Marius' Mules II: The Belgae (39 page)

He sighed at
the blank mask that was his companion.

“
I was trying to get to the Nervii? To the oppidum of
Nemetocenna?”

A spark of
understanding glittered for a moment in the man’s eye.

‘
Thank Jupiter’ thought Paetus to himself and smiled in relief
as the fifth and unseen Nervii scout hit him hard across the back
of the head with a branch.

* * * * *

Paetus awoke
slowly, his vision returning as the scene around him swam into
focus. There was a throbbing in his head like he’d never felt. He
went to reach for the back of his head, where he suspected there
was a wound, but discovered his arms were bound behind his back at
both wrist and elbow. He focused.

He was lying
on a stone-flagged floor covered with straw. It was dirty and
itchy, but dry, which meant he was inside somewhere. Yes… he could
make out the rectangles of light that were windows. And the breeze…
of course the barbarians didn’t glaze their windows like the
‘civilized’ Romans. There was heat from somewhere though. He
stretched, trying to look all around and examine his situation. He
was in a low building of some sort of wood and mud mixture, with a
thatched roof. No sign of stonework here; the structure was
apparently one room, roughly twenty feet by fifteen, and decorated
only with rough timber table and chairs and a fire pit blazing away
in the centre.

Though he was
alone in the room, he could see the door, which rested over an inch
from ground level, leaving a thin line of light that displayed the
shadow of the legs of a man, presumably on guard. Paetus wriggled,
trying to find a reasonable position to stand, but the scouts had
bound his ankles and knees as tightly as his arms. At least they
hadn’t gagged him.

“
Hey?”

There was no
answer. Paetus realised he’d actually hardly made a noise at all.
He drew a deep breath and forced his parched and unused throat to
rasp out loudly.

“
Hey you? Anyone there?”

There was a
shuffle outside and conversation in the low, guttural tone of the
Belgae. Paetus wished he’d spent some time on this campaign
learning their damned language, but then who knew he’d need it? The
shadow legs moved, leaving a straight line of light.

He lay there
in the silence for several minutes wondering what was happening and
was just considering calling out again when he heard the crunch of
footsteps on gravel approaching the building. He tried to look as
confident and defiant as he could, though truly he was beginning to
wonder about the wisdom of his chosen course of action.

The door swung
open, Paetus’ pupils shrinking to pinpoints in the bright morning
light that flooded in through the door momentarily before three
figures blocked the aperture. Two men entered while the third
remained outside, closing the door.

“
I am not here as your enemy” Paetus announced. “You can loosen
my bonds. I sought you out and have no intention of
running.”

There was
another exchange in their tongue, and then the two figures settled,
cross-legged on the floor before him.

One was a man
decorated with bronze and gold and wearing the highest quality furs
and wools, clearly a chieftain. The other… well even cross-legged
it was clear the man was extremely tall and well built. But there
was more… he was familiar. His long, grey hair and beard, the white
robe, the flax circlet and the broadsword and staff. In a flash of
déjà vu, Paetus recognised the druid that had addressed the meeting
of chiefs at Bibracte last year. A Roman hater, for sure. That
could go well for him… or it could go hard.

“
What are you doing here, Roman?”

Paetus sighed
and relaxed slightly.

“
It is,” replied Paetus sadly, “a very long story. But
fortunately, the story and my motives are irrelevant. I am here to
help you.”

The chieftain
asked the druid something in their language once again and the
druid replied. A translation, presumably.

“
You are one of the Roman commanders. We are not stupid. The
beard does not hide your stink. You are still alive because I am
intrigued. Boduognatus here wants to skin you and fly your flesh
from a standard when we find your legions. He is a simple man. So,
unless you are done with your skin, talk to me, but talk fast and
keep everything to the point. I must translate your words and
speaking your tongue makes me retch.”

Paetus nodded,
uncomfortably in his current position, but he was fairly sure that
nothing he could say right now would make them treat him like a
man. That could change, though…

“
I am no longer Caesar’s man. I am Roman, yes, and I will not
aid the Belgae in bringing war against Rome, but Caesar is not
Rome. I believe it is not unknown for Celtic tribes to develop a
‘blood feud’ that causes constant war. Suffice it to say that
Caesar and I now have a blood feud.”

“
You chatter like a mindless bird. I said keep it to the point.
You say you hate Caesar. I believe the phrase you seek is ‘the
enemy of my enemy is my friend’? I have heard this said by Romans
and it shows, I might add, a very narrow view of
motive.”

Paetus
shrugged.

“
Whether you agree with it or not is not the issue. I am
willing to help you destroy Caesar’s army and drive him from your
lands. It is in my interest that Caesar is unsuccessful in his
conquest and is forced to return to Rome a failure.”

The druid
frowned.

“
While I may say that I seriously doubt your honesty and I have
absolutely no reason to believe what you tell me, I will warn you
that if you can interest us enough to make me prevent your death,
Boduognatus here will certainly make sure of the truth of this. It
will be extremely painful and possibly disfiguring, so I advise you
if you are lying to tell me so now.”

Paetus gritted
his teeth. He had not considered the possibility that they would
torture him. Possibly death if they didn’t believe him, but
torture? He hardened himself. He was set on a course of action and,
to bring down Caesar, he would give an eye and an arm if he needed.
Nemesis would be with him.

“
I am telling the truth. I have a plan of attack that will give
you enough of an edge to take Caesar’s army and crush them into the
dirt. Are you willing to listen?”

The druid held
another brief conversation with the Nervian chieftain, and then
turned back and nodded.

“
Speak.”

“
Caesar has seven legions, as well as auxiliaries and
cavalry.”

“
We know this. We know all about the legions and their
commanders and the traitorous Belgae and Gauls who serve with them
to the detriment of their own peoples.”

