The Legion - Scarrow Simon - Страница 15

'But we didn't,' Cato cut in. 'And now we must finish the job we started long ago. As I said, Ajax is clever, and he's consumed by hate. But I doubt he would throw his life away in some reckless act of revenge. So he will have a plan to clear out of the Nile delta if there's a danger he could be trapped here. That's why I think he is further to the east.' Cato unrolled his reed matting and lay down, pulling his cloak over him. 'In the morning, we sail east to Casium and then work our way back towards Alexandria.'

The next day the fleet put out to sea and steered east under full sail. A stiff breeze was blowing and the trierarch of the Sobek advised Cato to give the order to take in a reef in order to relieve the strain on the sail, mast and rigging. They were close to the deadline that Petronius had set for abandoning the search and Cato was determined to make the most of the time that remained. He ordered the trierarch to remain at full sail, and signal the rest of the ships to follow suit.

As the sun sank over the horizon, the flotilla reached the small port of Casium and spent the night taking on water and fresh provisions. At dawn, they set sail, heading back towards Alexandria. It was Cato's intention to search the coastline thoroughly. If Ajax was hiding anywhere, it would be along this stretch of the delta. He was sure of it.

The Sobek cleared the harbour mole as the sun glinted above the eastern horizon. Hamedes lowered himself on to his knees to face the sun and stretched his arms out, eyes closed as his lips mumbled a prayer. He was not alone. Those of the crew who shared his beliefs followed suit and performed the ritual as quickly as possible before returning to their duties. The sails were set, and the sheets hauled in and cleated. The priest, whose rites were more involved, continued for a while longer before he rose to his feet and stretched his shoulders. He caught Cato's eye and there was the briefest of pauses before he smiled a greeting.

'I have offered prayers to Isis that you find what you seek today.'

'Thank you.' Cato nodded. 'I think I need all the help I can get.'

'Sail in sight!' the lookout's cry interrupted them.

'Where away?' called the trierarch.

'Dead ahead, sir!'

Cato hurried forward and was joined by Macro, the trierarch and Hamedes a moment later. The western horizon was clear. For a while they stared hard, then Cato thrust out his arm and pointed. 'Over there!'

The others followed his direction and, as the Sobek lifted on a swell, there was a tiny gleam of white, then it was gone. The trierarch turned and raised his head towards the lookout. 'Can you make her out? Is it a warship?'

There was a long pause before the reply came. 'No, sir. Too small. Looks like some kind of a fast yacht. Yes, sir. I'm sure of it. She's altered course and is making for us.'

'A yacht?' Macro scratched his chin. 'Wonder who's in such a hurry to find us.'

'More to the point, why?' asked Cato. 'Trierarch, alter course towards that vessel.'

'Yes, sir.'

The warship swung towards the yacht and the two vessels closed quickly. Less than an hour later, a young Roman officer, who Cato recognised as one of Petronius's tribunes, climbed on to the deck of the Sobek and strode towards Cato.

'Urgent despatch from the governor, sir.' The tribune held out a leather tube with the governor's seal securing the cap. Cato took the tube, broke the seal and took out a small scroll of papyrus. Moving to the side of the ship, he unrolled it and read through it quickly, then again to be quite sure about the contents of the message. He rolled it up and gestured to his friend. 'Macro, on me, please.'

'What is it, sir?' Macro asked in an undertone once he had joined Cato.

'The Nubians have crossed the frontier. They've invaded Egypt. Petronius has ordered the Twenty-Second to advance up the Nile to Diospolis Magna. He aims to mass all his available forces there before moving against the Nubians.'

'Which means he wants us to return to Alexandria at once, I take it.'

'Yes.' Cato clenched his fist round the scroll, crushing it. 'It seems that we are obliged to abandon the hunt for Ajax.'

Macro's heart felt leaden with disappointment and looking at his superior he could see that Cato shared his bitterness. Macro cleared his throat. 'It's just for now, sir. We'll continue the job once the Nubians are dealt with. We'll find the bastard, don't you worry. He'll pay for what he did to me, and to Julia. I swear it, on my life.'

Cato stared at him and nodded. 'As do I.'

Then he took a deep breath and crossed the deck towards the tribune. 'Tell the governor we are making full sail and will return to Alexandria without delay.'

'Yes, sir.' The tribune saluted, and then hesitated. 'Is there anything I should report to him, sir? Any progress you have made in locating the renegade?'

'No. There's nothing,' Cato admitted. 'Now be off.'

The tribune went to the side and climbed down the rope ladder on to the deck of the sleek yacht. At once the crew fended it away from the side of the warship and raised the triangular sail. The wind filled the sail with a dull crack and the yacht heeled as it picked up speed and pulled away from the Sobek, heading west.

Cato turned to the trierarch. 'Set course for Alexandria. Signal the other ships to follow us.'

'Aye, sir.'

As the warship got back under way, Cato stood at the side rail, staring towards the coastline. Ajax was out there, somewhere, and free to continue wreaking damage along the delta, unavenged. It was a bitter thing to swallow, but there was nothing that could be done about it.

The wind strengthened during the day and the ships ploughed through a choppy sea, sending clouds of spray exploding into the air as the bronze-capped rams punched through the swell. The rigging, taut under the strain, hummed as it vibrated and the yardarm stretching across the deck bowed under the pressure from the sail, all under the anxious eye of the trierarch. Then, in the middle of the afternoon, there was a faint crack and Cato turned to see that one of his ships, the Thoth, had slewed to one side. The yard had shattered and the sail collapsed beneath the splintered ends of the length of timber.

'Heave to!' the trierarch ordered. 'Signal the order to all ships!'

Cato bit back on his frustration as the flotilla rolled gently on the waves. The trierarch hurriedly went below to consult his charts and then came back on deck to report to Cato.

'There's a small naval station only a short distance along the coast, sir, on the Tanitic mouth. The Thoth can put in there under oars to pick up a spare yard and then catch up with us tonight. She's the fastest sailer in the flotilla, sir. It shouldn't take her long.'

'Very well, pass the word to the trierarch of the Thoth. As soon as it's done, we continue on course.'

The trierarch nodded and hurried to the stern of the warship where he picked up a speaking trumpet and bellowed the instructions back to the Ibis, who passed them on to the Thoth. Shortly after, the oars emerged from the hull and began to drive the vessel through the waves towards the shore as the crew on deck cut away the shattered yardarm. The rest of the ships braced up their sails and continued to the west.

The flotilla was beached well before sunset in order to give the Thoth a chance to catch up before night set in. The crews set to work building their fires for the night and then cooking some of the fresh rations they had taken on at Casium. The sun crept down towards the horizon and as it touched the palms on the distant headland, Cato came across Hamedes staring out to sea.

'I thought you'd be at prayer.' Cato smiled, jabbing his thumb towards the setting sun.