Cato laughed. 'I doubt it'll get much better, sir. If Strabo is anything to go by.'

The literary allusion caused Macro to grimace at the boy. 'You couldn't just agree with me, could you? Had to bring some bloody academic into it.'

'Sorry, sir.'

'Never mind. Let's go and see what Vespasian wants.'

The Eagles Conquest

'At ease,' ordered Vespasian.

Macro and Cato, standing a pace back from the desk, adopted the required informal posture. They were rather shocked to see clear signs of exhaustion in their commander as he leaned back from the scrolls on his desk and the light from the overhead oil lamps fell on his heavily lined face.

Vespasian considered them for a moment, unsure how to proceed.

A few days ago the centurion, the optio and a small party of Macro's hand-picked men had been sent on a secret mission. They had been tasked with retrieving a pay chest that Julius Caesar had been forced to abandon in a marsh close to the coast nearly a hundred years earlier. The Second Legion's senior tribune, a smooth patrician named Vitellius, had decided to seize the pay chest for himself and, with a gang of horse archers he had bribed, had fallen on Macro's men amid the mists of the marsh. Thanks to the fighting skills of the centurion, Vitellius had failed and fled the scene. But the fates seemed to favour the tribune; he had come across a column of Britons trying to outflank the Roman advance and had been able to warn the legions of the danger just in time. As a result of the subsequent victory, Vitellius was now something of a hero. Those who knew the truth about Vitellius' treachery felt disgust at the praise that was showered on the senior tribune.

'I'm afraid I can't press any charges against Tribune Vitellius. I've only your word to go on, and that isn't enough.'

Macro bristled with barely contained rage.

'Centurion, I know the type of man he is. You say he tried to have you and your men killed when I sent you after the pay chest. That mission was secret, quite secret. I suspect that only you, me and the lad there knew about the chest's contents. And Vitellius of course. Even now it is still sealed, and on its way back to Rome under heavy guard, and the fewer who know about the gold it contains the better. That's the way the Emperor wants to keep things. No one will thank us for exposing this in court if charges are bought against Vitellius. In addition, you might not be aware that his father is a close friend of the Emperor. Do I need to say more?'

Macro pursed his lips and shook his head.

Vespasian let his words sink in, well understanding the expression of resignation settling on the faces of the centurion and his optio. It was too bad that Vitellius should be the one to emerge from the situation smelling of roses, but that was typical of the tribune's luck. That man was destined for high office, and the fates would let nothing stand in his way. And there was far more behind his treachery than Vespasian could ever let these two men know. Besides his duties as a tribune, Vitellius was also an imperial spy in the service of Narcissus, the Emperor's chief secretary. If Narcissus ever came to know he had been fooled by Vitellius, the tribune's life would be forfeit. But Narcissus would never find out from the lips of Vespasian. Vitellius had seen to that. While gathering information on the loyalty of the officers and men of the Second Legion, Vitellius had uncovered the identity of a conspirator involved in a plot to overthrow the new Emperor.

Flavia Domitilla, the wife of Vespasian.

For the moment, then, a stand-off existed between Vitellius and Vespasian; both had information that could fatally wound the other if it ever came to the ears of Narcissus.

Aware that he must have been staring vacantly at his subordinates for some time, Vespasian quickly turned his mind to the other reason he had summoned Macro and Cato.

'Centurion, there is something that should cheer you up.' Vespasian reached to the side of the table and picked up a small bundle wrapped in silk. Carefully unfolding the silk, Vespasian revealed a gold torc which he gazed at momentarily before holding it up in the dim light of the oil lamps. 'Recognise it, Centurion?'

Macro looked a moment, then shook his head. 'Sorry, sir.'

'I'm not surprised. You probably had other things on your mind when you first saw this,' Vespasian said with a wry smile. 'It's the torc of a chief of the Britons. It used to be the property of one Togodumnus, fortunately no longer with us.'

Macro laughed, suddenly recalling the torc as it had been, worn round the neck of the huge warrior he had killed in single combat a few days earlier.

'Here!' Vespasian tossed the torc and Macro, caught by surprise, fielded it awkwardly. 'A small token of the legion's gratitude. It comes out of my share of the spoils. You deserve that, Centurion. You won it, so wear it with honour.'

'Yes, sir,' Macro replied as he examined the tore. Plaited bands of gold gleamed in the wavering light, and each end curled back on itself round a large ruby that sparkled like a blood-soaked star. Strange swirling designs had been worked into the gold surrounding the rubies. Macro felt the weight of the tore and made a rough calculation of its value. His eyes widened as he registered the significance of the legate's gesture.

'Sir, I don't know how to thank you for this.'

Vespasian waved a hand. 'Then don't. As I said, you deserve it. As for you, Optio, I have nothing to give except my thanks.'

Cato coloured, his lips thinning into a bitter expression. The legate couldn't help laughing at the young man.

'It's true I may not have anything of value to give you. But someone else has, or had, rather.' 'Sir?'

'You're aware that Chief Centurion Bestia has died of his wounds?' 'Yes, sir.'

'Last night, before he lost consciousness, he made a verbal will in front of witnesses. He asked that I be his executor.'

'A verbal will?' Cato frowned.

'As long as there are witnesses, any soldier can state verbally how his camp property is to be disposed of in the event of his death. It's a custom rather than a rule enshrined in law. It seems that Bestia wanted you to have certain items of his property.'

'Me!' Cato exclaimed. 'He wanted me to have something, sir?' 'Apparently.'

'But why on earth? He couldn't stand the sight of me.'

'Bestia said he'd seen you fight like a veteran, with no armour, just helmet and shield. Going at it just as he had taught you. He told me he had been wrong about you. He'd thought you a fool and a coward. He learned otherwise, and wanted you to know he was proud of the way you'd turned out.'

'He said that, sir?' 'Precisely that, son.'

Cato opened his mouth, but no words came. He could not believe this; it seemed impossible. To have misjudged someone so completely. To have assumed that they were irredeemably bad and incapable of positive sentiment.

'What did he want me to have, sir?'

'Find out for yourself, son,' replied Vespasian. 'Bestia's body is still in the hospital tent, with his personal effects. The surgeon's assistant knows what to give you. We'll burn Bestia's body at dawn. You're dismissed. '

The Eagles Conquest