Napoleon breathed in sharply through his nostrils and then hissed. ‘The bastard . . . So now we’re at war with the Sultan as well as Ahmad Pasha.’

‘It’s more than just a war, sir.The Sultan has issued a firman to all Muslims declaring a holy war against France.’

‘A holy war, eh?’ Napoleon clasped his hands behind his back and turned to the map on the wall. ‘He can have his war, then. No doubt he will try to attack us on two fronts. From Syria in the east, together with a landing near Alexandria, a pincer movement. I’m sure our friends in the Royal Navy will be lending the Turks their full support, so we must deny the English the use of the harbours at Jaffa and Acre. If we move swiftly, Berthier, we can advance to Acre, deal with Ahmad Pasha and destroy the Sultan’s army at Damascus, then fall back to Egypt to counter the other pincer. In the longer term, of course, we will need to occupy Syria to act as a buffer between Turkey and Egypt. And from there we could even march east to India.’ Napoleon’s mind recalled a report he had read in a bundle of newspapers taken from a merchant ship by one of the frigates that had survived the slaughter in Aboukir Bay. ‘The sooner we can turn our attention towards India the better. The British have appointed a new Governor General, the Earl of Mornington. The man has ambitions to extend British power right across the subcontinent, if newspaper reports are to believed. France cannot permit that. But first we must take Syria.’

‘Yes, sir,’ Berthier replied evenly. ‘Provided we have the reinforcements we have requested from Paris.’

‘It’s always a question of reinforcements. If those fools in Paris could see any further than the ends of their noses, we would have received more men long ago. They seem to think we can achieve miracles, Berthier.’

‘You have before, sir.’

‘Yes, well, the magic will run out one day.’ Napoleon laughed. ‘But not for a while yet, eh?’

Ten thousand men were left behind in Egypt to keep order and guard against any attempt made by the Turks to land an army by sea. Napoleon gave orders for the four depleted divisions of Reynier, Bon, Kléber and the recently promoted Lannes to gather at the frontier depot of Katia, together with Murat’s cavalry and the engineering and artillery trains.The army was not ready to advance until early in February, when General Reynier and the advance guard started their march across the Sinai desert. Napoleon joined the main body a week later, and was greeted by Berthier as he wearily swung himself down from the saddle and beat the worst of the dust off his jacket.

‘Sir, it’s good to see you.’

‘And you, Berthier. What news have we had from Reynier? He must have reached Syria by now.’