The Black Stone (26 page)

‘Exactly how many sons does this Zaara-Kitar have?’ asked Cassius.

‘Three, I think.’

Another man jumped down.

‘Ah,’ added Ulixes, ‘maybe four.’

‘You’re a brave man,’ said the new arrival in Greek, ‘walking around in daylight. Thought you were safe after all these months, did you? You should know our mother never forgets a debt.’

‘Now listen. I can get the money, I just need a little more time.’

‘You’re out of time.’

Cassius looked at Indavara, who was standing closest to the third and fourth enforcers. The second man had been delayed by a misbehaving donkey but would be there in moments. Indavara nodded.

Cassius pushed Ulixes away along the street. ‘Run!’

The gambler did so.

‘Simo, come on!’

Without waiting to see what would develop behind him, Cassius sprang away after Ulixes. Ahead of them, the first enforcer shoved a lad out of his way and drew his knife: half a yard of honed, glittering steel.

Indavara waited for the third man to move and had time to execute the trip perfectly. He caught his trailing leg in midair and had already grabbed the fourth enforcer before his brother hit the ground.

As he tried to wrench himself free, Indavara got both hands on his tunic and slammed him into the side of the cart. To his credit, the enforcer stayed on his feet and even tried to reach for his blade. But Indavara still had hold of him, and this time he threw him to his right. Hair whipping through the air, the enforcer sailed clean over a barrel and crashed head first into a rickety stall, showering the vendor with onions and ginger.

Cassius watched Ulixes snatch a big wicker basket and heave it at the first enforcer. It struck him on the chest and sent him sprawling onto a pile of empty sacks. But as Ulixes charged past, he stuck out a leg.

The gambler fell flat on his face. Cassius would have helped him up but he was more worried about the enforcer, who was trying to wrench his knife-arm free from the basket. Swiftly deciding he wasn’t going to get the blade out, he let go and pushed the basket aside. As Ulixes got to his knees, the Arabian scrambled over and grabbed him around the neck.

Cassius and Simo stood there, watching. Cassius knew he should probably help, he just hadn’t decided quite how.

Indavara’s attention was now on the second brother, but when he heard the man on the ground behind him getting up, he drove a kick back at him without looking. His boot hit something and he heard the enforcer groan then strike the ground once more.

His brother was already cursing as he approached, knife up and angled at his foe.

‘Sure you want that kind of fight?’ said Indavara, knowing he couldn’t match the weapon with his little dagger.

‘Absolutely.’

Indavara backed along the side of the cart past the downed man, who was still struggling. The one he had thrown into the stall, however, was already back on his feet. Knife in hand, he took up a position beside his brother.

Cassius grabbed the first enforcer and tried to pull him off, but succeeded only in ripping his tunic. Still grappling with Ulixes, the man lashed out, his elbow catching Cassius on the jaw. Cassius staggered several yards backwards, then tripped and fell onto another pile of sacks. Rubbing his jaw, he found himself enveloped by a cloud of something. Suddenly his eyes and throat were burning. He looked down and saw a fine grey powder covering the ground. Pepper.

He raised his hands to defend himself but then realised the large, blurry figure coming towards him was Simo.

‘Leave me. Help Ulixes – we need him!’

Indavara had backed past the cart and past the horses. Fortunately, the driver was too preoccupied with calming the animals to join the fight. The two enforcers stopped to help their brother up. He pulled out his knife with a shaky hand and lurched after them.

All the buyers and sellers had scattered, though some were shouting at the combatants. Still facing his enemies, Indavara withdrew into the mass of barrels and amphoras, looking around for a better weapon. One of the brothers said something and the men spread out, trying to surround him.

Ten yards away, Cassius blundered forward, snot dripping from his nose, eyes streaming. Simo had succeeded in pulling the enforcer off Ulixes and was stubbornly refusing to let go as the man reined blows down on his shoulders and head. Ulixes was still down.

‘That’s it, Simo,’ cried Cassius. ‘Hold him!’

Surprised by how enraged he was to see the peaceful attendant being struck, Cassius picked up an empty amphora. Wiping his eyes with his tunic sleeve to make sure he hit the right man, he brought the amphora down on the enforcer’s head. It smashed into hundreds of pieces, several of which stuck in the man’s long hair. Expecting him to drop to the ground, Cassius was surprised to see him shake his head, let go of Simo then turn around.

Cassius suddenly remembered how Indavara had handled an uncooperative individual in Antioch. Before his enemy could strike, he formed a fist with his right hand and punched the man on the ear.

‘Ow!’

The enforcer crumpled. Cassius felt a grin form on his face as he helped Ulixes up.

Still retreating, Indavara had just stopped by an old woman’s stall. Next to her set of iron scales was a box containing weights. He took out the largest one he could see but it was little more than a marble.

As the enforcers closed in, one of them laughed.

‘Try these,’ said the old woman, lifting a heavy box up from behind the stall.

‘Stay out of it, hag,’ spat one of the brothers.

‘Up yours!’ yelled the old woman. ‘You bullies think you run Petra – it’s good to see you get your arses kicked for a change.’

‘Thanks,’ said Indavara, grabbing a weight that almost filled his hand. He took aim at the closest man and let fly. The iron ball hit the enforcer on the chest with a loud crack. He initially seemed unaffected, but then sank to his knees, teeth grinding.

‘Who’s next?’

