"Thanks to the spirits for preserving us once again." "I give this sword from the living... to the dead... and those to come." "Don't be frightened." "I won't harm you." "Come." "Come." "Come closer." "You know me." "What?" "You think I was dead?" "Great warriors never die." "Come." "Come with me." "I'll show you what it was like to be alive." "I'll show you the way we were in the great days," "How I became what I am..." "Britain's warrior queen," "I was married to the great warrior king Prasutagus," "We had two fine daughters..." "Isolda, beautiful, gentle as a deer... and Siora, fierce, a little wildcat," "Dervalloc!" "Dervalloc!" "We had just defeated all our enemies," "Prasutagus!" "And I was happy that the gods had preserved... the land that had nourished our ancestors... and that we would hand on to our children," "And I was full of pride and love for my people... my daughters... and my warrior husband and king," "Then the Romans came to our land." "Halt!" "Look at that." "They're like mad dogs." "Well, they're Celts, aren't they, sir?" "When they can't find anyone else to fight, they fight each other." "We'll tame 'em soon enough... like we tamed 'em in Gaul." "You have to admire them, though, in a way." "As animals, I mean." "You'll be looking forward to going home, I dare say." "Oh, not me, sir." "I'm gonna settle here." "They give you a farm, local slaves to work it for you." "The expat life." "It's the future." "Form up." "It's just bloody kids again." "We want to build a true partnership here." "We'll work together to subdue all the surrounding tribes... thus extending Prasutagus' kingdom... and allowing it to flourish without the threat of bloody conflict." "Well, I say we kill these Romans now." "Send them back to their Emperor in pieces." "Hold still." "Hold your tongues." "Dervalloc, these are our guests... and I will not suffer them to be threatened and insulted." "Our people are poets." "When Dervalloc speaks of killing... he means using reason to defeat your arguments." "When he speaks of sending you home in pieces... he means something quite harmless I'm sure." "Yes, but there have been outbreaks of violence... outrageous incidents of cowardly terrorism against Roman citizens." "You forget that no treaty exists at present." "What you call terrorism, we call defending our home." "Connach." "Siora." "My younger daughter." "Come." "Where did you get that?" "We, found it in the forest." "You should tell your soldiers to look after their property better." "If you think the Emperor will tolerate any more..." "All right, Catus." "All right, Catus!" "Incidents..." "Thank you." "I think you're absolutely right, my dear." "Do you think we might have a brief word in private?" "Don't say one word." "I think it's best to be absolutely straight about this, sir." "At the moment we're not talking to anybody else." "We really want to make this deal with you." "But make no mistake if we can't... we'll have to make it with one of the other tribes." "Now I'd personally regret that very much." "But not as much as you would, if you follow me." "Between you and me, if you don't play ball on this... we'll team up with your enemies and wipe you off the face of the earth." "Easier said than done, Roman." "Oh, I'm sure." "And a terrible waste of effort and money... and materials, not to say lives." "But I'm sure it won't come to that." "Well, I think that's it." "Thank you very much." "And thanks to your lovely wife for her excellent hospitality." "What do you think?" "Should I have let Dervalloc ride them down and kill them?" "No." "They were our guests." "You gave them your word." "And perhaps peace is the best way... if they offer us their protection." "Who do we need protection from but them?" "They offer us protection from themselves, that's what they do." "I don't want them on our land like Magior does or Dervalloc." "Then send to them tomorrow." "Tell them this is our land and we'll fight for every last inch." "They know how we can fight." "It won't be worth it to them to take us on, they'll go elsewhere." "They will join the Brigantes and the Brannovici instead." "Well then let them." "We've beaten the Brigantes before, and the Brannovici." "But not both at the same time." "Not with the Romans on their side." "Then all the more glory to us when we defeat them now." "Or if we die, we die a glorious death." "How many times