The Tower Of Fear

"Maybe so." General Cado read the letter for the fifth time. It containedother speculations of interest. "Suppose Sullo is up to something? How do wecatch him?"

"We don't need to. I can manufacture evidence."

"What are you thinking?"

"Suppose we have Rose send Sullo away in imitation of a Living execution, thenthe story of a deal with a khadifa of the Living, who reneged, gets out?"

Cado laughed. He got up and joined Bruda at the window. Bruda watched biddersof water slide down its outer face.

"You're more devious than I suspected."

"We'd be rid of Sullo, with the onus on the Living. They'd be discredited andchasing each other around trying to catch the villain."

"A double kill. I like it." Cado chuckled. "Give me a day to think about itand see what develops. You look for holes in it."

In the Dartar compound, with security verging on the absurd, Fa'tad al-Aklacloseted himself with his ten most trusted captains, all of them men who hadridden with him twenty years or more. He had digested the day's reports fromthe Shu maze and was confident both that the myths he was feeding weregroundless and that the denizens of the labyrinth were compressed just shortof the point where desperation would overcome terror and they would fightback.

The Eagle told them what he intended.

They were appalled. They were aghast at his daring. They enthused. Theirresponse delighted him. He was a mischievous old devil.

One of Joab's brothers, Bega, sometimes a too-practical sort, said, "I'm nomason. Will the mortar set up properly in this weather?" The rains were lightbut steady now.

Fa'tad did not know. It did not seem a critical question. All but a few exitsfrom the maze had been sealed already. Tomorrow the masons would close theexits to the roofs. And that would be that, except for the final, criticalfew.

In the Shu, Yoseh retreated from the mouth of Tosh Alley, found Nogah. "You'dbetter come look," he whispered. "Something is getting ready to happen outthere."

In the citadel, Zouki wakened for the first time since his encounter with theWitch. He was confused and frightened though he did not remember much. Thememories he did have seemed half alien. Dreams awake. Places and events he never saw. Everything too elusive to grasp. Something worming around insidehis brain. Someone else. Terror.

Thunder crashed outside.

Merciful sleep took him again a moment later.

In his quarters, Torgo paced. He was worried. He was frightened. Somethingunusual had happened. He did not understand. He needed the Witch to tell himwhat to do. And she could not be wakened.

Azel had not yet come for the boy. He was late. Way late. And it was almosttime for Ishabal to show. Should he carry out his orders?

In his home in the Shu, Sisu bel-Sidek asked his khadifas to put forward thenames of men they considered worthy of becoming their equals.

In Char Street, Ishabal bel-Shaduk gave his henchmen the agreed signal.

The boys were over the excitement and asleep. The women were not. Aarondoubted he could fall asleep easily, either. But it was time. He had to worktomorrow. Weather permitting.

One more day. Then his day off. By the time he went back, he hoped, theHerodian managers would have worked out their political differences andeverybody could get back to building ships.

He reached out to snuff the candle.

Someone knocked on the door.

He cursed softly. Then thought the hell with them. Then realized that theknock was much firmer than those of Reyha or bel-Sidek. He felt a little twirlof fright.

The knock came again. Laella, her mother, and Mish all sat up and looked athim.

There had not been a major crime in Char Street since the Dartars had becomeinterested in the maze. Nobody would be dumb enough to try something with adozen of them watching from Tosh Alley.

He went to the door, glancing bemusedly at the carving knife. He had forgottento remove it. The women were not about to touch it. They were going to pretendhe was lord and master for a day or two.

He slipped the latch, drew a breath to speak as he started to pull the doorinward.

It slammed into him, knocking his breath out and hurling him back to land onhis seat. Two men charged inside. One tripped over his outstretched leg andplunged headlong into the opposite wall. Two more charged in behind the firsttwo. One stopped, held a knife at Aaron's throat. He gaped up at the man, lost.

The women started screaming.

A man in the doorway snapped, "Hurry up and grab him, damn it!"

One inside said, "Where the hell is he? Ho. There."

Laella shrieked, "Arif! No!"

Mish came flying across the room, landed on the back of the man threatening Aaron. Aaron staggered to his feet while he was distracted. He tried to slamthe door. It smacked into the man standing in the doorway.

Old Raheb smashed a heavy crock down on the head of the man who had chargedinto the wall.

Aaron grabbed the carving knife and stuck it into the man who had threatenedhim. He did not remember anything they had taught him in the army. There wereno thoughts in his head, just rage and terror. He stuck the knife in and itlodged between ribs.

One of the two still standing flung Laella across the room. The remaining mangrabbed Arif, turned, kicked Raheb in the stomach, headed for the door whilehis companion tried to lift the man the old woman had crowned.

Aaron grabbed at the knife dropped by the man he had stuck. The man carryingArif saw him blocking the way and in his eyes Aaron saw the dawning fear thathe was not going to get out of this place.

The edge of the door slammed into Aaron's back. The man carrying Arif struckhim in the side of the neck with a clumsy blow and bulled past. Outside, somebody yelled, "Ish! Trouble!"

The last man dumped his burden and charged. He kneed Aaron in the face, viciously, before going out.

After a moment, Aaron recovered himself, seized the knife. Bleeding from mouthand nose, he stumbled into the street, chasing the screams of a boy crying forhis dad.

Yoseh and Nogah were near the mouth of the alley when the screaming started.

They stepped out, looked down the street, saw what was happening. Nogahwhirled and yelled, "Come on!" into the alley, then headed for the action.

A man popped out of shadow, yelled, "Ish! Trouble!" and tried to head themoff.

Nogah cut him down with his saber.

Yoseh carried a javelin. He flung it a moment later, at a man who came intothe street carrying Arif. He threw without worrying about the boy, a perfectcast that struck the man square in the center of the chest.

Another man grabbed the struggling child. Another came out the doorway. Morecharged out of the darkness downhill. Dartars poured out of the alley behindYoseh.

The man with the child went to his belt in exactly the way that man in thealley had the other day. Yoseh threw his forearm across his eyes and tried toshout a warning to the others.

Intense light. Screams. Yoseh flung his arm down and ran forward. The man withthe boy dropped his own arm, was astounded to find he was being rushed by aDartar with a knife.

His hand went back to his belt.

Yoseh covered up again. The din rose to a ferocious level as Dartars from thealley, come out too late to be blinded, attacked anyone not wearing black. Menscreamed. The child-stealers did not have weapons to fight swords andjavelins. Nogah yelled, "Don't kill them all! Take some prisoners!"

There was no second blinding flash. Instead, Yoseh took a blow to the bellylike the kick of a mule. He went down, gagging, unable to draw a breath. Hisstomach emptied. Even after there was nothing more to throw up the heavescontinued.

He was vaguely aware of the villain moving away, of Medjhah arriving just intime to keep Kosuth from skewering Arif s father, of a quick passage at armsin which Medjhah and Kosuth murdered another of the child-takers, then he wason his feet again with the help of the boy's father.

The man who had Arif ducked into the first alley downhill, on the north sideof Char Street. Yoseh yanked his javelin out of the man he had hit earlier. Heand the boy's father took up the chase, stumble-running like a couple ofdrunks in the direction of Arif s screams.

Azel shook his head as the Dartars came piling out of Tosh Alley. That dumbshit Ishabal did not know they were there. Fool. Why hadn't he scouted thearea again before he made his move? Now he would pay.

Ishabal used some flash. Big deal. That wasn't going to change anything now.

Whoa! What was this?

Four men charged into the chaos from up the street.

Azel chuckled. Those were Bruda's boys, come to see about the ruckus. Theymust have followed Ishabal's men when they'd lost him.

The Dartars didn't give a shit who they worked for. They weren't wearingblack. They piled on.

Ha! Ishabal had given up on flash and changed to punch. He'd opened a clearpath out, downhill, and he wasn't wasting it.

Azel prized himself up off the roof and bounded away, muttering because hismuscles had stiffened up in the few minutes he had lain there in the cool anddamp.

It was easy to figure what a man was going to do when you knew what he had todo. Ishabal had to shut that kid up or he wasn't going to get away. And he hadto do it without hurting the kid or the whole exercise was pointless. He wouldneed a lead, which he had, then a place where he could get his back to a wallfor a minute.

Azel knew a perfect place. If Ishabal had done his scouting right, he wouldknow it, too, and would be headed there right now.

Azel took the shorter, straighter route over the rooftops.

The place was a cul-de-sac between buildings, three feet wide and ten deep, black as Nakar's heart inside, a deathtrap that would be avoided by anyone notarmed with the confidence that came of having flash and punch and whatever else at hand.

Azel dropped into that place and folded himself up in a ball in the back, waited, wondered if he would stiffen up too soon.

Ishabal came, a vagueness moving in blackness. He faced out of the narrowplace and went to work doing whatever he needed to do to quiet the brat down.

Azel used the last of the racket to cover whatever sound he made unwinding andmoving forward.

He did something to give himself away. The vagueness that was Ishabalstiffened, started to react an instant before Azel set the point of his knifeagainst his spine and said, "Don't."

Ishabal froze. "Azel?"

"You really screwed it up, Ish. Going to have the whole city going crazy, trying to figure it out. And they're going to figure it once they startdigging."

"I told them. They don't care. She says this kid is the one she wants. Look, we got to get out of here. They aren't that far behind me."

Ishabal was pretty good. Azel almost missed the minuscule warning hitch as hewent to his belt. Almost.

Azel thrust. Ishabal bucked away from the killing blade. The flash packet flewfrom his fingers unopened, hit, spilled a few grains, began to burn slowlyinstead of exploding. Azel pushed the dying man away and squatted to collectthe now unconscious boy.

A foot scraped. He looked up into the eyes of the same Dartar he'd run intotwice before.

He clamped down on the rage that seized him, surged upward, flung the boytoward the sky, so that the upper half of his body landed on the roof and heldhim there. Then he faced the Dartar and his companion in the light of thesmoldering flash.

So. He would leave them here with Ishabal. It would make a fine puzzle forwhoever found them, the three of them all dead and the boy gone.

"You just got in my way one time too many, camel boy. This one is the lasttime." He moved forward.

In response the Darter uncovered his face. Hell. He wasn't nothing but a kid.

A shaky kid carrying a knife in his left hand, with his right hand tucked upbehind him like he was wounded or something.

Azel moved in.

The Dartar's hand came out thrusting with a javelin.

Azel dodged and blocked just well enough to keep from getting killed. The headof the javelin sliced along his left cheek and ruined his ear. He grabbed thejavelin's shaft and pulled.

The Dartar hung on and kicked violently with his left foot. Azel turned hiship to take the blow but it came higher than he anticipated, struck squarelyon his right elbow, numbing his arm so badly he could not hang on to hisknife. He kneed the Dartar and at the same time flailed the numb arm hard enough to knock the knife out of the boy's left hand. The Dartar pulledhimself in and clung. Azel started to crush him in a bear hug.

The second man's knife came in and ripped along his ribs, a hairline of fire.

The kid was trying to hold him while the other man killed him.

He kneed the Dartar again and felt his grip go watery with the pain. Azelshoved him back into the other man, backed away, jumped.

First try, his still half-numb arm betrayed him. He slipped back. He jumpedagain. As he went up, the Dartar's companion buried a knife in his right calfand tried to pull him back down. He kicked the guy in the head with his rightfoot, pulled himself onto the roof. He yanked the knife out of his calf, dragged the brat all the way onto the roof so nobody could grab a leg and pullhim back down.

Azel heard nothing stirring below. He lay there panting and hurting for aminute, till he heard cautious voices approaching in the darkness. Then he gothimself up, picked up the brat, and started moving.

He ignored the fires in his cheek and ear, his calf and side. He told himselfhe was too good to let a little pain distract him.

When the uproar broke out outside, Zenobel growled, "What the hell?" andheaded for the door.

"Hold it!" bel-Sidek snapped. "Kill the lamps. Whatever it is, we don't wantit getting interested in us."

By the time the lamps were out and bel-Sidek had gotten to the door and hadopened it a crack, the uproar was that of a battle. Bel-Sidek said, "It's aband of Dartars slaughtering a bunch of Qushmarrahans."

Carza asked, "Why?"

"How should I know?" bel-Sidek was troubled.

Zenobel asked, "What are Dartars doing in Char Street at this time of night?"

"Why don't you go ask?" bel-Sidek backed away so the others could take turnspeeking. Zenobel ended up being the sentinel at the crack who reported to therest, sitting there in darkness. "They've gotten a torch lit. Collecting upthe dead and wounded. Looks like three prisoners and seven dead. None of themDartars. Make that eight dead. They just brought in another one. Looks likethey're getting ready to question the survivors. Some more around a doorwaydown there, talking. Funny. Nobody's come out to see what's going on."

Bel-Sidek said, "It isn't strange, here where the night belongs to the beastsof the maze. Close it. They aren't interested in us. Let's keep it that way.

Light a lamp, King. Just one. Can't anybody think of an alternative to Hannobel-Kaifa?"

Salom Edgit asked, "Why don't you trust him?" "I trust him, Salom. That's not the problem. I don't like him. The dislike is so strong I think it would affect my ability to work with him."

Zenobel took another peek outside. He planned to sneak another in a minute. He held the door closed with his hand instead of latching it.

It exploded inward.

The Dartars helped Aaron out of the alley. By the time they reached Char Street he could move under his own power. Mumbling, he invited them to bring Yoseh into his home so they would have light to look him over.

Aaron stopped in the doorway. A Dartar with bare saber stood guard inside. The fallen invaders had been removed. Laella, battered but apparently all right, knelt over her mother, in front of the hearth. Across the room Mish satagainst the wall and held Stafa tight against her breast. She sobbed softly.

Laella looked up. Aaron shook his head. Her face turned to stone. She rose, came to examine his injuries. He moved aside so the Dartars could bring Yosehin. They invited themselves to bring all their injured. Laella did notprotest.

She touched his face. He winced, asked, "How is she?"

"I think she's hurt inside." There was an edge of hysteria in her voice.

"Take it easy. What about you? How about Stafa and Mish?"

"We're all right." She leaned against him. "What did we ever do to those men, Aaron? How could they do that?" "I don't know. I'm going to find out." He pushed her away gently, went to his toolbox, and took out a heavy, bronze-headed maul.

"What are you going to do?"

"Go break bel-Sidek's other leg, then twist on it till he tells me the truth." And he actually meant it when he said it, though it sounded absurd a second later.

"Aaron ..." "They've got Arif, Laella. Just like they've got Zouki. I can't stand still."

He started for the doorway. On his way he tapped Yoseh's two brothers. "Come on." Bel-Sidek was completely boggled by the apparition in the doorway. Thecarpenter looked like he had been beaten half to death. He looked incrediblyferocious with a huge hammer in his hand. "Aaron?"

"I want my son back, bel-Sidek. Your men took him, and killed his grandmother, and if you don't get him back to me I'm going to see that whatever is left of you when I get done hangs from a Herodian gibbet."

Bel-Sidek felt the bite of fear. He understood the threat. The carpenter knew or suspected enough to do the movement irreparable harm. "Calm down, Aaron. I don't know what you're talking about. I don't have your son."

"Just like you don't know anything about Naszif s son, Zouki, but you can show him to Naszif anytime you want to make him do something."

