The Gladiator

Ajax turned towards Julia.' Not straight away, you'll be glad to hear. I could see him struggle over the decision. It's not an easy thing to lose a daughter... or a father.' He glanced back at the farmhouse.' Ora friend.'

Macro followed the direction of his gaze.' The man who saved your life. How is he?'

Ajax took a sharp breath and glared at Macro. 'Dying, or dead.

What does it matter to you?'

'It's not personal, who I kill on the battlefield,' Macro explained.

'But we are not on the battlefield any longer. It was a brave thing he did. Admirable. I would be sorry to hear that he had died.'

'Of course, the professional respect of one soldier for another.

But aren't you forgetting something? My friend was a slave, not a soldier.'

'Slave or soldier, what does it matter?' Macro responded wearily.

'When a man picks up a weapon and faces you in a fair fight, what else matters? Surely you of all people must understand that, Gladiator.'

'Don't call me that!' Ajax said fiercely. 'I am no longer a gladiator, Roman. I fight for myself and I fight for my people. I would rather die than fight to entertain the mob again.'

There was a brief silence as Ajax fought to control his rage. The temptation to smash open the lock to the cage and drag the Roman out of his filth and slaughter him tested him sorely. He clenched his fists and shut his eyes and breathed deeply for a moment until the rage had passed. Then he stood up and turned to walk away.

'Wait!' Macro called out. 'Tell me, what are your plans for us? Me and the lady'

Ajax half turned and smiled coldly. 'To let you suffer for as long as possible. When being confined in that cage has driven you half mad, then I will have you killed, Centurion. As slowly as I possibly can. I want you to die by inches, and I want you to feel the agony of every moment of that death. As for the woman, since she is of no use to me now that her father has abandoned her, she can suffer here with you, and then my men can have her. They have developed something of a taste for the flesh of well-bred Roman women.' Ajax looked at her and smacked his lips.' Of course, if I am fortunate enough to capture Gortyna first, then I will make sure that your father, the good senator, is there to witness the shaming of his daughter.'

'Bastard!' Macro kicked out with his feet, crashing against the bars of the cage. 'You fucking coward! I swear to all the gods that if you touch one hair of her head, then — '

'What? Then what?' Ajax laughed. 'You'll come and haunt me?

Perhaps I should make you watch as well, before I have you killed.'

Macro clenched his teeth and a low keening sounded in his throat. He grasped the bars of the cage and shook them with all his strength.

'Macro!' Julia suddenly snapped.' Macro! Look at me!'

Macro tore his gaze away from the gladiator and fixed his eyes on hers.

'He's baiting you, Macro. Don't let him. Don't give him the satisfaction. We must be better than him. Stronger.'

Ajax smiled. 'You can play the brave aristocrat now, my fine lady, but we'll see how long you last once my men get their hands on you.

Now I must go. I've enjoyed our little chat. Really I have. I'm sure we will speak again soon.'

He waved at them in mock farewell, and walked off to find a horse and begin his daily inspection of the defences of Gortyna.

When he returned to the farmhouse in the middle of the afternoon, Kharim was waiting for him.

'Chilo is dead,' the Parthian reported plainly.

Ajax lowered his head and nodded. 'Did he die by his own hand?'

'Yes.'

'That is what he wanted. Where is he?'

'Inside. I have given orders for his body to be wrapped in linen for burial, but I thought you might want to see him first.'

Ajax was still for a moment and then shook his head.' He is dead, and I will remember him. That is enough. Give the orders for his burial. Find him a grave somewhere quiet, where his body won't be discovered by the Romans.'

Kharim stared at him, delicate brows slightly raised in surprise.

'You think they might beat us, then?'

'They might. Nothing in this life is certain, my friend. If the rebellion fails, I will not have his body treated as a trophy. Nor mine.

Or yours.'

'I understand.'

'Good. Now, I need to eat. I'll be in the garden if anyone needs me.'

Kharim bowed his head. 'Yes, General.'