Fire in the East by Harry Sidebottom

Author:Harry Sidebottom
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub, azw3
Publisher: Penguin USA, Inc.
Published: 2011-07-16T13:26:22+00:00

Ballista was leaning on the wall of the terrace of the palace of the Dux Ripae. He was looking down and across the river. He was looking at something horrible.

Where had the woman come from? He had had cavalry methodically sweep the opposite bank, driving everyone they found down to the boats and back across the river. Peevishly he thought that it had not been easy getting two turmae of cavalry ferried back and forth across the Euphrates. Of course, some fools will always stay in the false delusional safety of their homes, no matter with what certainty you tell them of the horror that man or gods are about to visit on them. Maybe the Sassanids had brought her with them.

Every now and then the horse archers would pretend to let her get away. She would run towards the river. Before she got there, the horsemen would ride her down. They would throw her to the ground and another two or three of them would rape her. There were about twenty of them.

With none of his usual noises, Calgacus leant on the wall beside Ballista. ‘They are all inside. For once Acilius Glabrio was on time. So were Turpio, Antigonus and the four centurions you told to come. It was Mamurra who was late.’

Both men looked across the river.

‘Bastards,’ said Ballista.

‘Don’t even think of trying to save her,’ said Calgacus. ‘It is just what they want. She would be dead by the time you got any troops into a boat, and then your men would land into an ambush.’

‘Bastards,’ said Ballista.

They both continued to look over the river.

‘It’s not your fault,’ said Calgacus.

‘What?’ The silence of the Caledonian’s arrival should have warned Ballista that something was coming.

‘What is happening to that poor girl over there ... the fact that this city is being besieged and, no matter what, lots of its people are going to suffer and die ... what happened to Romulus and those scouts ... none of it is your fault.’

Ballista briefly pulled an unconvinced face but his eyes remained fixed over the river.

‘You have always thought too much. Since you were a child. I am not saying it’s a bad thing in itself, but it is no help to a man in your position.’ Ballista did not respond. ‘All I am saying is that if you give yourself over to sentiment, then you will not be thinking clearly, and then things will get still fucking worse.’

Ballista nodded and straightened up. As he unclenched his hands from the wall, he saw his palms had brick dust embedded in them. He rubbed them together.

On the other side of the river the men had encircled the woman. One of them was on top of her. Ballista looked away.

‘I suppose you are right.’ He looked up into the sky. ‘Only just over an hour to nightfall. Let’s go in and talk to the others. We have a lot to organize for the unpleasant surprise that is going to befall the King of Kings tonight.

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