Hannibal: Enemy of Rome

Hanno grinned. ‘No! He couldn’t travel because he was injured, but he is being cared for by a friend. Soon he will be making his way to Carthage.’

Malchus’ frown cleared. ‘The gods be thanked. Now, you must tell me what happened.’

Hanno laughed. ‘I could say the same thing, Father, seeing you here, on the wrong side of the Alps.’

‘That is a story worth hearing,’ Malchus agreed. ‘But I want to listen to yours first.’ He cocked his head. The sound of approaching voices carried inside, and he smiled. ‘I guess it will have to wait a while. You won’t want to be telling it twice.’

Hanno’s face lit up. ‘Is that Sapho and Bostar?’

‘Yes.’ His father winked. ‘Just sit there. Don’t say a word until they see you.’

Hanno watched excitedly as Malchus moved towards the front of the tent.

A moment later, two familiar figures entered. Hanno had to grip his stool to stop himself leaping up to greet them. ‘Good news, Father. Apparently, more than ten thousand Gaulish warriors are on their way to join us,’ Bostar announced.

‘Excellent news,’ Malchus replied offhandedly.

‘Aren’t you pleased?’ asked Sapho.

‘We have an unexpected visitor.’

Sapho snorted. ‘Who could be more interesting than that information?’

Silently, Malchus turned and indicated Hanno.

Sapho blanched. ‘Hanno?’

‘No!’ Bostar exclaimed. ‘It cannot be true!’

Hanno could not contain himself any longer. He leaped up and ran to greet his brothers. Laughing and crying at the same time, Bostar wrapped him in a huge bear hug. ‘We thought you were dead.’

Laughing too, Hanno managed to extricate himself from Bostar’s grip. ‘I should be, but the gods did not forget me.’ He reached out to Sapho, who awkwardly drew him into an embrace. Surely he can’t still be angry about what happened in Carthage? Hanno wondered.

Sapho stepped back after only a moment. ‘How in hell did you get here?’ he cried.

‘Where is Suniaton?’ Bostar demanded.

A stream of questions poured from their lips.

Malchus intervened. ‘Let him tell the whole story.’

Hanno cleared his throat. All he could think of was the manner in which he’d left the family house on that fateful morning. He looked guiltily at Malchus. ‘I’m sorry, Father,’ he said. ‘I ought never to have run off like that. I should have stayed to do my duty.’

‘The meeting was of small consequence anyway. Like most of them,’ Malchus admitted with a sigh. ‘If I had been more understanding, you might have been less bored by such things. Put it behind you, and tell us how you survived that storm.’

Taking a deep breath, Hanno began. His father and brothers hung off his every word. When he explained how he and Suniaton had been captured by the pirates, Sapho let out a grim chuckle. ‘They got their just deserts eventually.’

‘Eh?’ Hanno gave his brother a confused look.

‘I’ll explain later,’ said Malchus. ‘Go on.’

Quelling his curiosity, Hanno obeyed. His family’s fury over the pirates was as nothing compared with their reaction to his purchase by Quintus.

‘Roman bastard!’ Sapho spat. ‘I’d love to have him here right now.’

Hanno was surprised by the defensive feelings that flared up at once. ‘Not all Romans are bad. If it wasn’t for him and his sister, I wouldn’t be here.’

Sapho scoffed. Even Bostar looked unconvinced. Malchus alone did not react.

‘It’s true,’ Hanno cried. ‘You haven’t heard all of my story yet.’

‘True,’ admitted Bostar.

Sapho raised an eyebrow. ‘Surprise us,’ he said.

Amazed by the speed at which his customary anger towards his eldest brother had returned, Hanno continued with his story. He emphasised how Quintus had engineered not only his escape, but that of Suniaton, and how the young equestrian had accompanied him to Cisalpine Gaul rather than be reunited with his father in Rome.

‘He sounds like a decent person. So does his sister, for all that she is a child. That in turn means that their father must be an honourable man,’ Malchus agreed. His jaw hardened. ‘It is a shame that the Roman Senate does not possess the same morals. You heard from the horse’s mouth how the whoresons demanded Hannibal be handed over to receive Roman “justice”, how they lied about us breaking the treaty which confined us to the area below the River Iberus. Their arrogance is without parallel! That’s before dragging up Sicily, Sardinia and Corsica.’

Sapho and Bostar growled in agreement.

Hanno felt a momentary sadness. Yet it was time to forget the kindness he had received. His father’s words had made old resentment bubble up from the depths. He took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. Finally, I am where I longed to be, he thought. With my family. With Hannibal’s army. And I am a soldier of Carthage. The Romans are our enemies. So be it. ‘You’re right, Father. What is Hannibal’s plan?’

Malchus gave him a wolfish smile. ‘To attack! We continue our march east tomorrow, in search of their legions.’

‘I know exactly where they are,’ Hanno replied, trying, and failing, not to think of Quintus.

‘We’d best take you to Hannibal then,’ said Malchus, looking pleased.

‘Really?’