What would the General have done in this situation?

The carpenter was getting a little nervous, his crazy anger deserting him. He had not expected to break into a room full of hard-faced men. He did not know what to do next. He stepped forward, raising the hammer threateningly.

Zenobel, Carza, and Dabdahd responded. Zenobel had murder in his eye. Bel- Sidek said, "Wait." A Dartar stepped through the doorway, set the tip of a saber against Zenobel's throat. Another followed, threatened King and Carza. They backed away carefully. The first Dartar asked, "Is the old one the man who knows, Aaron?"

"I think so. If not him, one of them."

Bel-Sidek started. The carpenter had guessed who they were. But he had not betrayed them. Yet. "Aaron, what do you want?" "You know: I want my son back. And I want you and yours to leave me and mine alone. Forever."

Or he would tell the Dartars where they could scoop up the whole ruling council of the Living.

A voice from outside said, "Nogah! Troops are coming."

The Dartar with the saber pushed Zenobel back among the others. He looked bel- Sidek in the eye. "I see your face, old man. And I will remember it." He raised a hand, removed his face cloth, revealed a gruesomely mutilated visage.

"You have till the fog rises this high tomorrow night. Then I come for you." He turned, gently urged the carpenter out the door. The other Dartar backed out behind them, closing the door.

"Silence!" bel-Sidek snapped, before they could start. "Do any of you not understand what just happened?" He got back a babble of outrage.

They did not understand, except for Carza.

"Quiet, please. So you're not as familiar with Dartar customs as you should be. But none of you ever served with them. When the man removed his face cloth he was doing what Dartars call 'showing the face of death.' Essentially he took a vow to hunt us down if the missing child isn't returned. I remind youthat most of the Dartars outside are probably his brothers and cousins. Familywill assume the vow as a matter of course. When word gets around, the restwill probably take it on, too. It's just romantic enough."

Zenobel made a sound of disgust. He was prejudiced.

Bel-Sidek rose. "I know nothing about child-stealing, by the movement oranyone else. But I suspect some of you might." He dragged his aching legtoward the door. "I want to be informed if you do. There is a growing publicperception of us as responsible, or at least involved, and that could destroyus." He opened the door a crack.

The tramp-tramp-tramp he'd been hearing was what it sounded like, soldiersmarching. "They got here fast." He noted the dread Colonel Bruda with them andshuddered.

There was too much interest in this part of the Shu.

He saw tendrils of fog just rising into view. It was that early still? Itseemed it should be much later.

What a day. What a hellbiter of a day.

How come Bruda had had troops armed and ready to move at a moment's notice?

Had the jaws of doom begun to close?

"The fog is coming," he said. "The man gave us a chance. As soon as it cancover us we get out of here. Hopefully before those Dartars have an attack ofintuition and realize what they missed scooping up. Don't ever come back here.

I'm moving out. I'll contact you later. Make your own arrangements todisappear, just in case."

He watched the soldiers. His small hope they would clash with the Dartarsdied. Tempers flared but never flew out of control.

"I want that boy, gentlemen. He's somewhere in Qushmarrah and we have theresources to find him. If he's not in my hands by sundown I'm going to want toknow why not. And I'm not likely to be in a very pleasant mood. Do youunderstand?"

Azel had had a good many years in which to learn to carry on despite pain. Hehad been injured worse and had managed. But he had been younger then and, tobe truthful, better motivated. He was losing his zest for the game. Tonightthe sinkhole country looked like a lot more than a pleasant fantasy. It lookedlike the sanest bet for sliding out of this without getting carved up intolittle pieces.

But he had a mission. Spying on everybody, playing games with them, that couldgo to hell. Bruda having him watched proved he had worked those angles for asmuch as he could. A smart man got out while he was ahead.

He was out. As of now. Let Bruda and Cado stew and fuss because he was not there to be used. They could buy another knife. Always plenty of those around.

Let that new General of the Living fume because he did not keep hisappointments, because he did not pass along all his secrets.

In five minutes he would disappear from the face of the earth.

But the thing with Nakar still had to be played out.

In these new circumstances he would have to work on that idiot Torgo, whomight be the only tool available.

He stayed on the rooftops till he ran out of houses to cross. He came downonly when he had to, to cross gaps too wide to leap. His wounds nagged him, the leg the worst. He successfully evaded trouble though the Shu continuedfull of excitement.

He perched on that last rooftop and watched the acropolis. The kid lay on thetiles beside him, snoring. The precipitation had picked up a little but stillcould not be called a rain.

Awful lot of activity tonight. Especially around Government House. Looked likea lot of sneakery. A lot more than could be accounted for by the excitement inthe Shu. Lot of soldiery slithering around ...

Cado was sneaking a bunch of his men down to the waterfront while there was agood chance their movement would not be noticed.

The boy showed no sign of coming around so Azel waited with the patience of alizard, rubbing his wounded calf. Once a whole parade of soldiers, civilians, and Dartars came out of Char Street and headed for Government House. The seeing was not good enough to be sure but he thought Colonel Bruda was the manin charge.

One more reason to get out of the game now.

He'd have to get a message to Muma, give him the same option. The man had beenthe perfect and faithful partner for years. He deserved his shot at gettingaway clean. He had his arrangements made. All he needed was the warning word.

Azel saw his chance soon after the crowd passed. He got hold of the kid anddropped down ... His leg buckled. He almost lost the brat.

He managed to walk only by keeping his leg completely rigid. That made movingthrough the pattern to unlock the Postern of Fate abnormally difficult but hegot it right the first time.

He found Torgo dozing inside, having failed to respond to the alarm or, morelikely, having failed to arm the damned spell. "Torgo."

The eunuch surged up, reached for a blade like an overgrown pirate's cutlass.

"Easy, boy."

"Azel. I gave up on you ... What happened to you?"

"We got trouble, brother. You want to take this kid? Before I collapse?"

Torgo looked at the boy like he was a poisonous snake.

"Easy now. He's the one you wanted bel-Shaduk to grab so bad. Ended up hecouldn't, so I finished the job for him."

The eunuch took the boy almost tenderly, looked at Azel suspiciously. "Whycouldn't Ishabal bring him in? How come you even know anything about it?"

"He didn't bring the brat in because he's too dead to walk. Come on. I'll tellyou about it while I'm getting myself patched up."

Torgo took the child to the cage first.

Azel told the thing exactly as it had happened, from his sighting of Torgo tothe moment Bel-Shaduk fled Char Street with the boy. Invention came into playonly when he described how Ishabal had been cornered and killed by hispursuers.

He did wish he had been able to finish those two. It wasn't likely Torgo wouldrun into them, and it probably wouldn't matter if that part did get unraveled, but any loose end was an artistic flaw.

On the other hand, he was a practical man. He could not take risk just to makesure loose ends got snipped.

"What about the boy you were supposed to deliver to the Living? Something badhappened with him, Azel. She was hurt. I had to hit her ... She could be daysrecovering."

Azel frowned. What now? "Tell me. Everything."

Torgo showed his teeth, ready to balk. Then he gave in, obviously at a lossand desperate for direction. He described events minutely.

Azel had watched some of Nakar's sorcery in the old days. He did not know, buthe suspected what had happened. She had encountered a strong soul and had notbeen prepared. Perhaps even Ala-eh-din Beyh himself.

The eunuch stared at the new brat. The one, if the woman was right. Azel wasgrim now, thinking how diminished he would be when this one was opened. Timeto start wooing Torgo, lest he come up with a crazy idea of his own. "Two daysand today turns into yesterday again, eh? That don't excite me the way it usedto, Torgo. The other brat can wait. The Living can make do without. I wouldn'tgo back out there now if I could."

Best to make a thing of his injuries. Never hurt to have them underestimateyou. "Too many people out there looking for me now. Hell. If the Living can'tcontrol their traitor for two days they don't deserve to share the fruits ofvictory. Do they?"

Torgo grunted. Azel was sure he was thinking about what he would lose in a fewdays.

Good. Perfect. Feed his obsession. But don't underestimate him. They'd robbedhim of his balls, not his brain.

"I need a big favor, Torgo."

The eunuch gave him a suspicious look.

"There's this guy who's been helping us since the beginning. He don't know what he's been doing, of course. But he's played square all the way. Hedeserves a break. And he does know a lot somebody would find interesting ifthey grabbed him and made him talk. I need you to take him a warning from methat it's time to disappear."

Torgo frowned. "Why?"

"Crap, man! Because I owe him and I can't go out there. In another hour Iain't going to be able to walk. You understand a debt of honor? Hell. I don'tknow. Look. You and me, we never got along good. We don't like each other. Wenever took no trouble to hide that. But we been working together. Getting thejob done. We got the same friends and the same enemies. Despite we don't likeeach other we done each other straight. So if it was you out there that neededwarning I'd see you got it. If only because I don't never want nobody else towring your fat ugly neck before I get my shot."

The eunuch was not convinced. "Where?"

"Place called Muma's. Just off the hilltop. Wouldn't take you twenty minutes."

Torgo grunted, asked, "Why should I do anything for you?"

"What do you want most in the world, man? Never mind. I think I know already.

And I think I know how you could get it. Without no complications. I think Imight even tell you about it sometime was you to do me this favor."

Torgo studied him for half a minute. "All right. What's the message?"

"I got to write it. He don't see it in my hand he ain't going to believe it."

Muma could not read but Torgo did not need to know that. The message would befor his benefit. He'd snoop, sure. The symbol on the outside would be warningenough for Muma.

"I'll get things to write with." Torgo slouched out, still suspicious.

This was not going to be an easy seduction.

Aaron recognized the man in the doorway because a few years ago he had come tothe shipyard regularly, to interview workers, either hunting for a spy ortrying to recruit one. Colonel Bruda, General Cado's chief spy and bully.

His heart went cold.

Bruda looked around at injured family and injured Dartars. He did not seemupset, only mildly perplexed. A harmless little man, going bald. Nogah rosefrom his brother Yoseh's side and went to face him. They exchanged words Aarondid not catch.

Mish moved over beside Yoseh, said something softly. Aaron wondered if thekick in the face had impaired his hearing. Stafa came and clung to his leg. Hewas confused and scared still. Aaron scooped him up and settled him on his hip. He patted the boy's back gently. Stafa held on like he was afraid he was going to drown.

Bruda came to Aaron. "This is your home? Your family?" "Yes sir." His voice quavered.

Bruda took hold of his chin, made him turn his face right and left. "You look like hell but you're not too badly hurt, are you?" "No sir." "Anyone badly hurt? They try to do anything besides take your son?" "The old woman. My mother-in-law. They kicked her in the stomach. Something's wrong inside. My wife thinks she's dying."

"I see." Bruda moved to Raheb, glancing at Mish and Yoseh. "You're lucky these Dartars were around. You resisted. They might have killed you for that." He squatted opposite Laella, looked at the old woman for a moment, met Laella's eye. "No improvement?"

Laella shook her head.

Bruda rose and strode to the door, barked something in rapid Herodian. Aaron recognized only the words for "sergeant" and "two men." He looked at Nogah. Nogah shrugged helplessly.

Bruda spoke to his sergeant a moment, then came back to Aaron. "Did they try to take the younger boy, too, or just the one?" "Just Arif." Aaron began to shake. "Try to hang on and bear with us. What's your name?" "Aaron. Aaron Habid." "Aramite? That sounds Aramite." "Yes." "Not to worry, Aaron. I don't care about your religion. I've seen you before, haven't I? Where would that have been?"

"The shipyard. A few years ago."

"Of course. Master carpenter. Right?"

"Yes sir."

"What did you do during the war, Aaron? Engineers?"

"Yes sir. The Seven Towers."

A flicker of something stirred behind Bruda's eyes.

The sergeant and two soldiers came inside with a stretcher rigged from two spears and several cloaks. Bruda indicated Raheb, spoke in rapid Herodian, then told Aaron, "We're all going up to Government House where we can giveeveryone proper medical attention and maybe put our heads together to unravelthis."

Aaron's fear betrayed itself.

Bruda smiled. "No, you don't have to worry about the rack and thumbscrews. Ithink you'll help me because I'm going to help you. If I can. Is there aneighbor you can have watch your place while you're gone? Or shall I leave acouple of soldiers?"

Aaron had become flustered. He could think of no one to ask to watch his home.

But he did not want Herodians hanging around attracting attention, either.

Bruda read him. "I'll have them stay inside."

The soldiers had Raheb on their stretcher and were awaiting orders. Brudaspoke to his sergeant. The man ordered two more soldiers inside. The place hadbecome painfully crowded. The stretcher bearers worked toward the doorway.

Laella took Stafa from Aaron before she followed. He was grateful. The boy hadbecome a load.

Mish followed her sister, not trying to hide her fright. Aaron followed her.

The Dartars came after him. Aaron noted that Bruda had only a few, thebrothers and two more. The rest must have scurried back into Tosh Alley.

The fog had climbed the hill. It was as thick as ever Aaron had seen it.

Drizzle fell through it. The air was cold for the time of year. He could notstop shaking.

He glanced back at his home, wondered if he would see it again. He movedcloser to Laella.

General Cado was waiting when Colonel Bruda brought in his catch. FiveDartars. A Qushmarrahan family. One prisoner. Two of his own men the Dartarshad mistaken for kidnappers. And a lot of bodies. "Is this the lot?" "Not allthe Dartars. I have their leader, though." "Good. Release those soldiers sothey can get to their ship." Cado had his own guards on hand.

"I left two guarding the house. They'll need to be relieved." "We'll take careof it. I've sent for Fa'tad, Sullo and his witch, and Colonel bel-Abek. Anyoneelse you need?"

"A physician. And Rose. Rose was watching the child-stealing gang. They splitup when they set out to do tonight's job. My men followed members of the gangwhen they lost Rose, figuring they would find him again. They walked into theaction and got mistaken for gang members. Luckily only one got killed."

Cado scanned the disparate collection of corpses and frightened people, summoned an aide, rattled orders, then returned to Colonel Bruda. "Have youlearned anything useful?"

"My man Taglio has command of both the Qushmarrahan and Dartar dialects. Fromwhat he saw and heard the family thinks the Living did the kidnapping. TheDartars think we did."

"Us? Why?"

Bruda shrugged. They aren't talking."

Cado looked at the cluster of Dartars, all young and tattered, all scared anddefiant. "You feel it, too, Bruda? That there's something very dark slitheringaround just out of sight?"

"Assuming Rose told the truth, I have to keep wondering who killed Generalbel-Karba. Somebody that daring has to be somebody convinced he can handle anyreprisals. Anyone that strong, belonging neither to them nor to us, is someonewe have to worry about. We have troubles enough without adding anothercomplication."

Cado's staff physician came in and went to the injured woman without having tobe told.

"Did you send men to look for bel-Karba's body?"

"Yes. We should hear from them in the morning."

"What about the child? His parents look ordinary. Anything unusual about him?"

"No. I talked to the father extensively. He didn't want to speak up becausehe's afraid of the Living, but he did let slip a few things. He was in thesame unit as Colonel bel-Abek during the war."

"Significant connection?"

"I don't think so. I get the impression he has no use for bel-Abek. Theconnection between them is their wives. They've been friends since childhood.

