The Galley Page 18

  “Why would you do that?” she asked. “Why would you want the slaves to take over?” He laughed at the question.

  “That was not quite what I had in mind,” he mused, “I planned for my pirate friends to take the ship. I hadn’t figured on that Roman pulling something. I knew he was too clever. I should have killed him! But it is just a sidetrack. I do not care how they get themselves killed. I just want the gold!”

  Sarah was shocked by this, it was the first she had ever heard of the gold. “Gold?” she exclaimed. “The ship is carrying gold?”

  He rocked on his heels with pleasure as he spoke, “About three million sesterces worth and I want it! You are going to help me get it.” Sarah understood this comment. She was only a hostage to be used at his whim and he would kill her if he needed to. She decided to get as much from him as she could.

  “Your plan sounds interesting,” she said. “How am I going to help you?”

  He stood up and eyed her suspiciously. The vicious tone returned to his voice. “You do not need to know that,” he snarled, “I did not bring you here for your conversation. Just be quiet, and we will spend a peaceful night together.” He stepped to the entrance of the grotto and looked out. After a moment he turned back toward her. He could just make out her shape in the soft light from outside. Another idea had formed in his evil mind. He looked her over and smiled.

  “You are not a bad looking woman,” he said, softly. “As long as you are here I might as well make the most of it!”

  Sarah was repulsed by his suggestion. But before she could answer, he threw himself on top of her and covered her mouth so she could not speak. “Just be quiet,” he whispered, as he pulled up her shift. “We have all night ahead of us!”

  In the darkness the searches had proved fruitless but the Briton was undaunted. He continued his search until well after dawn. Calpurnia became very quiet, but did not sleep. She would not let go of me and rested her head upon my chest. I spent the night reproaching myself for the situation we were in. So far, I had made nothing but blunders in my handling of the saboteur. Because of that, Sarah was missing, two men were murdered, we had been forced to land, and the ship was nearly lost in a fire. I watched my bench-mate on the beach. He said nothing of criticism to me.

  He busied himself with practical matters concerning the men. I felt, more than ever, that he should have been in charge instead of me. As the easterly sky turned the soft pink of morning, he made a hot brew of wine and brought some to me. Noticing my mood, he sat down beside us.

  “The ship is secure. The men are sleeping.” he said.

  Then he looked at the dawning horizon and pursed his lips. “I have been thinking about our rat,” he said. “All the men are accounted for. You know what that means.” I was tired in my mind. The notion did not register for a moment. Then, it hit me.

  “The Romans,” I said, “We did not get them all!”

  The Nubian placed the cup in my hand. He looked down at the sand. “There is one in particular.” He gazed up at me. I puzzled over this for a moment.

  “We did not know all the soldiers and lancers,” I replied, “It could be one of them!”

  The Nubian shook his head. “It could be,” he replied, “But it is not! Of all the Roman crew and franchise people we knew of, there was one whose body was never found!” I took a swallow of wine, and nearly choked when I thought of his name:

  “Gracchus?” I said out loud. I did not remember seeing his body after the battle.

  “Gracchus, the worst of the worst,” he replied, “I was a fool not to think of it before!

  “We both were!” I said.

  Calpurnia said nothing, she did not know Gracchus, but our reaction was enough to fill her with trepidation. We sat there for several minutes saying nothing. As I began to turn this over in my head, the whole thing was starting to make sense. After a long while, I broke the silence at last. “Let the men sleep for another hour,” I said, “When you wake them, tell them to eat fast…then dole out weapons to each of them.”

  The Nubian looked at me curiously. I placed my hand upon his wrist. “I know what I am doing, my friend,” I assured him, “We are to begin training them in the art of war. They are going to need it before this is over! From now on, we behave as an army!”

  The Nubian nodded his head and got up. “Are you going to let me in on it?” he asked.

  “In good time,” I replied. “Send the Greek to me when he gets up.” My former bench-mate said nothing. He nodded and moved back to the fire. Calpurnia took my hand.

