‘Stop this at once,’ I bellowed at the top of my voice.
The din ceased immediately as the soldiers recognised me.
‘The finest soldiers in the empire are not rapists or murderers of young girls,’ I said sternly. ‘Leave this place and assemble on the square outside the palace.’
I drew my sword as they looked at each other. ‘Any man who wishes to touch any of these women will have to come through me first.’ Nergal likewise drew his sword and stood beside me.
The next few seconds confirmed my belief that these men were indeed Parthia’s finest warriors as they saluted and tramped from the harem with their heads down, not one of them protesting against my decision. I placed a guard outside the harem and left the king’s wives alone to compose themselves. My only wish was to find Chosroes; I had no interest in his women.
Domitus returned with more troops, who were divided into parties to carry out a sweep of the palace, halt all further looting and order the soldiers to assemble on the palace square. The palace may have been ransacked, but Domitus had ensured that the armoury, treasury and royal granary had all been secured before anyone had a chance to loot them. Order was quickly restored as the Duran Legion was assembled on the square where a roll call was taken. On the outside of the square Nergal’s horse archers were sitting in their saddles waiting for their commander. He and I stood at the top of the palace steps. I heard marching feet and turned to see Domitus leading half a dozen legionaries carrying a corpse. They halted in front of me and dumped the body on the stone slabs.
‘Behold King Chosroes,’ said Domitus. ‘We found him lying on his bed. Looks like he took poison.’
I stared at the corpse. The eyes were wide open and there was white froth around the mouth. Nergal laid a hand on my shoulder. ‘Your victory is complete, Pacorus.’
I nodded and thanked him, yet I felt cheated. Narses said that I was to be executed on this very square, and I had wanted so much to see Chosroes executed here instead, to see the terror in his eyes before he died. But now he was gone and only a pile of carrion remained. I spat on the corpse.
‘Put it on a cart,’ I said.
We left the legion to guard the palace compound and also left Marcus and his men there. It was late afternoon now and the soldiers were tired after their exertions. I also instructed Domitus to stay at the palace.
‘Where are you going?’ he asked.
‘To make sure my wife is safe.’
‘I should come with you,’ he growled as I mounted Remus.
‘You must stay here, my friend. Get some rest and food, you have earned them. I’m sure the palace kitchens can provide something agreeable to eat.’
The bodies of the palace guard were being loaded on to carts to be carried to the fires that were already burning outside the palace compound, the nauseating smell of burning flesh filling the air.
I raised my hand to Domitus. ‘I will return later.’
He raised his arm in salute as I rode from the palace at the head of Nergal’s horse archers. We rode back through the Royal Orchard to the White Temple located on the other side of the city. The White Temple was one of the wonders of the world. The temple itself was a ziggurat, a pyramid built in five receding tiers that sat on a massive square stone platform. Constructed of sun-baked bricks, it was faced with white stone. As we approached the temple I could see the great outside ramps that led to the pyramid’s summit. And yet the ziggurat was not a place of worship, it was a dwelling place for the gods; in the White Temple’s case the sky god Anu. Having His own house, Anu could be close to His worshippers who gathered around the temple’s base. Only priests were allowed inside the temple. The extensive temple grounds were surrounded by a white stonewall twice the height of a man. When we arrived at the walls themselves we found Gallia, Orodes, Kuban, Surena, Byrd and Malik gathered in a richly appointed house directly south of the main entrance to the White Temple’s grounds. Gallia rushed over and threw her arms around me when Nergal and I appeared. Nergal and Praxima also had an emotional reunion.
Orodes embraced me. ‘Thank the gods you are safe.’
‘Of course,’ I replied, ‘the palace has fallen. Chosroes is dead.’
‘Yes,’ hissed Surena, clenching his fists in triumph.
‘What is happening here?’ I asked.
‘The people have taken refuge in the temple compound,’ said Gallia, ‘those that haven’t been butchered, that is.’ She shot a disdainful look at Surena.
‘We have surrounded the temple,’ said Orodes, ‘but decided against ordering an assault.’
‘There are no soldiers guarding the temple, only priests,’ remarked Surena. ‘We can take it easily.’
‘Your opinion does not count,’ retorted Gallia.
‘You were right not to order an assault,’ I said. ‘We cannot begin the city’s new era in blood.’
‘Then what do we do?’ asked Orodes.
‘We show humility, Orodes, that is what we do.’
I ordered that the Exiles fall back to the south, out of site of the temple. There may not have been any soldiers inside the compound, but there would be eyes on the walls that would have seen the thousands of troops encircling them. I also ordered Kuban, Malik and Surena to withdraw their men; Surena especially as his followers had been involved in excesses in the working quarter. Even Gallia’s Amazons and Orodes and the cataphracts were pulled back out of sight of the walls.
‘What if they scorn your appeal?’ asked Gallia.
‘The troops can be summoned back easily enough,’ I replied. ‘We have to gain their trust.’
‘That might be difficult after the killings by Surena and his swamp people.’
‘Marsh people,’ I replied.
‘You indulge him far too much, Pacorus.’
‘Perhaps,’ I said, ‘but if my plan works it will be worth it.’
I approached the main entrance to the temple without weapons or armour.
I had forgotten how many times I had done this — that is, walk up to the enemy’s stronghold alone and vulnerable. I always comforted myself with the notion that the enemy would not strike down an envoy seeking a parley, but in many ways this was a foolish notion. What did honour or rules mean to most kings and generals in the world? I myself had been betrayed more than once and yet still clung to the notion that right and wrong were woven into the very fabric of the world. As I approached the white gates I could hear the laughter of Spartacus in my mind, Domitus too for that matter. The gates were not large or particularly strong; rather, ornate and an ostentatious display of wealth, being inlaid with silver and gold, with grilles over the two spy holes, one positioned in the centre of each gate. There was no one on the walls so I banged on one of the gates with my fist and then stepped back. Silence. I banged on the gate again and waited. Nothing. This was ridiculous.
‘I am Pacorus, King of Dura,’ I shouted at the top of my voice. ‘I am alone and would speak to your leaders.’
I looked left and right for any signs of life but saw none. Then a thought flashed through my mind. Perhaps the temple compound was empty. But if that was the case, where had all the people gone? Perplexed, I turned to walk back to my men when I heard a sliding noise behind me. I turned around to see a face at one of the grilles.