I can't see any reason why anyone would want to twist the arms of eitherparent of tonight's victim. He's a carpenter. Her relatives are all sistersmarried to nobodies. And that old woman who's trying to die from a kick in thestomach."

Sullo and his witch arrived. The civil governor was irked at having his reposedisturbed yet was pleased that his political enemy felt the need to includehim in what was afoot. Cado wondered if he would behave like a spoiled childif he learned that he had been summoned only because the military governorwanted to use his witch.

He had Bruda explain to them, then explain again when Colonel bel-Abek and hiswife arrived, guarded by a dozen soldiers. He watched the interplay, or lackthereof, between the bereaved mothers. Bel-Abek's wife, a drab thing he'dnever before seen, seemed to be melting from shame. The other woman ignoredher existence.

Colonel bel-Abek asked, "Can I talk to Taglio?" He seemed excited.

"Are you on to something?"

"I think the kidnapping may have interrupted a meeting of the ruling councilof the Living. The man who headed the movement lived right there on CharStreet. I learned that just today."

A man came in to report his inability to make contact with Rose. He had left a message. Cado thanked him and dismissed him. "Go on, Colonel."

Puffing up, bel-Abek said. "He was murdered last night. Whoever he was."

"Hanno bel-Karba," Bruda said.

"Sir?"

"General Hanno bel-Karba was the mastermind of the Living. We knew who hadbeen killed, but not where or when."

Cado saw Fa'tad, alone, looking like a great black crow, standing in ashadowed doorway, listening, studying everyone. Cado listened with only halfan ear as bel-Abek reported what he had learned about the leading men of theLiving. Fa'tad would be interesting tonight. He'd always held a grudge againstHerod because of the assassination of Hanno bel-Karba.

He saw he had been noticed. He came across the room like he was some greatlord and they his house servants. He stopped in front of Cado. "I'm here," hesaid in Herodian without a trace of accent.

"Did you overhear enough to understand the situation? Or should Colonel Brudabrief you?"

"I'd better hear it all."

While Bruda told it yet again Cado visited Sullo and asked if he would havehis witch see what she could do for the old woman. The physician looked likehe did not have much hope.

He stepped back to Bruda and Fa'tad as Bruda finished. Bruda said, "I want tosend a squad to that house. They'll be too late to catch anybody but theymight find something useful."

"Go ahead. Fa'tad, why would your men think these child-stealings a Herodianscheme?"

Fa'tad looked him in the eye for five seconds, then said, "Yoseh, come here," in the Dartar dialect.

Yoseh was sitting two feet from Tamisa, not looking at her, she not looking athim, yet he felt they were somehow in closer communion than ever they had beenon Char Street. He was frightened. So was she. All that gobbling in Herodiandid not help.

Then Fa'tad came and he was three times as frightened as before.

Fa'tad chattered with Cado awhile. Then, like a hammer blow to the heart, hesaid, "Yoseh, come here."

Panicky, he looked at Nogah and Medjhah. No help there. They just nodded.

He rose stiffly, went to stand at Fa'tad's left hand. He looked down at theshine atop Cado's head and wondered that these hairless runts had been able toconquer everyone who stood against them.

Fa'tad said, "Yoseh, tell the General everything you know about the man you caught in the alley the other day."

"The child-stealer? Everything?"

"Yes. Go ahead."

"But I don't have any Herodian."

"He'll understand you."

Yoseh closed his eyes, took a deep breath, told it all, right up to the momentthe man had gotten away from him and Aaron with Arif. When he finished andopened his eyes he saw that the General's sidekick had returned. The twoHerodians exchanged glances. Cado said, "Rose."

"Has to be Rose," the other said, in Dartar dialect. "That explains why he'sbeen such a mystery. He isn't our man at all. But whose is he?"

"We talked of an unknown dark force earlier," Cado said.

"That will be all, Yoseh," Fa'tad said. "Thank you. You did well."

Yoseh retreated hastily.

Cado watched the Dartar boy go. He was angry with himself. Plainly, Rose hadbeen using and manipulating him all along. Possibly he had been doing the samewith the Living. He had made no secret of the fact that he was a member. Themassacre of the Moretians almost certainly was his fault. The alacrity withwhich the Living had moved meant he had access to people in the movement atthe same level as he had had here in Government House.

"Colonel Bruda, send men to that place where we make contact with Rose. Havethem arrest everyone they find there."

"Yes sir."

Cado told Fa'tad, "This man Rose has played me for a fool, as he played othersfor me in my service." Who did Rose serve? Neither Sullo nor Fa'tad, for sure.

The Living seemed just remotely possible, though no one in the movement wouldhave authorized him to give up some of the information he had turned over.

A free agent? Absurd. It offended any sense of the natural order. No one mancould have the arrogance to believe he could step between Herod and the Livingand play them against one another for his own purposes.

Speaking of which. What might they be? On the information available Rose'spurposes were completely shadowed. The man could not be after wealth. He'dnever taken much in the way of pay. Just enough for a man to get by. The powerto stand in the middle and exasperate everyone? That did not seem sufficientlysinister.

Bruda was back.

"Are they off?"

Bruda nodded.

Then let's see how our guests can help us. Let's all drag chairs or cushionsover and chat. Colonel bel-Abek, would you translate for Governor Sullo? We'lldo this in Qushmarrahan. Informally."

People moved into position. The "guests" looked troubled. Cado spoke directlyto the Qushmarrahan family when he shifted to their language. "Our purposehere is to unravel this child-stealing business. I hope we can come up withsome valuable clues by pooling what we know. Your motive for participatingwill be the restoration of your son. Likewise, Colonel bel-Abek. Then, too, you might find you're grateful for the help given the old woman."

Sullo's witch had worked some sort of quiet miracle. The pain lines had fledRaheb's face and she was sleeping peacefully.

"We from Government House will begin. I'll go first. Colonel Bruda willfollow, then Colonel bel-Abek. I'll then ask our Dartar friends to reiteratewhat they know, then we'll pass on to you. Some little detail somewhere, hopefully, will give us the beginning we need to make before we can take thefirst step toward understanding what's going on. If we know that, we'llprobably know what we have to do about it. Colonel Bruda, would you ask Taligato send in food and drink? We're going to be here a long time. Tell him tohave those corpses removed and searched, too. They're a distraction."

Cado waited a moment, then started. He held nothing back, even when it had noapparent bearing on the subject at hand.

Despite what was being discussed Aaron could not concentrate. His mind keptstraying to what to say when it came his turn to talk. Or he worried aboutmaybe missing work tomorrow. His employers were not understanding aboutabsences.

He was trying to hide the unbearable now behind fear of the future.

Even so, what the Herodians said was interesting. And so open you could nothelp wondering what they would do with him after they had divulged so manysecrets in his presence.

The Dartars talked, too, even including Fa'tad al-Akla, who did not have muchto contribute except the name of a child-stealer who had been killed in theAstan.

"A Dartar outcast?" General Cado asked.

"Yes. A man of no honor, disavowed by his own father."

"And the one tonight was Qushmarrahan?" General Cado spoke to Colonel Bruda, who was receiving reports from his agents as things went along.

"Yes. A known villain. Reasonably competent. Independent. Very quiet the pastsix months, apparently. Till this. He was identified by the prisoner, who alsotold us where he lived. A search turned up a cache of antique gold and nothingelse. There was nothing useful on the body. The prisoner knows nothing else.

He was hired for the one job."

Aaron glanced at the prisoner. The man was numb, sitting there waiting to beexecuted.

"We'll deal with him later. So these child-stealers are very careful aboutgiving anything away, are well paid, and were known criminals before becominginvolved. Except Rose, who does not fit the pattern. He's been our agent forfive years and the Dartar testimony would suggest he was an occasional visitorto the place in Char Street we now believe to have housed General Hanno bel- Karba and his chief of staff, Colonel Sisu bel-Sidek. We seem to haveconflicting possibilities if we look for a connection between the Living andthe crimes. Mr. Habid, would you tell us your story?"

Aaron jumped. The inevitable had come and still he was not ready. He sat therelike a lump, tongue-tied.

Laella took it for some benighted, romantic, patriotic refusal to betrayQushmarrah and the Living. "Aaron! You tell them what they want to know! Youdon't owe the Living anything!" She glanced at her mother.

He did so, wondering how he could have acted so positively and violently justa few hours ago, when he'd never committed such a violence in his life, andnow he could not open his mouth.

He forced himself to croak, "I owe Herod. And so do you."

"Damn what happened six years ago! This is about tonight! This is about ourson! The Herodians will pay for their crimes when they walk through theFlame."

He opened his mouth.

"And you tell all of it. Hear?"

The slight sneer on Naszifs face galvanized him.

He started clear back at the Seven Towers. Each time his story touched uponNaszif he spoke with the utmost contempt. Once he invoked a Dartar proverb,

"Beware the man who betrays your enemy unto you, for he will betray you untoyour enemy," but the bolt missed its mark entirely and fell among scowlingDartars. He went on through Colonel Bruda's arrival in his home.

Laella beamed at him, sort of.

General Cado frowned. "That's an interesting story. As an oral journal. But itsheds very little light on our problem." He was pensive for a moment. "ColonelBruda will read you a list of names. Interrupt if you recognize any of them.

You and your wife, too, Colonel bel-Abek. Colonel Bruda?"

Bruda read a long list.

Only Reyha interrupted. She mistook one of the women's names for someone sheknew who had the same name.

"I was afraid of that," General Cado said. "Let me ask you this, Mr. Habid. Doyou personally know anyone besides Colonel bel-Abek who has lost a child?"

Aaron shook his head.

"Do you, Colonel bel-Abek?"

"Only Mr. Habid, sir."

"I thought so. So. We have no obvious common denominator." He spoke directlyto Aaron. "Those were the names of parents who have lost children over thepast three months. There is nothing to tie them together. They come from avariety of classes and trades. They live all over the city. None have everserved the Herodian name. Only two have ever been suspected of dealing withthe Living. None were at the Seven Towers though most bore arms during theconflict. Our man Rose is the only male Qushmarrahan I know who claims hedidn't, which makes me doubt his veracity. You and your wife, and Colonel bel- Abek and his wife, are the only parents we can find with ties of any kind, however strained. That would seem to argue that the children themselves areindeed what the thing is all about. But we can't see that they have anythingin common, either."

Aaron felt General Cado was looking at him as though he expected him to havethe answer. All he could do was shrug.

A silence set in. Laella finally broke it. "They were born the same day."

"What?" General Cado asked.

"Arif and Zouki. They were born the same day. They have that in common."

Laella did not look up at the Herodian. "That's reaching for it. But ... Whenwere they born?" "The last day of the fighting. The seventh day of the Moon ofRipening. Malach in the calendar of the Old Gods. I don't know what yourpeople call it."

"We use a different calendar. What do you think, Colonel Bruda?"

Bruda was leafing through his documents. "I only have two dates of birth. Theydidn't seem much use at the time. But. One is down as seventh Malach, theother as the seventh day of the Moon of Ripening. Both children six years old.

I only have four children on the list who aren't six. Those are all older.

Ransom was demanded and paid. No ransom demands were made in any of the othercases though several of the children have been found and restored to theirparents."

Colonel Bruda looked at General Cado. General Cado looked at Colonel Bruda.

Everyone else looked at them. Cado said, "Get the dates of birth checkedtomorrow. For now we'll assume they're the critical connection. But that justsets up a whole new puzzle. Why does being bom that day make them importantenough to round up?"

Naszif had been translating everything for Sullo's benefit. Sullo's witch hadlistened but with apparent scant attention.

She rattled a sudden question in Herodian.

General Cado said, "She wants to know what state the restored children werein. Colonel Bruda doesn't know."

Aaron recalled what Billygoat had told him. "I heard about a couple who werefound wandering along Goat Creek. They had lost their memories of almosteverything."

Fa'tad, in Qushmarrahan dialect, said, "My men found several such children this week. They were as the veydeen says, blank stretches of sand."

Aaron watched the witch as Naszif translated. She became increasinglyagitated. Beads of sweat formed on her forehead. She asked a question whenNaszif finished.

"She wants to know who died that day," Fa'tad said. "What great man."

Most everyone knew but no one spoke till Aaron, puzzled, said, "Ala-eh-dinBeyh and Nakar the Abomination."

The witch moaned. For a moment it looked like she would faint. Then she pulledherself together and began rattling away in shaky Herodian.

Bel-Sidek had laid himself down certain he was too tense to sleep, butinvidious slumber had slipped up and taken him unawares. The touch of a handawakened him. He jerked up, flailing around after a weapon.

"Easy. It's Meryel."

He relaxed, searched her face in the wan light of the lone candle she hadbrought into the room. "Bad news?"

"It isn't good. The Herodians are rushing around everywhere. Colonel Bruda'smen. They've been through your place on Char Street. They raided Hadribel'shouse. He got out a step ahead. They tore apart a place in Rhatiq Lane thatwas used by a criminal named Ishabal bel-Shaduk. They hit a hostel operated bya man named Muma and arrested everyone there, but Muma and his family hadfled. They're still very busy in the Shu, rounding up suspected members of themovement."

"The traitor didn't stay in line. My fault. I shouldn't have pressed his wifeso hard."

"They've arrested him, too. And everyone involved in the fight in Char Street.

A child was stolen."

"I know."

"There's something big going on at Government House. Cado brought in Sullo andFa'tad."

Bel-Sidek thought a moment. "It has to be the traitor. He's given themsomething to make them think they can break us. We'll have to fight back. Idon't want to start a bloodbath but we can't stand still and take it." Zenobel would launch the counterattack. His men were the best prepared and his quarterheld the greatest number of sympathizers ready to spring to arms.

That was the traditional plan. Let Zenobel begin, draw the Herodians, thenloose Carza. While those two were embattled the men of the weaker quarterswould massacre all Herodians, soldier or civilian, and sympathizers in theirquarters before adding their weight to the forces of Zenobel and Carza.

"Did they actually put troops aboard their ships?"

"About twenty-five hundred. Including all their Herodian cavalry. Marco is incommand. They sail with the morning tide."

Good. That left him facing only one legion and some odds and ends, plus thebalance of the Dartars. 'Til move after the Dartars are back in their compoundtonight."

If the thing was to start at night, as preferred, Zenobel's first objectivewould be to seize the Gate of Autumn so the Dartars could not become a factor in the fighting.

His one question was, had the traitor been able to betray the strategy?

Unlikely. Only the khadifas were completely informed. Only Carza and Zenobelhad tactical roles so narrowly defined they had had to give their underlingssome information about what ought to happen.

"I'll need writing materials and someone to carry messages. Damn! It has tocome now, when the ruling council is in disarray and we're all on the run."

He could have Hadribel stay at the reins in the Shu and could cover thewaterfront himself. That would leave the Hahr one big piece of unknownterritory right in the middle of the city, and he could only hope theorganization there would take flame and do its part.

"You're sure you want to do this?"

"No. I don't want to. But I don't see any alternative."

Meryel went for writing materials. She seemed sad that the hour had come. Hegot himself up and together. He was sad himself, though he'd always known thatonly fire and blood would loosen Herod's chokehold on the city he loved.

