With a soft pounding of hoofs, Festus rode up from the rear of the column and reined in beside his master.

‘Who is this peasant? Stand aside, before we cut you down.’

‘Enough, Festus!’ Caesar cut in. He turned back to Mandracus. ‘I am an official crossing the mountains on the business of the Senate. It is a crime to impede my progress.’ Caesar smiled coldly. ‘However, being mindful of your country manners, I shall not have you flogged, if you stand aside and let us pass.’

Mandracus pursed his Ups and shook his head. ‘I’m sorry, sir, but I can’t do that.’

As the men spoke, Marcus had been watching the rocks on either side of the pass and caught sight of movement there. A face staring at them. Another man in the shadow of a rock, holding a spear and shield.

‘Enough of this foolishness!’ Caesar snapped. 'Out of my way!’

Mandracus stood his ground and drew out his axe, swinging it loosely at his side. At the signal, more men appeared from behind the rocks and moved out into the path. Marcus saw at least thirty of them. Some looked as solid as Mandracus, but most were thin, their faces pinched by hunger, and desperation gleamed in their eyes. But all of them were armed, with a mix of spears, swords and axes. Their leader gestured towards them-

‘As you can sec, we outnumber you three to one. And five to one oncc the rest of my men come up the road behind you. There's no way out.'

Festus’s hand slipped to the hilt of his sword and Marcus and the rest of the bodyguard followed suit as they waited for Caesar’s lead. The former consul regarded the men in front of him and then folded his arms. ‘And what is it that you want from us, Mandracus?’

‘There’s a certain procedure to be followed.’ The brigand smiled. ‘First, do you have any slaves with you?’

‘Slaves?’ Caesar gestured towards Lupus, who was trembling with cold and fear as he sat in his saddle. ‘Just my scribe.’

‘Then we shall have to deprive you of him. No man is a slave in my territory. Second, I shall have to ask you for any gold or silver you may have, together with your weapons and horses. After that you are free to continue through the pass. Or return the way you came. You will find shelter from the snow closer in that direction.’

‘And if we refuse?’

Mandracus’s expression hardened. ‘Then we shall be forced to kill you all, except the slave, and take what we want anyway.’

There was a brief silence before Caesar spoke quietly through gritted teeth, just loud enough for Marcus and Festus to hear. ‘When I give the word, we charge that fool and his rabble. Ready?’

‘Yes, Caesar,’ Festus and Marcus muttered.

Caesar drew a deep breath and was about to make his reply when he was interrupted by the sound of hoof beats. Marcus turned to see that the horsemen had crested the final rise along the road and were now approaching the pass. They fanned out across the open ground on either side of the road and readied their weapons.