The Gladiator

'Shit,' Fulvius muttered, looking at Cato in horror as the full implication of the threat struck him. 'I'm so sorry, sir.'

Cato rubbed his jaw. 'Ajax is playing games with us. All part of his plan to torment me as far as he can. In fact, this is an opportunity for us. If Ajax thinks that I am so paralysed with concern and indecision for my friends, then he will not be expecting me to act decisively. He will also assume that I dare not attack for fear of putting their lives at risk. That is why we must go in tonight, while there is still a chance of achieving an element of surprise.'

'What if this is a ploy to provoke you into an attack?' asked Balbus.

'To get you to act tonight?'

'Why would he do that? If I attack and the ships are set on fire, then the rebels have nothing to negotiate with.'

'Assuming that he has given orders to set fire to the ships.'

'Then why tell me that he has given such orders if he wants to provoke me into an attack?' Cato sighed wearily.' Look, Balbus, you can't have it both ways.'

Cato was tired of discussion. He had known that there was bound to be some dissent over his orders. Balbus was clearly one of those officers for whom caution was a religion and indecision was dignified by claiming to consider every possible contingency, while acting upon none of them. It was a classic case of paralysis through prevarication. He could understand why Macro be came so frustrated on such occasions and opted for the most direct solution to a problem. He had made his decision, Cato resolved to himself. He glanced round at his officers.

'The attack will go ahead tonight, gentlemen. Now, we must turn our attention to the plan.'

He picked up a roll of parchment on which he had sketched out a plan of the bay earlier in the morning. He laid it out across the table and called for his officers to gather round the other three sides of the table while he briefed them.

'The rebel camp is spread round the end of the bay, with the shore-based side protected by the palisade. There is a small redoubt at the end of the palisade to guard that flank since it is the most vulnerable. On the other side of the bay, on this peninsula, is where Ajax is camped. I believe that is the most likely place for him to be keeping his hostages. He is protected from any landward attack by the bulk of his army, and from the sea by the cliffs and rocks on the far side. There is a small bay with a sandy beach towards the end of the peninsula, but it's well guarded and too small to attempt any landing in force.' Cato paused as the officers examined the map.' Our objective is simple. We must find some way of preventing the rebels, from setting fire to the ships before we capture them.'

'Nigh on impossible, sir,' Fulvius said at length. 'We have three choices. We either attack by land, or by sea, or both. The trouble is, the rebels will see us coming. Any attack from the land is going to have to fight its way over the palisade first. If we come in from the sea, then the rebel sentries will be able to see the ships before they enter the bay, even though it will be moonless tonight. Either way they will be alerted and have plenty of time to set fire to the ships.'

Cato nodded. 'You're right. Any conventional attack, from the land or the sea, is doomed to failure. Which leaves us only one alternative.'

He leaned forward and tapped his finger on the map, indicating the end of the bay, close to where it approached the open sea.

Balbus frowned. 'There? What good is that to us? It must be well over a mile from the end of the palisade.'

Centurion Fulvius pursed his lips. What exactly did you have in mind, sir?'

'If we can't start our attack from the land, or from the open sea, then we have to launch it from within the bay itself. It's the one direction that the rebels won't be expecting any trouble from.'

Cato had thought his idea through earlier. It was very risky, and relied on good timing. If things went badly for the men leading this attack, then few of them would escape alive. Worst of all, Cato knew he would have to lead them, and face one of the few things he feared in life: swimming. He stood erect and looked at Fulvius as he replied.