Hannibal: Fields of Blood by Ben Kane

Author:Ben Kane
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Publisher: Random House
Published: 2013-06-05T23:00:00+00:00

Chapter XI

Apulia, a month later . . .

‘STOP LOOKING AT me like that,’ ordered Hanno irritably.

‘Like what, sir?’ Mutt made a pretence of a happy expression.

Hanno waited for the inevitable. A moment later, like a fat man’s wine belly that has been sucked in, Mutt’s face sagged back down into its normal doleful position. ‘Like that,’ Hanno said, pointing. ‘You’re not happy that I’m going, but you’re not going to stop me.’

‘I can’t stop you, sir,’ replied Mutt mournfully. ‘You’re my commanding officer.’

‘But you won’t tell anyone about this when we return from patrol?’

‘Of course not, sir. The men won’t say a thing either, you have my word on it.’ Mutt’s lips pursed, but then relaxed.

‘You will keep quiet, but you don’t approve,’ said Hanno, perplexed.

‘That’s right, sir. Women have their place, and it’s not in the middle of a war.’

Hanno glowered. He’d felt obliged to tell Mutt his reasons for leaving. It was impossible to argue; his second-in-command was right. What he was planning was reckless, even bordered on lunacy. Yet his mind was made up. Like many other units, his phalanx had been sent on patrol by Hannibal, their mission to protect the Carthaginian foraging parties that scoured the land for supplies. Fabius had continued his tactic of attacking these groups, often with considerable success, meaning that their job had become even more important. Abandoning his men for what would probably be several days would not be regarded favourably by Hannibal, or any other senior officer for that matter. Hanno could all too vividly remember the disciplining he had received from his general after disobeying orders once before. ‘Good. Because if Hannibal finds out about this, he will crucify me.’ It was weird, he thought. Even that knowledge couldn’t deter him from making another attempt to see Aurelia before she was wed. Since the night at the farm, he had hardly been able to sleep for thinking of her. If he could kill Agesandros on the same journey, all the better.

‘That’s the main reason I will say nothing, sir. Plus, I owe you.’

‘I’m grateful.’

A snort of amusement. ‘It’s not just that you saved my life near Victumulae, sir. You’re a valuable commodity. There are so few other officers around. If you die, there will be no time to train another one. This war is hotting up, and when the next big battle comes, I don’t want to die because the unit doesn’t have a commander.’

Hanno had to chuckle at Mutt’s pragmatism, which felt mildly insulting but made sense. ‘What if I don’t come back?’

‘Then I’ll curse you for a damn fool, sir, and regret not tying you up right here and now.’

‘You’re a good man, Mutt. Thank you.’

‘Why don’t you piss off, sir? The sooner you leave, the sooner you’ll be back.’

‘I’ll find you at the road junction we talked about, three days hence.’

‘We’ll be there, sir, unless a Roman patrol has slaughtered us all.’

Hanno gritted his teeth and tried not to think about that eventuality. ‘Fare well,’ he said, swinging up on to his horse’s back.

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