Meryel was a long time coming back. He raised a questioning eyebrow. She said,

"One of my underworld contacts dropped by. I had to see him."

"And?"

"He knew of no organized child-stealing operation. But he knew the name Azel."

She shivered.

"And?"

"Azel is a professional killer. The most dreaded in Qushmar-rah. Nobody knowswho he is. Azel probably isn't his real name since Azel is the name of one ofthe seven demons who spring forth from Gorloch's navel to work his will in theworld. Azel the Destroyer."

Bel-Sidek nodded. "Like Nakar the Abomination." He knew the mythology, thoughhe had been born to a family that followed Aram. By the time of the conquestmost of the ruling class had, though they had kept the ancient names awardedthem during the primacy of Gorloch to distinguish themselves from the masses.

Meryel said, "This Azel learned his trade working for Nakar. He may havecommitted as many as a hundred murders on Nakar's behalf. He survived theconquest. A year later he seems to have gone into business for himself, butdoing only the biggest jobs. Some people think he killed most of the civil governors. But since nobody knows who he is and he seems to have no associatesto talk, nobody knows who paid him. Opinion divides up between Cado and theLiving. Except for the thing in the Hahr the other day, which may have been animitation of his style, he's been quiet for the past six months."

Bel-Sidek sat quietly, thinking, for so long she finally snapped, "Well? Don'tyou have anything to say?" "Yes. I want to go out on the balcony." He did notnotice her exasperated shrug, just followed her outside, stood above the fogstaring at the black hulk of the citadel of Nakar the Abomination. After tenminutes of silence, he said, "The murder was no imitation. The man was workingfor the General. I actually met him this morning." He related thecircumstances.

"Why are you so troubled?"

"Because now I think I see the General's great secret plan for deliveringQushmarrah. And it's a plan with both feet firmly planted in insanity. Hemeant to conjure Nakar, and restore him, so he could unleash his evil wrathupon the forces of Herod."

He saw Meryel looking at him like he was more than a little crazy himself.

"What do you know about sorcery?" he asked.

"Nothing. And I want to keep it that way."

"I'm no sorcerer. Never wanted to be one. But I've heard things here andthere." He jerked off onto a different tack. "I knew the boy who was carriedoff tonight. He was born the day Nakar was killed. His mother always mentionsthat when she talks about him. Not coincidentally, the traitor's son was bornthe same day. I'd wager most of the children taken this summer were born thatday."

Her look had not grown more understanding. "They're looking for the travelingsoul."

"The what?"

"In the agony of death the soul forgets and flees the dying flesh. After atime it seeks out flesh in the agony of birth and attaches itself to a babybeing bom. It has forgotten its past life, yet it carries within it memoriesof all previous lives forever. A skilled sorcerer can reawaken those memoriesand restore someone who has died."

Meryel shuddered. Her expression now was one of doubt.

"They're looking for the traveling soul of Nakar the Abomination up there."

"Who is?"

"His wife. The Witch. And Azel the Destroyer. They're stirring through thesouls of children, looking for Nakar. And judging from the effort they mountedtonight they think they've found him. She must have had a bitter falling outwith the General if it was enough to make her come out and kill him."

"I'll trust you, Sisu. I'll do what you think needs doing. But I don't believeall that."

"But don't you see? It's the only way it all hangs together."

"They're all dead up there, Sisu. And they have been for a long time."

"We don't know that at all. We don't know what happened that day except thatNakar and Ala-eh-din Beyh killed each other. I think the Witch survived. Ithink she's been biding her time till the moment was ripe."

"You may be right." She was going to humor him. "But you have more practicalproblems right now. You're going to war in eighteen hours. Remember?"

He remembered. He went inside and began composing messages. But his thoughtsremained on Nakar and the General's mad scheme for freeing Qushmarrah.

And as he thought, he gradually became aware that he had come face-to-facewith the great moral choice of his life.

The General had loved Qushmarrah completely, unreservedly, blindly, and noprice had been too great to pay to rid its streets of the tread of foreignsoldiers. Bel-Sidek had loved that old man as blindly, but did he love him somuch that he would allow his nightmare dream to come true?

Aaron stood at General Cado's right on a balcony high on the face ofGovernment House. Cado stared through the drizzle at the citadel. Naszif stoodat Cado's left. No one else was there. Aaron was not sure why the Herodian hadbrought them up, into the rain.

"Are you a courageous man, Mr. Habid?"

Aaron had had that question in his own mind often since the attack on hishousehold. "No. Not usually."

"Can you be brave for the sake of your son?"

"I'll do whatever I have to do." If he could, he thought. He was not sure hewould not freeze when it mattered most. Even the Seven Towers had been no true test of his mettle. He'd never had any options there.

"You don't sound sure of yourself."

"I'm a carpenter, General."

"Yes. That's right. You see that over there, Mr. Carpenter? The citadel? Yourson is in there. I have no idea how much time he has, but you can bet theywon't wait any longer than they have to. We have to do whatever we can as fastas we can. Or we all lose. I, a city. You, a son. I've already put in motionall the machinery at my command."

Aaron wished Cado would get to the point. The more the man danced around itthe more nervous he became.

"There's one avenue yet to be pursued. The Living."

"What?"

"I want to appeal to Colonel bel-Sidek directly."

Aaron stared at the man. He was mad!

"I want you to go home and wait. I'm confident bel-Sidek will try to contactyou. He'll want to know what went on here tonight and how much you told us.

We'll make it easy for him. We'll hang you out there without anybody watchingor protecting you so there's the best chance you can deliver my message. Youronly resource will be Colonel bel-Abek, who will accompany you as myrepresentative. Because he has as much at stake as you do."

This was Naszif s first hint of what his role was to be. Aaron noted that he did not seem thrilled. But he did not protest, either.

Aaron himself was rattled and confused. All he could say was, "But I have towork tomorrow."

Cado looked at him directly, amazed. "I'll intercede with your employer. Areyou going to help or not?"

"What do I have to do?"

"Just go home and wait till you're contacted. Colonel bel-Abek will make myrepresentation for a personal meeting."

"What about my family?"

"Take them with you if that makes you more comfortable. Or leave them here ifyou think that would safer." Cado turned to Naszif and began givinginstructions.

Aaron paid no attention. He stared at the citadel but did not see it. He didnot think much, either.

He had frozen, as he'd always feared he would.

"Mr. Habid? What are you going to do?"

"Yes. All right. I'll do it."

He felt ashamed. He had said that for no high, holy, or heroic reason but justbecause he wanted no one, ever, to judge him in comparison with a despicablecreature like Naszif.

Azel slept poorly, not just because of his wounds. He had no trust in his ownsafety, though he had holed up high in the citadel, in a cubicle difficult toapproach and easy to defend. Torgo had come once, to report his messagedelivered and maybe to be seduced a little more. He did not trust the eunuchnot to return with a knife.

He wakened to the sort of spine tingle he got when danger was near, but aquick survey showed him it must be his imagination. Unless ...

He watched out the small, glassless window for half a minute. A woman cameinto view, walking slowly, studying the citadel.

Sullo's witch. No wonder he had the nerves.

They had it figured out. Their countermoves had begun. Those would be animatedby total desperation. They were in a race against a deadline they could notdetermine, so they would come hard and fast, from every angle and witheverything they had.

How good was she? Could she find the Postern of Fate? Could she unravel itspattern, traps, and alarms? How lucky was she? Ala-eh-din Beyh had succeededas much through luck as through talent.

As desperate as they would be, they would make their own luck.

It would be a race against time from this end, too.

Arif did not sleep at all. He sat in the great cage and cried, a slave tobewilderment and terror.

The Witch slept a deeper sleep than ever she had slept. She had spent toolavishly of her physical resources. She would be longer than usual comingback.

Aaron did nothing but trudge along silently, heading home, head bent in therain. Rainwater trickled down the back of his neck and carried the salt of nervous sweat into the abrasions on his face. Naszif seemed content to carryon without conversation. They had a job to do, they knew what it was, andthere was no need to belabor it with false chatter or to burden it with insincere camaraderie.

This was an alliance of necessity, not of love.

The rainfall was still something short of a full drizzle but it had beenfalling long enough to wash away the city's patina of dust and get started onthe layers of grime underneath. Char Street was thoroughly wet and slick.

Aaron heard the occasional gurgle from the sewer. Some water had begun toaccumulate in the channel.

Much more would be needed to cleanse it. This little bit would just stirthings up and make the stench riper.

Much more would be needed to fill the reservoirs and rain barrels of Qushmarrah, all of which were low. There was talk about a public works projectto recover more of the water from the springs that fed Goat Creek.

Aaron would have said these things to another companion, or another might havesaid them to him.

Two Herodian soldiers remained on guard inside Aaron's home. They had notbeen frugal with his candles, which exasperated him, but neither had theyrobbed him, so he supposed he could count himself lucky. Naszif dismissedthem.

Aaron latched the door, lay down with hopes of getting some rest.

That was impossible, and not just because Naszifs pacing bothered him. Goblinsof fear pranced and wrestled and giggled through the caverns of his mind. Nomatter where he turned his thoughts, he encountered a haunted shadow.

It was like those nights in the pass six years ago when he had not been ableto sleep nights for fear of the events of the following day.

Naszifs restlessness did not help.

Aaron gave it up after a while, got up, tried to put some of his nervousenergy to work. For years he had been meaning to take the sensible precautionof installing a peephole in the door. Putting one in now seemed an appropriateact of self-flagellation. He was surprised to find that it had started gettinglight out, that the fog had begun to retreat despite continued rainfall, thatChar Street had begun to come to life.

Before he finished his chore a dozen nosy neighbors had dropped by to ask whathad happened during the night. The daily incursion of the Dartar hordeoccurred, and they proceeded with their siege of the Shu maze and the sealingof its exits as if for them there was no higher purpose. Elsewhere, he knew, soldiers and horsemen were marching out to meet the Turoks, and the Herodianwar fleet was making preparations to catch the morning tide. And ambitious andevil men were scheming schemes. As always.

He was exhausted when he finished. His eyes burned with fatigue. He lay downagain, and this time he slipped off despite the riot in his mind.

"I feel like I ought to be doing something more active," bel-Sidek toldMeryel, topping off a belly already overly stuffed. He muttered, "I've beeneating my own cooking too long," then reverted to the subject. "I've alwaysled from the front."

"Which explains why you've only got one leg that works."

"Guarantees you won't see me running from a fight."

"You done stuffing yourself?"

"Yes. Enough is more than enough."

"Good. I have news for you. Your neighbor in the Shu is home. You said youwanted to talk to him."

"I'd like to do a lot more than that. Nobody talks to a khadifa the way hetalked to me."

She laughed at him. "Politics and observation of the proprieties of socialstatus have to take precedence over stress and family and personalrelationships. Right?"

He glared. "Don't you go sensible on me. I'm in no mood for reasonable. What'sthe situation?" At that moment it occurred to him he had the solution to his command problem right there. Meryel would make a perfect khadifa of thewaterfront. He knew of no one more competent.

Be impossible to get her accepted, though. Not only was she a woman, she wasno veteran of Dak-es-Souetta.

How had that come to be so critical a qualification?

He listened with half an ear and plucked salient points out of the report shehad gotten from people who worked for her, not for the movement. "He didn'tbring his family home? He didn't go to work? That's not like him."

"He had a family disaster, dolt! You didn't work yesterday, did you?"

Only yesterday! It seemed like a year already. The General in the ground lessthan a day. And the whole movement in disarray already. "All right. Call it abasic character flaw. Go on."

"There is something going on. If I was Cado I'd have an army of spies watchingto see if somebody tried to make contact. Best my men can see, the nearestHerodian is in Government House.

I think they want you to have a clean chance at him. I think he has amessage."

Bel-Sidek felt queasy. A message? From Cado? "Send some people to round himup. Drag him up here."

"Hold your horses, Mr. Khadifa. I'm a sympathizer, not a soldier. My peopledon't give a damn one way or the other about the Living. They'll do somethings for me but they have their limits. And I have mine."

Maybe he should have gone to ground somewhere else.

"Besides," she said, "Char Street is full of Dartars again. You said Dartarsbacked him up last night. You try the usual heavy-handed Living move andthey'll eat you up. Right?"

"I suppose. Forget it, then. Let Cado go whistle."

"You've become a living exasperation, you know that? I'm beginning to wonderif the General didn't pick the wrong man to take over. You don't want to bebothered thinking, or even with doing much of anything. But you've givenorders that will start a war in about twelve hours. You need to know what's going on. You for Aram's sake need to set up a command headquarters and getlines of communication opened to your khadifas. Or your great rebellion isn'tgoing to be much more than a glorified riot."

He glared at her, unaccustomed to take that from anyone but Herodianfunctionaries on the waterfront. Taking it there was part of the holy mission.

"I'll go myself, then."

"No. You don't think those Dartars will recognize you in the daylight? I'llgo. You're going to the Hahr with a couple of my men. I own some emptybuildings there. Some of the weapons are hidden there. They'll do you for ahideout and headquarters. My men will run a few messages for you so you can get started. Then they're out of it.

Bel-Sidek sighed and rose. He wasn't going to win a point.

Meryel said, "You have to stop nursing hurt feelings because the old manpulled a fast one on you. Get up on your hind legs and let's go."

Yoseh was restless. His injuries ached mercilessly but he could not remainstill. That doorway down there ...

They had managed a few whispered words before Cado had run the Dartarcontingent out of Government House, Fa'tad and all. He never said a word abouttheir having been in the city after curfew. Nor had he asked a question aboutwhat they were up to in the Shu. Fa'tad seemed disappointed.

The Eagle walked them back to their post in Char Street. Yoseh figured he'dhad something to discuss but he'd never said a word. He'd just prowled aroundin the fog, taking in the site of the excitement, then he had gone off up thehill, still leading the mount he had ridden into the city, like an old man hadnothing to fear from the night in this nest of killers and thieves.

Maybe, if you were Fa'tad and favored of the gods, you did have nothing tofear.

Now the old man was back. He was in the alley with Nogah and some of his oldcronies, including Mo'atabar. Doing what, Yoseh did not know.

"You're going to wear your boots out, little brother," Medjhah said. "Whydon't you plant yourself and take a nap?"

He couldn't. Despite the night. He shook his head.

"You'll be sorry you didn't."

"Why? What's up?"

"I don't know. That's just the voice of experience. You skip a chance tosnooze you're always sorry."

Yoseh grunted. "I'm going up to see what's up there on top." He had not yetseen anything of the upbuild or the underneath of the Shu. The upbuild wassupposed to be a wonder if you saw it from the sea or some eminence where youcould view it as a whole. From the cobblestones of Char Street you could notsee anything more interesting looking south than you could by looking north.

He lined up behind several mason's helpers waiting to carry materials up anarrow stair built into what once had be.en a breezeway between buildings.

Traffic headed up was waiting for several helpers who were coming down. Oncehe did get up top all he saw was what looked like more of the same.

The buildings fronting on Char Street were mostly one level high, their roofsa hardened and painted whitish stucco material just like their fronts, slightly sloped and rounded so water would run off. Foot traffic mostly keptto a four-foot-wide pathway of planking. Pathways meandered here and there andmore stairways climbed in front of or between places set back about as far asthe cross alleyway in which Yoseh had met the child-stealer. Only a very fewresidents were out in the weather, watching Dartars and masonry people trudge back and forth.

