Free The Centurion's Empire by Sean McMullen

with the main caravan. Five bandits attacked us. Gallus killed one, I wounded another, then I fell down a cliff beside the trail into deep snow. The bandits emptied two mule packs, leaving enough space so that two men could hide in them. That is all I know."
    Namatinus described how Vitellan struggled back to the fort, and how they rode out and met the mule caravan as it returned from the altar.
    "We caught and tortured the truth out of the two im-posters," Namatinus concluded. "They said that they left their two leaders concealed in packs on the altar."
    "So, there's definitely only two outsiders to find," the tesserarius said with relief. Namatinus pointed up the cliff. "What happened up there? Are you allowed to tell me?" The tesserarius shrugged one shoulder and gestured upward.
    "A large section of the palace is pretty obviously alight,
    iut nobody is sure how the fire started. At least two Tempo-ians and several guard beasts have been killed. We saw the
    >ody of one thief on the roof of a building before it col-apsed."
    Namatinus looked at the body lying crumpled on the altar n the surreal red glow reflected from the clouds. "And that one makes two."
    "Probably not, Centurion. I know him as a slave from the >alace, and he was probably helping the thieves. The second hief has not been found."
    "Well as I said, we saw nobody as we came up the trail."
    "Good news, the first good news of this terrible night, vlaybe he cut the crane loose but stayed above, maybe he ;limbed down the rope and is hiding nearby. He is armed with a bow and his aim is deadly."
    Namatinus turned to his men. "I want you to split into groups of three and search the area for footprints. Never go alone, this thief is very dangerous and he has a bow. Now, I also want three volunteers to ride back to the mule caravan and tell them to guard the trail and let nobody past until I return. Who knows the trail well enough to ride all the way in the dark?"
    One of the tesserarius' men stepped forward. "I can guide your men, Centurion."
    "Then you will go. Vitellan, you've seen enough action in the past few days. Give him your horse and stay here with me."
    The portly guard mounted Vitellan's horse and led the other two volunteers down the trail and into the darkness. It was morning before the tesserarius realized that of the six guards who had climbed down the rope with him, all six were still present. By then Lars had killed Namatinus' two legionaries and was so far away that there was no hope of ever capturing him.

Libarna, Northern Italy: 29 December 71, Anno Domini
    Libarna nestled securely in the foothills of the Alps, a prosperous little market town servicing a patchwork of farms.
    "The most boring place on earth," Fortunatus sneered as he looked out across the melting snow. "No games, no chariots, no feasts, ugly harlots and sour wine."
    Viventius came from a rural family, and did not find Libarna so very bad. "Why not return to Rome, then? I'd gladly stay here and wait for the thief."
    Fortunatus ignored him. He sipped a little wine and looked out along the northward road again.
    "Five days. We know there was a fire at Nusquam five days ago. Lars Lartorius must have had a part in it. The body of a thief was found on the roof, but it was not he. Lars is known to cover his tracks with fires. He was said to be near the Circus Maximus seven years ago when the fire was started that consumed much of Rome." They fell silent again, watching children flinging snow at each other and laughing. A farmer drove an oxcart along the road, bringing hay for the stables.
    'They barred me from joining them, they deserved to burn," muttered Fortunatus. "I have earned the right to be immortal many times over."
    "Any more than Emperor Vespasian?"
    "More than he. I began my career while Caligula still ruled, then I helped hold the Empire together during Nero's excesses. Now the Temporians tell me that I'm too old to become one of them. Too old at fifty-one!"
    "There could be