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Indavara. One man – the younger and taller of the two – was bearded and well-built. Given his appearance, Capito had chosen to characterise him as a barbarian, equipping him with a heavy double-bladed wood axe. He remained defiant, shaking his fist and cursing at the crowd. The other man already looked beaten. Bony and slight, he could barely raise his eyes from the ground. The iron spear he held in both hands was dragging in the dirt. Indavara named the criminals Axe and Spear.
    A weak cheer greeted the arrival of Bonosus and three of his guards. All now wore full military-style armour and heavy bronze helmets; and they were armed with seven-foot cavalry lances. With such weaponry and protection, the four of them could take on any animal or gladiator; as well as deter any thoughts of escape.
    Indavara had resolved to make no such attempt. Even in the unlikely event that he could clear the arena, his face was so well known within the city that he would be picked up again in hours. He would not waste either mental or physical energy on false hope; he knew how Capito’s mind worked, and he knew he would face his greatest ever challenge this day. He had accepted his fate.
    Bonosus stepped into his line of sight and gestured towards the barrel. Indavara glanced across at Axe and Spear, now deep in conversation on the other side of the bridge. Axe was doing most of the talking. Judging by their body language, Indavara guessed they didn’t know each other. That was good. He walked over to the barrel and looked inside, and at first he thought it was empty. Only when he leaned over the edge and reached into the shadowy depths did he realise there was something at the bottom. It turned out to be a tiny dagger: little more than a three-inch blade sandwiched between two lengths of wood. It looked like the kind of home-made weapon a boy might carry.
    Bonosus made no attempt to hide his amusement as Indavara stared disbelievingly down at the blade. The chief guard then signalled to the criminals to raise their weapons. Spear just about managed to get his in the air. Axe, however, spun the weapon around his head with some aplomb. Bonosus indicated that it was Indavara’s turn.
    Shaking his head, Indavara held up the blade, unsure if the crowd would even be able to see it. The immediate chorus of booing suggested they had. Bonosus and the other guards withdrew to form a perimeter around the box.
    Maesa’s expression suggested he shared the crowd’s opinion but he nonetheless waved to Indavara and mouthed: ‘Ready?’
    Indavara nodded.
    The centurion ignored the criminals and faced the podium. ‘It is time! Time for the first clash of this contest! Let the battle begin!’
    Axe and Spear looked across at the man they would have to kill, then at each other.
    Indavara moved up to the box and saw that the interior hadn’t been changed. Fixed to the base were hundreds of pointed objects spaced about five inches apart: sword blades and spear-tips, shards of glass and upturned nails. Indavara had seen several men perish by falling from the bridge and none of them had died quickly. Close to the base were gaps in the wood to drain the blood out.
    He examined the knife again. Despite the ridiculous size, it was well-made. If he could get close enough, he could kill with it. Bonosus sent two of his men towards Indavara but he didn’t need any encouragement; experience would favour him on the bridge. Two strides and a neat leap carried him up on to the steps and prompted a burst of applause.
    Bonosus and another of his men moved towards Spear. He looked all set to protest but then Axe stepped in front of him. With a word to Spear, he held the weapon in one hand and climbed up the steps on to the bridge. The crowd reaction was mixed. Some commended his bravery, others mocked his arrogance. Spear walked away to Indavara’s left, around the corner of the box.
    So that was to be their tactic: to attack him from two sides. He started across the