He had been stripped down to his leggings and his face and chest were heavily bruised. One eye was so badly swollen that he could hardly see out of it. He stank of his own dirt and his skin was streaked with filth and dried blood. ‘Get him on the hook,’ Quertus ordered and his men dragged the war...
The port had been recommended to him as being virtually cut off from the rest ofthe island by the sheer mountains that surrounded it. Only a little-used track linked Ciprana to the plain, picking its way along steep slopes and ravines. It was unlikely that the slaves had even heard of the place, ...
Cato was standing beside him on the gatehouse, shielding his eyes from the sun’s glare as he stared in the same direction. A hundred paces away the rebels were busy, and from beyond the wall of the merchants’ yards came the sounds of sawing and hammering. ‘Another ram, per...
His face was lit in the blood-red hue as he stared towards the great swathe of Moscow that was on fire. He had reached the city shortly after noon, a day after the first of Murat’s cavalry had cautiously made their way through the abandoned streets. The road junctions had been plastered with copi...
Arthur mumbled his assent but he was looking upwards, his gaze fixed by the cupola curving over his head far above. Fitzroy noted the look and smiled. ‘Impressive, isn’t it? When the debates start to get tedious, I often find myself stretching back and staring up there. Ma...
His bruised head had been shaved, but several days without any attention had left it with a dark furze. Somewhat younger than Cato, his eyes were deep-set either side of the wide curved nose that was typical of the native race. He wore a plain red military tunic, which Cato guessed must have been...
It was the day after Christmas, yet he felt not the slightest inclination to share the festive mood of the rest of his household and the people of Paris. Before him, on the desk, lay the report from General Junot, detailing his operation in Portugal. Despite marching across Spain and through Port...
The blackened remains of Miriam’s house were clearly visible and once again Cato felt consumed with guilt that this woman had been so cruelly rewarded for saving his life. As the column approached the village, Parmenion led them in a wide circuit round its periphery. He did not halt the column bu...
‘Let’s hear it.’ Macro looked rather too pleased with himself, the trainee thought. ‘Britomaris has a weakness,’ the optio announced. ‘What is it?’ Casting glances from the corner of his eye, Macro leaned in to Pavo as if to whisper in his ear. ‘His stamina,’ the optio said in a low voice. ‘It’s ...
A light rain was falling and formed puddles in the expanse of the parade ground that stretched from the city wall to the camp. They strode across the open space to the main gate and presented themselves to the optio on watch in the guardhouse. He was a short, well-built man with neatly trimmed ha...
There was just enough wind to provide steerage way and the Indiamen glided gracefully past the battlements of Fort William and the seething slums and warehouses of Calcutta. Fortunately the breeze was from the other shore and so those on board were spared the stench that had greeted them when the...