terms.’
The man blinked. ‘Sir?’
‘Egyptians, not gypos, eh?’
‘Yes, sir.’
‘Very well, bring him in.’
Cato looked around at Macro and took a sharp breath as they waited for the survivor from the temple to be brought in to tell his tale.
CHAPTER FIVE
Hamedes was tall and solidly built. His bruised head had been shaved, but several days without any attention had left it with a dark furze. Somewhat younger than Cato, his eyes were deep-set either side of the wide curved nose that was typical of the native race. He wore a plain red military tunic, which Cato guessed must have been lent to him. He stood before them barefoot and unbowed. He spoke in Greek, fluently.
‘You sent for me, sir,’ he announced, somehow making the last word sound like a condescension.
‘Indeed.’ The governor nodded. ‘I’d like you to tell your story to these two officers.’
‘Why? I’ve already given a statement, which was taken down by your scribe. It’s not necessary, a waste of time.’
‘There’s no need for the high and mighty act,’ said Macro with a frown that would have unnerved a less easily subdued man than Hamedes. ‘Just be a good lad and give us the details.’
The priest looked Macro up and down. ‘And who might I be addressing, if I may ask?’
Macro puffed his chest out. ‘Centurion—’
‘Enough!’ Cato intervened. ‘You are here to answer our questions, not ask your own.’
‘Really? I thought I was here because I am a witness to Roman aggression against the temple of Isis at Keirkut. The temple is now a ruin, and its servants are carrion meat for the vultures. I am here to see that they have justice, sir.’ He paused briefly. ‘That is, if those who come from Rome are familiar with the concept. Meanwhile, it seems that I am a prisoner.’
Macro glanced at Cato and spoke quietly. ‘Quite full of himself, isn’t he? If he wants to play us around then I’m quite happy to take on the role of interrogator.’
‘Not yet,’ Cato replied quietly. ‘Let’s see what we can learn by less obtrusive means, eh?’
He turned to Hamedes. ‘The governor has asked us to join his investigation into the incident. We could read the report, but I would prefer to hear it directly from your own lips. It would be of considerable assistance to us in seeking the justice you desire.’
The young priest stared back, and then nodded. ‘Very well. I am prepared to cooperate on that basis.’
‘How good of you,’ Macro muttered, and Cato shot him a warning look.
‘Tell them what you told me, Hamedes,’ said Petronius. ‘If you please.’
‘Very well.’ He closed his eyes briefly to compose his thoughts. ‘It was the last hour of the day when they came. The high priest had begun the ceremony of Ra’s entry into the underworld. The senior priests were by the altar on the river landing. The rest of us were kneeling on the bank of the river, around the sacred barge. That’s when I first noticed the sail. A Roman warship had entered the river from the sea and was making for the eastern bank of the tributary. The high priest seemed to pay it no attention and continued with the ceremony, preparing the bushel of wheat to be burned as an offering to Ra, the most wise and merciful.’ Hamedes briefly clasped his hands together and bowed his head. ‘The ship continued towards the landing. At the last moment they took in their sail and turned to come alongside the steps leading down into the Nile. At once the Romans threw down a ramp and came ashore.’
‘Were they in uniform?’ asked Cato. ‘Like myself?’
‘They wore tunics like yours but they were white. They had swords, shields and helmets like those worn by your auxiliaries.’
‘Marines then,’ said Macro. ‘It fits with what we know.’
Cato nodded. ‘Carry on. What happened next?’
‘They surrounded us and forced us to gather around the barge of Ra, most wise and merciful.’ Hamedes repeated his
The man blinked. ‘Sir?’
‘Egyptians, not gypos, eh?’
‘Yes, sir.’
‘Very well, bring him in.’
Cato looked around at Macro and took a sharp breath as they waited for the survivor from the temple to be brought in to tell his tale.
CHAPTER FIVE
Hamedes was tall and solidly built. His bruised head had been shaved, but several days without any attention had left it with a dark furze. Somewhat younger than Cato, his eyes were deep-set either side of the wide curved nose that was typical of the native race. He wore a plain red military tunic, which Cato guessed must have been lent to him. He stood before them barefoot and unbowed. He spoke in Greek, fluently.
‘You sent for me, sir,’ he announced, somehow making the last word sound like a condescension.
‘Indeed.’ The governor nodded. ‘I’d like you to tell your story to these two officers.’
‘Why? I’ve already given a statement, which was taken down by your scribe. It’s not necessary, a waste of time.’
‘There’s no need for the high and mighty act,’ said Macro with a frown that would have unnerved a less easily subdued man than Hamedes. ‘Just be a good lad and give us the details.’
The priest looked Macro up and down. ‘And who might I be addressing, if I may ask?’
Macro puffed his chest out. ‘Centurion—’
‘Enough!’ Cato intervened. ‘You are here to answer our questions, not ask your own.’
‘Really? I thought I was here because I am a witness to Roman aggression against the temple of Isis at Keirkut. The temple is now a ruin, and its servants are carrion meat for the vultures. I am here to see that they have justice, sir.’ He paused briefly. ‘That is, if those who come from Rome are familiar with the concept. Meanwhile, it seems that I am a prisoner.’
Macro glanced at Cato and spoke quietly. ‘Quite full of himself, isn’t he? If he wants to play us around then I’m quite happy to take on the role of interrogator.’
‘Not yet,’ Cato replied quietly. ‘Let’s see what we can learn by less obtrusive means, eh?’
He turned to Hamedes. ‘The governor has asked us to join his investigation into the incident. We could read the report, but I would prefer to hear it directly from your own lips. It would be of considerable assistance to us in seeking the justice you desire.’
The young priest stared back, and then nodded. ‘Very well. I am prepared to cooperate on that basis.’
‘How good of you,’ Macro muttered, and Cato shot him a warning look.
‘Tell them what you told me, Hamedes,’ said Petronius. ‘If you please.’
‘Very well.’ He closed his eyes briefly to compose his thoughts. ‘It was the last hour of the day when they came. The high priest had begun the ceremony of Ra’s entry into the underworld. The senior priests were by the altar on the river landing. The rest of us were kneeling on the bank of the river, around the sacred barge. That’s when I first noticed the sail. A Roman warship had entered the river from the sea and was making for the eastern bank of the tributary. The high priest seemed to pay it no attention and continued with the ceremony, preparing the bushel of wheat to be burned as an offering to Ra, the most wise and merciful.’ Hamedes briefly clasped his hands together and bowed his head. ‘The ship continued towards the landing. At the last moment they took in their sail and turned to come alongside the steps leading down into the Nile. At once the Romans threw down a ramp and came ashore.’
‘Were they in uniform?’ asked Cato. ‘Like myself?’
‘They wore tunics like yours but they were white. They had swords, shields and helmets like those worn by your auxiliaries.’
‘Marines then,’ said Macro. ‘It fits with what we know.’
Cato nodded. ‘Carry on. What happened next?’
‘They surrounded us and forced us to gather around the barge of Ra, most wise and merciful.’ Hamedes repeated his
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