Ironroot (32 page)

Sabian stared at the other sergeants of the Second.

“Justice will be served, gentlemen, and it will in no way reflect on the rest of the unit. Replace your standard.” He glanced at Salonius and the guard captain.

“However, my guards will stay here and you will continued to remain in quarters until I am satisfied that I have all of those responsible in custody.”

He straightened and squared his shoulders as the officers of the Second saluted. With a sad sigh, he turned to Salonius and the captain.

“Let’s go and find out how deep this goes, eh gentlemen?”

Corda stood in the office of the guard captain, his chin raised and shoulders back in a military stance. Salonius was impressed despite himself. Even in just a tunic and breeches, covered in dust, Corda still looked proud, haughty and thoroughly military.

Behind him stood two of the guardsmen, with another two behind Sabian, Salonius and captain Iasus, as Salonius now knew him. Corda had been stripped of all arms, armour and equipment and stood defenceless and yet so proud. Salonius glared at him. Were it not for the need to determine who else was involved, he could happily strangle Corda himself.

Sabian looked around the office at the guards and gestured to the door.

“I think we can deal with this.”

The captain looked less sure, Salonius thought, but nodded at his men anyway and placed the palm of his hand on the pommel of his sword as he stood at the marshal’s shoulder. The guards filed out and closed the door behind them.

“You go back all the way to the civil wars with Varro and Petrus. Hell you even served in my army back then!” He growled. “You’re supposed to be one of us!”

“It wasn’t meant to be like this, sir. I found out about Cristus’ secret a couple of months ago, quite by accident. I happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, and I heard something I wasn’t meant to.”

“I didn’t see the point in bringing it all out into the open. It would have destroyed the Fourth Army and brought dishonour on all of us. And it would have done no good. Nothing would have changed; those men at Saravis Fork would be just as dead. The prefect pointed out that he would soon be leaving the military and moving into politics. Varro would be next prefect and I’d take Varro’s place. Why rock the boat? Surely it was all for the best now.”

He sighed sadly.

“Cristus is a persuasive bastard, sir. Before I knew it I was transferring some of his men into my units. He even put me in charge of his honour guard when he came here a couple of weeks ago. I assumed to keep an eye on me, but I suspect now for other reasons. I never expected any of this.”

Salonius stared at the sergeant in shock. Marshal Sabian was known for his sharp mind, his quick wit and his code of ethics. He growled. His hatred of Corda was growing with every comment. Sabian, however, seemed to take the comment in his stride and captain Iasus, by his side, never even blinked.

“But Varro? And Petrus?”

Corda shook his head.

“I realise it sounds like a feeble excuse sir, but I had nothing to do with either. I wasn’t aware of the captain’s poisoning until he told me himself, and if I had known I’d have done something about it. Likewise I wasn’t aware that the men with me had been sent here as assassins, though I should have guessed. It doesn’t surprise me. I have seven men with me that came from Cristus’ personal guard, including the sergeant you already have. I will gladly give you their names.”

As he concentrated on his writing, Sabian glanced across at Iasus and Salonius. Both men wore hard, unforgiving expressions as they glared at Corda. Sabian sighed inwardly. Somehow, despite everything, there was a tinge of sympathy in him for the sergeant. Twenty five years ago, he might have made the same decision. Finishing scribbling, Corda folded the tablet shut and passed it back with the pen to the marshal.

“I realise that I’m in no position to ask for favours, marshal, and yet I’d still beg two…”

Sabian quickly glanced at the contents of the wax tablet and then passed it on to the captain to deal with. Corda took a deep breath.

“I would ask, sir, that I be allowed to take my own life without the humiliation of a public execution…”

Sabian frowned. He concentrated on the prisoner, aware of what the other two men in the room were thinking. After all, it was standard practice for a traitor to be broken in front of his peers. This decision wasn’t going to sit well with Salonius or Iasus.

Sabian turned and nodded to captain Iasus. The captain, an unreadable expression on his face, went to the office door and, opening it, admitted the guard detail once more. The marshal cleared his throat.

“For now, you’ll go with these men to be detained.”

Corda nodded and gave a final salute.

Chapter Twelve

Varro awoke slowly, like a man climbing from a deep, dark tunnel out into a sunlit world. His head once more felt as though it were full of cotton, much as it had when he was first suffering over a week ago. He groaned and slowly moved his head left and right, almost vomiting with the sudden unpleasant sensations that came with the activity. Slowly he focused and became aware of the two figures in the window seat. Salonius and Catilina. Yes, that figured. He tried to sit up and his head filled with what felt like white-hot lead. He collapsed back with a yelp.

“I talked to Scortius. He’s adamant that you’d either already taken something just before the strong medication, or you’d had a drink. Either way, whatever you had reacted with the medicine and put you right out. You’ll be fine in about a half hour. Just wait for your head to clear and your strength’ll be back.”

Varro tried to nod, but the sensation was too unpleasant. Somewhere back towards the window, Catilina’s voice said: “Tell him now. While he’s still too fuddled to explode.”

Salonius gave her a sharp look.

“Tell me what?” Varro reached out a hand and gripped Salonius’ tunic just below the neck. “See… my strength’s already coming back…”

Salonius gently detached Varro’s fingers and folded his arm back across his chest.

“I want you to do your very best to remain calm. If your blood pounds too fast, you’ll pass out all over again. Just listen calmly, and try not to react.”

Salonius shook his head. “The marshal has them in custody. There’s seven of them. Cristus’ men that infiltrated the Second Cohort. He won’t let you near them, Varro. He’s dealing with it in strict military fashion. They’re to go on trial tomorrow. Of course, the verdict will be guilty, and they’ll be executed, but the marshal wants it all done above board. All correct.”

Salonius sighed. “Corda’s been involved with Cristus for some time, though he claimed not to have known about or been involved in what happened to you or Petrus…”

“Not known?” Varro growled and slowly sat upright, fighting the nausea, his anger giving him greater fortitude now. “Not bloody known? Corda?”

“Please sit back, Varro. You’re going to hurt yourself.”

Varro’s growl continued to deepen. He sounded like some sort of great predatory cat stalking its prey among the rocks of the southern lands.

“Corda?” His voice rose an octave. “Corda! Are you absolutely positive? Really sure?”

Salonius nodded sadly.

Slowly, menacingly, and with great care, Varro turned his body and slid until his legs bent at the knees and his feet his the floor next to the low couch.

“Care to put a wager on that? I don’t care if he’s in a cell guarded by your father himself. Corda’s one of my oldest friends. We’ve watched each other’s back for thirty years, even through the civil war, and then he does this? I will tear him a new arsehole!”

“Sergeant Corda fell on his sword about an hour ago. He’s lying in the cellars at the moment and this afternoon he’s being taken out somewhere unknown and being buried somewhere with no marker.”

“My father let him take the soldier’s way out. There were reasons.” She and Salonius shared a look. “Not necessarily a decision we shared, I might add.”

The three of them arrived at Sabian’s office ten minutes later, Varro staggering along in the middle like a drunkard, his arms draped over Catilina and Salonius’ shoulders. The lady glared at the guard by the door; her best haughty glare.

The three entered the room, where Salonius and Catilina took Varro across to one side of the room and allowed him to slowly sink to the chair. Varro fixed Sabian with a defiant glare while Catilina took the seat next to him and Salonius stood by his shoulder. The marshal narrowed his eyes and cradled his hands as he sized the captain up.