“Well, why should they?” It seemed that the luck was against us both; the dice were as ill-wished for Dinias as the walls for Vortigern. In spite of myself I threw a pair of doubles. Scowling, Dinias pushed half his pile towards me. I said: “It only sounds as if he picked a soft place. Why not move?”

“He picked the top of a crag, as pretty a place to defend as you’ll find in all Wales. It guards the valley north and south, and stands over the road just where the cliffs narrow both sides, and the road is squeezed right up under the crag. And damn it, there’s been a tower there before. The locals have called it King’s Fort time out of mind.”

Bang’s Fort . . . Dinas Brenin . . . The humming swelled clear into a memory. Birches bone-white against a milk-blue sky. The scream of a falcon. Two kings walking together, and Cerdic’s voice saying, ‘Come down, and I’ll cut you in on a crap game.’

Before I even knew, I had done it, as neatly as Cerdic himself. I flicked the still turning dice with a quick finger. Dinias, up-ending the empty flask over his cup, never noticed. The dice settled. A two and a one. I said ruefully: “You won’t have much trouble beating that.”

He did beat it, but only just. He pulled the coins towards him with a grunt of triumph, then sprawled half across the table, his elbow in a pool of spilled wine. Even if I did manage, I thought, to let this drunken idiot win enough money off me, I would be lucky if I could get him even as far as the curtain leading to the brothel rooms. My throw again. As I shook the box I saw Cadal in the doorway, waiting to catch my eye. It was time to be gone. I nodded, and he withdrew. As Dinias glanced to see who I had signalled to I threw again, and flicked a settling six over with my sleeve. One and three. Dinias made a sound of satisfaction and reached for the box.

“Tell you what,” I said, “one more throw and we’ll go, Win or lose, I’ll buy another flask and we’ll take it with us and drink it in my lodgings. We’ll be more comfortable than here.” Once I got him outside, I reckoned, Cadal and I could deal with him.

“Lodgings? I could have given you lodgings. Plenty of room there, you needn’t have sent your man to look for lodgings. Got to be careful these days, you know. There. A pair of fives. Beat that if you can, Merlin the bastard!” He tipped the last of the wine down his throat, swallowed, and leaned back, grinning.