the groin. The man went down. The axe man raised his weapon for his second strike at my head. In doing so, he exposed his midriff. It was an easy target. He died with a scream of pain and anguish.
Junius had fared well and stood with one dead corsair before him and another thrusting at him with a sword. Asinnius was struggling with the corsair leader and bac
king away.
It happened quickly. Asinnius turned suddenly and lashed out at me. The corsair leader turned too and attacked. Asinnius and the leader were both at me in a flash. I stepped back desperately and found Junius by my side. We parried and stabbed with a speed of lightning proportions as Bassus dragged the still unconscious Marcus up the alley.
The fight continued for brief moments only. Junius and I found ourselves stepping backwards slowly. Two of us holding back four times our number. Where was Bassus? No time to look.
Cut, thrust, parry, push with the shield. Wait for the next man. The corsairs' numbers were beginning to tell. I lost sight of Asinnius and slipped on the cobbles as I backed away. My left foot flew upwards as I fell.
I lay on my back momentarily. A curved blade rang on the stones beneath me as I shifted my head to the left avoiding the inevitable.
I looked up. I kicked. I swiftly stabbed sideways at a knee. The sword's owner buckled before me. I tried to rise. Another corsair came shouting and swinging at me.
I tried to parry, to get to my feet. I missed the parry altogether. My opponent's blade struck home, scraping across my helmet's cheek-guard, and hitting my right shoulder.
It was a slicing, glancing blow. The pain arced through my arm and I dropped my sword. I rolled. I scrambled to my feet and armed only with my little bronze shield, tried to defend myself.
There were three men with swords all advancing towards me. One of them was Asinnius. The traitor had revealed himself at last. I swallowed and thought of the amulet. Marcus might get it now.
I countered the first blow, but the burning pain in my shoulder slowed me down. The other two blows landed, one with a ringing sound upon my helmet. The other stabbed into my breastplate. I fell again.
For a moment, I saw little apart from golden sparks flying around my visual fields. Fast, I pushed the helmet up, for it had descended to obscure my vision.
As I looked up, the corsair who had hit me first, stood above me with his sword pointed downwards aiming at my throat. Another moment and all would be dark and cold.