The Art of War

Chapter 77

Rome, 20 December AD 69

Caenis

‘ Borros! ’

‘Felix!’

You’d think they were brothers, separated for years, the way they lit up when they saw each other.

With the Guards on our tails, there wasn’t time to explain to either boy that Jocasta and Pantera were no longer on the same side, and even if one of us had tried I don’t think Felix and Borros would have listened.

There was a brief, sharp moment, when both Jocasta and Pantera reached that same conclusion, and then Pantera said, ‘Geminus and Juvens are three rooms behind us. We have to get out. Felix, climb up on to the rooftops and tell the Blues’ supporters up there that Greens-men are in their houses trying to hide from the Blues. Tell them to whistle the Blues-men this way. ‘Borros-’ Pantera swung towards the big Briton. ‘We’re going to take a right turn out of the door, down to the end of the street, right again and up towards the forum. Can you carry the lady Caenis? We will have to move fast and you may have to shield her with your body.’

‘Of course. My lady?’

He was huge. I couldn’t have argued if I had wanted to; and I didn’t want to.

He swept me up and carried me cradled in his arms as a child carries a wooden doll, and with as little effort.

In two sentences I was safe, and Felix, if he had been a danger, was neutralized. I saw sheer horror flash across Jocasta’s face, saw her eyes narrow on a thought, saw her hand move to her girdle — and fall away again as Geminus and Juvens, two men I knew only in passing, burst into the other side of what was a very tiny room.

The only good thing was that they didn’t carry spears.

We ran, just as Pantera had said we must, out of the door, right and right again at the end of the street.

By the time we turned right the second time, there were five green-marked men on our heels, howling.