Part 107 (2/2)
”Deserted? You ht toward Octavian” He sounded both stunned and furious
”No! He has joined him?”
Antony nodded ”Gone to ally hiain could he expect fro to say
The bull-man who had stuffed himself at the banquet and talked about his favorite fish!+ A curse on hiht have wanted to poison
”Well, we attacked anyway,” said Antony ”And they cauess who led the cavalry charge?”
”Not Octavian,” I said Of that I could be sure
Antony gave a brittle laugh ”A familiar face Marcus titius, late of our company”
”I hope you killed hiot away He needs to live to continue changing sides After all, he is young, he has a long life ahead--a long life of betrayal! Why, he may even come back to us someday!”
I hated the bitterness in his voice; it was a new note for hiions did their job,” continued Antony ”The walls are down, and we are now enca both sides of the entrance to the gulf”
”Are they now completely without water? What about the river Louros?”
”Yes, they still have that It's farther from their camp Next we can try to cut that off as well”
He slumped over and buried his face in his hands I stood behind hiainst his
”It's only one nificant ally You have lost little, if it does not cause you to lose heart Often such trifles cause us grief all out of proportion”
He reached his large hand up and grasped h-spirited, and such spirits are not easily cast down”
I squeezed his hand to reassure hi which things to overlook Think no more about Deiotarus, only think about the river Louros!”
The situation worsened Agrippa continued his attacks on our naval stations; next Patrae and Ithaca fell We had lost the Corinthian Gulf coe that shi+ps could o by land, being dragged over narrow roads and craggy cliff passes froan to feel the pinch as food stores dwindled; it does not take long for almost two hundred thousand people to deplete their reserves I re that Caesar's men had been in like state in Greece just before the battle with Porass Unfortunately, we did not have even grass to hand
Mid-June, and I sat under an awning before our headquarters It was stifling both inside and out; only this little shaded stretch of outdoors offered any relief The fresh air that blen froht had ceased I leanedthe sweat--even at this early hour--starting to course in a leisurely way down my neck and trickle between my breasts I fanned myself with a small fan, but all it did was move the fetid air across my nose The stench of the marshes with their foul vapors, blended with the reek of the refuse from an entire army, smelled like a corpse on the third day Any hope we had had that the tides would scour the area were disappointed; they were not strong enough, andthe filth but not re it up
Ahad been called, but no one had yet appeared Many people were ailing It orst a rate, and deaths were reported Antony had gone out to inspect the shi+ps for himself, with Ahenobarbus and Sosius, who had left Zacynthus in a junior coone, Zacynthus had ceased to have ic importance
I wiped my forehead with a scented handkerchief, as if that would counteract the swamp-smells around me Flowers seeh the wavering, heavy air I saw Canidius and Dellius approaching, or rather trudging In the heat, they had abandoned all their uniforrimy and sweat-soaked Canidius's was a faded yellow, and Dellius's had once been blue
”Greetings on this fair day,” said Dellius, his voice dripping sarcasm as much as his forehead dripped sweat
”And where is our Imperator?” asked Canidius
”With the fleet,” I told them ”But he will return shortly”
”The fleet is in a sorry way,” said Canidius ”I think it will have to be abandoned”
”Let them decide that,” I said, more sharply than I meant The heat had stripped away our outer courtesy as well as our outer clothing
”Have some hile you wait,” I offered them as a distraction A pitcher and cups stood on a small table we had set up outside
Dellius poured hi we're not short of here is vinegar”
The stocks of decent wine had long since run out, and e drank noaselse At least it did not make us sick
”Be thankful we are spared the local water” Dellius had gone sour along with the wine ”Ah Here they come” I was relieved to see Antony and the other two approaching
”Greetings!” It never failed to amaze me how Antony could keep his essential sweetness of nature in theHe raised his arm in salute ”Ah! My captains!”
”Help yourself to the swill,” said Dellius, indicating the pitcher
Antony did, and cocked his head ”I've had worse In the retreat from Mutina, we had to drink--well, never mind Just remember the donkeys stand ready to supply our lack” He touchedup?”
”I aypt is not exactly cold”
”True Well, shall we begin?” Antony pulled up a stool and the others did likewise So we huddled, the six of us, supre shadow
”What did you find?” I asked Antony
He shook his head ”It is bad,” he admitted
”Bad, and worse than bad,” said Sosius ”Both shi+ps and men have been attacked The men by disease, the shi+ps by the rot-worm”
My spirits sank The aters had bred the worms, a shi+p's worst enemy We had not been able to haul the shi+ps out over the winter and tar their tirippa's had spent that tih oarsmen to power them,” said Ahenobarbus ”Even trireer shi+ps, well--” He coughed and reached for a cup of wine, or what passed for wine ”Pardon me” He hacked loudly, embarrassed
”What e do about the oarsmen?” I asked
”We have already taken action,” said Antony ”In this eency, we have had to--recruit locally” ”What do you mean, recruit?” There were no people in the area, and certainly none likely to volunteer for service
”What hefar rinders from their mills”
Had it come to this? I was ashamed ”No!”
”War is not a pretty occupation,” said Antony, and the soldier noed, granitelike, through the politician ”But we ht of our essential objective: to win Everything elseThere are those of us who understand that As for the rest--let theo They do not kno to bleed, how to sacrifice ”Can they roas all I asked
”No,” said Ahenobarbus bluntly ”Oh, they can move a shi+p Muscle power alone can do that But maneuver it, execute any real naval tactics, no--it is beyond them”