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animal had struck was so broken as to be useless. The one next to it, however, was in good condition. Better still, it had come loose at the top; all he needed to do was get the bottom free. He wrapped both hands around the pole and twisted it from side to side, levering it away from the nails holding it in place.
    The blow that had sliced off the top half of Indavara’s ear had affected both his hearing and sense of balance. Over time, his sense of balance had somehow corrected itself but his hearing remained impaired. He could make out sounds to his left but they were often dulled and indistinct.
    And so when someone in the crowd threw a bottle over the parapet, striking the bear’s back, and sending it careering away towards the nearest living target on which to vent its rage, he didn’t hear the thumping impacts of the huge paws. Though most within the arena saw the animal charge, their astonishment at its speed struck many of them dumb. Only a few managed to shout a warning in time. They saved Indavara’s life.
    He had almost wrenched the pole free when he turned. With one last heave, he threw himself to the ground just as the bear leapt.
    The beast made a belated attempt to swipe at him but couldn’t halt its charge. It crashed headlong into the cage, crushing most of two sides and knocking the entire structure end over end. Hardly seeming to notice, the bear raised itself up on its hind legs to its full height, towering over Indavara. Its whole body shuddered as it unleashed another roar.
    Indavara was back on his feet. He clamped both hands on the pole and held it up in front of him.
    The bear dropped to all fours and plodded towards him, snarling and salivating.
    Indavara lowered the pole so that it was level with the bear’s head. He retreated slowly, jabbing it forward as the animal pursued him. But its speed caught him out again, and one sweep of a paw struck the pole. Desperate to hang on to it, Indavara was knocked to the ground.
    The bear lunged at him.Two claws tore flesh from his right calf. Crying out, he leapt to his feet and suddenly he was running again.
    Every step jarred his wounded leg. His chances of outmaneuvering the bear had just dropped from minimal to non-existent. So he took the only option left. He ran towards the barrel he had earlier kicked over and darted inside, dragging one end of the pole in with him.
    The crowd were confused. Some applauded their hero’s resourcefulness, a few booed what appeared to be cowardice, others were disappointed that their man seemed beaten.
    The bear was also perplexed. It circled the barrel, occasionally turning to lick the wounds on its neck.
    As the moments of inactivity passed, people sat down and began to talk. Bonosus opened the northern gate and led his guards forward. They took up position behind what remained of the cage and watched as the bear neared the open end of the barrel, sniffing and peering warily inside. It retreated for a moment, then pawed lightly at the pole. There was no sign of Indavara. A hefty nudge from the bear’s head spun the barrel around. Another shunt sent it rolling towards the wall. The bear trotted after it.
    Hundreds of people swarmed to the parapet as the barrel gently collided with the wall. Legionaries pushed their way to the front to stop any more interventions.
    Running its snout across the barrel, the bear moaned, then growled, frustrated it couldn’t reach its prey. It rose up on its hind legs once more and a swat from its paw loosened one of the iron bands that held the planks together. The bear struck the barrel again and again, blows of such prodigious strength that in moments the other band was loose, and the barrel began to disintegrate.
    The legionaries above had their work cut out trying to restrain the crowd, some of whom were ready to risk a blow from a sword pommel if they could somehow aim a missile at the animal and help their man.
    The bear ambled around to the open end of the barrel and poked its