'What now, I wonder?' Cato said softly.

They stood in silence for a while, expecting the imminent arrival of the chamberlain and his retinue, but no one came, and the repetitive song of the bird continued to echo off the walls until Macro felt a compulsion to wring its neck and jam the carcass on a roasting spit. Fortunately for the songbird, the doors suddenly opened again and Symeon was shown into the room. He smiled at the sight of the two Romans.

'There! You look a lot more civilised.' He gave Macro a quick appraisal. 'Well, less like barbarians at least.'

'What's happening?' Macro asked. 'We've been waiting here for ages. Where's this bloody chamberlain?'

'He's been conferring with his advisers.The arrival of Bannus, and then you two, has created something of a difficult situation for the Nabataeans.'

'How so?'

Symeon glanced round before he lowered his voice and continued. 'One of the Parthians who entered the city with Bannus claims to be a prince of their royal household. If the Nabataeans continue to hold him prisoner, they risk offending Parthia. They've heard that the Parthians are massing forces close to Rome's Syrian frontier. If there's a war between Rome and Parthia, and Parthia wins, then Nabataea cannot afford for there to be any bad will between them. On the other hand, Bannus and his Parthian friend are responsible for attempting to launch a rebellion in Judaea. If the Nabataeans release this Parthian prince and his friend Bannus, they risk offending Rome.' Symeon paused to let it sink in. 'You can see the problem. At the moment they are trying to verify the Parthian's claim.'

'But that could take weeks.'

'Apparently not. Parthia sent an ambassador to the Nabataean king recently.They're at his palace on the Red Sea. The chamberlain has sent word to the King about the situation and asked that he return, with the ambassador, to Petra.'

'How long will that take?' asked Macro.

'Several days.'

Macro pressed his lips together to contain his frustration. 'I am not going to be stuck in that bloody cell for that long.You can tell that to your bloody chamberlain.'

At the sound of footsteps approaching Symeon glanced towards the door. 'I think you'll be able to tell him yourself.'

The doors opened again, and a small crowd entered the hall, in the wake of a tall thin man, richly dressed.The chamberlain's retinue of clerks and advisers took their positions on and around the dais. The chamberlain ignored Symeon and the two Romans until he had settled in his seat. Then he looked towards them and smiled an insincere politician's smile.

'I apologise for the inhospitable manner of your entry to our city.'

His Greek was cultured and flawless. He sounded more Greek than most Greeks, Cato decided as the chamberlain continued addressing them.

'Symeon has made representations to me that you be released into his custody for the duration of your stay in Petra. I will grant this, on the following conditions: first, that you swear an oath not to attempt to quit the city; second, that you confine your movements to the centre of Petra, and make no effort to reconnoitre our defences; third, that you avoid all contact with Bannus and his Parthian allies. If you encounter them in the street you will ignore them. Any breach of these conditions will result in your immediate reincarceration. '

'Reincar-what?' Macro muttered to Cato.

'They'll chuck us back in the cell.'

'Oh.'

The chamberlain looked at them. 'Are you willing to accept these conditions?'

Macro nodded. 'We are, sir.'

'Very well. Do I have your oath to abide by these conditions?'

'I swear it.'

'And your friend?'

'I swear it also,' Cato responded.

'Good! That is settled then. Bannus and the Parthian prince have sworn the same oath, so there will be no trouble between you while you are under our jurisdiction. 'There was no doubting the imperative undertone of his statement and the Roman officers nodded their assent.

'So, then,' the chamberlain continued. 'What is it that Rome would ask of the Nabataean kingdom, in respect of the present situation?'

Macro frowned as he tried to follow the gist of the chamberlain's words. Fortunately Cato had a firm grasp of Greek and was able to reply on their behalf. 'We want the safe return of the boy taken hostage by Bannus. We want the return of a casket that belongs to the boy's family, and we want Bannus.'

'And what of the Parthian prince?'

Cato looked to Macro for a decision. Macro opened his mouth, paused and then raised a finger.'Just a moment please, sir.' He turned to Cato and whispered, 'What do you think? Should we let that Parthian bastard off the hook?'

'I don't see what else we can do,' Cato replied, with a quick glance at the chamberlain who was clearly less than amused by Macro's informal request for an intermission. 'You heard what Symeon said. Nabataea dare not risk offending Parthia. For that matter, I doubt that the Emperor would want to present Parthia with any grievance against Rome. I'd say we drop any claim we have on him and concentrate our efforts on Bannus.'

Macro thought it over. It made sense in the circumstances, even though he was reluctant to lose his moral claim for revenge against the Parthian who shared the responsibility for the deaths of so many men of the Second Illyrian. He swallowed his anger and turned back to the chamberlain. 'We lay no claim on the Parthian.'

A visible ripple of relief swept through the Nabataean officials. The chamberlain gestured to one of the guards and spoke in their tongue. The guard bowed and turned to a side door. He opened it and beckoned to someone waiting outside. A moment later, Bannus entered the hall. He glanced round and for a moment there was no expression on his face as he caught sight of Symeon and the two Romans. Then his eyes narrowed slightly, betraying his bitter hatred.The chamberlain called out to him and indicated that he should stand to one side of the dais, some distance from his enemies.

'Bannus,' he began, 'these representatives of Rome demand that you are handed over to them.'

'No!' Bannus cried out. 'You must not betray me. I came here to ask for asylum. Is this how Nabataea treats its guests?'

'I do not recall extending an invitation to you,' the chamberlain replied with another of his smiles.'Therefore you are not our guest.'

'Nevertheless, I would ask you for shelter, for protection against a common enemy.'

'Enemy?'

'I speak of Rome.'

'We are not at war with Rome. They are not our enemy.'

'Yet they will be. Rome is not simply another kingdom. It is a contagion.They will never cease to covet the lands of others. If they would have my land, poor as it is, as a province of their empire, then how do you imagine they would look upon the wealth of Nabataea?'

The chamberlain did not reply. He spared Cato and Macro a quick glance before returning his attention to Bannus. 'What evidence do you have that Rome has any designs on Nabataea?'

'Evidence?' Bannus smiled. 'Why, all the evidence of history. There is not a land that they have conquered wherein they did not look across its frontier with a view to the next conquest. Their appetite for expansion is insatiable. Only when those peoples who are not yet under the Roman yoke realise their common danger will we be free of their tyranny. If you hand me over to them, then you betray all those who would defy Rome, and all those, in the fullness of time, who should defy Rome.'

'You refer, of course, to the kingdom of Nabataea.'

'I do.'

The chamberlain's staff looked at each other uneasily. But their master simply stared at the Judaean as he reflected on their exchange. At length, he turned to Macro and Cato. He frowned. 'Who speaks for you?'

Macro turned to Cato and spoke in an undertone. 'I can't keep up with this in Greek.You'll have to speak for us. But be careful, mind. Play it straight and don't try anything too clever. All we want is Bannus, the boy and that woman's casket.' He turned back to face the chamberlain. 'My companion Centurion Cato will speak for us.'