The Gladiator

'Would you mind if I had a brief word with Macro before I speak with you?'

'No, sir,' Cato replied with a slight frown and turned towards Julia.

'You can come and sit with me.'

They walked beyond the final consignment of stores piled higher up the beach and sat down on the sand. Julia leaned her head against Cato's shoulder as he placed his arm around her. They did not talk for a moment, too aware of the imminence of their separation. At length Julia muttered,'It's not fair.'

'No.'

'Have you any idea how long you will be gone?'

'That rather depends on Ajax. But I shall come and find you in Rome the moment he is taken or killed. I swear it.'

Julia nodded but kept her silence, and Cato knew that she was struggling not to show her feelings. Every so often he glanced back towards the senator and Macro, and saw that they were locked in earnest conversation. Sempronius held Macro's arm and seemed to be entreating him to share a point of view. At first Macro seemed reluctant, but then, as he looked briefly at Cato and thought a moment, he consented and they shook on it.

'Cato!' Sempronius waved him over.

He and Julia stood up and strode back down the beach to rejoin the others. Macro stood still with a serious expression as Sempronius regarded Cato gravely.

'I have had to make a difficult decision, Cato, and one that you might find hard to live with at first,' Sempronius began. 'But it is my judgement that this mission has the best chance of success with you in command.'

'Me?' Cato stared at him and then looked to Macro. 'Surely not?'

'That's what he says,' Macro replied. 'And he's right. I agree with the senator.'

'Why?' Cato felt pained by the situation. He had always assumed that he was destined to be Macro's subordinate in the years to come.

It seemed the only natural way to be. Macro had taught himeverything about soldiering. It was to Macro's experience and qualities as a soldier that Cato looked when he needed to set himself an example. He turned back to Sempronius. 'Sir, I am honoured, but I can't accept this. Macro is my superior.'

'He is that, in many things,' Sempronius conceded. 'But this task will require more skills, more circumspection than raw soldiering.

That is why I have chosen you.' He reached into the small bag that hung from his belt and drew out a scroll. 'This is your letter of appointment to the rank of prefect.'

'Prefect?' Cato was astonished. The rank paved the way for appointment to the command of an auxiliary cohort.

'It is subject to the emperor's approval, of course,' Sempronius continued. 'But I hope that I can persuade Claudius to make the promotion permanent. If anyone deserves it, you do. Congratulations.'

They clasped arms briefly, then Macro stepped forward.

'I'd like to offer my congratulations too.' He gave a broken smile.

'Sir.'

The word cut through Cato like a knife. It did not seem right.

Not natural. He forced a smile in return. 'Thank you… for everything.'

Macro nodded, then jerked his thumb at the furthest liburnian.

'My lads are done. I'll have the ship put into the water, if that's all right, sir?'

'Yes.' Cato nodded. 'Whatever you say'

Macro sighed, wagged a finger, then turned and strode towards the gangway of his ship.

'He's a good man,' Sempronius said. 'You're lucky to have him as a friend.'

'I know that, sir.'

Sempronius turned to Cato and was silent for a moment.' Do you have any idea where that gladiator is headed?'

Cato nodded.' Once he put out to sea, the ship was seen to turn south, sir. Towards Africa.'

'I see.' Sempronius cleared his throat and stood back. 'You have your orders, Prefect. See they are carried out.'

'Yes, sir!' Cato stood to attention and saluted. He turned to see that the last of his stores had been carried aboard. There would be no privacy for his final parting with Julia. He took her hands, feeling the tremor of her flesh against his as she did her best not to let any tears show. He leaned forward and kissed her, letting his lips linger for an instant as they grazed hers. Then he released her hands and made his way up the gangway and gave the order to the trierarch to put to sea.

As he stood on the small aft deck, Cato watched the sailors, marines and legionaries crowd aft to raise the bows as the oarsmen unshipped their oars. Then, as the flute player began to give the time, the oars propelled the ship back from the beach into deeper water.

Once they had sea room, the trierarch dismissed the marines and the sailors returned to their normal stations. The trierarch turned towards Cato. 'Your orders, sir?'

Cato looked down the deck, conscious that he was being watched closely by the men he was about to lead on as dangerous and difficult a mission as they would ever know. He cleared his throat.

'Pass the word to the other ship that we are heading out to sea.

Once we leave the bay, we set course for Africa.'

'Aye, sir.'

As the trierarch cupped his hands to his mouth to relay the order across the sea between the two vessels, Cato turned towards the shore. The senator and his daughter were still standing where he had left them, and Sempronius raised his hand as he saw Cato look at him. Cato, mindful of his new rank and responsibility, simply saluted and then turned away. He swore a private oath at that moment to be worthy of the confidence of the senator, and more importantly of his friend Macro. He also swore that he would not rest until the gladiator was dead and he could return to Julia's side.