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the garrison quarters such a long time. Are you not supposed to be traveling in search of the Messiah?”
    Abishag’s eyes grew round as she gasped, “What do you know of our mission to find the Messiah?”
    The rat sat upon his haunches and picked up his tail with one paw, smoothing and caressing it with the other.
    â€œI know everything, my kitten. You must remember I heard you and the old cat, whispering and planning secretly while the others slept, unknowing and unworried.”
    â€œWhat do you mean? We had no secret plans.”
    Asmodeus snickered. “No? You did not tell them of the hunger, the bad weather, and the dangers they would be facing, did you? Nor did you tell them they might not ever eturn home.”

    The small black cat shivered. His tone of voice was insinuating, evil. It made her fur feel as if something had brushed it the wrong way. She drew a breath and deliberately began washing her paw again to give herself time to think. I am sure my foster sister and brother knew of the terrible dangers we would all face as we traveled. Ptolemy did not try to hide anything from us. We felt we were indeed chosen by a greater power than we to make this journey.
    â€œIsn’t it peculiar the old cat, that devout religious scholar, did not come with you? Did he know the odds of three unsophisticated cats—such young, naive ones—succeeding, especially without a wiser head to guide you? I would assume his paws would be first upon the path; that is, if he believed his own words about the prophecies.”
    She narrowed her eyes. “Ptolemy could not accompany us because he has to care for the old astronomer. He would gladly have come with us otherwise.”
    Asmodeus draped his ugly, broken tail over his forepaw as if it were a toga. He looked at it instead of at Abishag, continuing, “Such loyalty is touching. It warms my heart to hear you speak so highly of the old cat. He will be gratified when I speak to him of your steadfastness.”
    Abishag snorted. “Ptolemy won’t listen to anything you have to say. Now leave before I pounce on you.”
    With a smile that merely stretched the corners of his mouth, Asmodeus edged close to the cat and leaned toward her ear. “He will hear what I have to say to him if I am the only one who returns.” The rat slipped into the shadows under the trees once again.
    Rising to her feet, Abishag stretched and yawned, doing her best to appear unconcerned in case the wily rat was still watching. Her tail up and her head high, she calmly walked back to Gracus’s quarters. The other two cats would not know of the worries the rat’s whispers had caused to reappear, nor how fast her little heart was beating.

8
    A NOTHER TWO WEEKS passed. Gracus purchased Polla and then moved them all into larger quarters, stolidly enduring the good-natured ribbing of his men.
    They had been at the garrison headquarters now for seven weeks. Ira’s leg was healed and strong once again even though the long bone was crooked. “As long as it doesn’t keep me from marching with the men, I don’t care,” he told his foster sisters. Kezia rolled her eyes.
    â€œI don’t think anyone would mistake you for a Roman soldier, Ira,” she told him, cuffing him lightly with her paw. She settled herself in their basket again and yawned.
    Gracus suddenly appeared in the doorway. Polla looked up from laboriously stitching a tunica for him and smiled.
    â€œYou have received your new orders, master,” she stated, judging circumstances from the look upon his face.
    â€œI have, and we go to the harbor in two days, to sail for Tyre. From there I shall proceed to Zeugma, to assist in training men for the legions in Anatolia. That may assist my career exceedingly, for those eight legions are responsible for guarding the trade routes to the far lands and protecting our eastern borders.”
    â€œWhat is this Tyre?” Polla