Symeon grunted with pain and clapped his spare hand to the wound, raising it up red and dripping a moment later.

Macro winced and turned his head carefully towards Cato. 'Not good.'

Keeping his eyes fixed on Symeon, Bannus called out mockingly, 'Romans! Your friend is too old, too slow. It will be over soon. Better take your leave of each other now.'

Symeon appeared to sway a little and Cato swallowed nervously. Then with what seemed an effort, Symeon lowered himself into a fighting crouch again and gestured to Bannus to come at him.'If you think you can beat me.'

'Only too happy to oblige.' Now Bannus moved in to attack in a neatly worked sequence that Symeon met with an equally accomplished series of parries and blocks, but at the end of the attack, as Bannus drew off, Symeon was breathing heavily and blinking his eyes. Cato felt a sick sense of resignation as he saw the blood flowing freely from Symeon's wound and dropping to the ground to soak into the red sand.

'How much longer can you last, old friend?' Bannus moved his blade from side to side, keeping his distance from Symeon as he continued his taunts.'You're bleeding to death, steadily weakening. I just have to bide my time, make a few more cuts, and then it is over.You're dead, and Yusef is mine. Just as I defeat you, so I will defeat Rome one day.'

'No!' Symeon roared, and lumbered forward, his blade flashing yellow and red in the firelight as he slashed at his enemy's head. There was little finesse in his attack, just sheer brute force as he beat away at Bannus' sword. Bannus, grim-faced, nimbly warded off the blows and stepped lightly aside, scrambling back as Symeon paused for breath, panting hoarsely.

'You've had your chance,' Bannus said coldly.'And I'm tired of playing with you. Now it's time to end this. Goodbye, Symeon.' The last words were snarled through gritted teeth as he charged at Symeon.There was a flurry of blows and each was parried with a scrape of steel as Symeon found it more and more difficult to defend himself. Then Bannus suddenly jumped to one side and cut down viciously. The edge of his blade cut deep into Symeon's sword arm and his fingers went limp. The sword dangled a moment then hit the sand with a dull thump.

Symeon did not cry out but bit his teeth together and moaned deep inside his chest. Bannus stood over him, sword raised and a triumphant sneer on his lips.'It's ended just as I knew it would. Now it's time for you to join Jehoshua.' He stepped forward and raised his sword. Cato leaned his head back and shut his eyes. Macro stared ahead with steely contempt for his imminent death.

As the sword blade poised over Symeon's head there was a sudden explosion of movement. Symeon's good hand snatched the dagger from Bannus' belt, and the blade turned up as it rose, in one fluid movement. It was over so quickly that the first Macro was aware of it was when he saw the hilt of the dagger under Bannus' chin and the red spike of its point where it had burst through the top of his skull. Bannus stood for a moment with a stunned expression on his face, mouth slightly agape. Then his arms slumped down and the sword dropped from his lifeless hands and he collapsed by the fire, his legs kicking once in a wild spasm.

For a moment all was still, then Symeon rose unsteadily to his feet and looked down at Bannus. 'As I said.You talk too much.'

Cato opened his eyes, surprised that he was still alive. Then he saw Bannus sprawled at the feet of Symeon. 'What happened?'

Macro glanced at him. 'You missed that? Sometimes I despair at you, lad.' Then he looked round at the Bedu warriors behind him, put his finger gently against the blade still at his throat, and eased it to one side, with a smile. 'If you don't bloody mind, that is?'

The Bedu warriors moved away from them and Macro and Cato hurried across to Symeon, who was swaying now. They eased him down on to the sand and Cato tore strips from Bannus' tunic. The wounds looked clean by the light of the fire and the Romans bound Symeon's wounds. Yusef watched from his original position, still shaken by what he had just witnessed, and all that he had endured over the days since he had been taken from his people. As soon as he had finished bandaging Symeon, Cato took the bedroll from Bannus' saddle and wrapped it round the boy's shoulders.

Now that their entertainment was done, the Bedu largely ignored them and set about preparing their camp for the night. They cooked a meal over the fire and the leader beckoned the others to join them and share their food. Symeon was given pride of place and the Bedu warriors talked animatedly to him about the fight until he was too weak to continue, and begged them to let him sleep. Cato made up his bedroll and helped Symeon down and then covered him with a cloak to keep him warm once the fire died down. He did the same for the boy and then sat with Macro staring across the flames at the Bedu warriors.

For a long time Macro said nothing, and then he finally muttered,'That was close. Closest I've ever come to thinking I'd actually die.' He turned to his friend. 'Don't mind telling you, it scared the shit out of me.'

'You scared?' Cato chuckled. 'I don't believe it.'

'It's no joke, Cato. Seriously, no joke.' He turned to look at Symeon. Yusef had shuffled his bedroll closer to the wounded man and was resting his head against Symeon's uninjured side. 'That Symeon's a bloody marvel. Must have taken nerves of steel to wait for his chance like that. The problem of course is that he saved our lives.'

Cato could not hide his astonishment. 'That's a problem?'

'Oh yes. It means that now I owe him a favour.'

The Bedu had gone when Cato woke first the next morning. Only the faint impressions in the sand and the half buried mounds of camel dung remained to show they had camped there for the night. They had pilfered Bannus' belongings and the casket that he had taken from Miriam lay open on the sand. A length of white cloth, with dark stains that might have been blood, spilled over the lid of the casket and a plain glazed cup lay a short distance away. Cato folded the shroud carefully and put it back in the casket, placing the cup safely in between layers of the material before he shut the casket and fastened the latch. The fire was dead and the ashes were no longer even warm. Bannus' body lay where it had fallen, and Cato dragged it away behind the bushes and buried it before the others were awake. Macro stirred next, sat up abruptly and looked round for the Bedu.

'Gone! How the hell did they do that?'

'You're not exactly a light sleeper.'

'Very funny. Where's Bannus?'

Cato jerked his thumb towards the bushes. 'Out of sight and out of mind. Where he belongs.'

Symeon's wounds felt stiff and he had to be helped into the saddle as they prepared to ride out of Rhum. Yusef insisted on riding the same horse that had carried him to this place. He took the reins and looked round at Cato. 'Where are we going?'

'Home.' Cato smiled. 'We're taking you home.'

07 The Eagle In the Sand