have I heard you say that before going into battle?" "Death isn't glorious." "I've seen too much of it to believe that any more." "I've had enough." "Every night, every time I close my eyes I see them." "Men I've loved, crucified, disembowelled..." "Vico, Taruco, Dessillus, Connach." "Children spitted on stakes." "Boudica, I can hear them screaming." "Yes." "But we avenged them." "I'm sick of killing, Boudica." "I won't..." "I can't go into battle any more." "Come." "Come to bed." "Come." "You're the greatest of all the warrior kings." "You are the bravest." "Whatever you decide to do will be the right thing." "We'll make this treaty work, I promise you." "Magior." "What do you want?" "What do you want?" "And how much do you want it?" "Say what you mean." "You know what I mean." "The King has lost his will to fight... otherwise he would never have made this treaty with the Romans." "Everything we are rebels against it." "Our land cries out for blood, Dervalloc." "Blood of sacrifice, blood of battle." "Why say this to me?" "Prasutagus is King of the Iceni, not me." "How did he get his crown?" "He took it." "Like every Iceni king, he took it... by challenge, in a fair fight." "And now, a new champion is needed, Dervalloc." "He saved my life." "Not once but scores of times." "I will never raise my sword against him." "Think what you would gain." "Think who you would gain." "I've seen your eyes upon her." "And the gods see everything." "You can have Boudica, Dervalloc." "You can have her." "It is foretold." "Who's there?" "Show yourself." "What are you doing here?" "We are warriors." "We should be fighting the Romans... not letting them walk all over us, farm us like cattle." "And you don't believe in this treaty any more than I do." "Don't you tell me what I believe." "You think that swinging your sword is enough to being a warrior king?" "There's an art of peace as well as an art of war." "And my husband is skilled in both." "There'll be no peace with these Romans." "How dare you question his judgement?" "And mine?" "Your duty is to help us make this treaty work." "How?" "By licking Roman arses?" "I am a warrior... and you have no need for warriors any more." "My Lord..." "I ask your blessing to leave this place." " Leave?" " Where would you go?" "I've heard there's good fighting across the water in Gaul." "You know nothing of the world but what you learnt here." "Then it's time I learnt more." "Then go." "We shall be sorry to lose you, Dervalloc." "If this thing with the Romans goes wrong... there'll be no need to call for me, I'll be here." "Prepare to welcome..." "Tiberius Claudius Germanicus..." "Emperor of Rome." "Yes, yes, get on with it." "It's just I get so terribly stiff." "It's all right, Catus, it's all right." "It's all right." "That's their Emperor?" "He looks like a field mouse." "I suppose it's better than walking." "You should probably kneel." "Yes, I think he'd appreciate it." "The Emperor's divine, you see." "Prasutagus and Boudica." "Technically he's a god." "We have our own gods." "We kneel to no man." "Of course, why should you?" "Come, come, come, let me, let me take your hand." "It's such an honour to meet you." "And your queen." "It's very, very good of you... to receive us." "I particularly wanted to be here in person to meet you." "I'd heard so much about your prowess." "And your wisdom and generalship and so on." "It's a shame to be at war all the time, though, isn't it?" "Well, no, no, no, no, that's perhaps to insult... a whole culture based on the warrior ideal." "By the way is it always so, so chilly here?" "No, no, no, no, don't touch the Emperor's body." "Don't, don't be so ridiculous, Catus." "Thank you, my dears." "A gift from our people." "Yes, thank you." "It's very nice indeed." "Interesting fragrance." "Wolf." "Brings strength to the wearer." "Strength to the wearer." "Well, that would be wonderful... if only it were..." "Do you think we might go inside now?" "Of course, if you wish it." "Thank you, my dear." "I think that what we need to do is listen to each other, don't you?" "Find out what we really feel... how we can help each other." "You don't trust us yet, I know that." "But I think you will, in the long run." "Severus and young Catus can work out all the details... about grain storage." "I'm a broad strokes sort of a man, and I imagine you are too." "Fight!" "Where do you stand on