Yoseh went up to the next level. It was much like the one before, except thathere and there, there were narrow ways like streets two storeys above theoriginal streets, leading not only to doorways but to some ladders andstairways going down. Some of those were being blocked by the masons, workingunder tents that kept the rain off. Most legitimate stairs and ladders wereinside, where many generations might live in the same vertical stack.

Back in the heart of the quarter there were places accessible only bydescending as many as five flights.

The third level was the highest with any access to the maze.

Yoseh had trouble imagining what it must be like when all the people weremoving around up there. Be like a swarm of bees pouring out of their hives.

Higher up there were places rounded in shape that did resemble big hives.

Other than at the center of the quarter most of the fourth-level places stoodfree.

He wondered what the quarter might have become in another hundred years if theHerodians had not forbidden this endless piling on. Six or seven levels, socomplicated nobody from outside could find his way around?

Though the sprinkle was not heavy he came across several low places whereaccumulated drainage ran in tiny brooks, into catch basins and on. At eachpool there were women filling jars. Not a lot of the water would go to waste.

One of the runoffs, though, ran into a ladder well. He imagined it must getpretty damp down in the maze when there was a lot of rain.

At the highest levels even the wooden pathways were painted white. White andwhite and white, and he the only body moving. The misty drizzle made itdifficult to see far. He felt lost in some strangely weathered desert.

He turned back, his nervous energy not diminished. But he was soggy now andgetting miserable.

What the hell was going on in Qushmarrah? Everyone seemed to be up tosomething. He could not understand his place in the middle of it all. Hewished he had stayed in the mountains- except when he thought of Tamisa.

An impossible dream, of course, but his heart quickened, anyway. Maybe theimpossibility was half the attraction.

He was thinking about asking Nogah to let him go inside the maze to explorebut there was something going on when he got back, Fa'tad digging men out ofthe alleyway and hurrying them off. Yoseh was astonished. Some had exchangedtheir Dartar black for Qushmarrahan-style clothing. Wrapped in cloaks againstthe wet, keeping their heads down, they did not give themselves away.

"What's happening?" he asked Medjhah.

"Someone came to see your girlfriend's brother-in-law. Fa'tad wants to knowwhere they go."

Naszif shook his shoulder. Aaron grumbled, "What?"

"Somebody at the door. I think this is it."

A thrill of fear. Aaron tried to bounce up but he was too sore. He had stiffened up terribly while he slept.

He put the peephole to its first use.

He closed it, whispered, "A woman. Alone. Ugly."

An almost smile from Naszif. "Let her in." He stepped over where he would be out of sight behind the door when it opened.

Aaron opened up. "May I help you?" He did not look at the woman, glancing up and down the street instead. He saw nothing but Dartars and normal traffic. No one appeared interested.

The woman said, "I'm the one you're waiting for." She sounded amused.

"Come inside." He stepped aside. "You woke me up. What do you mean, you're the one I'm waiting for?" "You have a message from one General for another, don't you?" she asked as she pushed past.

"Not me. They just figured I'd be watched. Naszif has the message." He closed the door. The woman eyed Naszif, surprised but not uneasy. "They didn't mention you.

I'll tell them to pay closer attention."

Aaron was uncomfortable. The woman talked and acted like a man. "Shall I stir up the fire and heat some water?" "I won't be here that long. Thank you, anyway. All right, Mr. Naszif. What's the message?"

"General Cado would like to speak to Colonel bel-Sidek concerning Nakar the Abomination and possible destinies of Qushmarrah. That's all I'm authorized to tell one of his agents. I could say more to his face. On my own, I'll say the General seems ready to offer whatever guarantees the Colonel feels are necessary to maintain his safety during their talks. The General thinks we've reached a crossroads. He thinks the interests of Herod and the Living may be allied at the moment." Aaron gawked at Naszif. The man always had had a tendency to be pompous, but nothing like this. Had he taken lessons when he became a Herodian? He grinned.

So did the woman. "Interesting. He might go for it out of plain curiosity.

That's all of it?" "For the moment. Unless you wish to take me to Colonel bel-Sidek."

"I don't think so. I'll see what he thinks and let you know." She turned to the door. "I urge you to waste no time. The General feels we're up against a lethal deadline. Minutes may be critical."

"I'll tell him not to fart around."

She left them aghast.

"Now what?" Aaron asked.

"Now we wait some more."

Aaron started digging around trying to find something to eat.

"There she goes," Medjhah whispered. "Give her a minute, then tell Nogah."

Yoseh looked at the woman frankly. "Walks like a man."

"They can't all be young and graceful. Unfortunately. Now. Go." Medjhah got up and strolled toward one of the wagons used by the masons. It was a large four- wheeler, covered, and the driver was huddled inside.

"Nogah?" Yoseh said into the darkness in the alley. "We saw her. Go get in the wagon with Medjhah."

Puzzled, Yoseh walked toward the wagon. Medjhah had disappeared. The driver was outside, checking the harness on his oxen. Yoseh looked inside the wagon.

It was empty except for Medjhah. "Come in, little brother."

Yoseh clambered over the tailgate. "What are we doing?"

"We're going to follow the woman."

"Why?"

"Fa'tad thinks she can lead us to the chief of the Living."

Yoseh tried to reconcile that with what he understood of what had happened last night. He could not. "Why does he want to do that?"

Medjhah shrugged. "Not now." The wagon rocked.

Nogah climbed inside. Kosuth followed him, then Fa'tad and two of his old-time cronies, then Juba from their own bunch. Juba was not a relative but alwayshad been a sort of adoptive cousin.

"Tell him to get moving," Fa'tad said. He nodded to Yoseh and Medjhah.

Medjhah said something out the front of the wagon. The Qushmarrahan clamberedup onto the driver's seat and yelled at his oxen.

The wagon lurched forward. "Real racing chariot here," Nogah cracked. Nobodylaughed. Yoseh thought Fa'tad looked more sour than usual. Hard to tell, though. He was wearing his face cloth, which he did not often do.

As they passed each of the other stations occupied by Dartars someone came toreport to al-Akla. Each told him the woman had continued uphill. He receivedtheir remarks with sullen grunts.

Yoseh began to suspect the old man's problem was much like his own. He did notknow what the hell he was doing. Maybe circumstances had conspired to abortthis master plan, or had thrown other possibilities into his path, so that hewas unsure how to proceed.

The wagon reached the head of Char Street, squeaked and rumbled through theacropolis, and began to descend into the Hahr. The men who came to report nowwore Qushmarrahan garb and were more circumspect.

Finally, the wagon halted in a narrow, quiet street. The driver spoke foreveryone when he asked, "What you want to do now, chief?"

Bel-Sidek listened to Meryel carefully, but puzzled. He could see nopercentage in meeting the Herodian, unless just to put him off his guard. Theman wouldn't expect an uprising while they were talking. "Why should I go tothe trouble? Just to get rid of my curiosity?"

"It's the child-stealing thing," Meryel guessed. "The man I saw specificallymentioned Nakar. I'd say Cado is in a panic about that business."

"Think he knows something we don't?"

"Either he thinks he does or he wants you to think he does. He's conversantwith current events inside the movement. He directed his message to youspecifically."

"He had the traitor and the carpenter to advise him. I want to talk to thecarpenter more than I did before. Tell Cado's runner I'm giving a meetingserious consideration. I'll send a messenger to Colonel Bruda withinstructions if I decide it's in my interest to meet. After Cado's man leavestalk the carpenter into coming to see me."

"Just like that?"

"You're a persuasive woman."

She harumphed. "I'm going to be an exhausted woman if this back-and-forthkeeps on." She turned around and marched out.

"Got to do something to show her I appreciate her." Bel-Sidek settled, leanedback, closed his eyes, let his thoughts run with the problem of the citadel.

In moments he felt frustrated and powerless.

He must have dozed. When a soft sound startled him awake he found the room full of Dartars. Where had they come from? He scanned them quickly, careful toshow no fear. They were like dogs that way. They could smell it on you.

One asked, "Have you got the boy back yet?"

He shook his head. He had forgotten that one and his threats.

"You have only nine more hours."

Bel-Sidek smiled thinly. When the fog came in no Dartar would be in a positionto cause him any grief. •

Another sat down in front of him. "He suffers from youthful idealism still.

When he is as old as you and I he will see the inconsequence of someone else'schild when matters of policy are at hand."

Fa'tad! And still armed with that gently nasty sarcasm with which he commentedon things Qushmarrahan.

"You're surprised, Colonel bel-Sidek."

"Yes."

"I'm somewhat surprised myself. I've come here with no specific objective inmind."

Liar, bel-Sidek thought. Fa'tad was the last man on earth to make a movewithout knowing exactly what he was doing.

"Perhaps I'm squandering the treasure that is the knowing of how to find you.

Maybe I had a hunch you might have something to say to me, knowing these handshold the balance of power in this factious city."

Bel-Sidek looked the old warrior in the eye, spied a twinkle there. "Do myears deceive me? Do I hear an offer to change sides again?"

"Change sides? No. You didn't hear that. We don't change sides. We'recompletely faithful to the cause of the Dartar tribes. But there have beentimes when we have been deceived and deserted by those who styled themselvesour friends."

"I can't debate that with you. Nakar himself decided that the drought had hurtQushmarrahan agriculture too much to allow sending any of its product awayfrom the city. Cado can pay your hire only because so many thousands ofstomachs were quieted during the war."

"Yet there were ways Nakar could have shown gratitude for services past andhave ensured those services in the future had he been less miserly. But atthat moment he had no need of our savage lances. He had not yet sensed thegathering Herodian storm. When he did he whistled, expecting us to comerunning like dogs. Treacherous curs that we are, we answered maltreatment withmaltreatment."

"Stipulated," bel-Sidek said, pleased that he had found a sarcasm to matchFa'tad's. But the Dartars were not amused.

Fa'tad observed, "This thing with Nakar is most inopportunely timed. Givenanother three days, possibly four, we would have had what we came for andwould have begun our preparations to leave the Herodian standard. We came soclose. But that's the story of our generation."

Bel-Sidek eyed Fa'tad narrowly. The man was up to something for sure.

He would bite. For the moment. Maybe he would learn something. "What did you come for?"

"The treasures of the citadel. We've made no secret of that. They werepromised us by the Herodians. They never meant to keep their promise, ofcourse. They knew we couldn't get inside. But we persevered, and finally foundthe way, and it turns out we can't get into the citadel till probably two daysafter the citadel comes to get us."

"The rumors are true? There's a tunnel from the Shu maze?"

"There is a passage. But like the citadel itself it's sealed off byunbreakable spells. There is, however, nothing to keep determined men frombypassing the blockage by cutting through the rock and going around. But thatis going to take too long."

Bel-Sidek leaned back, unafraid now, confident he had a handle on thesituation. The old man wanted to trade horses. And he was sneaking up on thepoint rather quickly for a Dartar. "Why are you telling me this?"

"You would like us to leave Qushmarrah. You know the circumstances under whichwe would blow away like milkweed seed. Are you wedded to the strategy of yourpredecessor, who never abandoned his allegiance to the dark gods?"

That allegation startled bel-Sidek ... Azel had claimed he had met theGeneral in temple. And Azel had been Nakar's private assassin. "I'm notmarried to the concept."

"Ah. I feared the entire ruling council of your movement was guilty of acynical manipulation aimed at effecting the restoration of Nakar. We have abasis for discussion."

"Uhm?" Let him lead. Let him lead.

"There is another way into the citadel."

"If you're going to suggest that I know it you're sniffing the wrong trail.

I'd have used it to clean the place out long ago. That wealth would buy a lotof weapons."

Fa'tad eyed him. "That has a certain plausibility. Nevertheless, theinformation exists within your organization. Those children have to bedelivered somehow. Hanno bel-Karba was a careful planner. He would have madearrangements to ensure that such a critical piece of information did not getlost if misadventure overtook him ... Ah! I see you've thought of a name."

The Dartars stirred. Fa'tad gestured. They were still.

Bel-Sidek had thought of Carza. And now knew why Cado wanted to see him. Cadowanted that name. He was holding a trump he hadn't known he had. Why shouldn'the play it himself?

Fa'tad said, "You're wondering why you should give these dogs of Dartarsanything. The immediate answer is simple. We have you in our power. And Nogahhere has sworn to kill you when the fog comes in. Your successor will faceeither Nakar the Abomination or, if he is smart enough and quick enough toabort that, the implacable hostility of five thousand Dartars that would keephim from ousting Herod forever. Your cause is dying. In a few years it will expire from old age. On the other hand, if we were to get into the citadel youmight find us grateful enough to aid your cause. And you'll have gained anunvanquishable fortress from which to strike at Herod. Perhaps even throughthe Shu maze. Is that treasure, that you never had, suddenly more importantthan the goals of your movement?"

A central point, bel-Sidek reflected. If the treasures of the citadel wouldbuy independence, wasn't he bound to pay? It was a cheaper fee than any theyhad considered paying before.

"One question. Suppose that treasure is just as much an illusion as thesupposed treasure of the king of the Shu maze?"

"Then I'll have made a great fool of myself. I'll have given Qushmarrah awayand will have done nothing but return a few frightened children to grievingparents. I'm confident of the wealth, however. I visited the citadeloccasionally in older times."

"As did I. Can we state this as a clearly defined undertaking? So I'll knowexactly where we stand."

Fa'tad reflected. "Given the secret of entry into the citadel, which existssomewhere within your organization, my forces will penetrate the fortress.

They will deliver the children held captive there. To you, if you like. Theywill terminate any possibility of the resurrection of Nakar. They will take ofthe treasure of the citadel as they desire. They will hand the fortress overto your forces. They will leave the city to you and the Herodians."

"A good deal, on the face of it," bel-Sidek said. And he believed that. But hewondered what lay behind the smiling face. It seemed too simple, toostraightforward, and maybe too small for Fa'tad al-Akla.

Unless he was under a lot of pressure from home and would have to leave soon, anyway.

That was a good possibility.

"Any my part? Other than learning how you can enter the citadel?"

"Don't make Cado a deal when he comes looking for one."

One of the Dartars, who was watching the street through a crack in a boardedwindow, said, "The woman is coming."

Fa'tad nodded. "I've been a little slow. It's your move, Colonel bel-Sidek."

"Can you keep your man away?"

Fa'tad seemed amused. "I think I can restrain his ardor so long as he and Iare certain he will have the chance to deliver the boy. Still, the deadline heset seems to me a sound one. Why wait for Nakar? The deal stands if youdeliver the information before the fog comes in. I can be reached in the alleybelow the place you formerly occupied."

"And if I can't get the information?"

"We'll find you again."

Meryel burst in. "Sisu, what the hell are you doing? You've got twenty men sitting around ... Shit."

Fa'tad bowed slightly and walked out. His men followed. Bel-Sidek watched thoughtfully. "What the hell? That was al-Akla."

"He followed you here." Bel-Sidek told her the story.

"What're you going to do?"

"First I'll see if my conscience says I have to go through with the General's plan." "You want Nakar back? If you think you owe somebody that, you're crazier than the old man was. You even consider it, you can kiss me good-bye."

