Tarquinius was lost for words. For him, reaching Alexandria was the culmination of a lifetime’s expectations. All those years before, Olenus had been correct. It was overwhelming – and frightening. Tarquinius felt as if fate were rushing in on him.

‘A magnificent sight, eh?’ cried Hiero. ‘Practically every street is wider than the biggest in Rome, and the buildings are made of white marble. And then there’s the lighthouse. Ten times taller than any house you’ve ever seen, yet it was built over two hundred years ago.’

‘Don’t forget the library,’ said the haruspex. ‘It’s the largest in the world.’

‘And?’ The bestiarius waved a dismissive hand. ‘What do I need with all that ancient learning?’

Tarquinius laughed. ‘You might not read it, but others do. Scholars come from far and wide to study here. There are books on mathematics, medicine and geography which cannot be found anywhere else.’

Hiero’s eyebrows rose in surprise. The slight, blond-haired man was constantly revealing new qualities. He and Romulus were obviously well educated, which had made their company far more appealing than that of Gracchus or any of his other employees. It was part of the reason that the bestiarius found himself discussing what to do with two strangers. They had spent long hours together on the journey, during which a certain level of trust had developed between them. Hiero had also come to fear Tarquinius a little, although he could not explain why.

‘Look,’ said Romulus.

A fine stream of smoke was rising into the air above the centre of the city.

‘That’s no household fire,’ breathed the bestiarius. ‘A large funeral pyre, perhaps?’

‘No,’ answered Tarquinius. ‘There’s a battle going on.’

Romulus stared in shock. This was most unexpected.

‘How could you know?’ Hiero demanded. He had seen no need to mention the civil war between Ptolemy and his sister Cleopatra, and his slaves knew little of such affairs.

‘It is written in the sky overhead,’ said the haruspex.

Unusually bereft of words, the old man’s mouth opened and closed.

Romulus hid a smile.

‘You’re a soothsayer?’

Tarquinius inclined his head.

Hiero looked aggrieved. ‘You never mentioned it before.’

Tarquinius’ dark eyes bored into the bestiarius. ‘I saw no need.’

Hiero swallowed noisily. ‘As you say.’

‘Who’s fighting?’ asked Romulus.

‘There’s been trouble recently between the king and his sister,’ interrupted Hiero, anxious to retain control. ‘It’s probably just some rioting. Nothing to worry about.’

Romulus studied the sky over the city. There was something there. A different air, was it? He wasn’t sure, but a bad feeling entered his mind and he looked away.

‘But foreign troops are involved,’ said Tarquinius.

‘Greek or Judaean mercenaries,’ Hiero responded triumphantly. ‘They’re commonly used in Egypt.’

‘No.’

Cowed by the haruspex’ ominous tone, Hiero fell silent.

‘I see legionaries, thousands of them.’

His countrymen, here? Romulus wanted to shout out loud with joy. ‘Romans fighting Egyptians?’ he cried.

Tarquinius nodded. ‘They are hard pressed, too. Badly outnumbered.’

Romulus was amazed by the strong urge to help that overcame him. Before, he would not have particularly cared what happened to Rome’s citizens, or its troops. After all, they cared little for slaves. But life had changed him. He was an adult now, bound to no one. Surviving constant and bloody combat as a gladiator, soldier and pirate had given Romulus an unshakeable belief in himself.

And helped me realise what I am, he thought proudly. I am a Roman. Not a slave. And my father is a nobleman.

Beside him, unnoticed, Tarquinius looked on in approval.

Romulus sighed. It was pointless thinking like that. Without proof of his status as a citizen, he would always be open to the charge of being a slave. The tattoo of Mithras on his upper right arm could not entirely conceal the scar where his brand had been. All it would take was an accusation from someone like Novius. No doubt there would be plenty of men like him among the beleaguered soldiers within the city. Romulus’ new-found confidence soured. ‘What are they doing here?’ he asked.

‘Could the Roman civil war have spread this far?’ the bestiarius asked, stroking his beard.

‘Possibly,’ replied the haruspex. ‘But there is no wind, so the smoke is rising in a straight line. I cannot tell much.’

There was a long silence as they pondered the significance of Tarquinius’ words. Naturally, Hiero was very unhappy. It was he who stood to lose out if normal port business had been affected by any trouble in the city. Yet the presence of Roman soldiers in Alexandria affected them all. Romulus and Tarquinius needed a vessel that would carry them to Italy. They didn’t want to attract any untoward attention.

His mind working overtime, the bestiarius spoke first. ‘Are they Pompey’s men, or Caesar’s?’

Tarquinius frowned. ‘Somehow I sense the presence of both men in the city. The struggle is not over yet.’

‘Who cares?’ remarked Romulus angrily. ‘Let’s wait here until it all calms down. We have supplies, and water. There’s no need to rush in and get ourselves killed. Normal trading will resume as soon as the dust has settled.’ With plenty of maritime experience, the friends would have little problem finding a ship home. The fact that they had been part of the bestiarius’ expedition would make them even more valuable as crew to any captain with intentions of carrying wild animals. And by concealing their armour and weapons, it would be easy enough to avoid unwanted scrutiny.

At this, Hiero grew agitated. ‘I can’t sit here like a fool. Do you have any idea of how much food those beasts consume every day?’ he demanded. ‘If Tarquinius is correct, the best policy might be to move on. Journey to another port.’

‘There is another option,’ said Tarquinius.

They both turned to him.

‘Wait until it gets dark and then check it out for ourselves.’

Romulus began to feel uneasy, but Hiero’s face grew eager.

‘We could reconnoitre the situation. Talk to the locals.’

‘That sounds risky,’ challenged Romulus. Relations between him and Tarquinius were still strained thanks to the haruspex’ repeated refusals to explain why he had left Italy.

‘For seven years we have lived and breathed constant danger,’ Tarquinius answered calmly. ‘And yet here we are.’

Romulus feared the faraway look in Tarquinius’ eyes. ‘Carrhae and Margiana just happened though,’ he cried. ‘We had to deal with those situations as they happened. This can be avoided!’

‘My destiny is to enter Alexandria, Romulus,’ said Tarquinius solemnly. ‘I cannot turn away now.’

Hiero’s gaze switched eagerly from one to the other, fascinated.

Romulus felt unhappy at the prospect of walking into an unfamiliar city that was at war. And the air currents he had seen over Alexandria were full of dark possibilities. He stared at Tarquinius, whose face was set. It was futile to argue with him. Unwilling to look again at the sky over the city himself, Romulus hung his head. Mithras, protect us, he prayed. Jupiter, do not forget your faithful servants.

Hiero was oblivious to the deep emotions flowing between them. ‘Good,’ he proclaimed. ‘I can think of no better men for the job.’

Neither Tarquinius nor Romulus replied. The former had fallen deep into thought. The latter was struggling to control his fears.

Alexandria awaited.

The couple’s rooms were large and airy, the floors covered with thick carpets, the furniture made of ebony and inlaid with silver. Long, column-filled and painted corridors led to a succession of similar chambers interspersed with courtyards and gardens. These last were filled with fountains and statues of the bizarre Egyptian gods. Everywhere the windows afforded stunning views of the Pharos, the lighthouse. Even these could not make Fabiola like Alexandria. Egypt was an alien place, full of strange people and customs. The pale-skinned servants who bowed and scraped obsequiously were driving her to distraction. And luxurious surroundings could only do so much to dispel her claustrophobia. After weeks of being cooped up indoors, she was struggling not to despair. Nor could she go on avoiding Caesar for ever.