It was late in that afternoon when Prince Talmis reined in at the head of the small column of riders, trotting down the bank of the Nile. Both he and his bodyguards had been disarmed and were escorted by Cato, Macro, Tribune Junius and a squadron of auxiliary cavalry. Talmis pointed across the river to a small island, two hundred paces across the river. Like most of the islands Cato had seen, it was low and fringed with reeds. However, at the upriver end there was a sizeable slab of rock upon which a shrine had been built, five columns by four. Clumps of date palms grew around the base of the rock and a small landing stage lay a short distance further along the island, beyond which there were only reeds. A skiff was moored to the landing stage, and a single figure could be seen at the entrance to the shrine, watching them.

‘I have them under guard there, in the shrine,’ said Talmis.

‘Them?’ Macro raised an eyebrow. ‘How many men has Ajax left?’

‘There is Ajax and one other, a man called Karim. The others I had put to death when the gladiator returned to my camp with his story of failure. I was saving him for later - that is, if I could not get a good price for him from your Emperor.’

‘I’m glad I’m not your ally,’ Macro commented.

‘Ajax was not an ally. He offered to serve me. He was supposed to distract you and not give battle. But he wanted nothing more than to kill Romans, no matter what the cost to those he led.’ Prince Talmis turned to look at Macro and Cato. ‘I am impressed that a man can hate you two as much as Ajax does.’

Macro pursed his lips. ‘It cuts both ways, Nubian. We have our own reasons for returning his feeling in kind.’

‘Truly?’ Talmis swatted an insect away from his cheek. He gestured to Macro to continue.

‘That’s enough,’ Cato interrupted. ‘It’ll be dark soon. I want to deal with Ajax before the day is out.’ He turned to the Prince. ‘How many of your men are there on the island?’

‘Six of my best men. I will send their captain to them to explain the situation and recall the guards. Then the gladiator and his friend are yours. And you will free me and my men.’

‘Only when I have Ajax,’ Cato said firmly. ‘Have your men bring the boat over. I’ll go across with your captain and some of my troops to take charge of the captives. Your men can return first, then you are free to go.’

‘I see.’ Talmis nodded and looked at him with a calculating expression. ‘Legate, do you think your victory has ended my ambitions to seize the upper Nile?’