One took up the invitation by leaping over a row of amphoras and charging. Indavara couldn’t miss. This weight was even heavier and struck his foe on the thigh. The shock of the impact caused the enforcer to drop his knife and lose his footing. He careened past Indavara and into the stall. The old woman chuckled as a tray of something green and leafy landed on his head.

Indavara drew his dagger and moved into a small circle of open space. The last man came on, crouching low, knife out in front of him. Indavara stood his ground and looked over the Arabian’s shoulder.

The enforcer smiled smugly. ‘You don’t expect me to fall for that, do you?’

‘Up to you.’

Cassius had plenty of time to line his second victim up and punch his ear. This time, however, the result was somewhat different.

The man cried out but recovered quickly and launched a wild swing at his assailant.

Cassius saw the blade flashing towards him but it never arrived.

As Indavara’s elbow connected with his head, the enforcer dropped like a stone, the knife clattering to the ground between Cassius’s feet.

He was still standing there, wide eyed and shaking, when Indavara grabbed his arm and guided him towards the street. ‘What was
that
?’

‘Just trying to help.’

‘Didn’t ask for it, didn’t need it. Come on.’

‘Well done, young man!’ cried the old woman.

‘Ah, shit,’ said Indavara as they neared the street.

Simo was standing just in front of the cart, looking on helplessly.

There was a man standing behind Ulixes: white sleeveless tunic, long hair, black sash. He was holding a knife to his captive’s throat.

‘Sorry,’ said the gambler as Cassius and Indavara approached. ‘I forgot. There are five.’

The atmosphere inside the cart was rather tense. Cassius, Indavara, Simo and Ulixes sat on one side, three of the brothers on the other – all still holding their knives. The man Indavara had elbowed in the head was struggling to keep his eyes aiming in the same direction, the second kept checking his ear, and the third looked as if he were about to be sick.

‘Could have sworn there were four,’ murmured Ulixes.

One of their captors yelled something in Nabatean and jabbed his blade at him. Cassius didn’t particularly enjoy getting a close look at the sharpened steel but he couldn’t help admiring the handle; embedded in the ivory grip were a sapphire, a ruby and an emerald.

When the enforcer eventually leaned back, Cassius glanced at the others. Simo was mouthing prayers to himself. Indavara was looking out of the back of the cart. The brothers had pulled down the covers but there was a narrow gap in the middle.

After a while, they halted briefly and Cassius noticed a section of pink rock outside. They’d been on the move for at least a quarter of an hour and he could no longer hear the noise of Petra’s busy centre. The cart then headed up a steep, twisting incline, the driver berating the horses while the vehicle rattled and the iron-rimmed wheels squeaked.

When the ground eventually levelled out, they stopped. Two of the brothers guarded their charges while the third tied the coverings back and climbed down.

‘Move it!’ he ordered. ‘One at a time.’

Cassius was last out behind Indavara, who was already receiving special attention: a blade pressed against his neck.

They were on one side of a wide courtyard. In the middle of the space was an impressive fountain topped by a fine bronze Venus. The goddess seemed to be looking into the adjacent garden, where more statues poked up out of a sea of pale green fig trees and snowy almond blossom.

‘Over here,’ said one of the brothers, nodding towards the fountain. Cassius noted that he was not only the oldest but also the first man he’d attacked. The ear still looked red, even with his brown skin.

As he followed him, Cassius caught his first sight of the villa. Built in the shadow of another immense rock face, the building wasn’t particularly large but every wall was coated in dazzling white paint, the marble columns veined with silver and gold. Three male attendants filed out of the main door. Two went to help the driver with the horses while a third listened to some instructions from the older brother then trotted back inside.

The five enforcers lined the captives up in front of the fountain, facing the house. Cassius now saw that the family resemblance went far beyond the long black hair. Little more than an inch or two in height separated them and they all possessed the same muscular build, heavy brow and deep-set eyes. The eldest brother approached Cassius, knife at the ready.

‘Kushara, don’t do anything hasty,’ said Ulixes. ‘Remember it was
you
that jumped
us
.’

One of the other brothers darted forward and tickled Ulixes’s chin with his knife. ‘Shut up or I’ll skewer your tongue to the top of your mouth.’

Ulixes obeyed.

When Kushara got within a yard of Cassius, Indavara stepped in front of him.

The enforcer stopped, knife close to the bodyguard’s belly. ‘Move.’

Indavara did not.

‘Kush!’ The female voice came from the villa. Cassius looked but could see no one. She shouted a few more words in Nabatean and Kushara reluctantly withdrew.

He spat at Indavara’s feet then waved his blade at the front door.

‘Inside.’

If anything, the villa’s interior was even more luxurious than the exterior, the atrium stuffed with well-polished furniture, exotic glassware and a spectacular set of wall paintings. The artist – or perhaps the owner – seemed to have a preference for birds and cherubs. Even the floor was ostentatious; hexagonal stones coloured blue and green.

Cassius, Simo, Indavara and Ulixes sat together on a long couch. The other four brothers had disappeared but on the couch opposite were Kushara and a bulky, middle-aged man who was missing virtually all his teeth. Attached to the other end of the studded leash in his hand was quite possibly the largest dog Cassius had ever seen.

‘Molossus,’ he whispered to Simo.

‘Sir?’

‘Used for hunting wolves.’

It was essentially an oversize mastiff; hugely powerful in the shoulders and neck with pale fur and a fleshy black muzzle. Cassius wasn’t fooled by its dopey expression.