Son of Spartacus - Scarrow Simon. Страница 22

Lupus nodded.

‘Well, don’t. No one’s going to eat you. Speaking of which,’ the rebel leader rummaged in his sidebag and drew out a small loaf of bread and a hunk of cheese. ‘Here. Eat this. You need to keep your strength up.’

‘Thanks.’ Lupus shuffled closer to the fire and let the warmth of the flames seep into his tired muscles. He swallowed the first mouthful and turned to Mandracus. ‘What will happen to me after you’ve taken me to Brixus?’

‘That’s up to Brixus,’ the man replied, then bit off a small piece from a strip of dried beef. ‘He’ll want to question you about Caesar, and your friend Marcus, before he decides what to do next. I dare say he will offer you the chance to join the rebel army.’

‘If I refuse?’

‘You won’t refuse. Trust me. Once you understand what this is all about. Once Brixus has explained his plans to you, then you’ll want to stay and fight with us and put an end to slavery.’

‘You seem very sure of it.’

‘Let’s just say that Brixus can be very persuasive. It’s probably wisest not to refuse the offer.’

Lupus nodded and ate some more food before he spoke again. ‘I’m not sure that I would want to live on the run all the time. Even though I was a slave, I was treated well enough.’

‘Good for you,’ Mandracus muttered. ‘But most slaves aren’t as pampered as you were, Lupus. Most are worked to death. Many in mines and on farming estates. Those are the worst places to be. That’s where I was before Spartacus and his men found me all those years ago. Seems like a lifetime now. I’ve been free ever since. Yes, I’ve been hunted and I’ve often wondered how long it will all last. But I am still free, and I have a wife and two young girls, and they have known nothing but freedom.’

‘It must be a hard life, here in the mountains.’

‘Life is hard.’ Mandracus admitted. ‘It’s a struggle. But we treat each other with respect, we share what we have and we can choose our own fate. That is something a slave can never do. Thanks to people like your former master. And now it seems that he has resolved to crush us.’ He stared into the flames and Lupus saw his expression harden when he spoke again. ‘Caesar will find that we are a much tougher nut to crack than he imagines. You should be able to give Brixus some insight into Caesar’s thinking when he questions you.’

‘I’ll tell him what I can,’ Lupus replied. ‘But I don’t think it will be much help. Caesar does not take his slaves into his confidence… Some perhaps. He seems to have a high opinion of Marcus.’

Mandracus glanced round sharply. ‘The boy who was with you at the ambush?’

Lupus nodded.

‘Tell me about him.’

‘Why? You said earlier that Brixus would also want to know about him. What’s so special about Marcus?’

‘Just curious. It’s probably nothing,’ Mandracus replied carefully. ‘Brixus has mentioned a boy gladiator he once knew in the past. Your friend Marcus might know something about him.’

Lupus finished eating and held his hands up to the fire, then rubbed them together. ‘Not much to tell. The master … I mean Caesar, bought him from a gladiator school near Capua over a year ago. Caesar’s niece had fallen into the school’s arena as Marcus was facing two wolves. He saved her from them and Caesar recognized that he had potential, so he bought him to join us in Rome as part of Caesar’s bodyguard.’

‘I see. And what does Marcus look like?’

‘You saw for yourself at the ambush.’

Mandracus nodded. ‘True, but it was only a fleeting glimpse, in the middle of a fight. I can’t recall any details.’

Lupus shrugged. ‘He’s tall for his age, and thin. No, not thin. Sinewy would be a better word for it. He thinks quickly and has sharp reflexes, and he’s as brave as they come.’ He smiled with pride as he recalled his friend.

The man was also smiling. ‘Sounds like someone I used to know … Well now, young Lupus. Get some sleep, there’s a long march ahead before we reach the camp of Brixus.’

Now they had reached the camp, but Lupus could not see any sign of movement, let alone the rebel army that was growing in strength day by day according to Mandracus. The man laughed at his side, then patted him heavily on the shoulder.

‘Follow me.’

Mandracus led the way along a narrow path running beside the stream and they entered the trees at the foot of the crags. A short distance further on the trees gave way to a narrow strip of rocky open ground. Walls of dark rock, dotted with moss, rose up ahead. A waterfall tumbled down into a small pool where the water churned white and wild before it fed the stream running between the trees. Mandracus paused and cupped a hand to his mouth to call up towards the top of the crags.

‘Approaching the camp!’

Lupus followed the direction of the man’s gaze and saw a figure emerge at the top of the crag, dark against the sky as he looked down at them.

‘Who goes there?’ a voice shouted.

‘Mandracus! Returning from patrol!’

‘Mandracus? Then pass, friend!’

The brigand made his way towards the foot of the waterfall, followed by Lupus and the others. It was then that Lupus saw the spur of rock and realized there was a narrow gap in the cliff, a defile, that stretched away at an angle to the waterfall. It remained quite invisible until you were almost at the foot of the waterfall. Two men stood just inside the defile, armed with spears, shields, armour and helmets of the same design used by the Roman legions. They looked relieved as they caught sight of Mandracus and approached to exchange a clasp of hands at their safe return. Then one of them saw Lupus and paused.

‘Who is this?’

‘Him?’ Mandracus chuckled. ‘New recruit. And he may have some useful information for the general. Is Brixus in camp?’

One of the sentries nodded. ‘He’s summoned the leaders of all the bands in the mountains. They’ve been arriving for several days now. You’re the last one. What’s going on?’

‘Even if I knew, I wouldn’t tell you, you big ox! You’ll find out soon enough.’ Mandracus put a hand on Lupus’s shoulder and steered him into the defile. ‘In the meantime, get back to your duty.’

The sentries stood aside and the small column of rebel fighters entered the defile. The air was cold and moist from the spray churned up by the waterfall. Lupus shivered as he picked his way forward. Although the path had been cleared enough to permit a horse to pass through, the ground was uneven and the route turned one way and then the next as it wound through the chasm. Overhead, the grey sky was a miserable thin strip caught between the rocks and the limbs of stunted shrubs and small trees growing precariously from the ledges. After about a quarter of a mile the cliffs on either side started to grow apart and light shone into the defile. Then, as they rounded a last bend in the path, Lupus had his first sight of the rebel camp and he paused to take in a sharp breath of astonishment.

Ahead, the path led down a gentle slope into a small valley, seemingly walled in on every side by cliffs and crags. A stream coursed down the far side and crossed the valley floor before it passed underground, heading in the direction of the waterfall. But that was the least remarkable sight that greeted his eyes. Before him lay a vast camp of tents and more permanent shelters. In among the tents were pens for animals and several larger buildings, the nearest of which had its doors open, and Lupus saw a man doling out bowls of grain to a queue of people. In the centre of the valley stood a large round hut, surrounded by an open area ringed with a stockade. Smaller round huts were arranged around the compound.

‘There must be thousands living here,’ Lupus said. ‘Tens of thousands!’

Mandracus smiled at the boy’s awed expression. ‘That’s right. An army of us. Waiting for the day when we will rise up and complete the work that Spartacus began.’ He pointed to the largest hut. ‘Come, that’s where we’ll find Brixus.’