‘What are we looking for? I can hardly make anything out in all the shimmering. Looks like water.’ Macro sighed. ‘I’d kill for a swim right now.’

Postumus smiled. ‘Me too. Anywhere far from this place.’

Macro grunted his agreement, and then glanced at the young officer. Postumus was a few years older than Cato, in his mid-twenties, slim, darkly featured, with the kind of looks that Macro guessed would make him popular with the ladies. ‘So, then, what’s your story?’

Postumus turned towards him and cocked an eyebrow. ‘My story?’

‘Where are you from, Postumus?’

‘Brindisium. My father owns a few ships. He carries cargoes to and from Piraeus.’

‘Rich?’

‘He has done well enough to have bought himself into the equestrian class. So yes, he’s rich, I suppose.’

‘So why are you here?’

‘Couldn’t stand the sea. I thought I had a taste for adventure, so I joined up as a legionary.’

‘Which legion?’

‘I chose the Tenth.’ He gave a self-deprecating smile. ‘I wanted to come east and fight the Parthian hordes.’

‘And did you?’

Postumus laughed. ‘No chance! The imperial palace has been stitching up one deal after another with Parthia in recent years. And with Palmyra sitting pretty between the two empires that’s how it will remain.’

Macro shrugged and made no comment. According to the intelligence that he and Cato had been made aware of, Parthia had designs on Rome’s eastern provinces. If there was any truth in the rumours about Cassius Longinus then there was every prospect that the Parthians would storm across the eastern frontier the moment the legions garrisoned there pulled out to support Longinus’ bid for the imperial throne.

Postumus went on.’So with Parthia out of the picture I had to find something else to do. I applied to train as a scout.’

Macro looked hard at him. On campaign scouts acted in a traditional role. But in garrison postings their skills were directed more towards the black arts of espionage and torture. Macro had never liked the scouts in the legions he had served with. Soldiering was supposed to be a straightforward business as far as he was concerned, and he regarded with distaste the kinds of duties that the scouts were required to undertake.

‘I had some fun,’ Postumus continued, ‘before I came to the attention of Cassius Longinus. He took me under his wing, gave me a promotion into the auxiliaries and sent me to Bushir.That was over a year ago. Can’t tell you how much I’ve missed Antioch.’

‘I can imagine,’ Macro responded with feeling. ‘I’ve heard a lot about it. Is it all true?’

Postumus nodded.’Every word.There’s not a vice you can’t buy. The place is an Epicurean’s heaven.’

Macro licked his lips. ‘When I’ve finished my duty here,Antioch is going to be my first stop on the way back to Rome.’