There was always graft in the army, from officers taking bribes or claiming pay for non-existent soldiers, to men requisitioning anything they fancied or selling off food, equipment, and raw materials from the stores. It was always there, sometimes less frequent and sometimes more, but only now and then did it become a real problem, sapping the efficiency of the army or worse stirring rebellion among communities being plundered. When Hadrian was sent to watch over Syria, he had come across signs of something far bigger, of organised corruption making some officers and soldiers fabulously wealthy, but sapping morale within their units and undermining all discipline and efficiency. That was serious enough at any time, and far more worrying with Trajan on his way to campaign in the region. Apart from making sure the army was in good shape for this, Hadrian suspected that he might come in for blame as acting governor if the truth started to come out. Two of his staff were sent to investigate. One was found, drowned in a canal, and the other had not been seen since. So Hadrian had summoned Ferox, and after some time he had found the tribune and killed him.

Domitius might know more, much more, for the eager young centurion in waiting had accidentally become aware of the widespread sale of ‘condemned’ army mules, whose health amazingly recovered when bought by new owners. He had been very useful, keeping his eyes open and putting Ferox onto the scent of other abuses, until he was publicly accused of belonging to a proscribed cult and imprisoned. His escape was puzzling, for it had seemed too easy, but Ferox had been too late for the inquest or to speak to the man before he deserted. At Nicopolis he had not been sure that the man could be trusted. There was surely a big temptation to prove himself to the authorities by informing them that the merchant and his party were likely Roman agents. Apart from that, there was no obvious way to speak to him without arousing suspicion about them both, which meant he had the message and no more.

Still, if Domitius had informed on them to the magistrates, it seemed unlikely that they would have sent just four men in pursuit, instead of inventing some pretext to investigate ‘Demetrios’ and arrest them. Even less likely was that the deserter had the influence or funds to hire the men, unless he had been helped and paid off by someone deep in all the abuses going on in Syria. Which meant that most likely they were cut-throats acting on their own, or had something to do with the princess’ message.

‘It’s time,’ Ferox told them.

Philo nodded. ‘See you at the crossing!’ he called to the merchant ahead of them. ‘My load is too big to face that climb, so I’m going round the hills!’ The driver had pointed the team off the track to the left. This was pasture land, so there should not be ploughed fields or drainage ditches to get in their way.