intermarriage, by the way?" "I think there's a lot to be said for it." "Strengthens the stock as well as promoting friendship." "And you know, you have some very fine women here." "Please don't take offence, my dear." "I mean it as a compliment." "I really do want us to be friends." "You shouldn't be here." "If my mother knew..." "Don't be frightened." "Our people should be friends." "Our Emperor commands it." "Then perhaps we should." "Is it true your gods live here?" "ln the mists at the water's edge?" "Yes, it's true." "They are watching us now." "Do they want us to be friends?" "I don't know." "I think they see we mean no harm." "Isolda." "Relax, Catus." "Your opinion won't be required here today." "In fact, none of the senators knows who you are." "One day they will, my Lady." "Oh, I'm sure they will, Catus." "Yes, I'm sure they will." "Nero, at last." "Your uncle has been expecting you this last hour." "What have you been doing?" "Don't say it, I don't want to know." "Give your mother a kiss." "God, look at him." "No, no, I can..." "What does he think he looks like?" "Hello, uncle." "Ah, Nero, my boy." "Oh God, you stink." "Some people would say that." "So, how was Britain?" "Did you bring back any good slaves for the circus?" "Oh, no." "Early days for that." "Didn't really like to go into the more unpleasant details." "They're charming people, but awfully touchy." "For God's sake, they're a conquered race, aren't they?" "We could do what we like with them." "With respect, sir, that's the whole point." "The pact states we don't have to bother conquering them." "And between ourselves, that might prove difficult." "Difficult?" "Let me go over there, uncle." "I'd show them what's what." "I don't think you're quite ready to govern a province yet, Nero." "And besides you're far too precious to us, my dear." "We need you by our side." "Catus Decianus." "You are young, but you have learnt much from Severus." "We are minded to make you Procurator of Taxes in Britain." "If you can emulate Severus' firmness and... tact and charm... you will do very well." "My Lord." "This is so unfair!" "Nero." "Nero, come..." "Now he's upset." "He's always upset about something." "Well it's his age." "I'll go to him." "Every time." ""You're not ready yet, my dear Nero."" "Spastic old buffoon." "I mean, how much longer do I have to wait?" "I know, darling." "You're right, it's most unfair, he's being quite impossible." "Now come and lie down." "Don't upset yourself." "Come on, have a little rest." "I can't because I'm too angry to rest." "Oh, you're magnificent in your wrath, Nero." "Come on, you know it settles you." "Oh, there." "He's a... he's a bloody fool." "He's going to lose the Empire." "He ought to." "Should crucify a few of them, set an example." "Yes." "Yes, you're right, darling." "You know I'd like to crucify him." "That might be a little..." "Oh, Nero." "You're beside yourself today." "When do I get to be Emperor?" "When do I get to be Emperor?" "Don't worry, darling." "Mummy's thinking." "Talorcan brings silverwork and grain." "Good." "Next." "You'll find that your corn will last longer in our grain stores... and then you can draw on it as necessary." "It's the economy of scale, you see, that's the beauty of it." "You ask too much and you take too much." "Boru presents the Emperor with cured furs." "No, my Lord, you know as well as I do our management charges... are very conservative when you take the benefits into consideration." "Durio brings grain." "Hmm, it's not enough." "Brin presents silverwork." "What?" "You know what, my Lady, this shames us and our people." "It outrages our gods." "This is your King's decision, don't disrespect it." "I have a deeper allegiance, so do you." "Remember it." "So far so good." "Now, where are the volunteers?" "What volunteers?" "I thought all this had been clear." "The guest workers... for our various enterprises and for Rome itself." "We never agreed to this." "We send no slaves." "You can go back to your Emperor and tell him that." "I think your wife has got hold of the wrong idea." "Women don't always grasp these things so easily." "Nobody mentioned slaves, my Lady." "The volunteer scheme is a tremendous opportunity... for your young men, and women, to experience travel, study and life... at the very heart of our great Empire." "Opportunities to dig your ditches, I have heard... service