Agent of Rome: The Far Shore by Brown Nick

Author:Brown, Nick
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton
Published: 2013-07-17T16:00:00+00:00

XIX

Cassius intended to sleep for most of the next morning, so was somewhat annoyed to be woken at the second hour. Reaching for his mug of water – which Simo duly passed to him – he sat up and yawned.

‘What’s going on?’

‘I assumed you’d want to be told, sir.’

‘Told what?’

‘The ship isn’t headed to Apollonia, sir.’

‘What? Where else is there?’

‘Apparently a town to the east named Darnis. We should arrive there this afternoon. The ship is approaching the coast now.’

Despite this development, Cassius fell instantly back into sleep and when he eventually rose at the sixth hour, he wondered if he had imagined the conversation with Simo. The Gaul confirmed he hadn’t.

Once he was up, Cassius felt as well rested and strong as he had in days. Despite the uncertainty that lay ahead, his relief that land was close verged on the euphoric. He completed Indavara’s blade exercises, washed, then downed a large, tasty lunch of dried sardines and stewed vegetables. Stepping up out of the hatch, he found the Fortuna bathed in brilliant sunshine. Gulls were wheeling and squawking high above the stern.

‘Where is everyone?’

Squint, who was steering, thrust his jaw towards the bow. ‘That ship’s come back out again. Looks like the Isis.’

Cassius hurried forward and took his place at the starboard side-rail with Asdribar, Annia, Korinth and Indavara. Young Tarkel was there too, wrapped up in a blanket. All five were examining the ship now heading east towards Egypt. Her light brown sails were full and the wind at her flank was causing her to heel over at a steep angle.

Dead ahead – no more than four or five miles away – lay Africa. The coastline was a mix of white beaches and rocky headlands. Beyond Darnis’s small harbour lay the town: a cluster of pale buildings surrounded by fields of gold, yellow and innumerable shades of green.

‘Broad stern. Egyptian rig on the headsail,’ said Asdribar. ‘That’s her.’

Annia looked despairingly to the heavens. ‘Again we arrive just in time to see a ship leave.’

‘Yes,’ said Cassius. ‘But it was hired by a man who seemed to know exactly where he wanted to go. I’ll wager our friend Dio got off.’

‘Might have stopped for repairs after the storm,’ offered Korinth.

‘Possibly,’ replied Cassius. ‘But if that’s so, they completed them remarkably quickly. What do we know about Darnis?’

‘Not much,’ said Asdribar. ‘Other than the harbour’s a useful spot if you get caught in bad weather. Remote and isolated. Cyrene is the closest city – fifty miles to the west.’

‘Army presence?’

‘No idea.’

Annia tapped the side-rail with her hand and turned to face Cassius. ‘Should we make for the harbour?’

‘We don’t have a lot of choice, miss,’ said Asdribar. ‘The spare yard is a temporary measure. It wouldn’t stand up to a battering half as bad as that storm.’

‘Captain, if we stop here and my father’s killer is aboard that ship, all is lost.’

Cassius glanced at the Isis again. ‘What are the chances they know we followed them from Crete?’

‘They may

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