One of the soldiers grabbed Gaius around the neck in a headlock and clamped his hand over the youth’s mouth.
“He won’t interrupt again. Will you?”
Gaius fought against his opponent who removed his hand.
“No I promise!” the youth shouted.
“Good lad,” the legionary said ruffling the boys hair.
“How did Caesar end up being captured by pirates anyway?”
“If you shut up long enough I’ll tell you. In the autumn of the year of the Gods by our counting, it was twenty seven years ago and Caesar a young man of twenty five. His first wife Cornelia had just given birth to their daughter Julia. Caesar an up and coming politician in Rome had left his household to go to study on the island of Rhodes. But Caesar never made it. Near Miletus, Asia minor, Caesar’s ship was attacked by Cilician pirates. Piracy was rife in the Mediterranean back then. The great Homer, the Greek writer, even mentions piracy in his work the ’Odyssey’. Now, the pirates who captured Caesar’s ship had the usual goods to trade and passengers for the slave markets. Well you can imagine their surprise when suddenly amongst their booty they find themselves with a Roman nobleman. They were used to their captives being afraid and begging for mercy and their lives, but not Caesar. He spent forty days with them while his ransom was being raised. The pirates had originally asked for twenty talents but Caesar, insulted by such a trifling amount, personally raised it to fifty. The pirates were both shocked and amused by his courage. He wrote them poetry and called them illiterate barbarians when they failed to understand it. He also joked that he would return once his ransom was paid and crucify them.”
“What happened? I know Caesar survived, obviously, but how was he saved? Or was the ransom paid?”
This time Falco didn’t mind being interrupted. He himself had been a young recruit once, keen to learn anything and everything about his commanding officers.
“Oh yes the ransom was paid all right. Caesar waved at them from the ship that rescued him to their laughter.”
“And that was it? He just sailed away after giving them a fortune in money?”
“Sailed away yes. But only as far as Miletus. Once there he quickly hired some ships and mercenaries. He caught the pirates while they were still in their lair on board their ships. He got his money back and all their stolen loot. He promptly reminded them of his promise and crucified them but because he liked them and to save them the torture of slow agonising death he had all their throats cut first.”
“Why didn’t he want them to suffer?”
“They had done him no harm personally. He recorded in his records that he found his capture to be a mere hindrance of his personal time, nothing more. It did his political career no harm either. Two years later, aged twenty seven, he became Pontifex.”
“And all was good again was it? For Caesar I mean?”
Falco yawned. He reached for his water.
“What? No! Just then Mithridates rose against Rome and a young gladiator named Spartacus began an uprising.”
“I’d love to hear all about that centurion, sir.”
Falco was still yawning.
“Yes I’m sure you would but some other time. I’m too tired now.”
Falco closed his eyes. Gaius sat where he was musing over what he’d heard. He dreamed of being a General like Caesar. A hero. A hero to Rome. He watched the others as they settled down to get some rest. Falco’s breathing was starting to get heavier as he was rapidly falling asleep. Gaius picked up his cup of water and took a long swig. He swallowed the first of it and felt it burning his throat. Then he tasted the salt and he sprayed himself with it as he spat it out. He threw the cup down as a couple of the legionaries turned to look in his direction.
“What’s the matter with you?” One of the soldiers asked.
Gaius was grimacing while wiping his mouth with his sleeve.
“Like you don’t know!”
“What?”
“One of you lot has put salt in my water. Ha Ha! Very funny.”
Falco opened his eyes.
“Do you want to keep your voices down. Some of us are trying to sleep.”
“It was Gaius.”
“Gaius shut up will you. You’ll get your chance at glory.”
“Great! Now you’ve annoyed him. He’ll probably give us some shitty job to do.”
“Well I couldn’t help it. You lot shouldn’t have put salt in my drink.”