‘How can they betray us? They’re in the same situation as the rest of us.They fight for their lives, or they get massacred by Bannus. They’ll fight.’

Cato was silent for a while, then sighed. ‘I only hope you’re right, sir.’

Macro bit back on his frustration. Cato should not be worrying about Scrofa and Postumus at a time when his mind needed to be concentrating on more important issues. He cleared his throat and turned towards his friend. ‘Would you like me to have them arrested again?’

‘What?’ Cato frowned. ‘No, I think not, sir. How do you imagine that would look to the men? The prefect doesn’t know whether he’s coming or going.That’s what they’d say. So we’re stuck with Scrofa and Postumus on the strength. I don’t suppose they can cause too much trouble in the reserve.’

The two officers had been posted to command a cavalry squadron each. These were being held back from the walls, ready to reinforce any weak points in the defences. That had been Macro’s decision.

Macro rubbed his hands contentedly. ‘Even if Bannus tries a direct assault on the walls, he shouldn’t get very far without siege equipment. I think we’ll get through this without too much trouble, Cato. It’s not as if they’re going to starve us out. We’ve provisions for two months for the men and a month for the horses.And if we eat the horses, then we can last for a while yet. The cisterns are full to the brim so we won’t be short of water. It’s those bastards out there I almost feel sorry for. I doubt Bannus will be able to keep ‘em fed for long. And they’ll be short of a drink.’ Macro nodded towards the reservoir, some way off from the fort. The surface of the water was broken by the carcasses of dead sheep and goats that Macro had ordered to be dumped into the reservoir once the fort’s cisterns had been filled.

‘We just have to hold them off long enough to make his peasants feel hungry and homesick,’ Macro concluded. ‘Then, once his support has melted away, we’ll get out there and hunt him down. Once Bannus is nailed up, these Judaeans will get the message that there’s no point in defying Rome.’