“About what?” growled Varro
“We located the assassins.”
“Good. I personally want to tear pieces off them.”
Salonius shook his head. “The marshal has them in custody. There’s seven of them. Cristus’ men that infiltrated the Second Cohort. He won’t let you near them, Varro. He’s dealing with it in strict military fashion. They’re to go on trial tomorrow. Of course, the verdict will be guilty, and they’ll be executed, but the marshal wants it all done above board. All correct.”
Varro ground his teeth.
“Our own cohort! That bastard Cristus stops at nothing. How did the piece of shit get his men in our unit?”
Salonius glanced round at Catilina and swallowed nervously.
“They were transferred in at Corda’s request.”
Varro stared at him as though he’d changed colour or grown wings, his mouth opening and closing.
Salonius sighed. “Corda’s been involved with Cristus for some time, though he claimed not to have known about or been involved in what happened to you or Petrus…”
“Not known?” Varro growled and slowly sat upright, fighting the nausea, his anger giving him greater fortitude now. “Not bloody known? Corda?”
“Please sit back, Varro. You’re going to hurt yourself.”
Varro’s growl continued to deepen. He sounded like some sort of great predatory cat stalking its prey among the rocks of the southern lands.
“Corda?” His voice rose an octave. “Corda! Are you absolutely positive? Really sure?”
Salonius nodded sadly.
Slowly, menacingly, and with great care, Varro turned his body and slid until his legs bent at the knees and his feet his the floor next to the low couch.
“I am going to go find Corda and beat the living shit out of him.”
“Sir…” Salonius said urgently.
“Get out of my way lad, or I’ll tear something off you too.”
Salonius reached out and gently but firmly restrained the captain. Now Catilina was next to him.
“Varro, you can’t punish Corda” she said quietly.
“Care to put a wager on that? I don’t care if he’s in a cell guarded by your father himself. Corda’s one of my oldest friends. We’ve watched each other’s back for thirty years, even through the civil war, and then he does this? I will tear him a new arsehole!”
“No you won’t.” There was something about Salonius’ expression that stopped Varro in his tracks.
“What is it?”
Salonius cleared his throat anxiously.
“Sergeant Corda fell on his sword about an hour ago. He’s lying in the cellars at the moment and this afternoon he’s being taken out somewhere unknown and being buried somewhere with no marker.”
Varro blinked.
“Sabian let him keep his sword?”
Catilina leaned towards him and placed her hand gently on his chest, lowering him back to the couch.
“My father let him take the soldier’s way out. There were reasons.” She and Salonius shared a look. “Not necessarily a decision we shared, I might add.”
“Take me to the marshal.”
“You’re too weak…” Salonius tried as gently as possible to prevent him from sitting up.
“Weak, bollocks. I can walk. Take me to Sabian.”
Again Salonius shared a look with Catilina.
“Alright, but slowly and carefully.”
The three of them arrived at Sabian’s office ten minutes later, Varro staggering along in the middle like a drunkard, his arms draped over Catilina and Salonius’ shoulders. The lady glared at the guard by the door; her best haughty glare.
“Announce us to my father.”
“Ma’am…”
“You know who we are. Announce us.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
The guard turned and knocked gently at the door before opening it a crack.
“Marshal, I have your daughter, Captain Varro and his guard here to see you, sir.”
Sabian’s tired voice issued from within.
“Let them in.”
The three entered the room, where Salonius and Catilina took Varro across to one side of the room and allowed him to slowly sink to the chair. Varro fixed Sabian with a defiant glare while Catilina took the seat next to him and Salonius stood by his shoulder. The marshal narrowed his eyes and cradled his hands as he sized the captain up.
“You’re not looking well Varro. You should be resting and getting your strength back.”
“Pah!”
Sabian sighed. “I presume this is about Corda and the others?”
Varro nodded.
“You know what’s been done to me. You’d no right to take away my revenge. Corda was mine to deal with!”
“Not by military law, Varro. And no matter how much slack I cut you habitually, I am your senior officer and you will not talk to me like that!” The marshal’s word became quiet and menacing as he finished speaking from between clenched teeth.
Varro nodded to himself and looked up.
“My apologies, marshal. No disrespect was meant.”
“Good.” Sabian smiled but with little or no humour. “That sounds more like you. Neither you nor I can afford you to go vengeance-mad right now. Corda made some stupid decisions, and he’s suffered for them, believe me, but that matter’s now done with. However, I have seven men in custody that I still have to play with. I am using them against each other. Iasus is down with them now. After the noon bell tomorrow they’ll go on trial. None of them will walk away free, I assure you.”
Varro glared, but nodded.
Sabian sighed. “I would estimate that, by the time of the trial, at least half of them will have delivered the others to the headsman and given us every ounce of evidence we will need to bring Cristus to justice. They’ll get a custodial sentence, along with loss of all pay and position, with a dishonourable discharge. The others will be a little less lucky. I have men taking the wheels off a cart right now.”
Varro grimaced.
“That’s all well and good, marshal, but with all the respect and goodwill in the world, I intend to deal with Cristus myself.”
Sabian shook his head.
“That’s not a good idea, Varro. I can understand how you feel. I’ve been in a vaguely similar situation of betrayal myself, remember. But we have rules and regulations now and an army worth upholding them for. And besides, if you got into an arena with Cristus, he’d cut you to ribbons.”
Varro growled. “I think you underestimate me, marshal. And Cristus is a politician, not a fighter.”
“Maybe, Varro; maybe. But you are on the verge of falling to pieces without his help. He doesn’t need to fight you. If he breathes too hard at you, you’ll fall apart.”
He shook his head as Varro opened his mouth to speak once more and cut him off, mid-breath.
“Varro, that’s an end to it! They will be judged and punished according to military law. And the information they give us will allow us to remove a traitor from power and all his lackeys. It will be done ‘by the book’ and I will do it myself. I would rather you were with me, to give evidence, to sit in judgement and to oversee the whole thing.” He sighed. “But if you’re going to insist on revenge, I’m going to have you locked in your room for the next few days, do you understand me?”
Varro glared at him and finally slumped, sighing.
“Alright, sir. By the book. But I want to be there for every part of it.”
“Oh, you will, captain. I shall make sure of that.” Sabian looked up at Salonius and then turned to his daughter.
“Get him back to his room and make sure he gets some rest. He’s going to need it.”
Catilina nodded.
“Yes father.”
As she stood and grasped one of Varro’s wrists, she saw Salonius’ face for the first time during this exchange and she nearly recoiled. Salonius looked furious. Trying not to catch his eyes, she helped Varro upright. The burly young man took the other and together they turned him and walked him out of the office. The guards opened and closed the doors for them and stood to attention as they slowly made their way down the corridor. As soon as they’d turned two corners, Varro struggled. They stopped and he pushed them away from him gently. Catilina stared.