‘Germanus has been hectoring me to declare a Day of Repentance,’ said Leo. ‘Every man, woman and child to perform the Eucharist. What do you think, Lord Eparch? Shall I agree to it?’

Daniel’s fat nostrils flared. ‘Germanus calls for whatever inflates his own standing.’

‘You doubt his sincerity?’

‘Don’t you, Majesty?’

But Leo didn’t answer. His mouth only flickered momentarily with an inscrutable smile.

‘A day of repentance,’ the eparch continued. ‘I mean, what difference could it really make? We have taken every precaution, made every provision. Every crack in these walls has been repaired. There is nothing more that can be done. That is what will save this city. Forethought. Preparation. The patrician mind –’ he tapped his temple with a fat jewelled finger – ‘not a bunch of grovelling paupers wailing to the heavens.’

‘Yet if prayer could truly move the hand of the Almighty, a man would be a fool not to pray.’ Leo turned to Katāros. ‘What say you, grand chamberlain?’

Katāros dabbed the corner of his sleeve at the sweat hovering on the corner of his eyebrow. ‘I say faith has its place. And these walls are no doubt strong. But I expect Your Majesty will have to deploy cunning as well as faith if Christ’s citadel is to withstand the infidel horde.’

‘Hmm,’ mused Leo. ‘Wise as the serpent, innocent as the dove.’

‘Just so, Majesty,’ Katāros replied with an ingratiating little bow. Although he might have put it differently. Wise as the serpent, and just as deadly.

If the walls of Byzantium could not be smashed, then he had to find another way.

And he would.

‘Cut them off.’

‘My lord,’ said Silanos, somewhat alarmed at the way this was falling out, ‘is there not a more reasonable course to take?’

‘Reasonable be damned,’ Arbasdos answered, in a voice cold with anger. ‘Cut off his balls and feed them to my dogs.’ Silanos sighed. He had hoped that being newly wed might have mellowed his master’s irascible nature. It seemed not.

On the other hand, there was no doubt his anger had some justification. A runaway slave was an insult to any man.

Silanos felt the barb of betrayal himself after the kindness he had shown the Northman. He’d had his reasons, of course. Valuable property had to be looked after; although just then the Northman was looking pretty worthless.

He was kneeling on the flagstones of the main courtyard under guard, one side of his face swollen and turning purple before their eyes. His nose was bloody, his eye black, and his sullen expression had become downright murderous. The very opposite of the clean, obliging, intelligent warrior Silanos had hoped to cultivate. And now the general wanted to castrate the fool. Silanos saw all his efforts pouring like water into the dust.