your brothels and die in your circuses." "Really, that's a gross exaggeration." "And who makes decisions here?" "Prasutagus or his queen?" "We send no slaves." "No slaves." "No slaves." "I don't think you understand." "This is non-negotiable." "We must have those 'volunteers'." "We'll let it go this time... but next quarter you'll offer them up or we'll choose them for you." "Remember, this time we steal." "But if you have to fight, then kill them." "Now go to your places." "Come back." "Useless!" "What do you know of this?" "This was Connach's doing, wasn't it?" "I order you to send him to me." " He wouldn't come." "He says he's the King of the Iceni now, not you." "Fight your own daughter, you're too scared to fight the Romans." "No!" "You never speak to your father like that again." "Bow your neck to him." "Do it!" "Go." "Now what?" "Find Connach and punish him." "Make reparations to the Romans for the offences." "How long is this to go on?" "Even our children see it." "These Romans will take and take and take... until they've swallowed us whole, like a snake with a rabbit." "Don't you see, woman..." "Get Magior, quickly." "Quickly!" "Who does this Prasutagus think he is?" "He won't send slaves, he harbours terrorists." "Catus should simply go in there and nail him to a cross... and see how he likes that." "And that ginger whore of a queen of his." "Prasutagus is doing his best in a very difficult situation." "No, he's making us look like fools, uncle." "No, no, no, no." "We can't expect..." "There will always be incidents." "It's in the very nature of the peace process." "Don't exhaust yourself, Claudius." "Here, sip this." "I made it with my own hands." "Oh, hmm." "Oh, this is very kind, Agrippina." "I'm not sure..." "Tastes a bit strange." "You know, I'm not feeling quite a thing at all." "We were talking about Britain, uncle." "Oh, yes." "So we were." "Let me take an army over." "Brute force is the only language these savages understand." "You have to understand... these things take time." "And that's it?" "That's your considered response to acts of terrorism?" "Well how very aweinspiring." "Well..." "What?" "What are you all staring at?" "Nero..." "I think he's gone." "Quickly, quickly." "Magior's here, my love." "He can't hear you." "Will this bring him back?" "It has the power to restore our leader." "Let me near him." "Now, my Lord." "Oh my love." "My love." "Now he sees his father." "And his father's father." "And all his ancestors." "Now he goes to join them... at their long feast." "You did this." "It was the gods." "Power had to pass to the one who can use it best." "He was a great man, be proud of him." "Nero!" "Nero!" "Nero!" "God, mother, they love me." "The love of the people, one simply can't get too much of it." "And you know what?" "I think it's almost better than a mother's love." "Prasutagus is dead, Majesty." "Dead?" "The cannibal king." "Excellent." "That should simplify a few things." "I can't imagine Catus having trouble dealing with a woman." "As I recall it, she was rather more astute than her husband." "Oh, for God's sake, Severus." "We're talking about a woman." "Soft, squidgy, half a brain." "Yes, all right, mother, present company accepted." "Boudica and the priest could be quite tricky to handle, Majesty." "Yes." "Priests, Druids... that so called religion of nature." "It's warped, deranged, crazy." "And I'll tell you something, they're worse than the bloody Christians." "We should go in there and take them out, every last one of them." "And then the ordinary decent Celts, there must be some... would realise where their own best interests lie... contributing to the wealth of the Empire." "Sharing in our prosperity." "We should make them build a temple... where they can worship their Emperor." "A brilliant idea, Your Imperial Majesty." "Nero, darling, you're not a god." "Well, not yet anyway." "Why don't you get them to build a temple for your Uncle Claudius?" "Uncle Claudius?" "I am sick of being told what a great politician he was." "He was weak!" "It's down to him we have all these problems now!" "Perhaps, Majesty, this temple, a stroke of genius... could be temporarily assigned to the Emperor God Claudius... and then, when your godhead 'comes through', as it were... the temple could be rededicated to the God Nero." "The great God Nero." "The greatest of all god emperors." "As you so justly