The Gladiator

A fresh swell lifted Cato up, and then he saw the ship, or rather what was left of her. Some distance from him the hull floated very low in the water. The mast and stern post had been carried away, and in the gloom of the gathering dusk Cato could just make out a handful of dazed figures stumbling about on deck. He tried to call out, but all he could manage was a painful croak, and then a small wavelet splashed into his face and filled his mouth. Cato spluttered for a moment, tried to call out again, and then trod water, fighting off a surge of despair as the last of the day's light began to fail. Those on the ship could not see him. In any case, they would be too preoccupied with their own problems to look for survivors in the sea.

Cato trembled. The water was already cold enough, and he doubted that he had the strength to last through the night.

Clutching the wooden spar, Cato struck out towards the ship. It was hard going, but the prospect of being saved lent him desperate strength, enough to keep kicking out, working his way across the swell towards the Horus. His progress felt painstakingly slow, and he was fearful that darkness would soon be upon him and he would lose sight of the ship.

The distance gradually closed, and even though the night had settled across the sea, there was just enough starlight in the heavens to illuminate the darker outline of the ship against the black swell of the water. As he drew closer, Cato tried to call out again, but his feeble cry was drowned by the surge and hiss of the waves and the splashes coming from the side of the ship. Not far from the Horus he bumped into a wooden case floating low in the water. He steered it aside and continued to close up on the ship. Twofigures appeared above him, grunting as they struggled with a large amphora.

'On the count of three, ' a voice growled, and they began to swing the heavy jar to and fro. Cato recognised the voice well enough, but before he could try to shout a greeting, the sound died in his throat as he realised that the large jar would land right on top of him.

'Wait!' The shout ripped from his throat as he raised a hand and waved frantically to attract attention. 'Lower that bloody jar!'

'What the fuck?' Macro's voice carried down to the water. 'Cato?

That you?'

'Yes… yes. Now put the bloody thing down, before you drop it on my head!'

'What? Oh yes.' Macro turned back to the other man on deck.

'Easy there. Put the amphora down, careful like. Cato, wait there. I'll get a rope.'

'Where else would I go?' Cato grumbled.

A moment later Macro's dark form appeared above the rail and a rope splashed into the water.

Cato's cold fingers struggled to find the end of the rope. When he had it he held on as tightly as he could before muttering through clenched teeth, ' Ready '

With a grunt Macro hauled his friend out of the sea, and as the young centurion surged up he leaned down with one hand and grasped his tunic to haul him aboard. Cato thudded down on the deck and slumped against the side, chest heaving with the effort of the swim back to the Horus and shivering violently as a cool breeze blew across the deck. Macro could not help smiling grimly.

'Well, you're in a right state. Proper drowned rat, you are.'

Cato frowned. 'I fail to see the humour of our situation.'

'Then you're not trying hard enough.'

Cato shook his head, then his heart stilled as he glanced round the deck and took in the damage that had been done to the ship, and the handful of figures working around the cargo hatch.

'Julia… Where's Julia?'

'She's safe, lad. And so is her father.' Macro paused and cleared his throat. 'But Jesmiah's gone.'

'Gone?'

'Dead. Her neck snapped when the ship went over. We lost quite a few of the crew and passengers. Mostly swept away. The rest were killed or injured by the ship's kit when it broke loose.'

'Julia's safe then, ' Cato muttered to himself as a surge of relief flowed through him. He took a deep breath to calm his pounding heart and looked up at Macro. 'She thinks I was lost?'

Macro nodded. 'Putting a brave face on it, of course, what with her being the daughter of a senator. But you might want to put her mind at rest sooner rather than later. Then we need to get this tub seaworthy again, otherwise we'll all be for the chop.'

Cato struggled to his feet. 'Where is she?'

'In the hold. Helping get rid of the cargo. Her idea, not mine, before you ask. Now then, ' Macro turned to a nearby sailor, 'give a hand with this.'

Leaving Macro and the other man to ditch the unwieldy amphora, Cato crossed the deck towards the open cargo hold. As he approached, he saw Sempronius looking up. The senator broke into a broad smile.

'Well now! I'd given you up for dead, Centurion.'

Cato grasped the hand that was offered to him, and clasped the senator's arm. The older man stared at him for a moment and then spoke softly. 'It's good to see you, my boy. I feared the worst.'

'So did I, ' Cato replied ruefully. 'Seems the gods aren't quite finished with me.'

'Indeed. I will make a sacrifice to Fortuna the moment we reach dry land.'

'Thank you, sir.' Cato nodded, and then looked past the senator down into the ship's hold. Even in the gloom he could make Julia out at once. She was bent over a waterlogged bale of finely woven cloth, struggling to lift it on to her shoulder.

'Excuse me, sir.' Cato released the senator's hand and hopped over the side of the hatch, dropping slightly behind Julia. He leaned forward to help her, brushing her arm as he took hold of the cloth.

She flinched and snapped.

'I can manage!'

'Let me help, Julia.'

She froze for an instant and then responded in a whisper, without turning her head.' Cato?'

'Of course.'

Dropping the bale, Julia rose up and spun round, throwing her arms around him.' Cato! Oh, Cato… I thought…' She stared up into his eyes, her lips trembling. Then she buried her face in his sodden chest and clenched her fists into the back of his tunic. He felt her shudder and then he heard a sob. He prised himself back so that he could look down at her face.

'It's all right, Julia. Shhh, my love. There's no need for tears, I'm alive and well.'

'I know, I know, but I thought I might have lost you.'

'Really?' Cato raised his eyebrows. It was a lucky thing indeed that he had survived the wave. He forced a smile. 'Takes more than a bloody wave to finish me off.'

Julia released her grip and thumped him on the chest. 'Don't ever do that to me again.'

'I promise. Unless we run into another wave, that is.'

'Cato!' she growled. 'Don't!'

They were interrupted by a loud cough and turned to see Macro, hands on hips, looking down into the hold with a bemused expression. 'If you two have quite finished, can we get back to work?'

The first hours of the night were spent getting rid of as much cargo as possible. The work be came progressively harder as the survivors began to get deeper into the hold, where the heaviest items had been loaded. Much of the cargo had been thrown out of position and smashed against the hull or the underside of the cargo hatch. But slowly the Horus began to ride higher in the water, to the relief of all aboard. However, as they delved further into the hold, it was clear that the vessel had shipped a great deal of water.

'We can start bailing that out once we've shifted a bit more of the cargo, ' Macro decided. 'That'll keep us afloat.'

The mate scratched his chin. 'Yes, I hope so.'

Macro turned to him with an irritable expression. 'Problem?'