Carrhae by Peter Darman Read Free Book Online

talking to me but staring unblinking at Mark Antony. ‘There were thousands of Emesian horsemen and now there are none, is that not so, Gallia?’
    ‘It is as you say, lord king,’ replied Gallia with pride. I smiled at her.
    Haytham continued to circle the prisoner, who was now looking decidedly perturbed. ‘The Romans and their allies think the peoples who inhabit these parts are weak and can be crushed and enslaved with ease. Imagine what they will say when they learn that a woman has beaten them. What will they say in Rome, Roman?’
    Haytham halted his horse directly in front of Mark Antony.
    ‘Rome will be disturbed to hear of such a thing, lord king,’ Antony replied. ‘Tinged with admiration.’ He glanced at Gallia who still wore her helmet, its cheekguards fastened shut. ‘For Queen Gallia’s name is known throughout the world.’
    ‘What use can I have for this Roman, Pacorus?’ Haytham asked me.
    ‘To ransom him for a great sum, lord king,’ I answered, ‘for the proconsul of Syria will give you much gold for his safe return.’
    ‘I have enough gold,’ snarled Haytham. ‘Gallia, it is for you to decide this Roman’s fate.’
    Haytham wheeled his horse around and returned to the head of his lords. Mark Antony looked at the mail-clad figure of my wife whose face was still hidden by her helmet’s cheekguards. I looked at Malik who smiled maliciously. He knew as well as me that Gallia hated the Romans and would probably kill him herself.
    ‘That’s you done for,’ remarked Spandarat to Mark Antony casually as Gallia slowly pulled her bow from its hide case behind her. I made to protest but Malik laid a hand on my arm.
    ‘No, Pacorus. His life is Gallia’s now.’
    A sudden commotion in the rear interrupted her role as Haytham’s executioner as a group of Agraci riders came through the ranks to present themselves to their king. After they had halted I saw that half a dozen had been escorting one man, who now dismounted, pulled aside his black face veil and went down on his knees before Haytham.
    ‘Princess Rasha has been captured by the enemy, majesty.’
    There was a murmur from behind and the king spun in his saddle.
    ‘Silence!’
    He looked down at the prostrate figure before him. ‘Get up.’
    The man slowly rose to his feet as I thought of the ramifications of what he had said. If Rasha had been captured then that could only mean that the other Roman legion had captured Palmyra. I closed my eyes and thought of Byrd and Noora. Had they been taken, too, or were their corpses lying on the earth?
    ‘Have the Romans taken Palmyra?’ asked Haytham.
    ‘No majesty,’ replied the man. He glanced at me. ‘After King Pacorus left Palmyra the princess insisted that we, that is she and her bodyguard, follow the king and that is what we did. We stayed hidden and then joined the riders that Dura’s lords brought with them. The princess joined the charge against the Emesians but became separated from us at the height of the battle.’
    ‘Is she dead?’ asked Haytham without emotion.
    ‘No, majesty. I saw her being led away by a group of their horsemen. As far as I know she is still alive.’
    ‘And the rest of her bodyguard?’
    The man cast down his eyes. ‘All dead, majesty,’ he replied softly.
    Haytham pulled on his horse’s reins to wheel him left, and in a lightning-fast movement drew his sword and slashed it across the man’s neck. Blood sheeted in all directions as the man clutched his neck and then fell to the ground, gurgling for a few seconds and then falling silent as his lifeless corpse lay on its back, blood oozing onto the parched ground.
    ‘We attack the enemy at once,’ Haytham shouted to great cheers from his lords.
    I looked across the corpse-strewn no-man’s land that separated the two armies and saw the unbroken line of shields of the Roman legion directly opposite, and then squinted before making out horsemen deployed on its right. Granted there were no longer