The Tortoise in Asia

The Tortoise in Asia Read Free Page B

Book: The Tortoise in Asia Read Free
Author: Tony Grey
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don’t like spending all that time booty hunting. Shit, we could pay for that when the battle starts. Too damn slack.”
“Maybe, but you have got to admire the crafty way he requisitioned those men from Damascus and then let them off after they paid. He didn’t want them anyway – useless idiots; just after the money. I know the locals hate us for it, but who cares.”
“Yeah, but he don’t keep the drills up. Look at what happened when he robbed the Jewish Temple – seemed like the whole damn army went on leave. Nobody did anything for weeks.”
“I agree about that. Wrong to do it. Pompey never took their gold when he invaded Jerusalem. Had respect. Remember? We were both there. I’m glad Crassus didn’t make us go with the squad. I don’t know what I would have done.”
“That’s not the point – he shouldn’t have wasted time.”
“I know. I know. Look at those engineers. Aren’t they terrific. No one can build like Romans.”
    Men with huge saws are cutting local trees into planks. Long, square – edged nails drive into newly planed boards. Rafts spring into life and are lashed together to make pontoons. A timber walkway is progressively nailed on top. Steadily and efficiently the structure moves across the rushing current. Its leading edge rolls towards the Parthian shore like the tip of a chameleon’s tongue lunging towards its prey. Engineers overcome the impatient waters with technology which has no rival.
    The scout attached to Marcus’s cohort comes to the river’s edge and says in a loud voice;
“We’re going to cross near Zeugma. It’s a small trading town a couple of kilometres away – almost three hundred years old. One of Alexander the Great’s generals founded it. It’s a stopping off point on the Caravan Road.”
    Marcus’s heart quickens. Finally they’re about to enter enemy territory. The interminable boredom will yield to the exitement of danger and action. Nothing’s better. He’ll have a chance once again to use his fighting skills, work with his comrades to smash the enemy. Owl’s Head is ready to do its job.
“This is it Gaius. Don’t worry about a little slackness. We’re going to win just the same. This time we’ll change history. Those barbarians’ll sink below the tide of another Roman victory. They’re too disorganised to be respected. No point in showing any mercy to them.”
    Showing no mercy is just a figure of speech. He doesn’t think of himself as a cruel man. In fact he treats prisoners well and has never killed a man who’s surrendered.
“I don’t doubt we’ll win. What’ll we do afterwards?”
“Once we roll up Parthia I’m sure we’ll push into Bactria and India. Crassus is ambitious and he’ll have the troops to do it. Everyone knows he wants to be
civis princeps
. Probably the Parthian victory’ll be enough for that but he’ll go further. It’s in his nature – he’s greedy. We’ll get past where Alexander went, past the Indus.”
“What’s the Indus?”
“It’s a big river, a long way east. On the other side is where huge booty lies, even more than what the Parthians have. We’ll really be wealthy, really rich. The Macedonians conquered the land where the Parthians are. Now it’s our turn, but we’ll go further. It’ll be interesting to see what it’s like that far east. But not as much as seeing the booty – ha ha ha.”
    He doesn’t say he hopes to become a landowner of substance and be inducted into the
Ordo Equester
. What a climb that would be for the son of a farmer who lost his land.

CHAPTER 2
    O rodes II, divine ruler of Parthia, king of Kings, Brother of the Sun and Moon, hasn’t arrived yet. In the congress hall of his grand summer palace in the Zagros foothills, long-robed

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