Free Carrhae by Peter Darman

ordered his lords and their men back to their territories but sent Malik west to keep watch on the enemy. I knew that he was thirsting for vengeance, not only to avenge the death of Vehrka but also to appear strong to his people. I believed that forcing the Romans to retreat was a victory but the king of the Agraci did not agree.
    ‘They will be back,’ he complained as we sat cross-legged in a circle on the floor of his tent.
    ‘And when they do we will once more stand together,’ I reassured him.
    He was not convinced. ‘We should have destroyed them when we had the chance. Vehrka must be avenged.’
    He looked at Gallia.
    ‘You should have killed that fat king when you had the chance.’
    ‘Sampsiceramus may prove useful to you yet, lord,’ I said.
    Haytham picked up a piece of flatbread and dipped it in yoghurt.
    ‘How so?’
    I shoved a date in my mouth. ‘A weakling client king will think twice before invading Agraci territory again in a hurry. The Romans promised him an easy victory, no doubt. But he will be reluctant to venture east again, notwithstanding their promises.’
    He was still sceptical. ‘What will you do now?’
    ‘Return to Dura and await Orodes’ instructions.’
    Haytham smiled. ‘The prince is now the high king of the Parthian Empire?’
    ‘He is, lord,’ answered Gallia.
    ‘He will make a good king of kings,’ I said.
    Haytham studied me for a few seconds. ‘I heard that the crown was first offered to you, Pacorus.’
    ‘It was, lord, and I turned it down.’
    ‘Or rather Dobbai turned it down for you,’ Gallia corrected me.
    Haytham’s eyes opened wide in surprise. ‘What business was it of your sorceress?’
    I shrugged. ‘She said it was not my destiny to be high king. Besides, in truth I had no appetite to try to keep the kings of the empire happy, to listen to their interminable squabbles and grievances and try to appease them. Orodes has a thoughtful nature and the tongue of a diplomat.’
    ‘He will make a great king,’ said Rasha.
    Gallia laughed and placed an arm round her shoulders.
    Haytham looked at them both. ‘Yes, he will. Perhaps I should send you to him, Rasha, so you can learn to be a good princess.’
    Rasha clapped her hands with excitement. ‘That would be a great honour, father.’
    He pointed a finger at her. ‘You are still in disgrace for disobeying my orders and will remain here until I can find a husband for you.’
    A veil of sadness descended over Rasha’s face and she said no more. Poor Rasha, she so wanted to see the world and all the mysteries in it, but her father desired her to be married as quickly as possible to tame her wild spirit.
    On the trip back to Dura I got to know more about Scarab, the latest addition to my royal household. Now swathed in black Agraci robes, his black face made him look like a demon from the underworld, though I was pleased to discover that he had an amiable and thoughtful nature. He told us that he was the son and grandson of slaves and had been purchased from his Egyptian lord for a great sum when the latter had been visiting Emesa on business. It transpired that Sampsiceramus wished to surround himself with Egyptian slaves after having been told that they were more intelligent and hard working than Jewish or Syrian slaves. Scarab’s ancestors were originally from a place called Nubia, which is on Egypt’s southern border, though he himself had been born in Egypt. He had a certain amount of education, being able to speak Egyptian and Greek and had picked up some Latin from the frequent visits of the Romans to the palace in Emesa.
    He rode behind Gallia and me and next to Vagises as our long column made its way back east, the road almost devoid of other traffic as a consequence of the recent fighting. Any whiff of trouble had the effect of making the caravans that usually plied this route disappear. Nothing interrupts trade so much as war. Hopefully the restoration of peace, albeit fragile, would restore