‘He’ll either sail across the Sabrina channel or around it; or, perhaps, make his way there by land. Whichever way he chooses he can’t take a big force with him, just a few followers; but to his mind that’s irrelevant as there will be plenty of long-hairs down there ready to fight for him because of his reputation. He just needs to get there and we must capture him as he tries.’
Vespasian looked at the map; it was very vague, just a rough approximation of the coastline of the peninsula with the Cornovii marked towards its tip; and then to the north, across the widening Sabrina channel, another crude coastline with the Silures written in, seemingly at random. ‘We have no idea of the distances, do we, sir?’
‘None; the channel could be twenty miles wide or a hundred at any point, we just don’t know; as I said, only one survey ship has ever returned. What we do know is that they are very treacherous waters and we’ve already lost too many ships trying to get round the peninsula, which is why we’re bringing the smaller ships overland and building new big ones.’
‘So we’ve no idea how long the news of our supposed attack on these druids will take to reach Caratacus; in which case he might judge that it’s all over by the time he hears of it and it’s not worth the risk coming.’
Plautius smiled for the first time since arriving, raising his eyebrows. ‘That’s why I’ve taken the trouble to inform him of our supposed intentions in advance by using one of his own weapons against him: Alienus.’
‘Alienus!’ Vespasian and Sabinus exclaimed simultaneously.
‘Who better? After he escaped from your camp last year, Vespasian, he disappeared completely, probably judging, correctly, that his face was a bit too well known for his line of subterfuge. However, a couple of months ago he reappeared, masquerading as a Britannic merchant dealing in pearls. He’s grown his hair and a long moustache but he was recognised by one of my slaves in the market at Camulodunum. I decided not to apprehend him but instead had him followed. It turned out that not all of his pearls were traded for money or goods, some he set aside to buy information with from one of the clerks who copies out my written orders. Having completed his business he sailed west up the Tamesis and then crossed into enemy territory. I countermanded the information that he was carrying and gave orders to let him go, hoping that he would be back. Sure enough five days ago, just after I received Narcissus’ insulting letter, he arrives with more pearls. I immediately drafted orders for you, Vespasian, to take the II Augusta, destroy Durocornavis and kill all the druids that you find on the rock and that I would come down to take overall command; and to you, Sabinus, I wrote that you were not to proceed any further west this year and spend the time building defences. Needless to say I didn’t send those orders to you, I just allowed Alienus to purchase them from the clerk.’
Vespasian looked at his commanding officer with admiration, thinking that, for all his ill-temper, he never tired of learning from him. ‘So Caratacus thinks he’s free to go to the druids’ aid?’
‘Not yet, but by tomorrow or the next day he will. I made sure that I left, very publicly, before Alienus; he’s behind me and convinced that he’s got vital information for his master so he’ll be travelling fast.’
‘We’d better get a move on then.’
‘We’ll be fine as long as you sail tomorrow with your six biremes. Find this place and then cut it off from the sea, intercept every ship or boat you see and patrol the coast further west so Caratacus doesn’t land behind you. Use the marines and do some raiding; kill a few and stir them up a bit.’ Plautius turned to Sabinus. ‘Meanwhile, Sabinus, you sail back north around the coast with your ships, check every inlet and bay. I’ll stay here with the legion and keep the countryside well patrolled. Between us we should snare him. Once we have Caratacus you return to your legion and await my orders to advance across the Sabrina and start securing territory, slowly but surely. Take no risks, it’s not about quick victory, it’s about convincing a good percentage of the Silures’ chieftains that without Caratacus uniting them their defeat is inevitable and it’s just a question of how many warriors they want left in their settlements under Roman rule. Do you understand?’
‘Yes, sir. And what if I find Alienus? I’ve a score to settle with him and a nice idea of how to settle it.’
‘You can have him and nail him up for all I care. I’m not going to leave a useful asset like that around for my replacement to use and help him to look as if he has more military competence than me.’ The flush in Plautius’ face returned as he spat out that loathed and insulting phrase.
‘Thank you, sir; it’ll be a pleasure to help preserve your reputation.’
Vespasian licked his fingers and then wiped them on the napkin spread out in front of him on the couch before helping himself to another of the fine local oysters. Hormus refilled Sabinus’ proffered cup and then stepped back into the shadows.
‘And as to who my replacement will be,’ Aulus Plautius continued, breaking a duck leg in two and dripping thick, brown sauce onto his napkin, ‘I neither know nor care; he’s welcome to this province as far as I’m concerned, with all the military competence that he can muster.’ He drained his wine — his fifth cup of the dinner — before taking his anger out on his duck leg, gnawing noisily on it and then pointing it at Vespasian. ‘But mind you, according to my wife’s letters, the Rome that we’ll be returning to is not the same as the one we all left at the beginning of Claudius’ reign. The in-fighting for the mastery of Rome between his freedmen and the Empress rages on whilst Claudius, having celebrated his Triumph for his glorious victory in Britannia and having just annexed the client-kingdom of Thracia to further prove his military competence, now immerses himself in public projects and the law courts trying to create a legacy for himself. He’s busy building a new port at Ostia, two new aqueducts — as well as repairing the Aqua Virgo — and this year he’s started a project to drain the Fucine Lake. Meanwhile the business of government has been completely centralised and anyone who wants a position has to petition either one of the three ex-slaves or a vicious vixen with a sexual appetite that would have made Cleopatra blush.’ He held out his cup for Hormus to refill and refused the offer of water.
Vespasian glanced in concern at Sabinus, on the couch to his left, whilst their commanding officer’s attention was devoted to the contents of his filled cup; Sabinus put his hand to his mouth, understanding that he should not join in a conversation that was approaching the realms of treason.
‘The Senate still administer their provinces,’ Plautius continued, ripping more flesh from the thigh, ‘but increasingly their appointments have gone to the Empress’s worn-out lovers who now outnumber those in that august body who haven’t had the pleasure of ingress into one or all of the imperial orifices. And what’s worse is that the Emperor’s provinces now seem to be the personal fiefdom of Narcissus and his cronies and to receive an appointment in one of those you have to denounce a supporter of Messalina’s in open court.’ He paused to down the rest of his cup and signal for a refill. ‘And anyone who has the stupidity to complain about the situation is immediately charged with treason by both Messalina’s faction and the supporters of that idiot Emperor’s freedm-’ Plautius stopped himself and looked with alarm at the two brothers; he put his full cup down on the table, careful not to spill a drop. ‘Forgive my foolishness, gentlemen, I’ve been too long on campaign with you and my tongue has grown loose.’ He glanced at Hormus now back in his position in the shadows.
‘My slave is loyal, sir,’ Vespasian assured him, relieved that Plautius had stopped his tirade before he had suggested a solution to the situation; his voice may well have been loud enough to carry outside the tent. ‘I too am aware from letters of the situation back home.’