put it, Majesty." "All right, then." "But let's leave them in no doubt that things are going to change." "This Empire is under new management now." "No!" "Get off me!" "I promise you, your daughters will be returned to you safe... and Catus will make reparations for this outrage." "I will go to the Roman camp myself." "I will take my own daughters, and we will have justice." "We welcome Boudica of the Iceni, and her daughters." "We understand that you have something to say to us." "Be brief." "You know why we've come here." "We demand the return of the girls who were taken two days ago." "The taking of slaves was never part of our agreement... and yet your men come into our village and snatch them." "What kind of a leader are you to allow such an outrage?" "I want to see the men who did this punished... and I want to see those girls here now... untouched, unharmed." "By what authority do you speak here, woman?" "As Queen of the Iceni, heir to Prasutagus... ..as leader of my people." " Have you read his will?" "No, I thought not." "Let her see it." " What's this?" "I forgot." "You can't read, can you?" " Well, let me summarise it for you." "Let me see it, mother." ""I, Prasutagus, being of sound mind", et cetera, et cetera..." ""give half of my kingdom to my wife and daughters... and half in keeping with the Emperor of Rome"." "Are you keeping up there?" "Or perhaps you'd like your sweetheart to help you?" "Can you read this?" "It says what he says." "I don't believe you." "My husband would never have signed that.." "I am Queen now and I say what happens in my land." "I don't think so." " Not any more." "Then the treaty's over." "You will leave our land and you will go home where you belong." "Yes, before we cut off your head and hang it from a..." "I think you'll find you're in no position to make threats." "I anticipated this disappointing conclusion to our talk." "Take them outside." "No, you listen to me!" "Mother!" "You will pay for this!" "And gag her." "Siora!" "Leave her alone!" "Mother." "It really is important that I have your full attention." "The Emperor has been patient... but his patience has finished with open acts of terrorism... which you have done nothing to control." "You have abused the privileges of a client kingdom... and now you will see what it is to be a subject people." "Obey the laws of Rome... and you will leave peacefully and reap the benefits." "Defy us and you will reap the whirlwind." "You have to understand this." "You are worth nothing... and we can do what we like with you." "To make sure that's perfectly clear..." "I've decided upon some exemplary disciplinary measures." "The mother to be flogged, and the daughters to be raped." "Be patient, Didius." "Wait your turn." "Well, are they tied?" "Begin." "No, please." "Mum!" "Get up." "Get up." "My brave girl." "My brave girl." "You can." "You can get up." "Yes, you can." "You can show them." "You can show me." "Yes, you can." "You can show me." "Come." "My brave girl." "My brave daughter." "Nothing they can do to us can hurt us." "Nothing." "Now, you're going to stand." "No tears." "No tears!" "You're my warrior girls." "No tears." "No shame." "Now we're gonna walk home." "Ah, Boudica... take this message back to your people." "Nobody defies Rome with impunity." "The treaty is over." "They say we are a subject people now." "We are worth nothing." "They can do what they like with us." "They killed my warriors." "They raped my daughters, Magior." "And sealed their own fate in doing so." "Yes." "Yes!" "I rip the seeds of the invaders from the belly of your daughter." "I rip the seeds of the invader from the belly of your daughter." "Behold Boudica, Queen of Britain." "Welcome to the Chiefs of the Brannovici, Segusiani." " What do you want with us?" " We want to help you, Boudica." "Come under our protection... the Romans will not harm you again." "We fight our own battles here, Arcon." "But if you want to help us, you can submit to my leadership." "Fight under a woman?" "I don't think so." "Then see what we do to the Romans, and think again." "Now you leave my village." "As you wish." "No hard feelings." "You may change your mind later." "Our offer stays open, Boudica." "And so does mine!" "Vultures." "I'll pick their bones before they pick mine." "You'll lead them in battle before this year is out." "Good." "Good." "Siora." "Isolda!" "What do