‘And never trust the clan of the Suren. Treachery is in their blood.’

Valens stood stock still. His eyes never left Naduk.

‘Unfortunate for you that I was standing guard on the battlements. I enjoy watching the sunset. The sunlight on the snow is very beautiful.’

Valens started to back away.

‘But you are favoured by Mazda, Roman. Circumstances demand that I kill you quickly. The traitor Narses and the rest of your men will die with every refinement of cruelty.’

Valens’s calf bumped into something. The table and brazier were behind him.

‘Eunuch, take Prince Sasan into the inner chamber. His time has not come. He should be spared the sight of more death.’

‘No,’ the boy said. But the old eunuch was dragging him away.

The enormous sombre figure waited until the hanging fell back, obscuring the eunuch and the boy.

‘Put down the knife, Roman.’

Valens said nothing.

‘Kneel and offer your neck. All your fear will be at an end.’

Valens grinned. ‘Are you not so good at killing men who can fight back?’

Behind the immense red beard, the warden smiled. ‘If I had time, I would make you beg for me to repeat that offer.’ Through the window, from far away, came the sound of men shouting. ‘Enough talk,’ Naduk said.

Valens stepped forward, then turned and jumped over the table.

Naduk roared with laughter, his massive shoulders shaking. ‘There is nowhere to run. Why postpone the inevitable?’

Snatching the flagon from the tray, Valens threw it at the Persian’s head.

Naduk ducked. The metal vessel sailed out onto the landing and clanged against the outer wall. Some of the wine spattered on the tunic of the zendanig. He looked at the stains dispassionately. ‘A waste. You should have drunk it.’

Naduk stepped carefully over the corpse in the doorway. Once he was in the room he somehow seemed even larger.

Valens kicked the table across the room.

The big man let it hit his legs, then stamped it into splinters. The plates and the food were scattered across the floor.

‘Did you think that might stop me?’

‘No, but this might.’ Valens grabbed the leg of the brazier, and hurled it.

With a speed and agility unexpected in such a bulky man, Naduk leapt aside.

Valens started for the door and Naduk moved to cut him off. Sidestepping, Valens lunged with his knife.

*

Steel scrapped on steel as the blow was blocked by Naduk’s blade. The warden brought the heel of his left hand smashing into Valens’s face. Tasting blood, Valens staggered back.

Now Naduk lunged. Somehow Valens twisted inside the attack. The big man’s momentum drove them together and across the room. Valens slammed into the wall. The back of his head cracked against the stone. His vision blurred. As if at a great distance, he heard his knife fall to the floor.