Avenger of Rome by Douglas Jackson Page B

widened as she realized how quickly the pirate had closed since the last time she had been on deck. In that instant her whole demeanour changed and he was reminded of the difference between other women and a Roman lady bred to rule. The aggression drained from her to be replaced by a languid grace, and the headlong charge was transformed into a neat turn.
    ‘Then if the tribune says they must go, they must go, Tulia. Kindly show them where to find the tableware and the boxes containing the statuary.’
    Valerius rose and went to her side. ‘Thank you, my lady, I appreciate your cooperation. If it had not been necessary …’
    She shook her head and looked again at the pirate galleys, which were now less than half a mile away. ‘In times of war we are all soldiers, tribune, and we must all make sacrifices.’ She turned, and forced him to look deep into her eyes. ‘Is that not so? We place ourselves in your trust.’
    When she was gone and his heart had stopped thundering he forced his attention back to their pursuers, wondering at the turmoil she awoke in him. Another complication he didn’t need. He imagined the big galleys gaining stroke by stroke, coming closer and closer until they touched hulls with the
Cygnet
. What would he do then? How could he confound his enemy? He thought back to the defence of Colonia, when he had tempted Boudicca’s warrior chiefs with the only remaining bridge to the city and they had taken the bait. This was different. He was being hunted by three wolves, and when the first wolf’s jaws closed the others would move in and together they would tear him to pieces.
    ‘Look!’
    He joined Tiberius at the side.
    ‘Something strange is happening,’ the younger man pointed out. ‘Perhaps they are abandoning the chase.’
    Valerius looked back to where two of the galleys had closed and their movement seemed to stutter. For a moment his hopes rose, before the ships parted and the smaller of the two suddenly surged ahead of its brethren.
    ‘What’s happening, Aurelius? I need to know what they’re planning.’
    The
Golden Cygnet
’s master scratched his head. ‘I do not know, unless …’ He looked again to where the single galley was powering towards them, each stroke bringing it closer and allowing him to see it with more clarity. ‘Capito, come here. Tell me what you see.’
    The old sailor hurried to his captain’s side. He understood in an instant.
    ‘Poseidon save us. I’ve seen it done before, but only once. They’ll have run a plank between the sterns of the two ships and reinforced the crew of the smaller one. When a slave tires they throw the poor bastard overboard and he’s replaced by a fighter. It means that they can maintain their highest speed but you’ll face up to forty pirates instead of only twenty.’ He took in the distance between the scout galley and the
Cygnet
and his voice faltered. ‘They’ll be upon us in minutes.’ Valerius saw the moment Capito’s nerve snapped. The sailor’s eyes spun in his head and he let out a terrible cry. ‘They won’t take me again!’
    Before anyone could stop him he ran to where a stack of
amphorae
lay against the side of the ship, picked up one of the great stone jars and leapt over the rail. Valerius searched the spot where the wizened seaman had jumped, but it was as if he had never existed. The weight of the
amphora
had taken him straight to the bottom. In the appalled silence that followed Aurelius barked an order and another sailor picked up one of the
amphorae
, preparing to heave it over the side. Valerius put a hand on the man’s shoulder.
    ‘How many left?’
    ‘These are the last twenty I think, sir.’
    ‘Keep them. I want the oil poured into as many buckets as you can find. And get me a couple of iron files. Big ones.’
    Tiberius looked at him as if he’d gone mad, but when Valerius had explained his plan the young tribune shook his head in admiration.
    ‘Madness. But it might even work.’ He drew