you think?" "That horse is far too good for him and wants confiscating." "Do you reckon he might accidentally die while resisting arrest?" "Yeah, often the way." "We'll draw lots for the horse after we've finished him." "Who goes there?" "Stop where you are and get down." "Do you not understand?" "Are you deaf or what?" "This is our land, not yours." "This track here." "This is the place where we will join you." "I thought you might have some work for me." "I have." "I brought you some spare horses." "Can't have too many horses, I always say." "Thank you." "Hey, Dervalloc, it's all right to kill Romans again." "Well, that's a relief." "I made a start on the way over here." "Come one." "Only the best and the swiftest for this." "They'll be dead before they know we're there." "But Catus Decianus shall know." "I want him to be looking into my eyes when we kill him." "I'm sure that can be arranged." "Good." "Prasutagus was a great king." "The greatest fighter I ever saw." "Yes... and I loved him all the days of his life." "I think it's time we reduced the garrison..." "Get the men back to work on the temple." "They've been idle for a week now." "It's all over, nothing will happen." "Best to be sure." " What?" " Best to be sure." "You're seriously believe she'll come back for more?" "I don't know." "She's made herself a laughing stock amongst her own people." "Read my lips... they're not coming." "Did you hear something?" "No, not a thing." "This bloody awful country, it gets to your nerves." "Summer, winter, you're chilled to the..." "Let me warm it up for you." "Catus." "They're here... the Iceni." "Arm yourself!" "The Romans won't bear a disgrace like this." "Even so far away." "They'll come after us with their strongest and their best." "It'll take time but they'll come." "And we'll defeat them like we did last night." "They'd be too strong for us." "This is our home." "Everything we are is here." "We should talk with the other tribes." "Boudica, we have a greater enemy now." "So the great Queen Boudica refuses our help... now asks for it after bringing down the wrath of the Empire." "Why should we help?" "It's not our quarrel." "We have wasted many years fighting amongst ourselves." "We have a real enemy now... sucking our lifeblood, starving our people... taking our best young men and women into slavery." "Talk is cheap." "How will you fight them when they come after us?" "Why wait?" "Why wait for them to come here?" "Catus is fled to Camulodunum." "We can take him there." "Camulodunum is not a camp." "It's a big city with streets, with houses..." "And a temple to the false god Claudius... built with the blood of slave labour... on our sacred soil." "We will take Camulodunum." "Kill all the Romans, free the slaves." "And then we'll move on to London." "Rich pickings there." "Are you with us?" "The Brannovici will join you." "And the Segusiani." "Every time I close my eyes I see that man Catus... watching his soldiers do to me what he longed to do himself." "When we catch him..." "I want you to set me on fire... and then let him embrace me and burn to death so." "Oh, my love." "You're not meant to die." "You're going to live and be happy." "All this pain and sorrow will pass." "Kill Romans and stay alive yourself." "Show them they can't hurt you." "But I am hurt, Siora." "Magior?" "You'll have a long life, Isolda... and have children of your own... and have great joy of them." "All this is foretold." "And what about me?" "Will I have children, too... and a long life?" "That knowledge is hidden." "Come here." "Magior doesn't know everything." "None of us does." "The best we can do is live every moment of our lives to the full." "Yes?" "Yes." "Now... you go, find Connach." "And you get ready to fight." "Romans, you are damned." "You have wakened the terrible anger of our gods and ancestors." "And they will show you no mercy." "We will crush your bones into the land you have desecrated." "We will slit your veins and watch the blood burst from you... and shower down upon our soil." "We will swallow you up... and our strong, green shoots'll spring where you once stood." "See your gods tremble and fall before the wrath of Boudica!" "Ridiculous." "Hold firm!" "Hold firm." "Hold firm, hold firm." "These cursed children, again." "Please." "Please." "Please!" "All of them?" "All of them." "My Lord..." "Suetonius is here." "At last." "Your