A lone figure stands silhouetted atop the Mausoleum of
Hadrian. Behind him, the sun is setting
over the centre of the known world. Far below, the river is in full flood. The
City of Rome lies spread out before him on the far bank. Footsteps pound up the stairs. He's been set
up. An enemy is closing in; he is cornered.
He jumps.
Bruised and battered, he crawls out of the raging
river. He is alone and unarmed, without
money or friends, trapped in a deadly conspiracy at the heart of the Empire.
The City Watch has orders to take him alive; other, more sinister, forces want
him dead. As the day dies, he realises
he has only 24 hours to expose the conspirators, and save the leader of the
world. If the Emperor dies, chaos and violence will ensue. If the Emperor dies, every single person he
loves will die.
He must
run, bluff, hide and fight his way across the Seven Hills.
He must
reach the Colosseum, and the Emperor.
He must
make it to The Last Hour.
I am delighted to be able to share with you an extract from the book today, I hope it whets your appetite. Do feel free to let me know what you think...
Another
scream echoed up the long passageway, then ended abruptly.
Every
breath hurt. Sweat was running off Ballista. Would the stairs ever end? It was
like some infernal punishment in myth.
A final
corner, and there was the door. All the gods let it be unlocked.
The
door opened outwards. Ballista closed it behind him, and leant against it as he
fought to regain his breath. Forty-three winters on Middle Earth; too long for
this exertion.
The
roof garden was gently domed, like a low hill. It rose to where a plinth
supported a more than life-sized statue of the Emperor Hadrian in a triumphal
chariot drawn by four horses. The terrible storms of the last several days had
passed, but the air smelt of rain. The stones underfoot were still wet.
The sun
was dipping towards the horizon. It cast long shadows from the cypress trees,
dappled where they were festooned with vines or ivy. Less than an hour until
darkness.
Ballista
circled the base of the statuary. No door, no trapdoor. Nothing. There had to
be another way down. A passageway for gardeners, plants, servants. He looked
around wildly.
Under
the cypresses the garden was thickly planted with fruit trees and flower beds.
Paths radiated out. There were hedges, potted plants, heavy garden furniture,
small fountains, more statues. The service access would be carefully hidden.
The elite did not want to see slaves when they were enjoying the views. There
was no time to search.
Ballista
thought of the light wells. No, even if he could find one of them, it would be
too narrow, offer no handholds. Another thought came to him. He took the path
down to the east.
There
was a thin wooden rail above a delicate and ornamental screen along the edge of
the garden, with yet more statues at intervals. Ballista did not look at the
city spread out beyond the river, barely glanced at the swollen waters of the
Tiber at the foot of the monument. He gripped the sculpted marble leg of
Antinous, the doomed boy, loved by Hadrian. A Roman might have been troubled by
the association. As heir to the different world viewf the north, such omens did
not bother Ballista. He had a head for heights, and leaned out as far as he
dared over the rail.
The
cladding of the Mausoleum was white marble. The blocks were so artfully fitted
together that there was barely a discernible line where they joined. No hope of
a finger hold. Seventy foot or more of smooth, sheer wall down to the base,
after that ledge perhaps another forty foot down to the narrow embankment and the
river. No way to climb down.
About the Author:
HARRY
SIDEBOTTOM took his Doctorate in Ancient History at
Oxford and has taught at various universities including Oxford, where he
lectures in Ancient History.
His first book Ancient Warfare: A Very Short Introduction was published in 2004 to
critical acclaim and he has published numerous chapters in books, and articles
and reviews in scholarly journals. His
foray into fiction began with Fire in the
East, the first of his six-novel 'Warrior of Rome' series, which has sold
over half a million copies worldwide. His next series, Throne of the Caesars, was equally acclaimed. The Last Hour, his tenth novel,
introduces us once again to Marcus Clodius Ballista, hero of the 'Warrior of
Rome' books.
Find out more at http://www.harrysidebottom.co.uk/
#THELASTHOUR
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