"There are those who would approve."

"So?"

"I merely state that for the record."

"You think al-Akla would keep his bargain?"

"Possibly. He certainly handed me ammunition to spend against him. I'm tempted to give him what he wants, then tell Cado he's looting the citadel. Let them get into it. Let the Living deal with the survivors." "Will you?"

"I don't know. Right now I'll call off my own war, then get Carza where I can talk to him. If anybody knows the way in there, he does." "The carpenter refused to come," Meryel said.

"So I suspected. Probably doesn't much matter now."

Yoseh settled into the bed of the wagon, glad to be out of the rain. He huddled up, pondered the incomprehensible ways of the mighty. The others piled inside. Somebody growled at the driver. The driver growled back, unimpressed.

The wagon lurched forward. One of Fa'tad's cronies asked, "Think he'll try to screw us?" "It's the Qushmarrahan way. On the other hand, I made him a tempting offer. An inspired improvisation, if I say so myself." Al-Akla chuckled. "Driver! Turn left and stop. Nogah, Medjhah, Juba, I have a job for you." Aaron slipped into the main shed at the shipyard. Those who could were there, working out of the rain. The rest had been sent home. He found Billygoatcaulking a small boat. There was always work for a caulker.

Billygoat gave him a strange look. "You coming in?"

"No. I just wanted to talk. You heard?"

"Yes. It's around. How are you doing? How's your family handling it?"

"I'm all right now. They're taking it about like you'd expect. But we aren'twithout hope. The Herodians know who did it. Can we talk?"

"Sure." Billygoat wiped his hands on his clothing. He was not fastidious. "Butthis isn't the place. Unless you don't care who listens."

The others had slowed work and were watching. Cullo and another Herodian weredrifting their way. Aaron wondered if this made any sense, after all. "Part Idon't want anybody to hear."

"Let's go for a walk."

"You'll get soaked." He was already.

Billygoat shrugged. "As long as it isn't pouring. I find rain relaxing." Theold man shoved his tools toward his helper. "Clean them up."

Neither foreman stopped Billygoat. None of the workmen spoke to Aaron, thoughsome eyed him with pity.

"You have friends in high places," Billygoat said after they stepped into thedamp. "Never saw anybody excused from work by order of the military governor."

"Really?"

"Messenger was waiting when we came in. Had a letter saying you was to be letoff as long as you needed, without prejudice, the way they say. Signed byBruda and Cado, according to Cullo. He was impressed."

"Trying to back me into a corner, I guess."

They went in beneath the scaffolding on the lee side of the ship they werebuilding. Not much moisture reached them. Billygoat sat on one timber balk, leaned against another. "Talk to me."

Aaron told his story. Billygoat did not interrupt. When Aaron finished, hesaid, "It's a grim tale. If it's advice you're after, all I can say is, yougot to do whatever you got to do to help your boy."

"I understand that. That's no problem. But all those people are pushing meinto the middle of their plots and politics. I don't give a damn about any ofthat. I just want my son back. But whatever I do, somebody will claim Ibetrayed him. They could take it out on my family. How can I get out fromunder that?"

Billygoat picked up some sodden wood chips, pitched them at an invisibletarget. "I don't know, Aaron. I wish I did. I wish I could give you some magicformula. But all I can say is I'm sorry. You got yourself in the classic trap that gets the little guy. Not yout fault, but there you are. When the big guysgo to butting heads they always figure if you aren't with them you got to beagainst them. There's anything practical I can do, I'll help."

"I don't want to get you into it."

Billygoat did not argue.

"There is one thing. Wouldn't put you at any risk." The real reason he hadcome.

"What's that?" Billygoat kept throwing chips.

"Sort of an extra hammer."

"Well?"

"You hear something's happened to me or my family, ask around for somebody whowas at the Seven Towers, in Four. Like Big Turi. Tell them I said it wasNaszif that opened the door. They'll know what that means. Would you do that?"

"Sure, Aaron."

"Thanks. I'd better get back, see if there's any news."

Sullo and Cado watched while Annalaya tried reaching through the corpse ofIshabal bel-Shaduk in an effort to summon his spirit. The governors had setanimosity aside for the moment, in the face of a greater threat.

The woman backed away from the cadaver. Cado thought she looked troubled. Sheshrugged, defeated. "Too late."

Sullo took her into his arms, patted her back. "You did the best you could."

Cado concealed amazement. What was this? She did not appear pleased. "I sowanted to please you, my lord."

Cado thought her tone lacked sincerity. Who was using whom? Cado asked,

"What's our approach now?" Calling up the child-taker's ghost had been a longshot but he had hoped.

The witch disengaged herself from Sullo. "We will have to find the way bytrial and error. As Ala-eh-din Beyh must have." And there was more hidden inher voice when she mentioned that name.

Mystery on mystery. "There's a way? Is Fa'tad on to something?" That would notdo. Let Fa'tad plunder the citadel and the Dartars would melt away faster thansummer snow.

"The entrance appears to be a pattern gate," the witch said. She had an oddaccent, maybe atop a mild speech impediment. "It appears to be a complicatedconstruct. Possibly a double pattern. Probably with inbuilt traps. The firststeps seem too obvious for a sorcerer of Nakar's attainment." Again an oddityof voice, a chilliness, at mention of the name.

"A trap?" Cado had only the vaguest notion what she meant. He was of the oldschool: no commerce with sorcery.

"There are certain to be several, some obvious, some subtle, all deadly. Thatis the nature of a pattern. You create a pattern gate to keep people out."

"Be careful, then. Colonel Bruda will give you whatever support you need."

Sullo donned a smirk. "My people can handle this."

"Perhaps." Cado left them, perplexed by the woman, thinking Sullo neededwatching. If-when!-they penetrated the citadel the man would go for thetreasure like a shark to blood.

The big man brought a child into the cage. The other children whisperedexcitedly. There was something special about this one ... He had been broughtback once before. Apparently those who went out did not come back at all.

Arif lifted his gaze.

"Zouki!" He jumped up, then got scared all over again. The big man gave himsuch a funny look. Almost like he hated him ... The big man backed outsideand locked the cage but stayed outside staring. He was scary.

Arif edged toward Zouki. "Zouki?"

The other boy just sat there. There was something creepy about him. Somethingscary. Arif wanted to move away, to hide. "Zouki?"

Zouki looked up. There was no recognition in his eyes. For a moment. Thensomething stirred. He seemed suddenly old and dangerous and much more scary.

Arif backed away, frightened.

"What did you do to him?" Arif shouted. "You're a bad man." He kept backingaway, crying, terrified.

Thunder crashed outside the citadel. The rain fell harder.

Azel watched the soldiers from his eyrie. They had the place surrounded, thePostern of Fate covered. There would be no getting out. If the kid they neededwasn't the one he'd brought in, the siege would turn ugly. There weren't manystores laid in. Of course, if they busted in, things would get even uglier.

He should have done something about Sullo's witch. She was the only tool theyhad. But he'd had no time, even had the notion occurred while it waspractical.

When she woke, the Witch would see why he'd nagged her. This was what he'dwanted to prevent.

Torgo showed up for a little more seducing. "What are you doing?"

"Watching the show and wondering if I'm too old to learn to fly. How's shedoing?"

The eunuch looked worried. "Not good. She extended herself way too much."

Azel spat out the window. That figured. She'd keep right on being more troublethan help. }ust like a woman. "She better wake up before they figure out how to get in here."

Aaron had not yet gotten the door closed when Naszif demanded, "Where the hellhave you been?" Like he was some child who had wandered without permission.

"I arranged for someone to tell Big Turi who opened that postern if anythinghappens to me or mine." He felt soaked to the bone. He started shedding wetclothing.

Naszif glared, angry, none too afraid, maybe with a touch of hatred.

"There's nothing else to say," Aaron said. "Did you see General Cado?"

"Him and the ugly woman both. Things are moving." Implied, the suggestion thatAaron stick a little closer, in case.

He hung his clothes up, dressed dry, settled down with cheese, bread, andwater. He did not offer to share. After a while, he asked, "What's next?"

"Bel-Sidek wants General Cado to come to him if they're going to meet. Ifthat's what bel-Sidek decides to do he'll send a guide here. I'll take him tothe General. So we just sit."

Sit around and wait for something to happen. As they had done at the SevenTowers.

He wished he had brought his family home. He was feeling as alone as he had inthose bad old days. How soon could he get away from here? How soon would theybe able to come back?

He thought about Arif up there in the citadel, so young, so much more alonethan he, so surely terrified by the collapse of his safe little world.

"Naszif?"

"Yeah?"

"Suppose we let everything else go and just worry about getting the boysback?"

Naszif grunted. He wanted to nap. Nothing to do but sit there and think.

The rain was steady now, though not yet heavy. The clouds seemed to bestirring over the citadel. Yoseh paid no attention. He was soaked to themarrow, miserable, and only marginally grateful that it was no colder. Thebreeze was steady and merciless. And Medjhah had been right about snatchingsleep while the chance was there-damn him!

Yoseh was on the street supposedly pretending to doze while he watched theanimals and kept an eye on Tamisa's place. But he was only supposed topretend. His eyes kept crossing and his vision kept blurring. And Faruk, likehe was psychic, kept coming out to plant a boot in his bottom whenever hestarted to nod.

There was not that much to see. A few people came and went at Tamisa's butFa'tad did not seem interested.

This life in the city of gold was just one breathless adventure after another.

Bel-Sidek was thoroughly irritated by the time Carza deigned to make hisappearance. He was tired and the weather had awakened a pernicious ache in hisleg. Neither improved his temper. More, several of his men from thewaterfront, though told their help was essential, had begged off reportingbecause they did not want to miss work. That was not something to put acaptain into a positive, optimistic frame of mind. What was he running here, some kind of social club?

He had moved across the street and up the hill a few doors from the placewhere Fa'tad had found him. He had gotten men in to replace Meryel's workersbut not enough to put out watchers adequate to his needs. He worried. He wassurviving by the grace of Aram here..

Those of his own who had shown were his best, men who had stood with him atDak-es-Souetta, willing to storm the gates of Hell if he gave the order. Thefive hardest were with him when Carza showed.

"I hope I haven't inconvenienced you too much," bel-Sidek said, not botheringto smother his anger.

"You have. You know damned well you have. Are you having trouble making upyour mind? Or did you just chicken out on bringing down the storm?"

"Sit down." Bel-Sidek nodded to two of his men. They sat Carza down. "No. Ididn't chicken out. I found another way."

"Get your hands off ..."

"Be quiet, Carza. I'll tell you when to speak. Here it is. I know what the oldman planned. And Cado knows. And so does al-Akla. They aren't happy. Luckilythey're preoccupied with the citadel. It's surrounded by Herodian troops.

There'll be no communication with the Witch. Additionally, I, personally, amcategorically, adamantly, inalterably opposed to resurrecting Nakar."

"You're going to chuck the movement because you don't like the way he worked?"

"I didn't say that. I also suggested you keep quiet. I said I'd found anotherway. It has more to recommend it, in my estimation."

"I'm listening."

"Being intentionally abrasive won't help."

Carza made a sour face but kept his mouth shut.

"Al-Akla has offered to abandon the Herodian standard. He's offered to leave Qushmarrah and return to his mountains. He suggested he might be persuaded tohelp clear the city of Herodians. I think it can be arranged so Dartars domost of the clearing."

Carza got more sour by the second.

"To facilitate that sequence the Living need only deliver on a promise madeal-Akla by Cado, six years ago, which he did not fulfill."

"I'll bite. What's the payoff?"

"The contents of the citadel."

Carza looked at him like he was the crazy one.

"Which would constitute no loss whatever because we've never had control of whatever's in there."

"You're kidding."

"Not even a little."

"How are you going to get him in so he can steal our city's treasures?"

Bel-Sidek smiled a smile in which all the pain in his leg smoldered. "That's why you're here, old comrade."

Carza pretended he did not understand.

"I served the General a long time, Carza. I knew him better than his wife did. But there were things he hid from me, just as there were things he concealedfrom her, because he valued our good opinion. For all his foibles andcrotchets I loved him, though it's obvious that at the end he'd become crazierthan a troop of drunken rock apes. I don't think you can convince me he wasn'tthe sort who would ensure that his knowledge survived him."

"Crazy? Why crazy?"

"What sane man would voluntarily resurrect Nakar the Abomination?"

"More than you suspect, evidently. Though that wasn't the meat of the old man's plan. What do you want from me?"

Bel-Sidek paced, giving Carza time to reflect. Then, "I want the key to the citadel. I want it badly." "And I can't give it to you. I don't know what it is." Bel-Sidek stepped to the door. "Sheed." The man came in. "Go to the Minisia. Find Homena bel-Barca. Tell him Carza will be tied up for a while.

He's to act as khadifa till Carza comes back."

Homena bel-Barca was an old friend. Despite being Carza's second his ties were with the moderates. "You can't do this, bel-Sidek."

"I'm doing it. You rejected my authority by refusing my request."

"You push me, you'd better kill me."

"I don't want it that way, Carza. You're valuable to the movement. But if you insist."

Carza gave him a searching look, suspecting he might be serious.

He was, at the moment.

Meryel was right. He had to take charge. He had to show that he was in charge.

"Tell me what I need to know, Carza."

General Cado was extremely uncomfortable clad Qushmarra-han and bundledagainst the rain. No one gave him a second glance but he could not shake afeeling that they all knew what he was and were snickering to themselves. Allpart of the Herodian curse. Everywhere but in the home provinces Herodi-answere out of place, stubby little bald men.

He'd never articulated the curse concept to anyone.

Hell. They were by damn in charge, short or not. They were masters by right ofconquest.

He glanced at the guide Colonel bel-Sidek had sent, sniffing for the taint oftreachery. This was the biggest risk he had taken since he had accepted battleat Dak-es-Souetta, counting on unproven Dartars to give him the day. For allhe had known, Fa'tad's offer had been just a ploy.

He could tell nothing. His companion was as bundled up as he, hunched over ashe marched into the slanting rain. Just a brother in misery.

It was not weather to inspire flights of fancy leading to sudden treachery. Itwas weather for plodding straight ahead, for muddling through. The afternoonwas leaden grey, depressing. The citadel, as they skirted it, was a lump ofwet dark stone, filled with menace, an awakening viper coiled beneath twistingclouds.

Cado was concerned about his fleet. If the weather was no worse at sea, wonderful. The breeze would push the ships across the Gulf of Tuhn at six toeight knots. They should reach the far shore sometime tomorrow. The troopsshould be ashore and astride the coast road, behind the Turok raiders, beforenightfall.

He hoped for a great and bloody success, the impact of which would strikeTuroks and Dartars, the peoples of the coastal provinces and his detractors inthe mother city. A few thousand Turoks taken unaware would make a potentstatement.

From the acropolis they descended into the narrow streets of the Hahr. Hewondered how much longer, how much more runaround to confuse him about wherehe was ...

He caught a flash of motion from the corner of his eye. His companion gruntedand pitched forward. Something hit him in the back of the head and on theshoulders. Darkness descended.

He awakened with his hands and feet bound and his head tied into a sack. He was in a wagon. And he was frightened-more for his troops than for himself. Hehad sent both generals into the field.