Imperial Majesty..." "What the hell is going on in Britain?" "My understanding is that Boudica has taken Camulodunum... massacred virtually the whole of the expatriate community... and freed the slaves, most of whom have joined her army." "She's managed to unite the warring tribes under her leadership... so divide and rule is off the agenda for the foreseeable future." "She must be quite a woman." "I see." "And where were you when all this was happening?" "In Anglesey, at your express orders... if you remember, to put down the Druids and their followers there." "And you managed to do that, did you?" "Yes." "Not without difficulty, Majesty." "Not without difficulty?" "A gang of mad British priests?" "The madness is the problem." "They don't know when they're beaten." "It was as if we had to kill each one of them twice." "But it's done now." "So, what now?" "Any suggestions?" "Withdraw from Britai altogether, Majesty." "Leave it to Boudica." "After all, what is it?" "A small island cold damp." "The people have always been incurably warlike." "And now, under Boudica, they're ten times worse." "Well, leave her to it." "We can do five times as well in Africa... with a very similar outlay of manpower." "That's my considered opinion." "That's your considered opinion?" "Would you like to know what I think of... your considered opinion?" "I think it's a piece of shit." "That's the kind of drivel you get when you ask a soldier to think!" "Has it not occurred to you that if we leave Britain to the Britons... we'll show to the rest of the world that Rome can't hack it any more?" "Pretty soon every hairyarsed bandit from the northern territories... is gonna fancy his chances." "before we know where we are, I'm just another..." "I'm just..." "Listen to me, I want you to go over there to put down this rebellion." "Bring that red headed bitch back with you... so she can be paraded through the streets of Rome, dead or alive." "Have I made myself clear?" "Admirably clear, Majesty." "Good." "Can you do it?" "We'll probably have to surrender London to her, though." "Excellent." "That'll frighten her." "It will make her over-confident." "In any case, there's no alternative." "We can't match her in street fighting or guerilla warfare." "I need to engage her in a classic infantry battle... on an open plain." "I'll have to use your best legions and I expect many casualties." "In my view, an unacceptable level of casualties." "The Roman Army may never be the same again." "And we're already dangerously overstretched." "But if you think it's worth it, I can promise you a victory." "Thank you." "Cos that's all I wanted to hear." "Now go over there and cut the bitch to ribbons." "All men die, Isolda." "All women, too." "Our lives are over in a moment." "Like a bird that flies out of the darkness into a bright hall... full of light and noise and merriment." "And then out again into the darkness of eternity." "But in that moment we can do great things." "We can make ourselves remembered forever." "And by all the gods, we will!" "He's gone!" "Suetonius has gone." "He's left London." "It's ours." "It's all ours for the taking." " Where's he gone?" " North." "He wouldn't give us a city for nothing." "If he's going north, he'll be meeting with other legions... building up his army." "We have to follow him now... catch him before he's ready to fight." "Steady, Boudica." "As your girl says, London is there for the taking." "A rich city:. food, women, gold." "My men have come a long way for this." "I say we take London now." "You came into this under my leadership, Arcon." "Accept my judgment." "Honestly I'm getting a little tired of your judgments and leadership." "The Brannovici are for taking London... and you Iceni can stay with us or go on as you like." "You ignorant fool." "Do you understand nothing?" "Get your hands off me!" "You know I'm right!" "Every day we lose makes Suetonius stronger." " Why don't you tell them?" "They won't move." "Those that have just joined us need their taste of victory, too." "And we need to eat." "Boudica, if you go against them now, you'll lose them." "We take London, burn it to the ground." "Then we take Suetonius and we burn him the same way." "Boudica." "Boudica." "This is what happens... when boys stop listening to their mothers." "The whole Empire is in tatters." "She's made a laughing stock of you." "First she takes