Paetus
nodded.

“
Do you know the marching order?”

The druid
frowned.

“
You are so strictly controlled that you even march in a set
order?”

“
Yes.” Paetus smiled. At last he was getting somewhere. “That
is how you can beat Caesar. It will all depend on the land. You
will have to find a barrier that they must cross; probably a river.
When they reach it, Caesar will have five legions to the front.
Each legion will be marching eight abreast, with the Tenth Legion
being the vanguard. Behind them will come the Eighth, then the
Ninth, the Eleventh and the Twelfth. After these legions will be
the commanders, with the bulk of the cavalry contingent. After them
is the baggage train, which is long, slow and cumbersome. And
behind that, the Thirteenth and Fourteenth Legions, the rest of the
cavalry, and the few auxiliary units attached to them.”

“
I fail to see how this helps us.”

“
Wait,” Paetus said with a predatory smile. “It is simple. When
the column reaches an obstacle that requires the army to stop for a
while, the front legions will begin to construct a camp. Gradually,
as the other legions catch up, they will join in and then enter the
camp. If you place warriors in cover somewhere to the sides and
wait as you count off the first five legions and the baggage train
comes into sight, you have three advantages.”

He looked
intently at the druid, who was now listening, rapt. Good.

“
Firstly, the front legions, who are the five veteran ones and
are your most dangerous opponents will be trapped against the river
and surrounded by the Belgae. Secondly, the only reserves are a way
back beyond the baggage train and will take time to catch up and
engage and, even when they do, they are newly raised legions who
are not experienced in true warfare. Moreover, they are Gauls by
birth and perhaps could be persuaded to revolt if the circumstances
are right.”

The druid had
an unpleasant glint in his eye now. The chief was asking him
something, but the druid ignored the man, waving a hand at him
dismissively. Paetus was impressed. He knew these priests held a
powerful place in the northern societies, but to have the authority
to silence a powerful chieftain with just a gesture? If only the
druids could be persuaded to the Roman view. Still, he had almost
won them over.

“
And thirdly, and most importantly for both you and I, the
command staff will be there, jammed between the Twelfth Legion and
the supply train. And if you time things exactly right and are
very, very disciplined, like a Roman army would be, you could get
Caesar. Cut the head from the snake and watch the body wither, my
friend.”

He saw the
druid flinch at those last words and worried for a moment whether
he had just ruined his whole argument by insulting the man. But no.
He sighed and relaxed as the druid turned to the chief and they had
a very heated conversation. Finally, the huge man turned back to
Paetus.

“
If what you say is true, we could end the Roman invasion of
our lands in one quick move. A decisive battle. Probably at the
Selle river. The Romans are busy putting down the cowardly
Bellovaci dogs right now and will then turn north. They will have
to cross the Selle at some point and, when they do, we can be
waiting for them.”

Paetus smiled
and nodded.

“
A river they must cross? Yes. That would be it.”

The druid
frowned.

“
What do you ask in return for this important knowledge,
Roman?”

Paetus
smiled.

“
Three things. Three very small things.”

He watched the
man’s face carefully.

“
When the battle is concluded and the Belgae are free, I will
be freed and given food and horse to return to Rome.”

The druid
shrugged noncommittally.

“
Also, when you attack, I be allowed to watch. If Caesar is to
die, I want to watch his blood spill to the earth.”

The druid
nodded.

“
I can do better than that, Roman. If this comes to pass, I
will put you in the front of the attack with them.”

Paetus opened
his mouth to object, but realised that arguing would be of no use
with this man.

“
And thirdly, when it is over and I am to leave, you give me
Caesar’s head to take with me.”

The druid held
a brief consultation once more with his chieftain and the two
nodded.

“
On the condition that all of this plays out as it should, we
will agree to your terms. However, before that may happen, the
chieftains must all agree on the same course of action which, given
this information, is likely, but far from certain.”

He smiled
unpleasantly and gestured to his companion.

“
And, of course, before the matter is taken before the chiefs,
Boduognatus here must be sure of the authenticity of the
information.”

Paetus started
and turned to look at the chieftain, who had slowly, and with a
horrible rasping noise, pulled a long and surprisingly jagged knife
from its sheath.

He swallowed
nervously.

‘
For Calida. Nemesis protect me.’

Chapter 14

(Approaching
the river Selle)

“
Dolabra: entrenching tool, carried by a legionary, which
served as a shovel, pick and axe combined.”

“
Bacchanalia: the wild and often drunken festival of
Bacchus.”

The column
waited, shuffling its feet in anticipation as the officers, having
gathered at the head of the column, went into a last tactical
discussion before the army passed the last half mile to the chosen
site.

“
Caesar, I’m still concerned about the absence of the
Aduatuci,” Sabinus said quietly.

Fronto nodded.
The same thought had gone through the mind of every senior officer
in the army. He stared at Caesar.

Fronto had
wrestled with his conscience over the matter of Paetus several
times since the night the man had vanished. While he was still
angry with Caesar over the betrayal, now was not the time for a
confrontation. The entire army was in dangerous enemy territory.
Besides, Paetus had not stuck around to make his point, but had
disappeared, presumably back to Rome.

He cleared his
throat.

“
I’ve spoken to both the Remi and Bellovaci auxiliaries serving
with us. They all say the Aduatuci are the ones to watch. The
Nervii are vicious and tough, but the Aduatuci are much the same
and cunning besides. What if the Aduatuci are sweeping round behind
us?”

The general
nodded.

“
I’m hoping that the Aduatuci are either late, or are not
coming at all to the aid of the Nervii, but you’re both right. We
do need to be prepared. I want a few changes made. As soon as the
column begins to arrive at the Selle, have the cavalry sent across
the river to harry the Nervii and their allies.”