Time Enough To Die Read Online Free Page B

fort.
    "This area, Cheshire and points south and east, was the home of the Cornovii tribe. Their capital was at Viroconium, modern Wroxeter. Corn means horn in Latin—hence ‘unicorn.’ Probably the tribe owed allegiance to the stag god Cernunnos, although the Celts also had bull gods. Miller found a subterranean chamber he thought might be a Roman Mithraeum. The sun-god Mithras was originally from Persia. His influence spread because he was adopted by the legionaries. They liked the bit about slaying the bull, I daresay. Shocking what people will believe. True believers can be easily manipulated, can't they?"
    Since that was a rhetorical question, no one answered. The group clambered up the crest of the eastern embankment. Several black and white cows regarded them incuriously. A chilly breeze rippled the grass, and the Thane glinted beyond its curtain of trees. A subtle scent of diesel and cooking grease was all that remained of modern Corcester.
    Sweeney waved at a cluster of buildings and fences at the far end of the pasture, where a brown horse and rider paced sedately back and forth. “The land the fort is on belongs to the farm there. A horse farm, appropriately enough. Fortuna Stud. A lovely continuation of tradition, wouldn't you say? And when you consider that the Romans stationed here included a troop of Syrian cavalry, well then!” He spread his hands like a stage magician who'd just produced two doves and a rabbit. Ashley nodded appreciatively.
    "Cornovium was an auxiliary fort. The primary fortress in this area was Deva, which is now the tourist haven of Chester. It was originally headquarters of the Legio II Adiutrix of which this was a cohort. Later Legio II Valeria Victrix moved north from Viroconium to Chester, and, we assume, here."
    Two casually-dressed people came climbing up the northern bank behind Sweeney's back. The woman stooped, burrowed into a pothole at the base of a wall, and produced something that she showed to her male companion. He shrugged. She put the object in her pocket.
    "Cornovium was established in 70 Anno Domini,” Sweeney went on, “only ten years after Boudicca's rebellion, and was a going concern by 80. Whether Boudicca was a traitor or a freedom fighter rather depends on your perception of the situation. Suffice it to say, our Romans here kept quite the weather eye upon the local Celts. In 83 Agricola led Legio II Adiutrix north. He duly conquered the Brigantes and then carried on into Scotland. At what point Cornovium ceased being a Roman fortress and commenced being a Romano-British town we're not sure. Perhaps about 300 or so. That's one of the questions we're after answering here.” Sweeney paced toward the center of the camp.
    The students moved in a gaggle behind him, Ashley at point, Jason and Caterina self-absorbed at the rear. Manfred, one of the Germans, turned a cold blue gaze on the slackers. Two American girls, Jennifer and Courtney, nudged each other and giggled. “Throw a bucket of water on them,” muttered Bryan, his all-American freckles flaring indignantly. Ashley shot him a grateful glance.
    "The headquarters building would have been about here,” said Sweeney, “at the intersections of the via principalis and the via praetoria, with the commander's house just opposite. The early houses were only wood and wattle and daub, mind you, but were quite substantial even so, with all mod cons. The first commander of the garrison might even have brought his wife out from Rome. What she thought of being summoned to a howling wilderness such as Britain, is, perhaps fortunately, unrecorded!” He laughed.
    Ashley smiled. The imaginary Roman woman and her “mod cons"—modern conveniences—would've found Britain a green paradise. Of course, the neighbors had been rowdy types given to head-hunting.
    "Right. Here's our datum point, this masonry corner. We'll plot a grid and dig test areas there, there and there—hope you've swotted a bit on your maths, this must