Camulodunum, then London." "Now Verulamium." "Where is it all going to end?" "Even Suetonius is on the run." "Go on, mother." "And you loll about in bed with your whore of a wife." "Nero, Ne..." "Any more, mother?" "No?" "Thank God for that." "Peace at last." "We'll take her here." "This is where the Roman Empire stands or falls." "What a primitive way of settling disputes." "All that slaughter." "Better to toss a coin then we could all go home." "Then you and I would be looking for employment, sir." "Do us good." "I'd like to learn to build a straight wall." "Look at them." "They're fighting this war to save their people... keep the right to their own land... to preserve their religion and the right to practice it." "And we're fighting it because we're here... and it's our job.." "Professional pride really." "Not enough, is it?" " I'll turn in now." "Goodnight, sir." "And a glorious victory for the Emperor tomorrow." "Quite." "They're in good heart, your warriors." "They've waited a long time for this the big battle." "What shall we do with ourselves when it's done?" "I should like to see what it's like to live in peace." "Not even fight with our neighbors?" "We'd grow fat and idle." "There might be worse things than that." "I look at my daughters..." "Siora, who thinks of nothing but killing." "And Isolda." "She's hurt in her heart and she holds me to blame." "I feel so bad when I look at her, Dervalloc." "Come." "You've done great things, Boudica." "Your daughters should be proud of you." "You live the life that's in you, all of it." "After tomorrow, when we beat them... will you stay?" "What, and live like a farmer?" "Growing cabbages... and chewing on a twig and talking about the glory days?" "And be my lover." "No more wars?" "Maybe." "It wouldn't be me." "I thought you'd say that." " What will you do then?" " Go back across the water." "Kill Romans until one of them kills me." "It's a good life, and it'll be a good death too." "Join me." "This might be our last night together." "Yes." "Just like every night." "Let's make it a good one." "My brave warriors!" "Today we face a mighty Roman Army." "They are strong." "But we are stronger." "Their weapons and their wealth will not protect them." "They are no match for our fierce hearts... our courage, our passion." "And they never will be." "You may die today, and I may die.." "But we will do so in good heart." "And if you find yourself on the tip of a Roman sword... you look into his eyes and laugh!" "For he can never kill you." "Shed one drop of blood on this land... and you live in the place you love forever." "Here, with your ancestors, reaching back into the past." "And with your children stretching far out into the future." "We are part of one another." "Always." "Eternally." "We cannot lose!" "We shall have our victory!" "You are the best soldiers in the world." "You have the best training... and the best armor, and the best weapons." "Defeat is simply impossibility.." "I guarantee it." "It will be hard work for us today... because they will fight to the death." "But it will be their deaths, not ours, in the end." "Courage and valor!" "Courage and valor." "Don't worry, mother." "I'm ready." "Remember what Magior said." "You'll live long." "You'll love again." "You'll bear many children." "You'll be a queen." "I am happy to be here." "Just watch me fight." "And die a warrior's death and meet my love again." "Death to the enemy!" "Now!" "And now." "And now." "And now." "Isolda!" "Boudica." "We've got to cut through and regroup!" "My horse." "Boudica... my name is Gaius Suetonius Paulinius... and I command the Roman Army." "You fought bravely, but you cannot win this battle." "I am willing to accept your surrender now... to avoid further loss of life." "Your lands will, of course be confiscated." "I would like to guarantee your safety and that of your warriors... but, regrettably, that depends on the whim, on the wishes... of the Emperor of Rome." "Do you think for a moment I'd accept these conditions?" "No, but I wanted to give you the chance." "And to salute you as a worthy opponent." "If it were up to me, we would never have come here." "Salve." "Get up." "Oh, get up." "Come." "The gods have things for you to do." "That was the beginning of her story, Isolda... my daughter... and nobody will ever hear it... because we don't write our stories down," "We live them,"