  “What are you up to?” she asked.

  “I do not know yet,” I said. “We are not yet of a single purpose. That has to change!”

  A few minutes later the Briton arrived with his search party. He was tired and frustrated. He collapsed on the sand and took a deep draught of the wine to warm him. I excused myself with the Lady and joined him.

  “You found no sign of her?” I asked, knowing that the question was pointless. He looked up at me incredulously for a moment and sighed. Shaking his head, he took another long drink.

  “We found nothing,” he said. “The trail leads to a wooded area and some cliffs. We did not see any more traces. I will start again soon.” I sat down next to him.

  “We know who our rat is.” I said. He looked at me with anticipation.

  “Who is it?” he asked.

  “Gracchus!” I replied. His eyes widened with rage and he clenched his teeth.

  “That filthy pig,” he hissed, “I will cut his guts out!” He tossed the cup and sprang to his feet. “Get up!” he shouted at the search party, kicking the man closest to him on his foot. He drew his sword. “Everybody up! We start again.” The men groaned but were too intimidated by his anger not to obey. Exhausted, they rose up and joined him.

  He marched back to the north and called over his shoulder to me.

  “I will bring him back! Dead or alive!”

  He led the party away, shouting Gracchus’ name as he went. His voice echoed off of the dunes and filled the air of the inlet with his rage. This awakened many of the men who were sleeping. My second in command told them to eat fast and organized a detail to bring weapons from the ship.

  Presently he moved back to my side and spoke to me. “Leave this to me,” he said, “I was a General in my own country.” He looked at Calpurnia and back at me. “We will watch over her,” he said, “You have not slept in over two days now! Whatever you have in mind, you will be no good to us without rest.”

  “I will be alright,” I said, “We should start now!” He took my shoulder and led me to a blanket he had spread out for himself. He pointed at it with his sword.

  “Sleep, Little Roman!” he demanded.

  “If you will not think of yourself, take some thought for the men! I can train their bodies to fight. But I cannot give them a cause to fight for! Rest. We are going to need another one of those stirring speeches of yours.”

  “You mean the gold?” I asked.

  “Precisely,” he retorted, “That is what this is all about and we cannot keep it a secret any longer.”

  He turned away from me and began barking orders at the men. I remembered my father’s words at the prison. He had said the same thing to me then: “If you will not think of yourself, think of me…”

  The men’s needs came first and I was going to have to make my case to them today. I could not lay down in front of them now. He was right about my fatigue. I was not thinking as clearly as I should. The weariness crept into my head as I sat there.

  I scanned the high dunes above me. I had no idea what I could say or do to motivate the men. I got up and began to walk. I found a trail that led up the side of the hill to the south. It would take me to the top of it.

  I looked down at the ground as I went. The growing sound of the drill rose on the beach below as my friend made good on his efforts to muster the men. His voice now rose and fell as his training of our company began.

  Soon I was seated on
my perch alone, surveying the scene below me. The warmth of the rising sun made me feel more relaxed. Soon everything became gray in my mind.

  In the grotto, the voice of the Briton bounced off of the walls. As Sarah heard it, her heart filled with newfound hope. Gracchus heard it too. He looked out and paced the entrance to the cave, becoming more agitated.

  “It will not be long now.” he said out loud to himself. Sarah watched him quietly, knowing that this could be the moment where her life would be in the greatest danger.

  Now, there is an old assumption that men make unwisely about the status of the two sexes. In Rome, the man is assumed to be the stronger sex. The laws are structured that way and men think that way. Because they have legal powers, because they are bigger, because they possess physical strength, they are the dominant sex. Or so the story goes.

  Reality is another matter. Women are much smarter than men are, as a rule. They are certainly a good deal more devious. There is also that peculiar mechanism which can, and usually does, turn the relationship of the sexes upside-down. Before the act the man is the aggressor. After the fact, everything changes. So much for the weaker sex.

