Narcissus glanced back and was shocked to see how much they had closed the gap. By contrast the camp seemed as far away as ever.

‘They’re catching us up,’ he cried out to his bodyguards.’Do something!’

Marcellus spared his Praetorian companion a quick glance and both men raised their eyes.

‘What do you reckon?’ Rufus called out. ‘Save ourselves?’

‘Why not? Damned if I’m going to die for some Greek.’

They hunkered down beside their horses’ necks and spurred them on with wild shouts.

As they pulled ahead Narcissus cried out in panic, ‘Don’t leave me! Don’t leave me!’

The Imperial Secretary kicked his heels in and his mount gradually caught the others up. As the acrid odour of horseflesh filled his nostrils and every jolt of the horse threatened to hurl him down on to the ground rushing past in a blur, Narcissus gritted his teeth in terror. He had never been so afraid in all his life, and vowed not to ride one of these animals ever again. From now he would travel in nothing faster, or less comfortable, than a litter. As he drew level with his bodyguards Marcellus tipped him a wink.

‘That’s more like it, sir . . . Not so far now!’

The three of them pounded on, wind roaring in their ears, but every time that Narcissus or one of the bodyguards glanced back the horsemen were nearer. As the track drew closer to the camp the horses of prey and pursuer alike began to flag and the riders felt their mounts’ chests expand and contract like huge bellows as the animals struggled for breath. The breakneck gallop subsided into an exhausted canter as the men became more savage in their attempts to wring every last effort out of their horses.

When the track reached the next bit of high ground Narcissus saw that they were no more than two miles from the safety of the camp and numerous parties of men were training or foraging in the open ground before the ramparts. Surely the approaching riders must have been seen by now? The alarm must have been raised and a force sent out to investigate. But the three men gazed down on a serene and undisturbed scene as they spurred their tired mounts on. And all the time the gap between them and their pursuers closed.

‘They must be fucking blind!’ Rufus called out bitterly, wildly waving an arm. ‘Over here, you dozy bastards! Look over here!’