There was a strange atmosphere, bursts of sound here and there from outside. The rise
and fall of voices were the voices of free men, masters, in whose presence he had never been allowed before.
Narsis whispered, ‘It’s been like that all morning. No one knows what’s happening. There are rumours—there have been soldiers in the palace. Astacos said he saw soldiers speaking with Adrastus, asking for the names of all the slaves who belonged to Damianos. Everyone wearing a lion pin was taken away. That’s where we thought you’d be. Not here with us.’
‘But where are we? Why have we—why have we been brought here?’
‘You don’t know? We’re being sent across the water. There are twelve of us, and twelve from the female training quarters.’
‘To Isthima?’
‘No, along the coast, to Vere.’
For a moment it seemed that the outside sounds grew louder. There was a distant metallic clash that he couldn’t interpret. Another. He looked for answers to Narsis and saw his confused expression. It occurred to him, stupidly, that Kallias would know what was happening, that he should ask Kallias, and that was when the screams began.