  Although Gracchus had not realized it, he had unwittingly stepped into the trap of a woman who knew how to use sex against him. Even as he was having her the night before she was already hatching a plan in her head. Now, it was time to use it. As he looked out, she found the spot on the floor of the grotto she wanted and made her play.

  “No,” she cooed softly, “It will not be long now!”

  He turned to see what she was doing. The sight that greeted his eyes was Sarah, looking back at him with a teasing expression on her face. Her legs were parted slightly with her shift pulled up, just high enough to reveal her legs, but concealing what a man’s imagination strives for. She looked at him with wide eyes and smiled playfully.

  “Our time alone together is almost over,” she said, “We should make the most of it!”

  He eyed her suspiciously. He was a pig, but he was no fool. “None of your games,” he said. “You are up to something!” She laughed at him coyly.

  “You are absolutely right,” she answered. “But are you man enough to see what it is, or does a real woman frighten you?” He moved a step closer to her. Sarah was not possessed of the youthful radiance of Calpurnia, but she was, nonetheless, a handsome woman in her own right. The sun entering the cave touched her brown hair with gold, which now hung in locks framing her face.

  She looked deep into his eyes, “Has it never occurred to you, my dear Gracchus, that love is a two way street?” she said, softly. “You were in too much of a hurry last night! How about letting us both enjoy ourselves?”

  He shrugged and shook his head. “We have no time for this!” he said. She slid closer to him and rubbed his thigh.

  “This may be the only time we will have,” she said. “After I am no longer yours to command, we may not have another chance. I like what you have. I just want to find out how well you can use it.”

  The round eye narrowed and a hint of a smile appeared on his face. He crouched down closer to her. “You would, eh?” he asked gruffly. Her eyes never left his as she reached up for his member. Taking it in the palms of her hands, which were still bound. She began to gently stroke as she spoke.

  “Yes. I do…nice and slow.”

  She reached down and touched the underside of his buttocks, playing with the crack between them. It sent a wave of pleasure up his spine. “There are many ways to please a man,” she teased, “I know them all.”

  A narrow grin formed on his fat lips, letting out a glint of teeth. “I just bet you do!” he hissed, reaching for her smooth thigh and stroking it.

  “Too bad I can only handle one thing at a time!” she said, as her hands continued to explore him. He reached for her breasts but she inched slowly away, teasing him even further.

  “If you really know what a man wants,” he said. “You can give it to him with your hands tied just as well!” He reached for her breast and caressed it softly.

  She smiled and said, in an airy voice, “As you wish!”

  The gray clouds surrounded me. The warmth of the morning sun turned cold. A chill wind blew clouds away from me and I stood, once more, at the barren temple. The dark, angry sky looked down on me unmercifully as I walked inside its empty recess. All about me was the smell of earth. Now I could recognize it for what it was. The grave had yawned open and death was everywhere. I could feel the gaze of unseen eyes upon me. One in particular.

  “Marcus!” I called, for I knew he was there.

  “Why do you come back here?” he asked, I could not see him. “There is nothing here for you.” he continued. “Only the Dead come here but they do not stay long.” I turned toward his voice, which was now very near. He stood only a few feet away. His eyes were now dark. He spoke without seeing. The smell of ground was very strong.

  “The songs here are always sad,” he said, “There is no hope, only despair!”

  “Despair for what?” I asked.

  “For that which can never be, but should have been,” he answered, “You will know it soon enough, when your time comes.”

  His words made no sense to me. “You talk riddles and mysteries,” I snapped back at him, “I have no time for such foolishness! Say what you mean in simple words, or say nothing at all! I have much to do…”

  “And what is that work you have to do?” he quipped. “Do you know?”

  I stared at him without answering. A hint of amusement came to those empty eyes. “Just as I thought,” he said, “You do not know! You will not face what you know you have to do!”

  “What is that?” I asked impatiently. He smiled again.

