<DIV>The sequel to the brave and unflinchingly violent <i>Cast Not the Day</i>, this novel of friendship and betrayal in battle is Waters's most gripping work yet. <br><BR>355 AD: In a late-Roman world of ambitious bureaucrats and power-hungry courtiers, two young friends of the British nobility, Drusus and Marcellus, have fallen foul of the emperor's authority. Charged with treason, the emperor's dark and terrifying agent Paulus, they must face the might of the corrupt Roman state. For Drusus and Marcellus, their only ally is the young prince, Julian. From one end of the empire to the other, they set themselves against forces that are determined to crush them. Following the daring and suspenseful plotline of <i>Cast Not the Day</i>, Paul Waters has once again delivered a humane and fresh portrayal of Roman intrigue.</div>