Gadriella of the Imperial Wood
“You get a day off tomorrow. I’m closing the stall!”My brother’s announcement caused me a mixed reaction. A day without any pay, bad, but a day off, good.
“Why?”
“’Why?’, he asks!” He rolled his eyes. Everything I said, he ridiculed. “Because they are crucifying Gadriella tomorrow. Nobody will be out buying pots when they could be in the arena watching her!”
“Oh,” I said. “Right.”
I’d heard about her, of course. The city was buzzing. I just hadn’t realised that they’d set a date. The legions in Germania had encountered some stiff resistance. A lot of good men dead. When they finally captured the enemy leader they’d been astounded to find that it was a mere girl, barely 25 years old, called Gadriella. She would have made a good slave, perhaps, but she might yet attract further resistance from her people, so she was too dangerous to keep alive. Therefore she was going to be given a grand view from a cross as the rest of those captured alongside her were despatched in various unpleasant ways in front of her for the amusement of us, the paying public.
That settled another question. Bugger the alehouse, my place tomorrow would be in the arena.
I was used to rising early so I got up at the same time as if I was going to work on my brother’s stall. When I got to the theatre there was practically no-one else waiting, least of all my lazy bastard of a brother. He’d inherited the stall from my father, who’d died last year, but the deal seemed to be that I did all the work and he took all the profits while I just got the same wage as any other labourer. I sighed, as I watched the sun rise. What had I got to look forward to? Years of graft selling pots and dishes to people? Or years of effort and danger as a legionary? I decided that being a legionary might offer more opportunity.
“Come on in!” A voice broke through my thoughts. I stepped forward, handed over some hard-earned coins, and got myself a place right at the front, by the ringside. A few of the theatre minions were bustling about making final preparations, but a large, ominous looking cross had been set up in the middle of the arena.
Gradually the theatre filled with spectators, and some sannios came on to keep us entertained until the main show got under way. These clowns acted out a grotesque parody of what was to come, one standing in front of the cross with his arms outstetched lamenting his folly while the others variously worshipped him or threw rotten vegetables at him, and some did cartwheels or other gymnastics for no good reason at all that I could fathom.
Eventually a centurion came in and chased them off, waving his sword at them, and we all clapped and cheered, glad to see the back of these idiots.
Then he turned and addressed us, and we fell silent. He bowed to the governor and his family in the main box seat, he would be doing the ritual thumbs up or thumbs down at appropriate points in the proceedings.
“Your Honour, Ladies and Gentlemen! Today we will bear witness to the crass folly of standing in the way of the Might of Imperial Rome! Behold! Gadriella of Germania, soon to be promoted to become Gadriella of the Imperial Wood!”
They brought her in, and I have to say that I and a good many others caught our breath. They’d dressed her in a pure white smock with a royal blue cape, and given her some kind of a glass rod to carry. A lucky legionary stood with her. Maybe being a legionary had its compensations, I reflected. I wouldn’t be getting to do that if I stayed working with my brother.
To be continued tomorrow
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That's what the legion wants!
