Eborius continued on through a wide doorway to the porticoed, open section at the front of the temple. Ahead was the podium where priests would address the faithful, then another set of steps leading down to the low-walled courtyard next to the road.
The centurion paused by a column, Cassius and the others gathered behind him. The Maseene had kept away from the front of the temple, but had made fires on either side of it. The tribesmen could only be seen when they passed in front of the flames; lean, long-haired silhouettes, swigging wine or raising their javelins. From one group, a melodic song; from the other a burst of gleeful laughter.
Cassius descended the steps as slowly as Eborius, holding the javelin high to stop it striking the stone. They were so close now; once across the road they could easily move along the shore to the harbour. But what of the Fortuna? Had Asdribar already left?
Halfway across the courtyard, Eborius stopped next to the temple altar.
‘I’ll go first,’ he whispered. ‘Wait a few moments, then Adranos and Lentellus, you come across. Corbulo, you and the girl next. Then Noster. Indavara — will you cover the road?’
Without a word, Indavara headed for the courtyard wall. Eborius and the soldiers moved up to the entrance.
‘Are we going to the ship now?’ Annia asked, teeth chattering.
‘Hopefully, miss,’ said Cassius.
‘I’m cold. Very cold.’
‘I know.’
He took hold of her arm and led her over to the others. Eborius and the legionaries were down on their haunches, checking the road. Cassius could make out Indavara to the right. He was on his knees, head just above the level of the wall.
‘See you over there,’ said Eborius.
He got to his feet and walked boldly across the road, his broad, mail-clad back soon merging with the darkness.
Lentellus whispered a brief prayer to Jupiter, which Adranos repeated. Cassius closed his eyes and gave a line to the god of gods himself.
‘Now?’ asked Lentellus.
‘Wait, man,’ warned Cassius. ‘He said to give him a moment.’
‘Shit,’ said Adranos. ‘Look.’
To their right, three Maseene warriors were walking away from the fire towards the square. One was holding a lantern.
The legionaries shuffled backwards. Cassius and Annia followed Noster, who had crawled behind the left side of the wall. Cassius leant back against the cold brick, wincing as the spear blade clinked against the stone floor. The trembling in Annia’s fingers seemed to transmit itself to his, but he gritted his teeth and resisted it.
The soft, near-silent footsteps of the Maseene made their proximity hard to gauge. They began talking just yards from the temple entrance, then stopped. The lantern seemed impossibly bright; its glow reached far beyond the altar into the courtyard. Cassius bowed his head.
One of the tribesmen belched.
Noster was to Cassius’s right. Cassius felt him reach for his sword, ready to draw it and strike. Cassius moved his hand to a less sweaty section of the javelin. He had to be ready too.
Then came the faint sound of movement and the voices drifted away.
‘Go,’ whispered Noster, and they all returned to their positions by the entrance.
‘You two now,’ said Cassius.
Lentellus and Adranos stood, edged away from the shelter of the wall, then they too were lost to the darkness.
‘Annia, are you ready?’
‘Yes.’
Cassius took a last glance in both directions. All clear.
He gripped her hand tight. They stood, then started across the road. At the first tap of his hobnailed boots, Cassius forced himself to slow down. Not daring to look at the Maseene, he stared straight ahead as they walked. Only when they were almost in the undergrowth on the other side did he spy Eborius. The centurion was squatting between two bushes, waving them forward. Once Cassius and Annia were beside him, he turned to his men.
‘There’s a path back there somewhere that leads down to the shore. Go and find it.’
‘Yes, sir.’
Cassius gazed back across the road but all he could see were the great columns of the temple, black against the dark grey sky. Then two shapes materialised out of the gloom, one considerably bulkier than the other. Indavara and Noster came across side by side and dropped down next to the others.
‘Thank the gods,’ said Eborius.
‘Jupiter in particular,’ added Cassius.
‘Even if the ship has gone, the shore might be the safest way to get clear of the town,’ said Eborius.
‘And this village?’ asked Cassius. ‘We could make it by dawn?’
‘Probably. Let’s hope we don’t need to.’
Noster stood up and peered towards the marsh. ‘That Lentellus and Adranos?’
‘Back already?’ said Eborius, turning round.
Cassius could just about see the two figures coming towards them.
‘Get back across the road,’ said Indavara, moving in front of Annia.
‘What?’ said Eborius.
‘It’s not them,’ said Indavara, raising the bow. ‘Look.’
Cassius saw it straight away. Of the two figures, one had only a single eye glinting in the dark. Mutilus.
From behind him, a desperate cry: ‘Eborius, help us!’
‘Lentellus! Adranos!’ yelled Noster.
‘Hel-’ The second cry ended as a groan.
Another rank of men appeared behind Mutilus.
Cassius gripped Annia’s hand and ran back across the road with Noster and Eborius not far behind.
Indavara drew the bowstring, aimed at Mutilus and let fly. He heard a metallic whine as the legionaries accelerated, armour jangling, blades held high. Trying to ignore the shouts of the nearby Maseene, he turned and sprinted after the others.
Annia somehow struck the edge of the courtyard wall and Cassius felt her hand slip from his as she tumbled to the ground. Eborius and Noster skidded to a halt behind him as he helped her up.
‘Quick,’ said Eborius, striking him on the shoulder. ‘Back through the temple!’
Cassius and Annia ran on, only stopping when they reached the bottom of the steps. Cassius turned in time to see Eborius and Noster on either side of the altar, blades already drawn.
Indavara paused long enough to shoot another arrow at the legionaries, then dashed through the entrance. One of the soldiers cried out and managed only a couple of stumbling steps before hitting the ground. Mutilus jumped over him and led the others into the courtyard.
‘Cassius!’
Annia pointed up the steps. Standing at the top was a large figure flanked by two men on each side. The silhouette of the cut-off crested helmet was unmistakable. Carnifex waved a hand and the four legionaries came charging down the steps.
Hauling Annia along beside him, Cassius made for the eastern side of the temple.
‘They’re behind us too,’ he cried. ‘This way!’
Eborius and Noster sped after him.
Indavara was last away. The bow and quiver were now more trouble than they were worth, so he threw them at Mutilus and darted round the altar after the others.
Carnifex’s men came down from the podium at an angle, trying to cut him off, and the quickest of them was almost ahead of him. Bounding down the steps, the legionary raised his sword. He was right-handed, so Indavara reckoned his blade was far enough away to risk a pre-emptive strike.
He leapt up two steps, straight into the legionary’s path. The shoulder charge knocked the man clean off his feet and sent him crashing into the unforgiving stone. ‘Uhhh!’
One of the soldiers behind tripped and came flying over the top of him. A flailing hand caught Indavara’s trailing boot. He stumbled and overbalanced so far forward that his hands scraped the steps, but he somehow stayed upright. A few more paces took him to the edge of the temple. He jumped down to the ground then followed the others to the right. More shouts rang out from the road; the Maseene were on the move.