Read Marius' Mules VII: The Great Revolt for Free Online

himself once more. The slave backed away and the commander noted the hardened leather scroll case in his hand. An official courier’s case.
    ‘That is for the general?’
    ‘Yes Dominus. Arrived by dispatch rider at the palace gate only a moment ago. I was instructed that it was of the utmost urgency and to deliver it to the proconsul immediately.’
    Ingenuus nodded. He briefly contemplated suggesting he take the scroll, but he had no authority over the palace slaves and the messenger would not give up his burden without argument.
    ‘Come with me.’
    As he neared the end of the vestibule, the scurrying slave at his heel, he nodded to the two cavalry soldiers standing beside the office door. The men saluted him, yet stepped half a step closer together and crossed their spears over the door between them.
    ‘ Docendo discimus ,’ Ingenuus said clearly and watched in approval as the spears uncrossed in response to the password and the men stepped apart. Caesar had argued against the need for guards and passwords on the door of his office when the entire palace was under the same measure of security, but Ingenuus had calmly pointed out how only a month earlier the powerful and influential Clodius Pulcher had been waylaid on the Via Appia and slaughtered in a bloodbath. Given the current mood of Roman politics, Ingenuus was not about to relinquish even an ounce of control over the general’s safety.
    One step closer and the commander rapped neatly on the door.
    ‘Come,’ came the muffled command from within.
    The young prefect opened the door and stepped inside, bowing sharply and then striding over to the proconsul’s desk where he came to a halt at an attentive stance. The slave hurried up next to him and bowed deeply, clearly unsure as to whether to approach before the two Romans had spoken.
    ‘Give him the scroll you fool,’ snapped Ingenuus and harrumphed in disapproval as the slave fumbled the scroll case and almost dropped it before managing to pass it across to the proconsul, who took it without comment. The slave bowed again and retreated from the room, closing the door with a click and leaving the two men alone.
    Caesar turned the scroll case over in his hands and finally plucked the lid from it, addressing Ingenuus without looking up.
    ‘Good morning, Aulus. Anything to report?’
    ‘Nothing unusual, sir. Still two men sick and none on leave. The new recruits are settling in nicely and appear to have mastered the basics. Their horses are being put through their paces again this morning and this afternoon, I have decided to take them on an exercise up into the woods.’
    Caesar nodded, apparently only half-listening as he slid the scroll from the case. ‘Good. Well now, would you look at this.’
    Ingenuus leaned forward as the general rolled the scroll to face him. The officer took note of the wax seal and the imprint of the goddess upon it.
    ‘Fortuna Conservatrix? With an orb?’
    ‘The seal of the Falerii. Fronto, in fact.’
    Without further ado, the general snapped the seal and unfurled the scroll. ‘Interesting.’
    ‘Sir?’
    ‘Fronto’s seal, but this writing is Priscus’. I have spent years reading his reports.’
    ‘Then it is news from Gaul, sir?’
    Caesar’s eyes played back and forth across the scroll, his eyes hardening as he read, his lips drawing thin and tight. Ingenuus frowned. He knew that look. ‘Sir?’
    ‘It would appear that we cannot wait until Martius for the tubilustrum festival and the start of campaigning. The season this year has begun early.’
    ‘Sir?’
    ‘Priscus brings news of a new rising in Gaul. Perhaps the ‘ great revolt ’ he has been anticipating. It certainly sounds like it, for the Carnutes have put the Roman merchants and the garrison of Cenabum to the sword, severed all supply and communication lines to the north and have elected Vercingetorix to lead not just the Arverni, but some great army of all the Gauls.’
    ‘Then we must mobilise