I
never could detect any reason for any action or inaction of theirs.
CHAPTER XXIII
THE EMPEROR
The liberations of public slaves from _ergastula_ in Turin, Milan,
Placentia, Parma, Mutina, Bononia, Nuceria, Spolitum and Narnia resulted
in the formation of eighteen tumultuary centuries, which, between Narnia
and Ocriculum, during a long noon-halt, were formed into the semblance of
three cohorts, thus we approached Rome as nine cohorts: three of the
deputies from Britain; three more of the recruits from Gaul, presumably
like the British legionaries, loyal patriots, bent on foiling Perennis,
and saving their beloved Emperor; and three more composed of the contents
of a dozen or more _ergastula_, opened as the whim took the veteran
sergeants, and assumed to contain not pilferers, runaways or evil-doers,
but innocent victims of the malignity of the understrappers of that
unspeakable Perennis.
As we drew near Rome Agathemer and I discussed our situation and prospects
with increasing alarm. After we left Narnia the watch on us was not so
close and we might have escaped. But we had seen a score of attempts at
escape, by various rascals, foiled and ending in the butchery of the
would-be fugitives.
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