There was virtually no cover between the bridge and the edge of Darnis. The nearest hiding place was a cactus hedge on the east side of the road, but even that was half a mile away. Cassius pointed at it.
‘Straight over, then on to the hedge. Ready?’
‘Ready,’ answered Indavara and Annia.
They ran out into the sunlight and towards the bridge.
XXXI
‘Corbulo!’
Cassius and Annia had almost reached the other side. They turned to see Indavara readying his bow.
Two horses had just appeared at the top of the ridge. The riders were thrashing at their mounts, driving them down the road.
Cassius grabbed Annia’s hand again. ‘Here.’
They ran to the end of the stone wall on the eastern side of the bridge and crouched behind it, close to the warning sign and the stack of unused timber. Indavara wasn’t far behind. He knelt beside Cassius and raised the bow. The speeding riders had already covered half the distance to the bridge. Their helmets and mail shirts were clear. Legionaries. But from the First Century or the Second?
Cassius covered his eyes with his hand. ‘Can’t tell who they are. This damned sun.’
Indavara drew back the bowstring.
The riders reached the bridge. Cassius was expecting them to slow down but they came across at a gallop. One — a slight individual — took off his helmet. Beneath was a head of thinning brown hair.
‘It’s Noster!’ said Cassius.
Indavara lowered the bow as he and Cassius stood up.
Noster reined in his horse just yards from them. The second man was Lentellus, one of the younger legionaries who’d been with them at the quarry. Noster’s face was dripping with sweat and his words came between panting breaths. ‘The battle’s over but it’s chaos back there. Eborius and a few of us got away but Carnifex was seen leading the remainder of his men towards the stables.’
‘How many?’
‘Thirty or more. Eborius isn’t far behind. He sent me ahead to get you. We must go now, sir.’
‘Come on,’ said Indavara, ready to run.
Cassius looked back along the bridge, then up at the legionaries. ‘Dismount. I need your horses.’
‘What?’ said Noster.
‘That’s an order. Get off!’
Noster was quicker to comply than Lentellus but both men looked as bemused as Indavara as they dropped to the ground. Cassius caught the younger soldier’s eye. ‘Come.’
Annia was still behind the wall. Cassius pulled her up, turned to Lentellus and pointed at the distant cactus hedge. ‘Go with her and wait there.’
Annia shook her head. ‘I want to stay with you two.’
‘We’ll be along soon.’ He took her hand and placed it in Lentellus’s. ‘Go.’
The legionary looked to Noster for guidance.
Cassius wasn’t in the mood to tarry. He gripped Lentellus by the tunic and pulled him close. ‘I am an officer. You are not. Go!’
The two of them set off along the road.
‘Corbulo, what are you doing?’ demanded Indavara.
Cassius ignored him. ‘Noster, tie both saddles on as tight as you can.’
Cassius ran around the wall to the sandy slope beside the bridge, Indavara close on his heels. He pointed at a thick coil of rope next to the stack of timber. ‘Bring that.’
‘What-’
‘Just do as you’re bloody told for once, man!’
Cassius half ran, half skidded down the slope. Forcing himself to ignore the sheer angles and the dark fissure below, he scrambled across to the supporting timbers. The six vertical posts formed a triangle, with three close to the side, a second rank of two, and the final one only a yard from where the slope abruptly steepened.
‘Anyone coming?’ Cassius yelled, his voice echoing along the gorge.
‘Not yet,’ cried Noster from above.
‘Then we still have time.’
Indavara arrived next to him. ‘To do what?’
Cassius took the rope. ‘Judging by those fires, the Maseene are in control of the town. If we get caught between them and Carnifex’s men on open ground in daylight, we’re as good as dead. This might buy us some time.’
With a series of leaping steps, Cassius made his way down past the second rank of posts, then slid on his side until his leading boot landed on the final support. Sandy earth and clumps of weed fell over the edge of the almost vertical slope just ahead. He tied the end of the rope around the support with a strong knot he’d seen the sailors use, then pushed the rope as high as he could using the javelin. The top of the post was twenty feet above him, at the apex of the network of timbers beneath the stone base of the bridge.
Cassius headed back up the slope on all fours, uncoiling the rope as he went. He gave the javelin to Indavara and pointed up at the rope wrapped around the timbers. ‘See the lines? Cut as many as you can.’
Indavara made his way into the shadows under the northern end of the structure. ‘What if it falls?’
Cassius pointed at the fissure. ‘Then I’ll see you down there.’
‘Here comes Eborius,’ yelled Noster from above.
‘Carnifex?’ asked Cassius.
‘No sign yet.’
Pumping his aching legs, Cassius ploughed up the slope until he reached Noster and the horses. He ran the rope around the horns of each saddle twice, then brought it back and tied it off about ten feet behind the mounts.
‘Your dagger.’
Noster handed it over and watched as Cassius cut off the remainder of the rope. This he cut in two before returning the dagger to the legionary.
Only then did he allow himself to look across the gorge. Another man was riding alongside Eborius. They were almost at the bridge.
Cassius looked north. Annia and Lentellus were halfway to the hedge.
Indavara emerged from the other side of the bridge and sprinted across the road.
Eborius and the other man brought their speeding horses to a halt so abruptly that the legionary almost fell out of his saddle.
‘Corbulo, what are you doing?’ yelled the centurion, his face streaked with blood and grime.
‘We’re going to bring the bridge down.’
Before the stunned centurion could summon a reply, Indavara pointed at the ridge. ‘There they are.’
The men of the First Century were riding hard, three or four abreast across the road.
‘Indavara — here!’
Cassius ducked down behind the wall.
‘Eborius, there’s no time to argue,’ he said as Indavara crouched beside him. ‘You’re my bait. Look as if you stopped to pick up Noster, then ride.’
Eborius stared at the rope leading to the two horses.
Cassius pointed at Annia and Lentellus, who were snatching glances over their shoulders as they ran. ‘If we don’t make it, get her back to the ship.’
Eborius turned towards the distant figures.
‘Did you hear me, Centurion?’ demanded Cassius.
Finally, Eborius nodded. ‘Yes.’
Noster hurried over to the other soldier, who helped him up on to the horse behind him.
‘They’re a quarter-mile away,’ said Eborius. ‘Forty or more.’
‘Go now!’ Cassius yelled.
Eborius wheeled his horse around and led the way at a gallop.
Cassius could hear the rumble of the approaching riders. Indavara glanced anxiously at him from beneath his dark fringe. ‘Is this going to work?’
‘It might.’
Cassius looked around the wall. The legionaries slowed their mounts and narrowed the column into pairs as they approached the bridge. Close to the back was a splash of red amongst the iron and bronze. Carnifex.
Cassius looked at the horses and the rope. He saw with a sudden clarity what they were about to attempt and suddenly it was his turn to hesitate.
‘I can’t do this. They’re Roman soldiers.’
Indavara spoke straight into his ear. ‘Who’ll kill us in an instant given a chance. Annia and the others too.’
Assailed by a dozen thoughts at once, Cassius was paralysed by indecision.