Bannus laughed. ‘Only if you kill me first, old friend.’

Symeon looked up at him. ‘I will kill you Bannus. It’s the only way to cure your sickness.’

‘Sickness?’

‘What else can it be when a man is so determined to continue a pointless fight that he no longer cares how many die as a result?’

‘I do it for my people!’ Bannus protested. ‘You abandoned them long ago. What would you understand of our struggle?’

‘That it’s doomed.You cannot fight Rome and win.’

‘I can and I will,’ Bannus said with deliberation. ‘It’s just a question of time.’

Symeon shook his head sadly and held Yusef closer. The leader of the Bedu approached them and spoke to Bannus, pointing to a clear space of ground beside the fire.The Bedu had tethered their camels for the night and now sat in a loose circle about the makeshift arena.

‘It’s time,’ Symeon said.

The Bedu leader pushed them gently towards the clearing, guiding Macro, Cato and Yusef to one side. Then he calmly pressed the two Romans down on to their knees and barked an order to his men. Four came over to stand behind them, and they felt hands on their shoulders and then the cold steel of daggers at their throats. The Bedu shouted to Symeon and the latter nodded, drawing his curved sword.A short distance from him Bannus sheathed his dagger and pulled out his own blade, dropping into a crouch as he eyed Symeon warily.

For a moment the two men stood staring at each other, blades held out, ready to strike or parry. Then Bannus took a few steps to the side, edging round so that the fire was behind him, throwing him into silhouette. At once Symeon circled to cancel the advantage. As he took his last step, Bannus leaped forward, slashing down with his fine curved blade. Symeon expertly parried the blow and swept his sword round to the side, where it rang sharply off the hilt that Bannus had snatched across to block the cut. It had been the work of an instant, the sound of the last clash biting through the air even before the first clatter had faded. Both men drew back and stood, carefully balanced, weighing each other up.

Symeon stepped forward and feinted, and feinted again, but Bannus’ blade did not move.

‘You’re going to have to try harder than that . . .’