Bruda was good at what he did. But could he cope with a Sullo? Could he manageif things started falling apart?

It looked like Colonel bel-Sidek had decided it was time the Living moved.

He wondered if anyone would bother ransoming him. Taliga might not want tobother. His sister would profit if her husband fell to an enemy blade.

He developed a tormenting itch in his bladder.

Naszif had gone to Government House with the Living's guide, it seemed foreverago. He had thought Aaron ought to stay, just in case. Now Aaron wished he hadasserted himself and had insisted he go, too. Or at least had told Naszif totell General Cado to send his family home. He was painfully alone here.

Would Naszif return now he had played out the part General Cado had given him?

He hoped not, but feared that was a futile hope. He had caught the eyes of themighty and they were not going to let him slip away.

Someone tapped on the door.

His heartbeat doubled. He started to sweat. He went to peek through thepeephole.

It was the Dartar Yoseh.

He opened up. "Yes?" He smiled. He liked the boy despite himself.

"Fa'tad wants to talk to you."

Aaron did not respond. He stared into the street. It was almost dark out. Therain was not yet a downpour but it was a real rain now, and steady. What theycalled a soaking rain. The sewer channel was alive, snorting and gurgling.

When the weather cleared, Qushmarrah would have a newly scrubbed look and afresh, clean smell.

"Sir, Fa'tad wants to know if he can come talk to you." Sir? Better keep aneye on this boy. "Fa'tad al-Akla?" "Yes sir." The Dartar was amused. "Iunderstand, sir. He scares me, too."

Aaron snorted, a predictable response from a man whose courage had beenquestioned. "He can come. As long as he doesn't blow trumpets and make aDartar carnival out of it."

"He'll be here in a minute." The boy hurried away.

What now? Aaron wondered. He did not retreat from the doorway. The street wasas vacant as ever he'd seen it, barring the presence of the Dartars. Tonight, at least in this area, they had made no pretense of leaving for theircompound.

Fa'tad had on his polite face when he arrived with Yoseh and the boy's olderbrother. Nogah? To make him feel more comfortable, having someone around heknew at least vaguely?

"I'm sorry I can offer no hospitality," Aaron said. "But welcome to my home, anyway."

Fa'tad looked around, comparing the actuality to reports he had received.

"Thank you. That you have received me is hospitality enough."

"To what do I owe the honor of your presence?"

"Ha!" Fa'tad snorted. "You do that almost as well as a Dartar."

Aaron was puzzled. The man must have heard something he had not said. He wasjust trying to be courteous.

Fa'tad said, "I am hoping you will help me carry off something that should getyour boy back. If we move fast."

Aaron was not so naive as to assume Arifs well-being meant anything to Fa'tadal-Akla. The old nomad wanted to use him. But that was all right. He wouldplay if it looked like Fa'tad could deliver.

"Tell me about it." He hoped he could separate fact from tall tales. Heaccounted himself a little too gullible. Look what bel-Sidek had told him. "Iwon't guarantee anything."

"Well spoken! Always examine the horse's teeth. Very well. I will tell youeverything."

When dogs fly, Aaron thought. "Go ahead."

"When I chose to follow the standard of Herod I was promised the treasures ofthe citadel, which would be of great help to rny people. Six years havepassed. I have not yet glimpsed those treasures. General Cado has made noeffort to breach the citadel. A few days ago, curiosity sparked by thekidnapping, I began investigating the Shu labyrinth. From criminals capturedinside I learned of a legend about a secret entrance to the citadel. Isearched for it. I found it. But it is sealed by spells as potent as thoseprotecting the citadel above. I thought to best the spell by tunneling aroundthe blockage. But then we all learned what the kidnappings are about. It wasevident that my method of attack would be too slow. You follow so far?"

"I follow." Aaron smiled weakly. "I don't necessarily believe, but I follow."

He felt wildly daring, talking that way to Fa'tad al-Akla.

Fa'tad smiled back. His raptor's face seemed to fall into a smile naturally, which was astonishing. "A skeptic. Good. A man does well to be skeptical intimes like these. So. The nature of the game, and the stakes, changed lastnight. And then again this afternoon."

Startled, Aaron asked, "This afternoon? What now?"

"General Cado has disappeared. Rumor says the Living have taken him captive. Ipresume to prevent him from interfering with their effort to resurrect Nakarthe Abomination."

That was a blow to the heart. And he had heard enough around Government Houseto suspect General Cado's disappearance would throw the garrison into chaos.

Al-Akla continued, "Governor Sullo will try to assume Cado's responsibilities.

It's one of the promises he made to the people who sent him here. I do notwant him in control. Another promise he made was that he would, once heobtained the power, abrogate Cado's treaties and begin looting Qushmarrah'streasures-especially those of the citadel, which grow more fabulous with every telling."

Aaron suddenly feared for his family, caught in a squabble between theResidence and Government House. He demanded,

"How can you know what Sullo promised anybody before he left Herod?"

"We may be savages, carpenter, but we do have our friends across the greatshining water." Fa'tad's voice was edged with sarcasm.

Aaron began pacing. If this was even half true he had to get his family out ofharm's way. And what about Arif? His gut feeling about Governor Sullo was thatthe man did not give a damn what happened to Qushmarrah's children.

"What do you want?"

"I want to divert Sullo. I want to appeal to his greed and so distract himwhile I find General Cado and steal Sullo's witch. Without her he cannot goanywhere. What I need from you is for you to run breathless to Sullo to reportthat the Dartars are only a few hours short of breaking into the citadel fromthe maze. I hope he will chase us off and waste a few days hunting for theway. We won't tell him where it is."

It did not add up. Aaron said so. And he asked, "How does this get you intothe citadel?"

Fa'tad thought a moment, as though trying to decide if he ought to say more.

"Uhn. I intend to use his witch. She's our only hope of getting in there intime."

"But ..."

"No more answers. No more questions. You know enough already to destroy me ifyou develop a sudden sympathy for Governor Sullo. I am going to return to myalley now, leaving you to reflect. Leaving you with the assurance that thefirst thing we will do once we break through is find your son. In fact, if youwish, you may go with us when we storm the citadel. Nogah. Yoseh. Come."

Out they went.

Aaron snuffed the one candle he had had burning, sat in the dark thinking.

Arif haunted every moment.

The nightmares were real now.

Yoseh asked, "Did you mean that about going after his son before anythingelse, sir?"

"Hell, yes. If the boy was unfortunate enough to inherit the soul of Nakar theAbomination, then he is the key to our survival. He has to be gotten away fromthe Witch. At whatever the cost."

Yoseh did not like the tone of that but he had exhausted his store of daring.

Medjhah heard them stirring, came to meet them. He whispered something toFa'tad that Yoseh did not catch. Fa'tad grunted and hurried toward thealleyway.

The darkness was crowded. The troop had a stranger under guard there. "Colonel bel-Sidek," Fa'tad said. "I had begun to fear we wouldn't see you again."

"But I had to come," the veydeen replied. "It's almost time for the fog to roll in." He sounded amused. "Though I doubt there'll be any fog tonight, in this."

Yoseh thought al-Akla sounded like he was trying to suppress excitement when he asked, "Did you get me what I need?" "No. Unfortunately. The man I thought might know has proven stubborn. He insists he doesn't know. I've come to suspect the chances are at least even that he's telling the truth." Fa'tad did not say anything for a minute. No one else said a thing. Then,

"Give him to us. We'd find the truth in an hour."

"No doubt. And then be dead before morning." "Eh?"

"No. I've alienated half my organization already. Basically, I've bet my life on you as the alternative to the restoration of Nakar. I won't push the hardliners any farther." Several men growled. A few made threats. The Qushmarrahan said, "Do as you will. But if I'm not back soon the hard-liners will take control. Before dawn the streets will be red with blood. You'll recall that some misguided Qushmarrahans would rather spill Dartar blood than Herodian." Fa'tad grunted. Men stirred angrily. The Eagle said, "Go back to your men.

Remember that the sands are running through the glass. A minute of delay may be the minute Nakar needs. Go." The Qushmarrahan went, limping.

Someone asked, "How come you turned him loose?"

"He was telling the truth. And I have no wish to leave your body on a Qushmarrahan street, to be torn by dogs and abused by children."

No one argued with that.

"We aren't in a position to deal with rebellion. Too much is happening."

Yoseh was puzzled. But Fa'tad was not going to explain. Fa'tad was being Fa'tad, whose thoughts were known to none.

Yoseh wondered why he did not, at least, have the veydeen followed.

Azel pried himself away from the window. What the hell was he watching for? He couldn't do anything if he did see something coming.

He needed to move around. His body was going to petrify.

"Getting too damned old," he muttered, feeling his wounds far more than he would have years ago.

His stomach was a knot. He had not eaten. He had just plain forgot. He headed downstairs.

He stopped off to mix and gulp an analgesic draft, went on to the kitchen. He ate what was available without complaining. He learned that the stores situation was not as grim as he feared, though there would be nothing fresh for a while. After eating he limped down to look at Nakar and Ala-eh-din Beyh. Nothing had changed. Unless the darkness was a little deeper.

He stood there a long time, letting silence surround, enfold, enter him. He wondered if the General's scheme would have worked. Nakar always had possessed a keen sense for danger. Might still find out if the Witch came around in time.

Yes. It could work out. It could.

"There you are. I heard you were roaming around."

Startled, Azel faced Torgo. He turned a retort into a grunt. "Catching up on my worrying. Any improvement in her?" "Not yet." The eunuch was troubled. "I've never seen her sleep so deep so long."

"She wouldn't listen." Azel moved toward the doorway. "But maybe we're not so pressed. I been watching the Herodians. If they're trying to get in they're doing a good job of hiding it."

"That's good to hear." Torgo had something on his mind but could not quite get to it. "I'm going to eat now. Want to come along?" What the hell? Just as polite, Azel replied, "Sorry. I just ate. Going to go back up and watch now."

"Later." "Sure."

Azel watched the eunuch out of sight. Maybe he would be easy, after all. The General's scheme might get its test yet. With Torgo safely in the kitchen Azel sneaked into the Witch's bedchamber. No woman looked her best in the midst of sleep but she looked worse than he expected. She seemed aged a decade since he had seen her last.

He left in a hurry, unsettled, pained.

Colonel Bruda scowled at his visitor. "Don't press me, Governor. I spent the day in the mud and rain, prospecting for a body I never found. I'll have moreof the same tomorrow if General Cado's disappearance is a false alarm. If itisn't, I have my orders. They're very specific when it comes to dealing withthe civil authority."

Sullo smiled and nodded. He had not yet spoken.

"I've been back a half hour and haven't sat down yet, let alone cleaned up orfed myself. I'm in a bad mood. I won't play power games. I'll stick to myorders regardless. Am I clear?"

"Perfectly clear, Colonel. Perfectly. I'll keep that in mind. Meantime, mightI broach the matter which brought me here?"

"Certainly, Governor." He doubted Sullo would. "Though I'd appreciate brevity.

I want to get after this supposed disappearance." He had Colonel bel-Abekwaiting in the next room.

"Of course. I came to express my support and to inquire if the military haveprisoners we might use in experiments meant to help penetrate the citadelgate." Bruda looked at the man, wondered how he could, without Rose's knife, put him out of the way neatly, with no kickbacks.

Keeping the reins on Qushmarrah would be hard enough without Sullointriguing and interfering. "I'll find you some volunteers. How soon do youneed them?" "Annalaya expects to start about midnight." Bruda grunted. "I'llget you started. Now. If you'll excuse me?" Sullo smirked. "Of course, Colonel. Of course." Bruda turned his back, headed for the next room, determined to find out what had happened. Bel-Abek had been in the middle ofit ...

Bel-Sidek had not yet wrung himself dry when Zenobel arrived. The man stampedin, stared at him like he did not know whether to be angry or conciliatory.

"You have a problem, Khadifa?" Bel-Sidek could not help being envious ofZenobel. The man remained untouched by the disasters of the war. He washealthy, youthful, virile, handsome, energetic, and his family fortunes hadsuffered no insurmountable setbacks.

"I may have several. I'm not sure. Is is true you have Carza under arrest?"

That was getting around? How the hell did you get people to keep their mouthsshut? "In a manner of speaking. He refuses to respond to an order so I'verelieved him of the Minisia. I'm holding him here till I get what I want."

Zenobel eyed him. He met the man's gaze. Zenobel said, "What's the problem?

Maybe I can talk to him."

"Maybe." Bel-Sidek did not think it was likely. Carza did not like Zenobel. Onthe other hand, they were the same kind of fanatic. Carza might enlist Zenobelin his scheme.

Bel-Sidek began probing Zenobel's attitude toward the dark gods. Zenobel didnot put up with it long. "What're you doing? I'm as religious as a turnip."

"Carza was involved with the citadel in a scheme that, through sorcery, would've resurrected Nakar."

Zenobel stared. And kept staring till Bel-Sidek asked, "Are you all right?"

"Why would he want that?"

"Would a resurrected Nakar not deliver Qushmarrah from the Herodian yoke?"

"Let me think for a minute. Hell. How about you fill in a little? Maybe I can get him to see straight. We talk the same language." They did that, Bel-Sidek reflected. Why not risk it? The worst would be that he would have to restrain Zenobel, too.

He told the story as he knew it.

Zenobel did not comment for a long time. Finally, he said, "I'll see what I can do with him. I like the idea of getting the Herodians and Dartars at each other's throats. That might set the fur flying all along the coast. But don't you think taking Cado out gives Fa'tad too great an advantage?" "What do you mean?"

"Ha! Don't be coy. It's all over the city. The Living have taken Cado captive.

That's the other reason I came. Bruda has put all Herodian troops on alert. He has patrols in Herodian residential areas to warn Herodian citizens that there may be trouble. The guard on the Gate of Autumn has been trebled. The Dartar compound has been warned to be prepared for civil unrest."

"That snake!" Bel-Sidek muttered. "That bloody damned snake!" Al-Akla had grabbed Cado and was handing the credit to the Living. Had to be. There was no other explanation.

Though that one did not make much sense.

"What?" "Nothing. Go see Brother Carza. I have to do some thinking."

He did a lot of thinking but did not get anywhere. He was not sure where he wanted to go now. He could make no strategic choices because he had no idea what Fa'tad or the Herodians hoped to accomplish, beyond the obvious. There were tactical steps he could take. He did so, beginning with patrols meant to sweep the neighborhood of watchers.

One possibility nagged: suppose al-Akla had not grabbed Cado? Suppose some of his own people, in sympathy with those in the citadel, had? He was a troubled and beleaguered captain, was Sisu bel-Sidek.

Aaron hunched against the wind whipping the rain in under the portico of theResidence. This was not going to work. They would just give him the runaroundand not let him see anyone. And right now he was so miserable it was hard tocare. Had the citadel not been right there, so close he could sense its evil, he would have gone home.

But it was there, a pitiless reminder that Arif was imprisoned, at the mercyof evil, and he was out here, able to do nothing but this to help.

The man he had spoken to earlier finally returned, seemed surprised to findhim still waiting. "The governor will see you, Mr. Habid." That seemed tosurprise him, too. "If you will come with me?" He led the way past blank-facedMoretians. They made Aaron's skin crawl. He had heard that they ate humanflesh.

