“Stop those men,” he ordered, watching as three soldiers of the Tenth grabbed hold of the little boat before the fishermen could pull away. The sail flapped noisily in the breeze as Julius strode over to the stone quay.

“You will take me to those ships,” he said in halting Greek. They looked blankly at him and he called for Adàn.

“Tell them I will pay for passage out to the galleys,” he said as the Spaniard approached.

Adàn produced two silver coins and tossed them to the men. In elaborate mime, he pointed to the ships and Julius until the fishermen’s frowns disappeared.

Julius looked at his interpreter in disbelief. “I thought you said you were learning Greek?” he said.

“It is a difficult language,” Adàn replied, embarrassed.

Octavian walked to the edge and looked into the tiny boat. “Sir, you can’t be thinking of going alone,” he said. “They’ll kill you.”

“What choice do I have? If I go out in force, the galleys will attack. They may listen to me.”

Julius watched as Octavian handed his sword to a soldier and began to remove his armor.

“What are you doing?” Julius asked.

“I’m coming with you, but I can’t swim in this if they sink us.” He looked meaningfully at his general’s breastplate, but Julius ignored him.

“Go on then,” Julius said, gesturing to the frail craft. “One more will make no difference.”

He watched carefully to see how Octavian found a place on the slippery nets, wincing at the smell of fish. Julius followed him, making the boat rock dangerously before he was settled.

“Up sail,” Julius said to the fishermen.

He sighed at their expressions before pointing to it and raising his hands. In a few moments, the boat was easing away from the quayside. Julius looked back to see the worried expressions of his soldiers and he grinned, enjoying the motion.

“Are you ever seasick, Octavian?” he asked.

“Never. Stomach like iron,” Octavian lied cheerfully.

The galleys loomed and still both men felt an inexplicable rise in spirits. The fishing boat passed out of the sheltering bay and Julius breathed deeply, enjoying the pitch and roll of the sea.

“They’ve seen us,” he said. “Here they come.”

Two galleys were backing oars and swinging round to face the boat that dared the deep water. As they grew closer, Julius heard the lookouts call. Perhaps a fishing crew would have been ignored, but the sight of soldiers on board was enough to bring them heeling swiftly round. Julius watched flags go up to the highest point of the masts, and in the distance more of the deadly craft began to turn.