said the Roman when they sat behind a closed door. He stretched himself across one of the mattresses, boylike on his belly, and reached for a leather bottle of good wine. His grin leaped at the others. “Thus far, my friends, well done. Shall we pledge our mutual success?” Eodan opened his cloak and let the sword slide to his knees. His left arm was stiff and pained from holding the blade pressed to his ribs, hours at a time. He looked with sullen red eyes at his enemy and said: “No. I will pledge your ghost in your own blood, nothing else.” Phryne hugged her knees and stared from a drawn small face. “It is best that Flavius not leave this cabin all the voyage,” she said. “He can plead seasickness. Two of us must be with him at any time, awake.” “Oh, one will do,” said Eodan. His jaws felt rusty. “At least, if the other two are here, asleep but ready to be called.” “Bind him,”
