Indavara was more interested in grabbing figs from a bowl and washing them down with wine. ‘Don’t fuss, Simo.’
The pair of them were also resting on the beds, while Ulixes sat against the wall by the window. The ex-legionary had barely said a word on the way back but now nodded at the jug of wine. ‘Servant, pour me some of that.’
‘He is not your servant,’ said Cassius. ‘But go ahead, Simo. And fill mine up too.’
‘So when do I get my coin?’ asked Ulixes.
‘We’ll see.’
‘What’s that supposed to mean? I had an agreement with Pitface. One hundred aurei.’
‘You’re getting fifty,’ Cassius told him. ‘Minus thirty now.’
‘Twenty? A measly twenty — after what I’ve been through?’
‘That’s your own stupid fault — what about what you put us through?’
Still chewing on a fig, Indavara glowered at Ulixes, who pretended not to notice.
‘So you want to know where this stone is, then?’
‘Keep your voice down.’ Cassius sat up to check that the sentry Mercator had left behind was nowhere near the window. ‘Go on.’
‘Town called Galanaq — about a hundred and twenty miles south of here.’
Cassius reached for his map.
‘It won’t be on there,’ said Ulixes. ‘Very remote. Deep in the Hejaz mountains.’
‘How long to get there?’
‘A week, maybe.’
‘And what about this chief? This religious sect?’
‘I don’t know. My contact was just passing through. I already told Pitface everything. Anyway, that’s your problem now. I’ve done my bit — where’s my coin?’
‘You’re not getting it now.’
‘What?’
Ulixes was halfway to his feet when a fig bounced off his nose.
‘Stay there,’ said Indavara.
‘Yes,’ added Cassius. ‘Stay there and drink your wine.’
Ulixes reluctantly sat down and took the mug from Simo.
‘You’ve given a location, yes,’ Cassius continued. ‘But as I pointed out to Abascantius, that doesn’t prove a damned thing. You’ll get your money when I see the stone.’
‘When you …’ Ulixes gulped down some wine before continuing. ‘I’m not going down there, you lot are liable to get yourselves killed messing with the desert folk.’
‘I don’t expect you to accompany us for nothing,’ said Cassius. ‘Taking into account your time and the factor of risk, I shall double your fee to forty aurei.’
‘Fifty.’
‘It’s forty. Take it or leave it.’
‘And if I leave it?’
‘I’ll still have the name of the town and you’ll have nothing. And judging by the state of your clothes I’d say you’ve had nothing for quite a while. No offence.’
Ulixes drank more, then gaped thoughtfully at the wall. ‘Don’t really have much choice, do I?’
‘Glad you’re seeing sense. There’s not much space but you’re welcome to stay here tonight. Do you have a mount?’
‘Sold it.’
‘You’ll need one — Simo will give you the money. And you’d better go now — there’ll be no time tomorrow.’
Later, Cassius and Mercator left the men eating dinner outside the inn and took a walk. Fires glowed inside the cavern-houses and liquid ran down to the ground from channels worn in the rock face. Hoping it was water, Cassius listened as Mercator briefed him on the condition of the men. Though still perturbed by what awaited them farther south, they had avoided any trouble and bought some provisions for the next stage of the journey.
‘It would help if we at least knew where we’re going,’ said the optio.
Cassius could see no reason to disclose the name of the town yet. ‘We’re continuing South on the Via Traiana, then taking the Incense Road. From there we will enter the Hejaz mountains. Do you know the area at all?’
‘No. I think Andal visited Arabia Felix once but no one else has been that far.’
‘Well, we do have a guide.’
‘The man who was leaving when we came back?’
‘Yes. His name’s Ulixes. Ex-legionary.’
‘Really?’
‘I know. Unfortunately we need him but we’ll be keeping a close eye on him and I suggest you do the same.’
In the distance a bell clanged, announcing some ceremony at one of the city’s innumerable temples. They turned back towards the inn.
‘Are you prepared to tell me what all this is about yet?’ asked Mercator.
‘Once we’re out of the city.’
‘But this Ulixes — he knows?’
‘Yes.’
‘And your bodyguard, and your servant-’
‘Mercator, listen, it’s certainly not that I don’t trust you. Quite the opposite. But the fewer people who know the better. I will tell you as soon as I can.’
‘The men heard some talk today — about the desert, about the Incense Road. Some of the locals say the Tanukh are no longer the allies of Rome. That it’s impossible to know friend from foe in the southern lands.’
‘The situation does seem dangerous, it’s true. Which makes it all the more important that we maintain the cover. Obviously the story must change now. I have been checking the map. Do you know of this place Hegra?’
‘Only the name.’
‘If asked, we will say we are journeying there to sample trade goods.’
‘I’ll pass it on to the men.’
‘Good. We leave at dawn.’
XVI
The Via Traiana stretched away across a plain littered with rocks ranging from pebbles to boulders the size of a cart. In the distance were the remarkably bright buildings of Humeima, a town where a particular type of local white stone was used. The largest structure there was the fortress manned by two centuries of the ninth cohort.
‘What do you make of that?’ said Cassius, reining in. A mile or so ahead was a tall plume of dust.
‘Not sure,’ said Mercator, raising a hand to stop the others.
‘A fast-moving column; horses or camels,’ suggested Ulixes. He was riding alone, between Indavara and Simo and the first pair of auxiliaries.
‘Where’s the turn?’ asked Cassius. It was the ninth hour; they’d made good time since leaving Petra and were now approaching the Incense Road.
Ulixes ran a finger and thumb down his chin. ‘About where they are.’
‘We have time, then. Let’s get out of their way and give the horses a break.’
He led the way off the road. Once they’d all dismounted, Ulixes looked to the south-east. ‘This wind’s getting up. See the clouds over there?’
Cassius wiped some of the day’s grime off his face. ‘Yes.’
‘If they break over us we’ll get a drenching — could be a thunderstorm.’
‘We have tents.’
‘If they don’t break, there might be a haboob.’
‘A what?’
‘A sandstorm,’ interjected Mercator. ‘Isn’t it too early in the season?’
‘I’ve seen them this time of year,’ replied the gambler.
‘We’ve already had one windy night,’ said Cassius. ‘The tents held up well.’
Ulixes’s brow furrowed. ‘It’s not just a wind, it’s a storm. These things can uproot trees, suffocate animals, bury whole villages.’
‘And I thought sea storms were bad. What do you suggest?’
‘We need shelter for the night. Proper shelter.’
‘Are there no villages, inns?’
‘On the Incense Road? Not many. Settlements are few and far between, only at springs or oases.’
‘But it’s a trade route,’ said Cassius. ‘Surely there must be stopping points for the caravans.’
‘The Saracens don’t need stopping points. They make their own camps and they always know how to find water or shelter if they need it. The Incense Road is not a Roman road — it twists and turns and in parts almost disappears. Anyway, there’s a tower used as a tax post where we leave the Via Traiana. We may be able to get some information there.’
Indavara and Simo had tied their reins around a nearby rock. Cassius wandered over and looked on as they ignored their horses in favour of Patch.
‘How’s your friend?’
‘Not himself today, sir,’ said Simo.
‘How can you tell?’