‘Oh, he’ll be here,’ Macro said confidently. ‘If I’m any judge of character, he’s the kind of man who’d never miss a fight. So let’s make sure we leave him a few of those Parthians to take care of.’

Cato smiled. ‘I’ll see what I can arrange.’

Macro stuck his hand out. ‘Good luck, lad. We’re going to need it tonight.’

Cato grasped his friend’s hand firmly. ‘Good luck to you too, sir.’

Macro nodded and there was awkward stillness between the two of them and Macro wondered if they would still be alive to greet each other in the morning. Cato seemed to guess what he was thinking and said quietly, ‘We’ve faced tougher enemies in our time, sir.’

‘Ah, but that was in the Second Legion.’ Macro glanced round at the men filing off the parade ground to take up their positions.’These auxiliaries aren’t even close to being a match for legionaries. But they look competent,’ he conceded grudgingly. ‘We’ll know their quality soon enough. Now, off you go.’

As Cato caught up with his men and led the main force to its position on the wall facing the enemy, he thought once more of Symeon and hoped that Macro’s assessment of the man was right. But even if it was, would the men that Symeon knew at Petra be prepared to honour their pledge to the Romans? Cato was not sure. He had too little knowledge of the peoples of the eastern frontier to judge their character. All he, and every other man in the cohort, could do was hope. They would be saved by Symeon and the Nabataeans or die.The Roman forces in Syria would not come to their aid. That was almost certain. Longinus was counting on Bannus to destroy Bushir, and with it the men who knew of his disloyalty to the Emperor. Cato smiled to himself. It would be good to live through this just to see the appalled expression on the Governor’s face.