Gates of Rome

CHAPTER 47

AD 54, Rome

‘An ingenious plot,’ said Crassus. He looked at Cato. ‘Devious even. Admirably devious.’

Macro nodded at that. ‘Even as a snotty-nosed young optio, Cato was a smart-arse.’

‘I had to be,’ replied Cato. ‘A young, soft strip of a boy in the legions? It was either be tough or be clever. And I wasn’t much of a fighter back then.’

Macro grinned. ‘Turned out all right in the end, though, didn’t you, lad?’

Cato shrugged that away. ‘The legions have a way of finding out what’s in you.’

Liam smiled at the interplay between Cato and Macro. Clearly both men were fond of each other — brothers in arms. Over the last few days Macro had frequently come by, a visitor to Crassus’s home of no particular interest to any of Caligula’s spies that might be watching. He had plenty of tales to tell them of his time in the Second Legion, serving alongside Cato. Firstly as Cato’s commanding officer and in the latter years, watching this young man mature and become a first-class officer who would eventually outrank him.

Liam saw a vague reflection of himself and Bob in these two. One of them the brains of the partnership, the other the brawn.

‘Your plot?’ said Maddy.

‘Caligula may be insane, but he isn’t stupid. He knows full well that the power of an emperor isn’t in what the people, the citizens of Rome think: it’s in the support of her legions. Treat the legions well and they’ll do their best to keep you in power.’

Cato sat forward in his seat. ‘When he first became emperor, he had a lot of money to make use of. Bought the support where he needed it. Now there’s so little money left, he’s stripped the assets from almost every wealthy family in the city and most of that money is going towards paying the Praetorian Guard and the only other two legions in Italy, the Tenth and the Eleventh. And paying them very well. All the other legions of the empire he’s made sure to station as far away from Rome as possible, guarding our failing frontiers.’

‘Far away because he’s not paying them?’ said Liam.

‘Precisely. It’s a foolish emperor that allows a disgruntled legion anywhere near home. The Praetorians, the Tenth Legion, the Eleventh Legion… those men will happily fight and die to keep Caligula as their emperor.’

‘That doesn’t sound promising,’ said Maddy.

‘The trick of this plot is deception. A sleight of hand. This plot hinges on being able to fool these two legions and the Praetorians into thinking the other is making some kind of a move against Caligula.’ A wry smile spread across Cato’s lean face. ‘We’re going to make them fight each other.’

Macro shook his head. ‘I used to lose money playing dice with this lad.’

‘We need to provoke the Tenth and Eleventh into marching on Rome. We need those men to believe the Praetorians are preparing to launch a coup against Caligula. At the same time, we need the Praetorian Guard to believe these two approaching legions are attempting to launch their very own coup. As soon as he hears the news of their marching on Rome, Caligula will have to react. He can’t afford to appear weak or intimidated. He’ll have to order his Praetorians out to face them. With nothing but a skeleton garrison left behind, guarding the government district and the Imperial Palace… I have a better chance of cornering and killing him. Provided your Bob can deal with the Stone Men.’

‘Would he not have his men stay behind and defend the city?’ asked Liam. ‘That’s what I’d do.’

‘That’s not how legions fight,’ said Macro. ‘Their strength lies in having room to manoeuvre. An open plain. If Caligula’s guard are still stuck in the city when those two legions turn up, they’ll simply be bottled up inside. Those legions will simply camp outside Rome and starve the fools until they come out weakened. Then, of course, their backs’ll be against the wall.’

‘Macro’s right. Caligula will want them out and on the battleground of his choosing. As I say, he’s not stupid.’

‘So… how are you planning to get those two legions to suddenly believe the Praetorians are planning to turn on Caligula?’ asked Maddy.

Cato sat back and let Crassus answer that.

‘General Lepidus commands those two legions,’ the old man replied. ‘He’s a career-minded general. He very nearly joined us. Came here to my home on several occasions. He’s no friend of Caligula, but he’s certainly not an idealist. He’ll sit tight because his men are well paid, and so is he. But I have been working on him quietly, discreetly.’

‘And he’s prepared to help?’

Crassus laughed. ‘No, of course not. The man is a coward. He became nervous and excused himself from our plans.’

‘Isn’t that dangerous?’ asked Liam. ‘What if he told Caligula about you?’

