“You know as well as I do. Look, why should I say any more till I know who you are? Isn’t it time you told me?”

He ignored that. He sounded thoughtful. “You seem to know a lot about it. How old are you?”

“Twelve. I’ll be thirteen in September. But I don’t need to be clever to know about Camlach and Vortimer. I heard him say so himself.”

“Did you, by the Bull? And what else did you hear?”

“Quite a lot. I was always underfoot. Nobody took any notice of me. But my mother’s going into retirement now at St. Peter’s, and I wouldn’t give you a fig for my chances, so I cleared out.”

“To Vortigern?”

I said, honestly: “I’ve no idea. I—I have no plans. It might have to be Vortigern in the end. What choice is there but him, and the Saxon wolves hanging at our throats for all time till they’ve torn Britain piecemeal and swallowed her? Who else is there?”

“Well,” said Marric, “Ambrosius.”

I laughed. “Oh, yes, Ambrosius. I thought you were serious. I know you’re from Less Britain, I can tell by your voices, but—”

“You asked who we were. We are Ambrosius’ men.”

There was a silence. I realised that the river banks had disappeared. Far off in the darkness to the north a light showed; the lighthouse. Some time back the rain had slackened and stopped. Now it was cold, with the wind offshore, and the water was choppy. The boat pitched and swung, and I felt the first qualm of sickness. I clutched my hands hard against my belly, against the cold as much as the sickness, and said sharply: “Ambrosius’ men? Then you’re spies? His spies?”

“Call us loyal men.”

“Then it’s true? It’s true he’s waiting in Less Britain?”

“Aye, it’s true.”

I said, aghast: “Then that’s where you’re going? You can’t imagine you can get there in this horrible little boat?”

Marric laughed, and Hanno said sourly: “We might have to, at that, if the ship’s not there.”

“What ship would be there in winter?” I demanded. “It’s not sailing weather.”

“It’s sailing weather if you pay enough,” said Marric drily. “Ambrosius pays. The ship will be there.” His big hand had dropped on my shoulder, not ungently. “Never mind that, there’s still things I want to know.”