‘I’d not want to be within striking range of Alexandria. I’d want to be somewhere well off the main routes, away from settlements and with a clear escape route to sea if I needed to get out quickly. Somewhere well to the east of Alexandria. So we’re not going back on our tracks tomorrow. We’ll continue to the east.’

Macro swallowed quickly and set the mess tin down. ‘Why? You heard them today. The most recent attack was to the west, and that’s where they saw that ship heading.’

‘True, I don’t doubt what they say they saw, but I can’t convince myself that Ajax is hiding in that direction. It doesn’t make sense. Look, Macro, you know the man better than me.’

‘Thanks for the reminder.’

‘Ajax is as smart as new paint. He’s also determined to cause us as much trouble as possible. You and me in particular, given that he blames us for the death of his father. Using our names was a nice touch.’

‘You two know him then?’ Hamedes interrupted, lowering his prayer scroll. ‘You knew his father? How so?’

Macro smiled. ‘Our man Ajax wasn’t always a gladiator. In his earlier life he was a pirate, like his father, Telemachus. The prefect and I were part of the expedition sent to defeat Telemachus. We did the job. The pirate chief was crucified and his son was sold into slavery along with the rest of the prisoners we took. Only it turns out that he was picked to train as a gladiator before some fool bought him as a bodyguard and took him to Crete. Right now I wish we had nailed the bastard up alongside his father. We could have saved ourselves all this grief, and be back in Rome.’

‘But we didn’t,’ Cato cut in. ‘And now we must finish the job we started long ago. As I said, Ajax is clever, and he’s consumed by hate. But I doubt he would throw his life away in some reckless act of revenge. So he will have a plan to clear out of the Nile delta if there’s a danger he could be trapped here. That’s why I think he is further to the east.’ Cato unrolled his reed matting and lay down, pulling his cloak over him. ‘In the morning, we sail east to Casium and then work our way back towards Alexandria.’