While Gallia took Rasha off to meet her Amazons, who were grooming their horses near the stables, I had the sons of the lords given back their mounts. They assembled in the courtyard as I stood with Nergal on the palace steps and bid them farewell. I told them that I was sorry for their mistreatment and hoped that we would meet again in happier times. I also told them that their fathers would not have to pay any increased taxes. There was nothing else to say. The gates were opened and twenty unhappy and resentful young men rode from Dura.
‘At least you freed them,’ said Nergal.
‘I had hoped to meet them and their fathers in more auspicious circumstances.’
‘Well, I’m sure their ire will subside once they are back with their families.’
‘Let’s hope so, Nergal, let’s hope so.’
My mood failed to improve as Rsan briefed me on the state of the royal finances. The treasury was empty due to Mithridates’ failure to collect any taxes and his penchant for extravagance. I saw no evidence of this in the palace, but Rsan informed me that the prince had had all the gold ornaments and statues shipped back to Susiana before my arrival along with his harem.
‘His harem!’
‘Yes, majesty, a dozen women he had purchased from slave traders. They too went back with him to Susiana.’
‘Talking of slaves, all those in the Citadel are to be freed immediately.’
Rsan looked alarmed. ‘Freed, majesty?’
‘That is correct. They can stay if they wish, in which case they will be paid for their services, but they are all free to choose.’
‘I do not understand.’
‘It is quite simple, Rsan, I was a slave once, and I will not have any man or woman endure what I have experienced. See to it.’
In the afternoon the legion arrived and Domitus and Godarz presented themselves at the palace. And as they took nourishment on the palace terrace where I had taken breakfast earlier, I briefed them on what had happened thus far.
‘You let me take a couple of centuries and hunt the bastard down. We’ll bring him back and you can have him crucified on the far bank, over there.’ Domitus was as blunt as ever. He spoke in Latin, a language Rsan could clearly understand, for his mouth was open, aghast at such a proposal.
‘Believe me,’ I said, ‘I am sorely tempted. But I like his father and his grandfather is King of Kings, so I will forego that pleasure.’
Domitus belched loudly. ‘Pity.’
I gestured for Rsan standing by the door, to sit.
‘Rsan here is the treasurer, though he tells me the treasury is empty. Rsan, this is Godarz, who is the new governor of the city.’ Rsan bowed his head to Godarz, who nodded back.
Rsan became less sombre when Godarz informed him that a large sum of drachmas would be filling the treasury forthwith, just as soon as it was offloaded from the carts. I instructed Domitus to house two centuries in the Citadel, with a further cohort stationed in the city itself. There were some twenty-five towers on the circuit wall surrounding Dura. Each was capable of holding a dozen men. In addition to the large gatehouse at the Palmyrene Gate, all of them needed to be garrisoned.
The legion’s camp was established half a mile west of the city among the rock and iron-hard earth of the desert. As it was to be a permanent fixture, I ordered that a mud-brick wall be erected around its perimeter. The men would still be living in tents, but each cohort would be rotated between living in the camp and garrison duties in the city and Citadel, which would provide a variety of living conditions. The score of men from the original garrison I gave to Rsan as a treasury guard. They were under the overall command of Domitus, who took up residence in the headquarters building in the Citadel, but I did not want to dismiss them lest they took to banditry, and in any case I wanted to assure Rsan that he still had a place in the new regime. It was not his fault that the city’s former ruler had been a tyrant.
The city curfew was abolished and life for Dura’s citizens began to return to normal. Brick-making for the legion’s camp provided immediate additional employment for the citizens and trade in food and animals showed signs of recovery. This was most important, for without markets there would be no taxes for the treasury, and without taxes there would be no money to provide weapons and armour for the legion. Blacksmiths, farriers, veterinaries and armourers all had to be fed and housed.
Five days after our arrival at Dura I was returning to the city from the training fields — a barren stretch of earth near the legion’s camp — in the company of Gallia. While the legionaries practised drills, throwing javelins and becoming proficient with their swords, the horsemen honed their archery skills. The Amazons trained with them. We were both covered in grime and our tunics were soaked in sweat as we walked our horses back to the city. It was approaching noon and the heat of the day was stifling with a raging sun in a clear blue sky.
There was no traffic on the road west from Dura that snaked past the legion’s camp and out into the desert, to where the Agraci waited.
I drank from my waterskin, the liquid warm and unedifying, and then passed it to Gallia. Epona was lathered in sweat, as was Remus, and they were both breathing heavily from their exertions.
‘I would like to chop off the hands of Mithridates,’ she said casually.
‘Praxima wants to cut off his balls, you want to slice off his hands and Domitus wants to crucify him. There won’t be much left of him afterwards, that’s for sure.’
‘Arrogant little puppy, he has caused us many problems.’
‘He certainly has,’ I replied, ‘but at least I can put one thing right. I think it’s time Rasha was returned to her father.’
‘I agree,’ she said, wiping sweat-matted hair off her brow. ‘But who will take her back. Everyone fears these Agraci.’
‘I will,’ I said.
She turned to look at me with those blue eyes I loved so much. ‘Are you mad?’
‘I don’t think so, but I want to meet this king, so perhaps if I take his daughter he will not kill me outright.’
‘And perhaps he will.’
‘It doesn’t matter,’ I said, ‘it’s decided.’
‘Then I am coming with you.’
‘What?’
‘Either we go together or Rasha stays here’
I looked away from her into the empty desert.
‘There,’ she continued. ‘now it’s decided.’
Rsan was appalled at the idea of us going into the desert without an army, as was Godarz, while Domitus advised against it. Nergal just looked shocked and shook his head continually, but I told them that the matter was not up for discussion.
‘I will take Gallia and Byrd, and the child.’
‘You will not return, then,’ announced Godarz.
‘If that happens, my friend,’ I said, ‘you will become king. All those present will bear witness to my wish.’
‘At least let me go with you, Pacorus,’ said Nergal, his eyes full of pleading.
‘I will think on it. We will leave tomorrow.’
I told Nergal that he would be staying at Dura.
Chapter 5
The new day dawned bright and sunny with a light breeze blowing from the west. Rasha was in a good mood and was even more talkative than usual. There was now no resemblance to the frightened, haunted little wretch we had first seen when we arrived at Dura. In her place was a pretty, inquisitive and intelligent girl who skipped around the palace. She always accompanied me when I went to the stables to groom Remus, and in truth I became quite fond of her. But it was Gallia who was the focus of her affections, and whenever she and her Amazons rode out of the city to the training fields Rasha went with them. As to be expected of a child of nomads, she was at ease in the saddle and could ride as well as any adult. She had her own room in the palace, next to ours, and everyone liked having her around, even the normally stern Domitus. So it was quite poignant when the morning came for her to leave us. After the garrison had mustered just after dawn Gallia, Byrd and I mounted our horses in front of the palace steps alongside the waiting Rasha. Byrd was his usual seemingly disinterested self, though his horse looked remarkably well tended and fed — no doubt Godarz’s influence. When I had asked Byrd to accompany us into the desert he had accepted in a nonchalant fashion, and merely shrugged when I told him that we might not be coming back. Those who were assembled to see us off — Godarz, Nergal, Praxima, Rsan and Domitus — appeared not the least calm. Even the iron-hard Domitus was frowning with concern.