head, causing his heavy breathing to increase. I hoped he would not have a heart attack before our negotiations were concluded.
He nodded to Harrise who waved forward Rasha. Haytham’s daughter looked sullen as she halted next to the gilded chariot.
‘Did they mistreat you, Rasha?’ I asked.
‘No, but they stole Asad from me.’
Asad was a fine young stallion that had been given to her by her father. I pointed at Mark Antony sitting on his horse.
‘You see that we have allowed our prisoner to retain his horse, lord king. I would ask you to reciprocate the courtesy with regard to your captive.’
The king screwed up his giant nose but ordered Harrise to get Rasha’s horse. While we waited one of his slave attendants rushed forward and dabbed the sweat-covered royal forehead with a towel.
The king smiled at me. ‘This heat is intolerable.’
‘Indeed, lord king. Far better for all of us to be relaxing in our palaces rather than fighting each other in this bleak desert.’
My words made him uncomfortable and he fidgeted with his plump, ring-adorned fingers while what seemed like an eternity passed before one of his horseman came trotting up with Asad in tow. Rasha whooped with delight as he was brought to her and she vaulted into the saddle, though her guard stood before the horse gripping its reins to deter her from riding away. I waved Mark Antony forward and the guard stood aside. Rasha nudged Asad as the Roman commander halted beside me.
He offered his hand. ‘Thank you for your hospitality, King Pacorus.’
I shook his hand, much to the disgust of Gallia. ‘The pleasure has been mine. I pray that you will return to Rome safely, Mark Antony.’
He walked his horse forward, passing Rasha who rode to Gallia’s side to embrace my wife.
Sampsiceramus clapped his hands. ‘All’s well that ends well.’ He gave Mark Antony a sideways glance. ‘You may retire to the rear, out of our presence.’
Antony gave him a disparaging look before riding away, while Sampsiceramus tapped his driver on the shoulder to follow him.
‘Just a moment, lord king,’ I called.
Harrise frowned and the king registered surprise.
‘Have not the terms of the exchange been met, King Pacorus?’
‘They have, lord king, but there is another matter I wish to raise.’
‘Oh?’
‘The withdrawal of your army from King Haytham’s territory.’
‘That is between me and Haytham,’ he replied haughtily.
‘I am a friend and ally of King Haytham. I consider any aggression against him to also be an assault against me.’
Sampsiceramus became flustered. ‘I make no war upon Dura, not at all.’
‘By marching your army into my friend’s kingdom you do so.’
‘I have returned Haytham’s daughter as I agreed to do.’
‘If I ride back to Haytham without your promise to return back to Emesa he will recommence hostilities. You can see the great advantage he has in numbers, and tomorrow these will increase when Dura’s army arrives.’
His eyes bulged and he swallowed and I knew I had him. ‘Dura’s army?’
‘Yes, lord king, for I am pledged to fight alongside my ally. As we speak,’ I bluffed, ‘my legions and heavy horsemen are marching towards this place, fresh from their victories in the east and eager to add more glory to their already fearsome reputation.’
The gossip that was carried by the trade caravans would have told of our great victory at Susa, of the death of Narses and the toppling of Mithridates, who anyhow was at Antioch as a guest of the Romans. As he fidgeted with his hands once more I could tell that he was very agitated. As he looked at me and then at Harrise, the parasol above his head moved slightly, allowing the sun’s rays to fall on part of the king’s head. Sampsiceramus looked daggers at the black slave who held the sunshade and then smiled devilishly as the guard lashed his back with the whip. The slave flinched in agony as the leather cut into his flesh and again the parasol
He nodded to Harrise who waved forward Rasha. Haytham’s daughter looked sullen as she halted next to the gilded chariot.
‘Did they mistreat you, Rasha?’ I asked.
‘No, but they stole Asad from me.’
Asad was a fine young stallion that had been given to her by her father. I pointed at Mark Antony sitting on his horse.
‘You see that we have allowed our prisoner to retain his horse, lord king. I would ask you to reciprocate the courtesy with regard to your captive.’
The king screwed up his giant nose but ordered Harrise to get Rasha’s horse. While we waited one of his slave attendants rushed forward and dabbed the sweat-covered royal forehead with a towel.
The king smiled at me. ‘This heat is intolerable.’
‘Indeed, lord king. Far better for all of us to be relaxing in our palaces rather than fighting each other in this bleak desert.’
My words made him uncomfortable and he fidgeted with his plump, ring-adorned fingers while what seemed like an eternity passed before one of his horseman came trotting up with Asad in tow. Rasha whooped with delight as he was brought to her and she vaulted into the saddle, though her guard stood before the horse gripping its reins to deter her from riding away. I waved Mark Antony forward and the guard stood aside. Rasha nudged Asad as the Roman commander halted beside me.
He offered his hand. ‘Thank you for your hospitality, King Pacorus.’
I shook his hand, much to the disgust of Gallia. ‘The pleasure has been mine. I pray that you will return to Rome safely, Mark Antony.’
He walked his horse forward, passing Rasha who rode to Gallia’s side to embrace my wife.
Sampsiceramus clapped his hands. ‘All’s well that ends well.’ He gave Mark Antony a sideways glance. ‘You may retire to the rear, out of our presence.’
Antony gave him a disparaging look before riding away, while Sampsiceramus tapped his driver on the shoulder to follow him.
‘Just a moment, lord king,’ I called.
Harrise frowned and the king registered surprise.
‘Have not the terms of the exchange been met, King Pacorus?’
‘They have, lord king, but there is another matter I wish to raise.’
‘Oh?’
‘The withdrawal of your army from King Haytham’s territory.’
‘That is between me and Haytham,’ he replied haughtily.
‘I am a friend and ally of King Haytham. I consider any aggression against him to also be an assault against me.’
Sampsiceramus became flustered. ‘I make no war upon Dura, not at all.’
‘By marching your army into my friend’s kingdom you do so.’
‘I have returned Haytham’s daughter as I agreed to do.’
‘If I ride back to Haytham without your promise to return back to Emesa he will recommence hostilities. You can see the great advantage he has in numbers, and tomorrow these will increase when Dura’s army arrives.’
His eyes bulged and he swallowed and I knew I had him. ‘Dura’s army?’
‘Yes, lord king, for I am pledged to fight alongside my ally. As we speak,’ I bluffed, ‘my legions and heavy horsemen are marching towards this place, fresh from their victories in the east and eager to add more glory to their already fearsome reputation.’
The gossip that was carried by the trade caravans would have told of our great victory at Susa, of the death of Narses and the toppling of Mithridates, who anyhow was at Antioch as a guest of the Romans. As he fidgeted with his hands once more I could tell that he was very agitated. As he looked at me and then at Harrise, the parasol above his head moved slightly, allowing the sun’s rays to fall on part of the king’s head. Sampsiceramus looked daggers at the black slave who held the sunshade and then smiled devilishly as the guard lashed his back with the whip. The slave flinched in agony as the leather cut into his flesh and again the parasol
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