a crack in the barricaded front door. He saw a legionary’s face up close, close enough to see the stubble on the man’s chin, even in the dark. He moved back for a moment and then took another look. The Roman had moved.
“They’re everywhere,” he whispered.
Then he saw clearly across the street for the first time and his eyes widened.
“They’re going through the walls!” he shouted.
The man with the lamp reached him in five steps.
“What?”
“See for yourself.”
The man with the lamp pressed his eye to the crack in the door. He could see what the other had seen. Across the street a team of legionaries was throwing all they had at a large house. Another thump at the wall behind him made the hairs on the back of his neck rise. Suddenly the legionaries began shouting as the ram forced its way through the other house. He saw a team push past the ram bearers and he saw the front door fly open and the defenders rush out shouting and screaming in terror only to be mown down by the soldiers in the street. Then suddenly faces surrounded his view through the crack and he knew they were also doomed. The wall thumped again and this time the whole building seemed to shake. The legionaries outside began banging on the door and shouting loudly to add further confusion.
“This is it!”
The man with the lamp picked up his blacksmith’s hammer and rushed back to the wall just as it and part of the roof collapsed on him. His lamp was buried and the flame snubbed out leaving that part of the room in darkness. Legionaries scrabbled over the fallen rubble crushing the man further and as the defenders of the house rushed over to repel the invasion Romans burst through the door slashing and stabbing with their swords, bringing the defenders down. The man in the rubble, layered in dust, was trying to push himself up. A legionary stood on his hand. Surprisingly he felt no pain from it. He was disorientated, he had ringing in his ears. He felt weight pressing down on him. Past his eyes he could see feet moving. From far away he heard screams, they seemed far away or they could be muffled. He tried again to push himself up. The last Roman through the breach slashed down with his sword and cleaved the man’s skull in two. The battering ram was brought through and the team fumbling around in the near dark began working on the next wall to the next building.
From up on the battlements Julius Caesar watched the scene below as his army slowly took the streets of Alexandria.
“It is slow work Sir,” Germanicus said.
Caesar unrolled a hand drawn map of the city and held it near a torch. Germanicus took one end to steady it.
“Once we have taken this street as far as those points there,” Julius said pointing to two locations, “We can hold easily from there and spread in both directions. Then we can set up the Ballista’s and concentrate on knocking down the barricades. We need to clear a direct route to the harbour to allow a supply line.”
“This map is fairly accurate Sir.”
“It’s Queen Cleopatra’s. She has given it to me.”
He thought about her again. About their lovemaking.
‘The Gods. Was that only two days ago?’
There was a shout from the top of the gate. Both Generals looked up. In the dimly lit street they could see the enemy running towards the Romans screaming their battle cry.
Dolabella both heard, and saw, them coming.
“Take up positions!” he roared drawing his sword.
His second in command rushed over as the legionaries began forming up their basic defence positions.
“Sir what about the teams assaulting the houses and buildings?”
“You’d better stop them in case they end up behind enemy lines.”
“Yes Sir!”
The man rushed off.
Dolabella turned to Marcellus.
“It looks like we’re in for a long night.”
Marcellus drew his sword.
“I wouldn’t be able to sleep with all this noise anyway.”
Julius Caesar and his General’s had retired for the night. They were all sitting, drinking wine. Outside the palace the streets had fallen silent. Spies had reported to Caesar that the Alexandrian’s were holding a public meeting to discuss tactics. One thing Caesar had been told was that the Alexandrians had all agreed on one thing and that was the absolute need, and no matter the cost, they had to eradicate the Romans from Egypt forever. And Caesar was sure that was exactly what they intended to