among them. But Caesar had
spoken, and there was no gainsaying his orders. In the camp, after
service, they might talk the matter over; for the present it were wise to
guard their tongues.

The centurion had just said farewell to the last of his cohort, when the
prefect, with the legate Quintus Flavius Nobilior, who commanded the
legion, and several other higher officers, appeared among them. Macrinus
greeted them briefly, and, instead of having the tuba blown as usual and
letting them fall into their ranks, he told them to gather close round
him, the centurions in front. He then disclosed to them the emperor's
secret orders. Caesar, he began, had long exercised patience and mercy,
but the insolence and malice of the Alexandrians knew no bounds;
therefore, in virtue of his power over life and death, he had pronounced
judgment upon them. To them as being nearest to his person he handed over
the most remunerative part of the work of punishment. Whomsoever they
found on the Kanopic way, the greatest and richest thoroughfare of the
city, they were to cut down as they would the rebellious inhabitants of a
conquered town. Only the women and children and the slaves were to be
spared. If for this task, a hideous one at best, they chose to pay
themselves out of the treasures of the citizens, nobody would blame them.

A loud cheer followed these orders, and many an eye gleamed brighter.
Even the coolest among them seemed to see a broad, deep pool of blood
into which he need only dip his hand and bring out something worth the
catching. And the fish that were to be had there were not miserable carp,
but heavy gold and silver vessels, and coins and magnificent ornaments.
Macrinus then proceeded to inform the higher and lower officers of the
course of action he had agreed upon with the emperor and Zminis. Seven
trumpet-blasts from the terrace of the Serapeum would give the signal for
the attack to begin. Then they were to advance, maniple on maniple; but
they were not required to keep their ranks--each man had his own work to
do. The legion was to assemble again at sunset at the Gate of the Sun, at
the eastern end of the road, after having swept it from end to end.

By order of the emperor, each man, however, must be particularly careful
whom he cut down in any hiding-place, for Caesar wished to give the
following Alexandrians--who had sinned most flagrantly against him--the
benefit of a trial, and they must therefore be taken aliv