‘Then say nothing at all.’ She patted his hand. It had cost her two gold pieces. Probably she had been cheated, but it was surely a worthy investment. Despite what Leo had said about paying the son of Kallinikos handsomely, his home was modest. Clean and bright and well-heated, but simple in its furnishing and floorings, with none of the flourishes of other grander houses she had seen.

‘I don’t know what I shall do with it,’ he said shyly.

‘Save it then. For the celebrations of the great victory you will have won the city when the siege is broken.’ She chuckled softly. ‘Or else give it to your wife.’

‘Oh, it’s too good for her,’ he said automatically, then seemed to regret it. ‘I mean—’

‘It’s fine,’ she interrupted with a reassuring touch of his hand. ‘Take it as a mark of our friendship. Yes?’

‘You are too kind, my lady. I have nothing to give you.’

‘Yes,’ she said, pinning down his elusive gaze. ‘You do.’

‘My lady?’

‘You’ve heard all about my homeland. You know the good things I have to tell about a good land.’ Her voice dropped a little. ‘But I have spared you its sorrows. As I have spared you my own.’

‘I—I am sorry to hear there are any,’ he stammered.

‘No matter.’ She shook her head. ‘But if our friendship means anything to you, brief as it has been, then you have something of great value to share with me.’

The light of understanding dawned slowly in his bovine eyes.

‘Your knowledge,’ she said. ‘They call it your genius, don’t they?’ She smiled. ‘Indeed, it is a spark that was born in your family. But the fire your father lit must spread.’

He said nothing.

‘I need it,’ she said simply. ‘If I am to help my people, I beg of you. Share with me what you know.’

He stood frozen. Slowly his mouth opened, then a frown began to form between his heavy black eyebrows. ‘No,’ he said at last, a meek outrage in his voice. ‘No. My father swore us all to secrecy on his deathbed. We brothers swore again between ourselves. No!’ His gentle voice rose now. ‘This is intolerable. Is this what you came to me for? All along? Our friendship is a sham. You wanted to use me.’

‘Not at all, Nikolaos – you misunderstand me—’

‘Oh, I think I understand well enough! Besides, what you want is abhorrent. Why – WHY – would you want to propagate such a weapon? You look like a fair and gentle woman but in there beats the heart of a ravening monster.’ He pointed accusingly at her chest.

‘You cannot know the reasons why I need it. Why my people need it.’

‘Your people!’ he spat. ‘Mother of God, the one curse you should want to keep from your people is this.’

‘Then even you don’t believe in it.’