The Gladiator Read Free

captain replied. ‘And heading this way, straight along the coast.’
    ‘Then we must alter course,’ said Sempronius. ‘Get out of its way’
    ‘There’s no time for that. In any case, the wave stretched as far as I could see. We can’t avoid it.’
    The senator and the two centurions stared at the captain for a moment before Sempronius spoke again. ‘So, what now?’
    ‘Now?’ The captain gave a brittle laugh. ‘We say our prayers and make our final farewells and wait until the wave hits us.’
    Cato shook his head. ‘No. There has to be something you can do to save the ship.’
    ‘There’s nothing, I’m telling you,’ the captain said bleakly. ‘You haven’t seen the size of that thing yet. But you will, any moment.’
    All eyes turned towards the horizon, and then Cato noticed what looked like a dark shadow on the rim of the world, at the moment only a fine line and one that looked wholly unthreatening as yet. He stared at it briefly before turning back towards the captain. ‘You’ve been in storms before, haven’t you?’
    ‘Oh, yes. Storms are one thing. A tidal wave is something else. There’s no hope for us.’
    ‘Bollocks!’ Macro growled, and then grabbed the captain’s tunic in both hands and drew the Greek close to his face. ‘There’s always hope. I haven’t survived fuck knows how many fights and injuries just to die on this tub. N o w then, I ain’t a sailor. That’s your job. You’ve got a dangerous situation on your hands. So you deal with it. Do what you can to give us the best chance to live through this. You understand me?’ He gave the captain a shake. ‘Well?’
    The Greek wilted before the intense gaze of the centurion and nodded. ‘I’ll do what I can.’
    ‘That’s better.’ Macro smiled and released his grip. ‘Now then, is there anything we can do to help?’
    The captain swallowed nervously. ‘If you don’t mind, it would be best if you stayed out of the way’
    Macro’s eyes narrowed. ‘Is that all?’
    ‘You could tie yourself to the mast, or one of the cleats, to save yourselves from being swept over the side when the wave hits us.’
    ‘All right then.’
    The captain turned away to shout orders to his crew and the sailors hurried aloft to shake out the reefs in the huge mainsail. At the stern, the steersman strained at the tiller, turning the
Horus
towards the sunset.
    ‘What is he doing?’ asked Sempronius. ‘The fool is heading straight for the wave.’
    Cato nodded. ‘Makes sense. The bows are the strongest part of the ship. If we meet the wave head on, we might break through it, if we can’t ride over it.’
    Sempronius stared at him. ‘I hope you are right, young man. For your sake, my sake and all our sakes.’
    As soon as the senator had spoken, Cato’s mind focused at once on Julia and he called to Macro as he hurried towards the gangway leading to the cabins. ‘Get yourself tied to the mast, and take the senator with you.’
    ‘Where are you going?’ ‘To get Julia and Jesmiah. They’ll be safer on deck.’ Macro nodded, then glanced towards the horizon, and now he could see the wave more clearly, rising up in a great bar that extended far out to sea, while the other end foamed and crashed along the coast. ‘Be quick, Cato!’
    Cato ran across the deck and jumped down the short flight of steps into the passengers’ quarters, where thin stalls accommodated those who had paid the most for their passage to Rome. Thrusting aside the canvas curtain that formed the makeshift entrance to Julia’s quarters, he ducked his head inside. Julia sat on the deck, cradling Jesmiah in her arms. ‘Cato! What’s the matter?’
    ‘ N o time to explain.’ He stepped towards her, stooped and drew her up on to her feet. Jesmiah scrambled up at her side, wide-eyed with terror.
    ‘Master Cato,’ her lips trembled, ‘I heard someone say there’s a monster.’
    ‘There’s no monster,’ he snapped, thrusting them both out of the stall and up