He regarded me for a moment with his cold, black eyes, the eyes of a man without pity. ‘And yet, they will know, or at the very least will have heard, that you defeated the rebels and placed Phraates back on his throne. I’m sure that the new King of Dura is part of their calculations also.’
‘The one thing that I learned about the Romans when I was in Italy,’ I said, ‘was that they view all other peoples as inferior. We are all barbarians to them, Vistaspa, to be conquered and ruled over. That view above all will be dictating their calculations.’
‘Perhaps now you are underestimating them.’
I smiled at him. ‘If we can convince the Romans that conquering Parthia is too high a price, then they will think twice before launching a full-scale invasion of the empire. They only respect strength. It would be much easier, of course, if my father sat in Ctesiphon and not Phraates.’
‘You want to remove Phraates.’
I shook my head. ‘No, we elected him and the decision must stand, for better or worse.’
‘Then, Pacorus, let us hope it is for the better.’
When a month had passed Gallia decided it was time to make our way back to Dura. Her belly was starting to swell now, not by much, but enough to make her irritable and unhappy with her appearance. I told her every day that she was beautiful and that I would always love her, but though she was thrilled to be pregnant she disliked the inconvenient side effects of her condition. So we said goodbye to my parents at the foot of Hatra’s palace steps early one morning, the sky as clear and blue as Gallia’s eyes, and made our way south at a leisurely pace. Diana and Gafarn watched us go as well, and standing beside them was young Spartacus, who smiled and waved at us as we rode out of the palace compound.
Life at Dura went on much the same. Domitus drilled his legionaries and I began to increase the number of my cataphracts to five hundred, half a dragon. In addition, Nergal set about raising his horse archers. It was not difficult. Our recent victories had increased the prestige of Dura and men wanted to serve in its army. Recruits came mostly from the estates of Dura’s lords, who were happy to send Nergal their men, though others came from as far afield as Gordyene and Armenia. Curiously, a sizeable number of men began to arrive from Pontus. Rome’s war against that brave kingdom was coming to an end, and rather than be enslaved many of its soldiers decided to chance their luck in other lands. So they headed south, through Armenia and Gordyene and into Hatra or Media. If they entered Hatra the first city they reached was Nisibus, whose governor was Vata. He fed them, listened to their stories and let them rest their weary bodies in his city, for they would have spent weeks on tracks and roads avoiding Roman patrols, as Hatra was nearly three hundred miles from Pontus. Vata then sent them south on another long trip, to me at Dura. In a letter he told me that Hatra had little use for foot soldiers, being able to raise thousands if necessary from the estates of the kingdom’s lords, but that perhaps ‘your Roman’ might have use of them.
‘He’s right,’ said Domitus, his face and arms now turned dark brown by the Mesopotamian sun. ‘I’ve talked with some of them. All good soldiers who have spent years fighting.’
‘How do you know they are good soldiers?’ I asked.
‘Any man who leaves his homeland, tramps hundreds of miles with his shield and spear to get here instead of giving up and opting for an easy life as a bandit, gets my vote.’
We usually held our council meetings inside the palace, but today I decided that we would all sit on the spacious terrace overlooking the river. It was late afternoon and the sun was casting long shadows, a slight westerly breeze taking the edge off the day’s heat. We sat in large wicker chairs, while Gallia, who had taken to attending the meetings now that she rode little, reclined on a couch. She liked to be included in the affairs of the kingdom and no one had any objection to her doing so. Dobbai was also present on this occasion, though only because she found the view agreeable and the temperature bearable at this time of day.
Domitus rubbed his hands over his shaved head and fixed me with his eyes. I knew what he was thinking — two legions were better than one.
‘How many exiles from Pontus have presented themselves thus far?’ I asked.
‘Near two and a half thousand.’
I stared across the river at Hatran territory. ‘And more are coming in?’
Domitus nodded. ‘Every day. We can increase the size of the camp. We need more tents, that’s all.’
I looked at him. ‘Very well. I agree, see to it. Godarz, you will organise extra rations, clothes and weapons to be sent to the legion’s camp.’
Godarz saw the confused look on Rsan’s face. ‘The king means to have two legions instead of one. Is that not so, Pacorus?’
Rsan’s face went ashen. ‘Two legions?’
‘That’s right,’ I replied. ‘It would be criminal to waste the opportunity that has presented itself.’
Rsan started shaking his head. ‘But the cost…’
‘Will be met,’ I said. ‘The treasury is full, is it not?’
‘Yes, majesty, but if it is to remain so then I would advise against such an expenditure.’
‘And when the Romans come,’ interrupted Dobbai, ‘what will you do, tallyman? Throw coins at them from the walls?’
Rsan was now alarmed. ‘Romans? We are not at war with the Romans.’
Dobbai cackled like an old crow. ‘Not yet, tallyman, but they will come.’
‘And when they do we shall be ready, have no fear, Rsan.’
My words did little to assure him.
‘So,’ I continued. ‘Domitus shall raise two legions, Nergal is forming his horse archers and I shall have my additional cataphracts. Due to Gallia’s condition, Nergal, it is probably best if you command the Amazons.’
Gallia rose from her couch. ‘The Amazons are under my command.’
Nergal looked down at his feet and Domitus stared into the distance.
‘Time to reconsider, son of Hatra,’ said Dobbai.
Gallia stood defiant and I knew that she would not shift from her position. I shrugged my shoulders. ‘As you wish, my dear.’
Gallia smiled and retook her couch. ‘Praxima will command my women until I have given birth. She will answer to me and me alone.’
With Rsan still smarting from the news of a second legion, I informed him that I also wanted to establish a school in the city.
‘We have schools already, majesty.’
‘Yes, but this one will be different. It will be filled with the future officers of Dura, boys who will receive an education in the military arts, so that when they are men they will be able to lead others in battle. They shall be called the Sons of the Citadel.’
‘Parthian boys are taught to fight from an early age anyway, lord,’ said Nergal.
‘To ride and shoot a bow, I agree, Nergal. But I want boys to be taught tactics and strategy, to be able to converse with foreigners in their own tongue.’ I pointed at Domitus. ‘To know how many miles a legion can march in a day, and how to work in conjunction with foot soldiers on the battlefield.’
‘I doubt if there any tutors in Dura who can teach those subjects,’ offered Godarz.
I stood and started pacing the terrace. ‘Then we will bring them to Dura, Godarz. Greek and Egyptian scholars, Roman engineers, Chinese philosophers and holy men from Judea, Esfahan and Alexandria.’
‘But why, majesty?’ asked Rsan.
‘Dura,’ I said, ‘is prosperous. But what shall we do with that wealth, Rsan? Squander it on rich furnishings and gold statues, live a life of ease thinking that it will last forever? It will not. So we prepare, Rsan. We lay the foundations for a time when this kingdom will need its people and army to stand as one against adversity. A building with strong foundations stands more chance of surviving an earthquake.’
‘You speak well, son of Hatra,’ remarked Dobbai. I looked at the blank expression on Rsan’s face. He could not see my reasoning. But then, on this beautiful summer’s day with the sun slowly sinking in the west, a light breeze to stir the air and peace in the land, it must have been difficult to imagine horror. But I knew that if a kingdom wanted to remain strong it had to prepare for war.