“Why not go beyond it?” Constantine bent over the map that occupied the top of the table. “Just north of a line drawn eastward at the northern tip of the island of Hibernia there appears to be a deep inlet in the coast of Britain. Unless the map is wrong, it narrows the country into a corridor there not much wider than the one where the Antonine Wall is located.”
The others were bending over the map looking at the point he had put his finger upon, a spot where the jagged outline of the coast was cut by many deep inlets and rivers.
“Why not land there in the first place?” one of the legion commanders, a brawny soldier named Cornelius Celia, asked.
“The channel between Britain and Hibernia is often stormy,” Constantius objected. ‘We will be lucky to get the two fair days in succession we need to ship the horses across. Besides, we can move troops easily by land, since all the major cities of Britain are connected with fine roads. We’ve been building them since the time of Julius Caesar.”
“But not in the far north where Crocus tells me the stronghold of the Piet leader, Bonar, is located,” Constantine said.
Eumenius stepped into the breach again. “You might be able to use the coastal fleet that guards Britain and the channel from pirates for some sort of waterborne invasion such as Tribune Constantine seems to have in mind. Remember the patrol galleys you ordered built, Augustus? The soldiers call them Piets because their sides are painted green like the sea and the crews wear green clothing. They are excellent for slipping along the coast undetected at night.”
“By the thunderbolts of Jove!” Constantius exclaimed. “I’d forgotten about them.”
“Could these boats carry troops?” Constantine asked.
Crews are familiar
“Not very many,” Eumenius admitted. “But the crews are familiar with the coast, so they could guide a fleet of larger vessels in landing troops north of the Antonine Wall, near where Bonar’s villa is located. We know it’s the most important rallying place for the Piets in that area and, if it could be destroyed in a surprise attack, they would be dealt a body blow.”
“It’s a daring scheme,” Constantius agreed. “And with winter coming on, we need to make the campaign as short as possible. We’ll put the whole thing in your hands, Flavius.”
“I’ll do my best, sir.”
“You’ll be commanding a varied force, including a naval fleet, so it will not be enough that you are merely the commander of a legion. To demand the allegiance of all elements of the army, you need to be named my deputy.”
“I, for one, am ready to acclaim him Caesar,” Cornelius Celia said.
“And I,” Crocus agreed.
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