The Gladiator

Centurion Casca, the prefect of the cavalry cohort, responded first. 'Sir, you said that the enemy would set fire to all the ships at the first sign of an attack.'

Cato nodded. 'That was what Ajax said, and I believe him.'

'Then why attack? The fleet will be burned and the people in Rome will starve. Surely the priority is to save the grain ships and send them on to Rome as soon as possible.'

'Even if that means agreeing to his demands?'

Balbus scratched his chin and thought a moment before speaking.

'If you attack, and he destroys the fleet, then we will have a political disaster on our hands. If you agree to his demands, then Rome will avoid starvation. You will, of course, be condemned for bowing to the will of this rebel and his army of slaves. I imagine that, the emperor and the senate will show you no mercy' He paused and looked directly at Cato. 'It seems to me that the choice is between the lives of many in Rome, or your shame and exile or execution, sir.'

Cato smiled slightly. 'You are right, and the choice is mine.

However, I think there is something else you have to consider. What if we go along with Ajax, and he still destroys the grain ships?'

'Is that likely?' asked Fulvius. 'Why would he do that?'

'It's simple,' Cato replied.' He hates Rome with every fibre of his being. And he hates me almost as much.'

'You? Why, sir?'

'It's a long story, but the key to it is that Ajax holds me, and Prefect Macro, responsible for the crucifixion of his father, and for his own enslavement. This is as much about having revenge on us as it is about winning his freedom.'

'Forgive me, sir, but are you certain of this?' Fulvius continued in a cautious tone. 'Is there a danger that you are exaggerating your influence over this man's actions?'

'I have thought about it carefully. I've been over every detail of the man and his words that I can recall from our encounter earlier this morning. I am certain that he means to do me, and Rome, as much harm as possible. Ajax lives for revenge. When he spoke to me, every word was calculated to increase my fear for my friends. He wants to see me tormented for as long as possible before delivering the final crushing blow. I could see it in his eyes.' Cato winced at the memory of the glint of madness in the gladiator's gaze. 'I am sure of it. He will burn those ships the moment he is confident that he and his followers are beyond our reach. If I am right, then we have nothing to lose in risking an attack. Those ships are doomed if we do anything else. That is why we must try to save them as soon as possible. I'm hoping that if we make the attempt tonight, we may catch the rebels by surprise.' Cato let the words of his argument sink in for a moment.

Balbus still seemed unconvinced. 'If the attack fails to take them by surprise and they set fire to the ships, then the emperor is not going to be persuaded that the rebels were planning on doing it anyway. Claudius will want the heads of those responsible for the destruction of the grain ships, sir.'

Fulvius rounded on the navarch.' Then we'll bloody well have to make sure the attack is a success, right? You and the navy do your bit, and we'll do ours.'

Cato briefly felt his heart warm to his subordinate, before he responded, 'Balbus, if it puts your mind at rest, I will assume full responsibility for ordering the attack. I'll have that in writing for any officer here that requests it.'

The navarch nodded and replied flatly, ' Thank you, sir. I would appreciate it. On the off chance that the attack goes tits up and the ships are burned.'

Cato sighed wearily. 'Well, there's no point in having more of us paying the price of failure than necessary, is there?'

'No, sir,' Balbus agreed easily. Then he tilted his head slightly to one side with a questioning expression. 'There is one thing though.'

'Oh?'

'Why is there a need to attack tonight? It seems a bit rushed to me.'

Cato stood still and stared back at the navarch. This was the point of the meeting that he had feared. The question was fair, and although the answer he had prepared was well reasoned from a tactical point of view, he knew that his personal feelings had played the most important part in reaching his decision. If these men were to risk their lives in an attack, it was only right that Cato took them into his confidence and told them the full truth. He cleared his throat to address them in a voice unclouded by emotion.

'Most of you know that the rebels took the governor's daughter and Prefect Macro prisoner some time ago. Ajax let me know that they are still alive, and being held in his camp.'

'Then they will surely be killed the moment we attack,' said Balbus. 'All the more reason to delay any action. At least until you can try to negotiate their release.'

Cato shook his head. 'We can't wait. Ajax has promised to put one of them to death at dawn tomorrow. He said that I must choose which one. If I refuse, then he will have both of them killed. That is why the attack has to go in tonight.'

'Shit,' Fulvius muttered, looking at Cato in horror as the full implication of the threat struck him. 'I'm so sorry, sir.'

Cato rubbed his jaw. 'Ajax is playing games with us. All part of his plan to torment me as far as he can. In fact, this is an opportunity for us. If Ajax thinks that I am so paralysed with concern and indecision for my friends, then he will not be expecting me to act decisively. He will also assume that I dare not attack for fear of putting their lives at risk. That is why we must go in tonight, while there is still a chance of achieving an element of surprise.'

'What if this is a ploy to provoke you into an attack?' asked Balbus.

'To get you to act tonight?'

'Why would he do that? If I attack and the ships are set on fire, then the rebels have nothing to negotiate with.'

'Assuming that he has given orders to set fire to the ships.'

'Then why tell me that he has given such orders if he wants to provoke me into an attack?' Cato sighed wearily.' Look, Balbus, you can't have it both ways.'

Cato was tired of discussion. He had known that there was bound to be some dissent over his orders. Balbus was clearly one of those officers for whom caution was a religion and indecision was dignified by claiming to consider every possible contingency, while acting upon none of them. It was a classic case of paralysis through prevarication. He could understand why Macro be came so frustrated on such occasions and opted for the most direct solution to a problem. He had made his decision, Cato resolved to himself. He glanced round at his officers.

'The attack will go ahead tonight, gentlemen. Now, we must turn our attention to the plan.'

He picked up a roll of parchment on which he had sketched out a plan of the bay earlier in the morning. He laid it out across the table and called for his officers to gather round the other three sides of the table while he briefed them.

'The rebel camp is spread round the end of the bay, with the shore-based side protected by the palisade. There is a small redoubt at the end of the palisade to guard that flank since it is the most vulnerable. On the other side of the bay, on this peninsula, is where Ajax is camped. I believe that is the most likely place for him to be keeping his hostages. He is protected from any landward attack by the bulk of his army, and from the sea by the cliffs and rocks on the far side. There is a small bay with a sandy beach towards the end of the peninsula, but it's well guarded and too small to attempt any landing in force.' Cato paused as the officers examined the map.' Our objective is simple. We must find some way of preventing the rebels, from setting fire to the ships before we capture them.'