‘He won’t. He’s already implicated. I’ve been doing my best to make the fat oaf look as guilty as possible of conspiring against Caligula. Bribes and gifts in certain places, correspondence in his name. A whispered word or two in Caligula’s ear and he’ll want Lepidus’s head on a spike alongside mine.’

‘The trick is,’ said Cato, ‘to let Lepidus know that someone is about to whisper of his treachery to Caligula. Lepidus knows that with Caligula there is no right of reply. He won’t get a chance to try and prove his innocence. The only thing he’ll be able to do is act quickly; either run for his life or make a pre-emptive move on Caligula.’

‘But I thought you said his men would fight to defend the emperor?’ said Liam.

‘The men of a legion will always follow their general, up to a point that is. So, yes… he will convince them that they’re marching on Rome to protect their emperor, not usurp him.’

‘And how will he do that?’

Cato shrugged. ‘The regular legions are always suspicious of the Praetorian Guard. Atellus, the officer you met the other day?’

Liam and Maddy nodded.

‘He is one of Lepidus’s tribunes. He’ll feed Lepidus enough hearsay and rumour that even that idiot general can convince his men the Praetorians are up to no good. If those soldiers suspect for one moment their generous benefactor, Caligula, might be replaced with another emperor less generous,’ Cato grinned, ‘they’ll be on their feet and marching towards Rome.’

Maddy and Liam looked at each other and grinned. ‘That’s clever,’ said Liam.

‘While Atellus is pouring suspicion into Lepidus’s ear, I will be doing the same with Caligula,’ added Cato.

‘What?’ Maddy sat upright. ‘You meet with him?’

‘I’m the tribune in charge of the Palace Cohort. Of course I do. Almost every day. I believe… he is beginning to trust me. Perhaps even likes me. Sometimes we talk and I’m as close to him as I am to you right now. I could try and have a go at him, but his Stone Men are fast.’

‘You wouldn’t stand a chance,’ said Macro.

‘Caligula does listen to me. He doesn’t listen to the praefectus, but I know he trusts my advice. Perhaps if I can persuade Caligula to send some of his Stone Men into battle and get your Bob within the palace itself… it’s possible he could overcome any of them left behind.’

‘And us as well?’ said Liam. ‘Could you get us inside too?’

‘Perhaps.’

‘Bob…?’ Maddy said in English. She patted the mound of one knee. ‘You up for it?’

He replied in English, Cato, Crassus and Macro looking on in silence as they talked.

‘The description we have of these Stone Men suggests they are third-generation military recon units. Designed to have normal physiques and pass more easily as human beings. As a full muscle-chassis combat unit, I am approximately fifty-five per cent stronger. This gives me a tactical advantage.’

‘And you did sort out that other unit that came through the portal,’ said Sal. ‘And that was another big one, just like you.’

‘But it was missing feet and a hand,’ replied Bob. ‘This also gave me an advantage.’

‘But do you think you can take them down?’ said Maddy. ‘More than one?’

‘Individually, yes. More than one at a time, this would be difficult.’

She sucked air through her teeth. ‘We’re rolling our dice on a pretty steep bet. We’re helping these guys with their coup and there’s no guarantee we get anything out of this. There may be nothing in the palace. No tech, no displacement unit, nothing.’

‘In which case that leaves us stuck here,’ said Sal.

‘Right,’ said Liam.

Maddy nodded. ‘Right.’

‘And without Bob… if those Stone Men kill him,’ added Sal.

They looked at each other. A decision unresolved hung in the space between them.

‘Actually, if computer-Bob doesn’t activate that six-month window, his head chip’s going to end up as helmet-spaghetti anyway,’ said Maddy. ‘He’ll be a dribbling vegetable.’

The three Roman men were looking at them expectantly.

‘Even if we end up successfully killing Caligula,’ said Maddy, ‘we might also not find anything in the palace that can get us back home.’

‘Well, the way I see it is this: if we are goin’ to be stuck here for good… I’d not want to live here with this Caligula fella still in charge.’

‘There is that.’ Maddy nodded slowly. ‘If this is it for us, if this time we really can’t put things right and we’re stuck here for good… I think I’d rather Caligula wasn’t around.’ She turned to Bob. ‘How does that fit with your mission priorities?’

His deep voice rumbled. ‘This is an already contaminated timeline. If we cannot correct it, the mission has failed whatever course of action you choose to take.’

‘Bit of a downer there, Bob,’ said Maddy, ‘but you’re quite right.’ She consciously switched back to listening to the translator burbling quietly in her ear.

‘OK, count us in.’