He told her what had happened. Admitted what he hadn’t before: that he knew the woman who had tried to kill the emperor, but that once before she had helped him. Lilla understood. Erlan didn’t judge as other men. He took from others no more than was his due. But, he said, something strange was afoot. He told her that Einar had found a leather pouch and inside was. . . nothing.

Even so, Erlan was certain the incident boded ill. In turn, Lilla had told him of her failure the day before. There would be no more friendly audiences with the lampros. All her efforts were wasted. She wondered whether Nikolaos was vindictive, whether what she had done would come to the ear of Leo and she would have to give an account of herself.

‘Keep your head down while we’re gone,’ said Erlan. ‘You should be safe within the palace precinct. This isn’t your fight.’

‘It is,’ she insisted. ‘Of course it is. If the city falls, our hopes fall with it.’

‘I need you to lie low. Please.’ He squeezed her hands till it hurt. ‘Let me do this for you. And meanwhile, befriend the princess or the empress, or do whatever you think may help. Just don’t provoke anyone. And promise me you’ll leave the lampros and the other fire-makers alone.’

‘All right.’ She nodded evasively.

‘I mean it. Well alone,’ he repeated, forcing her to look him in the eye.

She suddenly smiled and kissed him. ‘I will. And you. . . get this thing done. Then come back to me. All of you.’

He kissed her again, fiercely, and then left her.

She had watched them depart in a clatter of hooves from an upper gallery overlooking the Sentinels’ Courtyard. The two Northmen, two other imperial guards in white and another garbed in blue – all of them escort to the emperor’s envoy, Lord Daniel, Eparch of the City, who looked anything but comfortable on top of his horse. And finally Aska, Erlan’s huge rangy hound, trotting along obediently beside his master. She watched them ride out through the great Bronze Gate, her eyes fixed on his dark tousled hair until the whole party vanished from sight on the far side of the Augustaion. She prayed it would not be the last time she saw him.

Back in her chambers, she paced up and down, picking up items, fidgeting with them, putting them down again, pacing some more.

‘Well?’ Gerutha was standing hands on hips, a challenging look on her lined face.

‘What is it?’

‘If you’re going to be walking up and down for the next who knows how long, I just might find me some other place to live.’

‘Oh. Sorry, Grusha. There’s too much weighing on my mind.’