‘No, oddly not that. After a month stuck here most of the men lose interest. Actually they lose interest in anything. Nothing to see but the cliffs, nothing to listen to but the mewing of those fucking buzzards, never anything new to do or think about. Confined in those walls, the wind always howling in your ears, nowhere to go. That was why I kept badgering the zendanig to go hunting. Not that I liked having to talk to him.’

‘Are the girls replaced?’ Valens asked.

‘Two times in my tour.’

‘Are they escorted?’

‘A couple of soldiers.’

Decimus smiled, the white scar by his right eye disappearing in the laughter lines. ‘There is a story in Thucydides, or maybe Xenophon. A revolution in Thebes, I think it was. The conspirators invited the rulers to dinner, promised them some women, gave them plenty to drink. The women come in all veiled . . .’

‘It will never work,’ Valens said.

‘The numbers are right,’ Decimus said.

‘Narses and Hairan would have to be the escort. They are the only two that can pass as Persians.’ Valens paused. ‘But of the rest of us, Aulus would make a very unappealing girl, what with his receding hair, and cadaverous face.’

‘We would wear veils.’

‘Iudex is damn near seven foot tall.’

‘Bald as a coot, and with the biggest hands I have ever seen.’ Narses added.

‘Do either of you have a better idea?’ Decimus demanded.

‘Actually, I do.’ Narses looked very pleased with himself. ‘I have been saving it for last.’ The other two said nothing. ‘I am surprised that neither of you has asked yet.’

Narses was beginning to remind Valens of his old philosophy tutor, which was not endearing.

‘The castle is on top of a mountain,’ the Persian said.

‘Where does the garrison gets its water?’ Decimus asked.

‘Not that. There is a well in the courtyard.’

‘Food!’ Valens said. ‘Where do they get their supplies?’

Narses beamed. ‘A wagon comes up the road once a month. There is the driver, and there are six outriders. Sometimes in the winter, when the snows are deep, they send a mule train. But the supplies always arrive.’

‘When do they come?’ Valens felt a surge of excitement.

‘About the time of the new moon.’

They grinned at each other.

*

‘Where in Hades are Aulus and Clemens?’

The camp was tucked into a depression in the shoulder of a slope. There was a spring of drinkable water, and around it some undergrowth for cover. It was not overlooked by any obvious tracks. The animals were tethered, the kit squared away. Hairan was on watch. Everything was as it should be, except for the missing men.

‘They went hunting after some goats we saw,’ Hairan said.

‘I gave instructions that no one was to leave the camp!’ Valens was furious. ‘Wandering around the hillsides, they could be seen by anyone. They are endangering us all.’