The Eagles Prophecy

Cato returned his superior's knowing smile and quickly marshalled his thoughts as they slowly walked along the perimeter of the defences.

'We've lost a quarter of our strength in total, including wounded. Many of the ships are damaged and since Vitellius has kept on the defensive it hasn't helped the morale of the men.' Cato paused and pointed towards the treeline on a hill no more than a mile distant.'Worse still, the enemy have got troops out there, harassing our foraging parties and having the odd shot at sentries during the night. The pirates have faster ships and better crews and they've eluded every attempt to chase them down.' Cato gestured towards the distant crosses on the headland. 'That's the only success we've had since the start of the campaign, sir.'

'What happened?'

'We set a trap in a cove further up the coast. They took the bait and paid the price.'

Vespasian looked at him shrewdly. 'Whose idea was that? Yours?'

'I was there,' Cato replied. 'It was simple enough.'

'Maybe. But you did it, while the prefect sat on his arse in the camp. That's the point.'

'Well, someone had to do something, sir.'

'Don't be such a fool,' Vespasian said sharply. 'Don't apologise, Cato. As far as I can see, you're about the only one who has done anything useful here. Is there anything else I should know?'

'Well, sir, it's possible we may have discovered where the pirates are operating from.'

Vespasian stopped and stared at him. 'You tell me that now?'

'One of the prisoners we took the other night was the son of Telemachus. The prefect had an interrogator go to work on him earlier this afternoon. He gave us a location.'

'Do you think he's telling the truth?'

Cato shrugged.'I don't know, sir. He's got some guts. He might be lying to us to buy time for his father and their men. On the other hand, the interrogator was doing a pretty good job of breaking him down.'

Vespasian regarded the centurion closely.'Did he mention anything about the scrolls?'

Cato felt his pulse quicken and decided at that instant to chance his arm. He fought to keep his voice calm. 'Scrolls, sir? The Sybilline scrolls?'

Vespasian was silent for a moment before he replied, 'So you know? I was told that only the prefect had been informed.'

Cato thought quickly. 'The Imperial Secretary told us about them when he briefed us for this mission.'

'Us? You mean Centurion Macro knows about them as well?'

'Yes, sir.' There had been no time to think of anything else to say and Cato prayed that he had not placed his friend in any peril.

'I see… You'd best be careful, both of you. Knowledge of the scrolls is a dangerous thing.'

'But, sir, it's not as if no one knows about them, nor what they contain. The priests in the temple of Jupiter have been consulting them for hundreds of years.'

'The first three books, yes. But imagine how much happier they'll be if they get their hands on the other three, and see the full picture.' Vespasian turned to look out to sea, towards Italy and Rome. He sounded wistful when he spoke. 'I imagine that quite a few people would give anything to possess the missing scrolls…'

Cato's mind was still racing to deal with the implications of what Vespasian had just told him. The other three Sybilline scrolls? It was impossible. They had been destroyed, burned by the Oracle. Or were supposed to have been. But if they existed, they would be a potent weapon for any ambitious man in Rome with an eye to exploiting the superstitions of the mob. Any man like Vitellius, or… A cold sensation trickled down Cato's spine as he regarded Vespasian. At that moment, the senator turned back to the centurion and for a moment Cato thought he detected a hint of pity in Vespasian's face. Then the senator's expression hardened.

'Well, Narcissus must have had his reasons for telling you. In any case, you'll understand their importance. And why they cannot be permitted to fall into any else's hands, least of all the enemies of the Emperor.'

Cato nodded.

'Very well.' Vespasian looked round at the hills nearby, at the shadows in the treeline of the wood that sprawled up the slopes. Then he turned and looked at the camp, fixing his eyes on a sentry glancing nervously over the palisade as he patrolled along the rampart. Vespasian shook his head. 'I've seen enough. It's time to act.'

Vitellius looked at the senator in shock. 'You can't be serious.'

'I am,' Vespasian replied firmly.'By the authority vested in me by Emperor Claudius and the Senate and People of Rome, I hereby relieve you of command and assume your rank and authority as prefect of the fleet of Ravenna.'

There was a stunned silence in the tent as the assembled officers watched the confrontation. For a moment Vitellius did not respond, as if in a trance. Then he shook his head and stiffened his back.'No. You don't have the authority to do that.'

'Yes I do.' Vespasian turned to one of his tribunes and clicked his fingers.'Decius, the authorisation, please.'

The tribune reached a hand under his breastplate and extracted a folded sheet of papyrus. He handed it to Vespasian who, after he had carefully opened the document, offered it to Vitellius.

'Read it.'

Vitellius stared at the document for a moment, as if it was poisonous. Then he reached out and took it. Vespasian's authority was confirmed by Emperor Claudius himself and written in an unusually terse manner. Nevertheless it was clear enough concerning the all-embracing power conferred on the new commander of the Ravenna fleet. Vitellius folded the document and handed it back.

'Congratulations, sir,' he said in a tone laden with bitterness. 'The fleet is yours to command… Might I ask what is to become of me?'

Vespasian had anticipated the question and had his reply ready. Under the terms of his authority Vespasian could have Vitellius arrested and condemned for incompetence. He could even have him executed if he wished. But in either case there would be difficult questions to answer when he returned to Rome. Even though the Emperor's favourite had made a disastrous mess of the campaign, Claudius was still fond of him. Fond enough to exact a revenge on the man responsible for destroying his protege. And if Vitellius lived, he was sure to smooth-talk himself back into favour, and pose a danger to Vespasian in the future.

Vespasian had little choice. Vitellius had to stay with the fleet for the rest of the campaign, where Vespasian could keep an eye on him. Besides, with a bit of luck, and a judicious allocation of duties, Vitellius might well be killed and then Vespasian's problem would be solved.

He stared at Vitellius for a long time, as if weighing up the man's fate, before he responded.

'You stay here. Given the losses suffered as a result of your decisions, I'll need every man who can hold a sword. For now, I'll keep you on my staff. But you'll go into the line the moment the fighting starts.'

Vitellius bowed his head.

Vespasian looked round the tent at the other officers, many of whom were still astonished by the extraordinary event unfolding before them. 'No other man will be held culpable for the failure of the fleet thus far. You will all continue in your current posts. Bear in mind, though, that back in Rome there is considerable displeasure with your performance. You have a chance, gentlemen, to set the record straight; to win back your honour and the honour of the fleet. I advise you to think on that. From tomorrow we take the fight to the pirates.'

A murmur of approval rippled through the officers. Then Vespasian nodded towards Macro and Cato.'There are some here who have served under me before. They know that I drive my men hard. But they also know that I am fair. Serve me, as they have served me, and we will win. We will kill or capture every last pirate and destroy their ships and their base. And when it's all over there will be booty for all of us that survive. But if you fail me, in any way, you can expect no mercy. Gentlemen, do we have an understanding?'