  “Still stuck, eh?” he replied. “Why ask questions when you already know the answers? Why did you lead those men to this island? What are they drilling down there for? Are you too much of a coward to face it? Say it for yourself out loud…now!”

  “I cannot,” I proclaimed, “I do not know the answer!” He looked at me with those empty eyes for a time. Then he softened, his face grew sad again.

  “Then do nothing,” he said and turned away, “Perhaps you belong here after all.” I ran after him. I was tired of his games.

  “What do you mean by that?” I demanded.

  He turned back to face me, I could see his eyes at last. “Look around you,” he said. “This place is barren, there is nothing here! It is truly dead. You are still among the living. You have a choice. Something eats at your mind. Why the indecision? Those men are drilling for nothing unless you find a purpose. You must name The Cause for yourself!”

  “What Cause are you talking about?” I pleaded.

  He was gone. Now it grew colder. The sky began to darken and it smelled like rain. An orange sash passed before my eyes and I became aware of a statue looming at the far end of the temple. I moved toward it. A strange feeling grew within me as I got closer. As if it knew me, but I did not know it.

  It was a woman of cold, white marble. Her gaze was gentle and yet troubled. Her eyes seemed fixed upon me and no matter where I moved, she seemed to follow me with her gaze. She turned her head to me and spoke!

  “I have watched you,” she said, “From the beginning of your life, I have watched you. For the child that I could never hold or even touch. My son.”

  “Where is your son?” I asked.

  “He is a prisoner in his own heart,” she said sadly, “He has a letter from the Emperor that will change everything, but he cannot bring himself to use it.”

  I moved closer to her. As I did, she seemed almost like flesh and blood. Her words troubled me.

  “Who is your son?” I asked. She looked deep into my eyes.

  “Use the letter!” she said. I became frightened by this figure before me.

  “Who is your son?” I demanded, although in my heart I already knew. She softened and grew sad.

  “Long have I watched you,” she said, “Never able to touch you. Never able to
feel your warmth. They are waiting for you!”

  I had seen her picture in my Father’s home. I began to feel foolish for not recognizing her right away, yet something inside me rebelled. Her words filled me with an icy cold.

  “I have no mother!” I thought to myself. It was as if she could hear what was inside me.

  “You are wrong,” she said, “You have always had a Mother. When the hour comes, I will be there. Look for me!”

  She was gone. A black bird circled over my head and flew into the distant sun. “Look for me!” she said again.

  I became aware of a hot feeling on the back of my neck. A brightness filled my eyes and I could feel the sea air all about me. The sounds of men drilling below filled my ears once again. I opened my eyes. The hot sun now burned the back of my neck as I awoke and sat up suddenly. A few hours had passed. In the sun and the air, hot and cold, I looked down at the beach as it stretched out before me. The men were lined up, like the little clay soldiers I used to play with as a boy. Next to that, Antonia stood, like a toy boat. Everything all to scale. Like a miniature seen from on high.

  “Can this be real?” I asked myself. Or was I sitting in corner of the bilge, drooling in madness as I had feared. I seemed strangely out of myself as if it was all a strange dream. I breathed deep of the cool sea air. The soft murmur of the surf filled my ears.

  “No,” I thought, “This is no dream!”

  I stood and stared down at the men below me, feeling refreshed by my brief slumber. My face was stinging from the sea air, the strange dream was still playing in my mind. I could still hear the promptings of a mother that I never knew: “Use the letter!”

  I toyed with this thought for moment. What was it I could not say aloud? No sooner had the thought come to me, when the answer came out of my mouth: “The Septimus Fleet must die!”

  I could not believe the words as I spoke them. They sounded too incredible, like the raving of a lunatic. “The Septimus Fleet must die!” I said again.

  It was impossible.

  Only a madman would think of it. This was The Cause we would set ourselves upon. A strange coldness of fear came over me, for it seemed truly like I had lost my mind. Yet it was so clear. I now knew what our course would be. It was the only hope we had. I had known it all along. No wonder it frightened me.