There were moans and muttering from the men, especially among the Americans, who resented the drain on their provisions even more bitterly now they were gone. The most vociferous of all was Hank Schulz, a man more in love with his belly than the usual ex-marine. Ben had previously noticed him sneaking the odd extra helping for himself, when he thought nobody was looking. Now he was taking the loss of their food supplies very badly, putting on a show of clutching at his stomach and complaining to anyone who would listen that he was so hungry he could eat the north end of a skunk moving south, and other variations on that theme.

Ben stepped outside, wandered around the ruins and paused by a shell-destroyed wall to gaze eastwards across the dark hills. From up here the village was pitch black against the surrounding landscape and the faintly moonlit glimmer of the river. The night was perfectly still, apart from the soft moan of the wind. He’d been standing there for a while, lost in his thoughts, when he became aware of the light footsteps coming up behind him. His body tensed at the sound purely out of instinct, and he’d have whirled around with his pistol in his hand if not for the scent of her that wafted on the air.

She came and stood close by, gazing the same direction he was. The breeze caught her hair, and glancing at her for a moment it struck him how beautiful she looked in this wild place, as though she was part of it.

‘What a glorious night,’ she murmured. ‘It’s almost peaceful here. You wouldn’t think you could find much serenity in a place that’s seen so much blood and war.’

‘That it has,’ he said. ‘And there’ll be more before it’s over.’

‘You think this country will ever be free of suffering?’

‘You could ask Father B to put that question to God, in his prayers,’ Ben said. ‘Only He knows the answer for sure. Personally, I have my doubts.’ Then, not wanting to sound too negative, he added, ‘Then again, it’s not all bad. You found your father’s caves, after all.’

‘Screw the damn caves,’ she said, shaking her head with a sudden flash of bitterness in her voice. ‘When I saw these ruins and thought about all those poor little kids, it really brought the truth home to me. Maybe Holt’s right. Who gives a goddamn about archaeology at a time like this? What the hell was I thinking, gallivanting off on my own in the middle of a war zone in search of a bunch of stupid old relics?’

‘Your dad would have done the same thing.’