Carrhae by Peter Darman Read Free Book Online Page A

any horsemen on the enemy’s left wing but next to the legion there was still a large phalanx of Emesian spearmen and no doubt many slingers and archers standing among the enemy’s ranks. To charge an unbroken army of enemy foot was to invite disaster.
    ‘Lord king,’ I shouted to Haytham.
    Haytham turned his horse to face me. ‘What?’
    ‘We can get Rasha back without the spilling of any more Agraci blood.’
    ‘Did you bring your sorceress, Pacorus, so she could weave a spell to return my daughter to me?’
    ‘No, lord,’ I answered, ‘but will you give me a chance to prove my words.’
    He looked at me with his cold black eyes. I knew that he desired more blood but I also knew that if he launched an attack his daughter, if she still lived, would have her throat slit before his warriors even got close to the enemy. All eyes were on Haytham as thirty thousand Agraci warriors and over twenty-three thousand Duran horse archers steeled themselves for another fight.
    ‘You have one hour,’ he snapped, pointing at Mark Antony. ‘If you fail he dies and I attack.’
    I thanked Haytham and then sent an emissary to the enemy requesting a parley, stating that we had captured their Roman commander and wished to trade him for a young woman that had fallen into their hands, further insisting that she was not to be harmed or violated in any way. I prayed that her captives had not already raped her, if she still lived. While we waited for a reply I suggested to Haytham that we should extend our line greatly to impress the enemy with our numbers. He and his lords thought this a waste of time but he indulged me, and so the horizon was slowly filled with Agraci and Durans as we waited for an answer.
    It came only minutes before the hour was up and was good news. The enemy agreed to a parley but insisted that it take place an hour after dawn the next morning. The people of Emesa worshipped the sun god El Gabal and thus thought any important negotiations should take place when their deity was looking favourably upon them. I too believed this, but knew that only Shamash was the god of the sun. Haytham looked sullen and his lords were most unhappy that they had been denied the opportunity to again dip their swords in the enemy’s blood, but I was delighted that Rasha was alive and that we stood a good chance of getting her back. Haytham wanted our prisoner to be staked out on the ground for the night but I requested that he be released to me.
    ‘Why are you so interested in this man?’ he asked as his warriors were stood down and cooking fires began to cover the plain.
    ‘I wish to know more about Roman plans, lord.’
    He laughed. ‘They plan to conquer the whole world, Pacorus. You above all should know that.’
    Gallia wanted nothing to do with the Roman and declared that she would be spending the night in the company of the Amazons. As we had no entrenching tools with us we could not dig a ditch and erect a palisade to surround our tents I ordered Vagises to mount patrols far and wide throughout the night. I did not trust the Romans not to launch a night assault to free their commander. The Agraci pitched their tents over many square miles, though Haytham also sent out patrols to ensure his sleep was not disturbed. As for the enemy, Vagises reported back to my command tent just before midnight that they were inside their Roman camp and showed no signs of leaving it.
    ‘Your men did well today,’ I said as he settled himself into a chair at the opposite end of the table to where Mark Antony was sitting.
    ‘Thank you, Pacorus. Nergal trained us well.’
    I poured wine into a cup and gave it to him as he watched the Roman with suspicion.
    I took the jug and refilled Mark Antony’s cup. He nodded and held the cup up to me.
    ‘To noble adversaries.’
    I drank some wine in acknowledgement of his toast and sat at the table. Vagises rose, held his cup up to me and drained it before slamming it down on the table.
    ‘By your