Marius' Mules V: Hades' Gate by S.J.A. Turney Read Free Book Online Page A

temper. He may have the physical appearance of a jolly, good-natured fellow, but the fires of his anger were never truly extinguished, smouldering and bubbling even at his most peaceful, waiting to rage into a flaming inferno.
    An image of Julia wagging a finger at him in admonishment flashed into his mind and he bit down on the rising tide of rage with great difficulty.
    The big man in the shop let go of his most recent victim and Pompey noticed with distaste the cracked plaster and the smear of blood and lumps of something where the loser, his head smashed and broken, had left brain matter on the wall.
    "Hold!" bellowed Artorius, his men fanning out around him to create a crescent that sealed in the shop. The big warrior either failed to hear over the rush of blood in his ears or blatantly ignored the newly arrived hirelings.
    Instead, the huge fighter turned to face his last surviving opponent. The smaller man had drawn a knife and was warily edging round him, possibly in an effort to flee the scene.
    As the big combatant spun round and faced the street, Pompey looked him up and down. He was clearly no Roman. Well over six feet tall - probably over seven - and with a torso like Hercules, the man had straggly long straw-blond hair that had been plaited until the fracas had dishevelled him, and a beard that almost obscured the lower half of his face. His bulging arms were marked out with strange designs and he wore only a ragged grey tunic, ripped open at the front, trousers after the Celtic style and fur-lined boots. He looked as though he would be far more at home wielding an axe in a snowy forest.
    Even as Pompey watched, a small part of him was impressed as the barbarian giant gripped one of the upright posts that formed the frame for the wall and, grunting, tore it free from its position, turning back wielding the eight-foot post as though it were little more than a javelin.
    Unable to escape the shop, the remaining opponent stepped forward and lunged with his knife, hoping to get inside the sweeping range of the huge club.
    He was too late, as the big barbarian already had enough momentum on a swing that caught the knifeman a glancing blow - not heavy, but enough to knock him sideways and disrupt his attack. As he righted himself for another attack, he failed to notice the beam on its return journey and the barbarian caught him a hefty blow in the side that must have snapped the arm and broken several ribs.
    The man bellowed his pain as he collapsed, but the barbarian was not finished yet. Stepping close to his last victim, he raised the beam vertically and then dropped it, end first, onto the convulsing man's face, smashing his head like an overripe melon and killing him instantly.
    The big man heaved in several deep breaths and then turned to leave and registered Pompey and his men for the first time. With a strangely predatory smile, showing bloody, rotten teeth, the huge man barked something in a guttural language.
    Pompey frowned and gestured to Artorius.
    "Subdue him."
    The four men stepped forwards towards the big thug and his beam, cautiously but without fear. These were no ordinary thugs, but warriors - former legionaries and gladiators chosen for their loyalty and their skills and strength. They were the best muscle Artorius could purchase for his Dominus.
    The first man feinted, causing the barbarian to pull back his beam threatening a wide swing. Even as he did so, the man at the far side slipped past the giant and into the shop, getting behind him.
    The other two in the centre moved in for the attack, and the huge man swung the club. Both men ducked, allowing the beam to pass above them and strike the unfinished frontage, shaking loose dust, plaster and even a tile. The big man was a little shaken by the sudden impact that reverberated up his arms.
    The first attacker, who had feinted to begin the fight, took advantage of the giant's momentary discomfort and ducked inside, delivering several sharp and