anger in I don’t know how long, and to have such a worthwhile target will make it doubly pleasurable.’
Vespasian looked around the roofs; he could count fifteen men, and another three looking out of the windows of house slaves’ quartersabove the stables. Simeon and Ludovicus were hidden behind the gates ready to spring the trap; Lykos and Pallo were stationed above them. Baseos and Ataphanes were heading out of the gate on horses, nonchalantly stringing their bows.
‘Where are they going?’ Vespasian asked Sabinus, who was a little further along the main house’s roof from him; in his hand he had the end of a rope that trailed down across the yard and up through a first-floor window opposite, through which Hieron could be glimpsed.
‘We need to have some people outside otherwise it would look suspiciously quiet. As soon as they’re spotted they’ll race back through the gates, hopefully bringing the raiders with them.’ Sabinus raised his voice so that everyone around the yard could hear him. ‘Now remember, keep down until they’re coming through the gate. We don’t want them seeing any heads on the roofs and becoming suspicious. We want them to charge in here in blissful ignorance of what awaits them. There will be freedom for any slave who acquits himself well today.’ A small cheer went up. ‘Pallo, you keep watch; everyone else get down and stay down now. Don’t start shooting until at least ten of them are in the yard – by that time their momentum will be too great to stop. May Fortuna and Mars look down kindly upon us.’
They settled down to wait with the midday sun burning down on them. Time started to drag; the eerie silence around the yard seemed to slow it even more. Vespasian considered the possibility that it was just his and Sabinus’ over-active imaginations that had caused the panic, and thought of the humiliation they would face when it became apparent that it was a false alarm. He almost let out a sigh of relief when he heard the first faint screams and shouts from far off in the fields. The raiders had evidently come across a work-party that was too far away to be warned and were warming up by butchering them. The men around the yard tensed as they listenedto the cries of their fellow estate-workers. Knowing that their chance for vengeance would soon be with them, they checked their weapons and flexed their muscles. The screaming stopped. Silence descended once again on the yard. Then faintly, in the distance, they could hear the rumble of fast-moving horses. As it grew they knew that the runaways were heading in their direction and would be with them imminently.
‘I can see them,’ Pallo called. ‘They’re about half a mile away. They’ve got burning torches.’
‘OK. Steady, lads, keep low,’ Sabinus growled.
‘They’ve seen Baseos and Ataphanes; here they come.’
The sound of horses was getting louder and they could now hear the shouts of their riders. Vespasian thought that if they were trying to surprise them, they were going the wrong way about it. This thought was banished from his mind as Baseos and Ataphanes came thundering through the gates, one swerving to the left and one to the right, towards the last two ladders that had been left for them. They leapt from their mounts and quickly clambered on to the roof, pulling the ladders up behind them, just as the lead riders burst into the yard, brandishing flaming torches, followed closely by the main body of the runaways. The lead riders passed over the rope and threw their torches, wildly, at open windows.
‘Now!’ Sabinus shouted.
A hail of missiles rained down on the attackers, striking rider and mount alike. Four fell immediately. Such was the speed of the others following behind that they were unable to stop. They raced through the gates and on into the yard, trampling the bodies of their fallen comrades. As the last raiders charged through the gates Simeon and Ludovicus leapt from their hiding places
Vespasian looked around the roofs; he could count fifteen men, and another three looking out of the windows of house slaves’ quartersabove the stables. Simeon and Ludovicus were hidden behind the gates ready to spring the trap; Lykos and Pallo were stationed above them. Baseos and Ataphanes were heading out of the gate on horses, nonchalantly stringing their bows.
‘Where are they going?’ Vespasian asked Sabinus, who was a little further along the main house’s roof from him; in his hand he had the end of a rope that trailed down across the yard and up through a first-floor window opposite, through which Hieron could be glimpsed.
‘We need to have some people outside otherwise it would look suspiciously quiet. As soon as they’re spotted they’ll race back through the gates, hopefully bringing the raiders with them.’ Sabinus raised his voice so that everyone around the yard could hear him. ‘Now remember, keep down until they’re coming through the gate. We don’t want them seeing any heads on the roofs and becoming suspicious. We want them to charge in here in blissful ignorance of what awaits them. There will be freedom for any slave who acquits himself well today.’ A small cheer went up. ‘Pallo, you keep watch; everyone else get down and stay down now. Don’t start shooting until at least ten of them are in the yard – by that time their momentum will be too great to stop. May Fortuna and Mars look down kindly upon us.’
They settled down to wait with the midday sun burning down on them. Time started to drag; the eerie silence around the yard seemed to slow it even more. Vespasian considered the possibility that it was just his and Sabinus’ over-active imaginations that had caused the panic, and thought of the humiliation they would face when it became apparent that it was a false alarm. He almost let out a sigh of relief when he heard the first faint screams and shouts from far off in the fields. The raiders had evidently come across a work-party that was too far away to be warned and were warming up by butchering them. The men around the yard tensed as they listenedto the cries of their fellow estate-workers. Knowing that their chance for vengeance would soon be with them, they checked their weapons and flexed their muscles. The screaming stopped. Silence descended once again on the yard. Then faintly, in the distance, they could hear the rumble of fast-moving horses. As it grew they knew that the runaways were heading in their direction and would be with them imminently.
‘I can see them,’ Pallo called. ‘They’re about half a mile away. They’ve got burning torches.’
‘OK. Steady, lads, keep low,’ Sabinus growled.
‘They’ve seen Baseos and Ataphanes; here they come.’
The sound of horses was getting louder and they could now hear the shouts of their riders. Vespasian thought that if they were trying to surprise them, they were going the wrong way about it. This thought was banished from his mind as Baseos and Ataphanes came thundering through the gates, one swerving to the left and one to the right, towards the last two ladders that had been left for them. They leapt from their mounts and quickly clambered on to the roof, pulling the ladders up behind them, just as the lead riders burst into the yard, brandishing flaming torches, followed closely by the main body of the runaways. The lead riders passed over the rope and threw their torches, wildly, at open windows.
‘Now!’ Sabinus shouted.
A hail of missiles rained down on the attackers, striking rider and mount alike. Four fell immediately. Such was the speed of the others following behind that they were unable to stop. They raced through the gates and on into the yard, trampling the bodies of their fallen comrades. As the last raiders charged through the gates Simeon and Ludovicus leapt from their hiding places
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