It was swiftly over as the marines advanced, shield to shield, swords poised to stab out as they closed with the enemy. There was an uneven rattle of blows against the wall of shields, a clatter of blades and the cries of the wounded, and one last shout of 'Long live Ajax!' and then quiet. The marines, spattered with blood, stood over the tangle of bodies in the bow. Cato sighed wearily as he removed his helmet and mopped his brow. The slave rebellion that had begun in Crete was finally over. There were no loose ends to tie up, save the small matter of taking the other ship that was still ablaze as it made for the mangroves on the far side of the bay. They were cut off from the sea and there would be no escape for them once the other Roman warships cornered them against the mangroves.

His left arm hurt like hell now that the numbness was beginning to wear off and Cato wriggled his fingers painfully as he tried to get some feeling back into the limb. He sheathed his sword and stepped back over the bodies towards Ajax. Kneeling down, Cato grasped the gladiator's shoulder and pulled the body over. The head, still in the helmet, lolled limply and faced away from Cato as the corpse sagged on to its back. He untied the chinstraps with the fingers of his sword hand and then, grasping the black crest, he pulled the helmet off.

'No…' He frowned as he stared down at the face, eyes staring blankly back at him and the mouth slightly open. 'No… NO!'

Cato glared at the body, then threw the helmet aside as he rose back to his feet. Around him the marines and legionaries stared at the prefect in surprise. Cato raised his hand to his forehead and rubbed it in frustration as he looked down again. The dead man was the same build as Ajax, and had the same dark hair, but that was where the resemblance ended. Cato took a deep breath and turned to stare bitterly at the other ship making for the far side of the bay beneath the swirling haze of smoke. He had been duped. Ajax was still alive.

Cato ordered the decurion to leave a squad of marines to take charge of the ship and then led the rest of the men back aboard the Sobek. As soon as the corvus was levered up from the deck of the other ship, the trierarch gave the order to fend off and unship the oars. The warship got under way and began its pursuit of the Thoth. Ajax had almost reached the far side of the bay, but there was no clear route to the open sea. Two of the Roman warships had angled across the bay and blocked his escape. Three more, besides the Sobek, were in pursuit and the last ship had hove to on the inshore side of the headland to pick up Macro and his party. Ajax was trapped. His ruse had only delayed his capture, or death, Cato decided as he returned to the turret to follow the chase. A moment later Phermon climbed up beside him.

'He'll not get away, sir.'

'I trust not,' Cato replied flatly. 'That would be difficult medicine to swallow.'

The trierarch squinted into the rising sun, then shaded his eyes as he followed the course of the ship. 'They're still on fire. Why haven't they put it out yet?'

'Perhaps they need every spare man on the oars,' Cato suggested.

'Hmmm.'

They watched in silence for a moment longer before the trierarch shook his head. 'In the name of the gods, what does that fool think he's doing? He's heading towards the mangroves at full speed. They'll run aground for sure.'

Cato nodded. 'Then that's his plan.'

'To escape through the mangrove?' The trierarch shook his head. 'Impossible.'

'Why?' Cato turned to him.

'Sir, I've patrolled the delta ever since I joined the navy. I know it well, and I tell you there is no more difficult terrain than the mangroves. Even if you can fight your way through the reeds and the roots, the mud will suck you down and the air is foul with the stink of decay. If that's not bad enough then the place is alive with insects and leeches, not to mention the crocodiles. It would be suicide to attempt it.'

'If he doesn't, then they face certain death.' Cato looked at the ship, no more than a mile away. 'If I was Ajax, I would take the risk. He has nothing to lose. If he escapes, then he can continue to plague Rome. That's what drives him on.'

As the rowers below deck bent to their oars and the Sobek surged across the bay, Cato watched the renegade ship with a growing sense of unease. Despite what Phermon had said, Ajax was determined and resourceful enough to fight his way through the dense tangle of mangrove.

'Look!' The trierarch stuck his hand out.

The mast of the renegade ship shuddered and then abruptly toppled forward across the port beam, taking the rigging and spar with it. Some of the oars had snapped, others had snagged so that, from afar, the ship looked like a broken insect as it ploughed a short distance into the reeds and low-lying trees of the mangrove before coming to rest. Disturbed birds flitted into the air and the dust and sand that lay like a dull patina on the leaves of the stunted trees stirred into a thin haze about the wreck. The fire flared briefly, then settled into a steady blaze while the smoke swirled into the air. As Cato watched, the tiny figures of the ship's crew picked themselves up off the deck. In moments they had lowered a gangplank into the shallows and the first of them clambered down from the ship, clutching a loose bundle in one hand and a sword in the other.

'They're getting away,' said Cato, his heart dulled by despair at the sight of the crew abandoning the burning ship and disappearing into the tangled gloom of trees and rushes. 'They cannot be permitted to escape, do you understand, Phermon?'

'Yes, sir.' He gestured down towards the deck. 'The lads are doing their best.'

Cato glanced over the side at the oars, sweeping forward and driving through the water, and up and forward again in a swift rhythm. He climbed down on to the deck and turned to face the legionaries clustered on the main deck. 'Listen here!' He waited a moment until they were still and he had their full attention. 'I want fifty men to pursue the enemy making off into the mangrove.' Cato pointed towards the enemy ship. 'You men were with me on Crete. You know what Ajax and his followers have done. You saw the atrocities with your own eyes. We have to capture or kill him and put an end to his foul work.' He turned to their commander, Centurion Rufus. 'I only want volunteers. Don't pick any wounded men. I don't doubt your men's courage, but it'll be hard going and open wounds will soon fester in those marshes. Those who'll follow me need to leave their armour behind. They're to take only shields and helmets, together with their swords. And rations and water for three days.' He gazed at them for an instant and then nodded. 'That's it. Those who are coming with me, be ready to march as soon as we reach the far side of the bay. Dismissed!'

He turned away and strode forward to the bows to watch as the warships closed up on the burning vessel stuck hard and fast into the twisted roots and silt of the mangrove. The trierarch looked over the side and gave the order to reduce speed, and then backwater, to kill the momentum of the ship as it drew close to the shore. The other warships had also slowed and gave way to the Sobek as she edged towards the mangrove, a short distance from the abandoned vessel. The air was filled with the crackle of flames and the sharp reports of bursting timbers. The fire was burning more fiercely than ever and Cato realised that Ajax must have given orders to feed the flames before he and his men had quit the ship.

'Phermon!' Cato had to shout to be heard over the noise of the blaze. 'Get some men over to that ship. See if they can put the fire out.'

'Aye, sir.'

There was the faintest of shudders beneath Cato's boots as the ship ran aground. At once the marines on the foredeck lowered a gangplank into the shallows, muddied by the impact of the ram.