His guide's Qushmarrahan was atrocious. Other than native staff, though, whowere part of the furniture of the place, and beneath notice by officialoccupants, he was the one man in the Residence who spoke the language at all.

The man led him to a poorly lighted room where Governor Sullo was watching hiswitch. She was seated at a table, bent over a chart, using draftsman's tools, working out something Aaron did not understand.

Governor Sullo greeted him with a limp handclasp and an insincere smile. Hejabbered at the man. Aaron caught a few words, though not enough to makesense. He waited for the translation.

Putting it more politely than the governor, the interpreter asked what hewanted.

"I went to Government House but they told me General Cado was unavailable andColonel Bruda didn't have time for me and nobody else was authorized to dealwith me, so I came here."

"But what do you want?"

"I want to visit my family. I want to take them home."

Governor Sullo was impatient with all that and barely pretended that he wasnot. "Yes. Yes. I understand. We'll take care of it. You had something to tellus about Fa'tad."

"Oh. Yes sir. I don't know if it's important or not ..."

"Will you tell it?" Exasperated.

Good. "Yes sir. Sir, all afternoon and evening Fa'tad and his captains havebeen in the Shu, especially in my part of Char Street, dashing in and out ofthe maze." It came easier than he had expected. He might get through itwithout freezing up. If the witch did not catch on. She had given him one oddglance but seemed preoccupied, uninterested. "They were excited. After a whileI overheard enough to find out why. They found out how to get into the citadelfrom the maze. When I left to come here they were talking about how they werealmost through and pretty soon it would be too late for anybody to keep themfrom grabbing the treasure. They were asking each other what they were goingto do with their shares."

Was he feeding it to the governor too fast? No. Not with the translationslowing it, keeping Sullo impatient to hear what came next.

"How long?" Sullo demanded, apparently conversant with the myth al-Akla hadbeen spreading. "How long before they penetrate the citadel basements?"

Aaron tried to look bewildered by Sullo's intensity. Never had a fish been soeager to take the hook. If only the witch didn't come out of her reverie ...

"Just before I left, one of them was talking about five more hours."

"Five hours," Sullo muttered. "Before dawn. By damn! Carpenter, how long agowas that?"

"I don't know." Aaron scratched the back of his neck. "At least two hours. I guess. I went to Government House first. Then I came here. I don't know howlong I was out in the rain, trying to get somebody to talk to me."

"Two hours? Damn! There might not be time. Thank him and get him out of here."

As the translator tried to move him out Aaron protested, "What about myfamily?" He threatened to get stubborn.

Governor Sullo cursed, snatched pen and paper from his witch. She frowned athim momentarily, faded into her thoughts again. He scrawled something, sandedthe message, thrust it at Aaron. "Go on! I'm busy." He turned his back.

Aaron placed the note inside his clothing, safe from moisture, as he allowedhimself to be steered toward an exit.

From the Residence he headed straight toward Government House. Along the way avoice from the darkness asked, "How did it go?"

"He swallowed the bait whole. He hardly asked any questions."

"Excellent." Footsteps hurried away.

Aaron kept walking toward Government House.

Sullo very nearly did a jig. "Fortune is grinning at me," he said. "First Cadosends both generals out of the city, then he lets himself get grabbed by thesepathetic Qushmarrahan rebels. There's no one between me and complete controlbut that fool Bruda. And now this. The citadel on a platter. If I move fastenough to take it before the savages."

Without looking up Annalaya cautioned, "Fortune wears many faces. Some aredeceitful masks."

"I need Bruda put out of my way."

She looked up then, her ugly young face empty of expression.

"I know. I know. You don't want to hurt anybody. So don't hurt him. Dosomething that will make it look like he's had a stroke. I'll only need a day.

That's time enough to get hold of all the reins. After that if he wants tostay a colonel he'll do what I tell him."

Annalaya sighed, pushed back from the table, went to where she stored her tools.

Half an hour later she told Sullo, "It's done." The Governor was dressed forthe weather, waiting. She went back to her table.

"Aren't you coming?"

"No. I'll continue my research. In case your miracle doesn't work out."

"What are you saying?"

"I'm not saying anything but what I said. You don't need me over there. If Istay here working we won't have lost any time if we do have to go in the frontdoor, after all."

Sullo was not satisfied with that answer but he did not have time to cajole orbeat the truth out of her. He joined his surviving Moretians and launchedhimself into the rain.

They were pleased to see him at Government House, almost. It had been a day ofdisasters. With Bruda suffering a seizure the entire city, for the moment, rested on the shoulders of ensigns and appointive tribunes who still had alltheir hair. They did not want the liabilities and responsibilities ofdirecting more-senior professionals elsewhere in the city.

Sullo became impassioned with a malicious glee. Welcomed as a savior! How muchbetter could it get?

"Let me see where the troops are," he said. "Tell me what they're doing now."

They showed him and told him.

Bruda's priorities had been protection of Herodian life and property, thenreinforcement of strongpoints. He had put the garrison on alert but had keptthe mass of troops out of sight for fear of provoking something.

"Assemble runners," Sullo ordered. When those had been gathered he sent themoff with orders that would strip the barracks of men and arms and would sendfour thousand soldiers into the Shu. He wanted to overawe the Dartars there with everything he had.

The military staff were astounded and baffled. When they asked what he wasdoing he told them, "What brought me here was a report, from a reliable agent, that al-Akla is about to shift sides and rebel with the natives. At the moment he's in the Shu maze, attempting to penetrate the citadel through secretpassages. If he succeeds-and he expects to do so before dawn-the citadel is tobecome the headquarters for his Dartars and the native rebels. We weren'tsupposed to discover his treachery till the Dartar standard appeared atop thecitadel, which would be the signal for a general uprising.

"Thanks to my agent we have an opportunity to abort this treachery. And toclaim a conqueror's share of the citadel treasures."

He could not tell if they believed him. He did not care. They went to work asthough they believed.

An hour later he was out in the rain at the head of Char Street, telling an improved version of his story to field officers while soldiers cursed theweather and hurried to surround the Shu maze. This audience was more skepticalthan that at Government House. But recent events made convincing evidence forSullo's contentions.

Sullo believed none of his story himself. He could not picture Qushmarrahansor Dartar savages as posing a serious threat.

Nogah came sliding out of the darkness to report, "The carpenter was right.

Sullo swallowed the bait whole. He has messengers running everywhere, callingout the troops. Looks like he's going to send every man he can scrape up."

"Excellent." Fa'tad called men out of the alley, sent messenger aftermessenger scurrying off. Yoseh paid no attention. Nobody but Fa'tad knew whatFa'tad was up to. Trying to figure it out just confused him. And everyoneelse, too. Even Nogah had stopped asking questions and just went ahead and didwhat he was told.

Anyway, he was distracted. Tamisa had come home a few minutes ago and he couldnot keep his mind off that place down the street. Foolish, he knew. But hefelt crazy enough to just walk down there and knock and ask to see her, tofind out how she was.

Men were slipping away, climbing quietly to the upper level above the alley orcrossing Char Street to disappear into the nearest alleys over there. Fa'tadhurried up top to "check on masonry stores," whatever that meant. When herenamed, he said, "Yoseh, come here a minute."

Yoseh went, with a sinking feeling. Nogah and Medjhah closed in. They lookedgrim, what he could see of them. He did not think he was going to like this.

Fa'tad said, "The ferrenghi will be here soon. When they come those of us lefthere will scatter like we've been taken off guard. Yoseh, I have a role foryou to play."

Yoseh groaned. The soft sound vanished in the patter of falling rain andchuckle of water running in the street.

"When we scatter I want you to run around like a mouse in a panic. You'reyoung and you do a good job of looking confused. They shouldn't be suspiciouswhen they catch you."

Nogah and Medjhah protested.

"Quiet." Fa'tad told Yoseh the story he wanted related to the ferrenghisoldiers. "You stick to that, don't resist, and pretend to be scared andyou'll be all right."

Yoseh knew he would not have to pretend. He did not announce that, though.

Fa'tad said, "Just to make sure, and to give you a little added confidence ... Come along." He marched straight down to Tamisa's door.

Yoseh followed, bent against the rain, suddenly conscious of the massive loomof his surroundings, warrens filled with terrified rabbits. How many thousandswere in there, praying that no one out here remembered they existed?

The carpenter looked out his peephole. Al-Akla said, "Fa'tad." He never called himself the Eagle. "A word, if you please." The veydeen opened the door and beckoned them inside.

Yoseh found Tamisa immediately. She was changing Stafa. Her sister was tending the old woman. He and the girl locked gazes. She lost track of what she was doing. Fa'tad was saying something to the carpenter about leaving his door unlatched so Yoseh could use it as a bolt-hole if he got the chance, after the ferrenghi captured and questioned him. Yoseh took a step forward. He kept looking at the girl but spoke to the older sister. "How is she doing?"

"She's going to be all right." "That's good." After an uncomfortable pause, "We should have Arif out soon."

The older sister glanced up. There was moisture in her eyes but her voice was cool and even. "Thank you." "Yoseh. Come along."

He stepped into the rain hoping he had not lied.

"Did you hear what we said in there?"

"Yes sir."

"Try to keep it in mind. The ferrenghi are coming." Fa'tad faded into the darkness.

A clangor wakened Azel.

Soldiers! Masses of soldiery. There was no racket like that made by masses of armed men in a hurry.

He bounded to the window, his wounds sending bolts of pain through his flesh.

Rain and darkness. Not a lot to see but scores of lanterns, like swarming fireflies, moving into the Shu.

What now? There were thousands of men down there.

He made himself as comfortable as he could. This would be a long and troubled vigil. Naszif returned to Government House after a prolonged and thankless round of inspections for Colonel Bruda. Government House was as still as a tomb.

Bruda should be pleased. The Gate of Autumn was untouchable. The soldiers there were ready for anything.

Control of that gate would be crucial, whatever happened.

He entered Government House enrapt in his own misery. He was in Herodianharness for the first time ever. And Herodian uniforms were not suited for the rain. Until he neared Bruda's offices he did not realize that something waswrong.

The moment the silence struck home he grabbed an ensign and asked what hadhappened.

Worse than he could have imagined in a nightmare. Bruda laid low. Sullo incontrol. "The fool! The damned fool!" This was madness. "It's a trap! It hasto be a trap!" And it was too late to keep the trap from closing.

Nothing to do now but try to survive.

The sentries assigned to patrol the wall north of the Gate of Autumn were not.

They huddled inside, out of the rain. Their officers were more guilty thanthey. Because the sentries were not in an area considered critical no one hadinformed them that there was high excitement in Qushmarrah tonight.

The wall did not remain naked. Nomads came and dropped rope ladders. Silentmen came up from outside, moved into the city, steady as trails of ants.

Who would believe it? Dartars did not go toward possible battle without theirmounts. Everyone knew that who knew nothing about life.and history in theKhadatqa Mountains.

No Herodian saw them but they were not overlooked by the eyes of the Living.

Governor Sullo moved down Char Street toward where Fa'tad al-Akla had had his command post. His Moretians formed a tight screen around him. A tribune by hisside said, "The men are moving into the maze through all the entrances theDartars left open."

"What about the savages? Any resistance?"

"No. They've scattered like startled mice. We've only caught one so far. Justa kid. Didn't know which way to run. Ended up plowing right into our men. Theyscared hell out of him. Had him talking in five minutes."

"Good. I'll have a few questions for him. Can we do something about theseanimals?" Char Street was filled with nervous horses and camels.

"They'll wander away when they get hungry enough, sir."

Sullo gave the tribune a sharp look. Another one of those, performing hisduties with an absolute rectitude that masked a contempt for the civilauthority.

They would by damned get that whipped out of them before he was finished withQushmarrah.

Momentarily, he wondered what reliable hulls were available, in harbor. Hewould have a treasure fleet to form as soon as the weather cleared.

"This is where al-Akla was set up." A file of soldiers with unhappy faces, carrying lanterns, moved into an alleyway steadily.

"They look like they know where they're going."

"The routes in are marked out with ropes and, I gather, the false branches have been blocked off. So it's just a matter of following ropes to the area where the Dartars are mining."

"Good of them to do the work for us."

"Yes sir."

"Is that the prisoner?" He indicated a Dartar standing against a wall, unguarded, apparently too scared to run.

"Yes sir."

"Let's look at him."

The savage shrank away as Sullo approached. The tribune was right. He was just a kid. "You," Sullo said. "You were with al-Akla?" The boy looked at him blankly. Of course. He did not speak Herodian. Another of Cado's failings. He should have made them learn.

"Can you talk to him?"

"Yes sir."

"Ask him where al-Akla is."

The tribune asked. The boy gulped, looked around for help that was not there, started chattering.

"He says al-Akla is in the labyrinth, directing the mining. Most of his captains are with him. Fa'tad expects trouble when he gets into the citadel.

Big trouble, apparently."

Sullo asked questions. The boy answered with apparent forthrightness, shaking. He did not know much that was useful except that Fa'tad was so sure he faced a fight he had taken a thousand men into the maze with him.

"The boy is a dolt. Al-Akla didn't take a mob in there to storm the citadel, he took them to hold it after he gets inside." The last soldiers had disappeared into the alley. Sullo walked over and lookedinside, the tribune and Moretians staying with him. He stared into thedarkness. His feet felt cooler than they ought. A quarter-inch-deep flow ofwater came from the alley.

He glanced to one side ... "What happened to the boy?"

The prisoner had vanished.

Sullo felt a sudden hollow develop in the pit of his stomach. Something was wrong here ...

But that could not be.

He recalled Annalaya's cryptic remark about the faces of fortune.

The arrows began to fall with the rain, hissing like quarrelsome snakes. Moretians began to drop. Lanterns fell and broke. Tricklets of burning oil slithered across wet stone.

Sullo grabbed the only chance he had. He flung his fat bulk into the darkness before him. When the door slammed shut Aaron bent, fed the wick of a candle to a coal in the hearth, coaxed a flame to life. He held the candle high.

The Dartar boy stood with his back against the door. His face cloth was gone. He looked terrible, as though he had just peered down the throat of Hell.

Aaron got up and went toward him.

"Don't. Don't look out there."

"I was going to bar the door." He took hold of the boy's arm and urged him toward the hearth, sat him down. Laella and Mish were wide awake, watching. Aaron nodded to Mish. "Make some tea." He went back and barred the door.

Mish settled onto her knees before the hearth, fed in a few precious pieces of fuel. She did not look at the boy directly when she asked, "What's wrong, Yoseh? Did they scare you that bad? Did they hurt you?"

"No. Yes. They scared me. But it's not that. It's what's going to happen now.

Fa'tad is going to kill them." Faintly, through the heavy door, Aaron heard cries. From her position against the back wall Laella said, "Aaron, this wall is damp again. You've really got to do something."

Each time there was a heavy rain the wall passed water. He thought it came down from a bad spot in the roof. But nothing he tried did any good. He took a look mainly to keep peace in the household.

This time there were beads of water on the bottom foot of the wall, forming and dribbling down like drops of sweat. The ferrenghi witch glanced up when Fa'tad made his entrance. She did not seemsurprised. "So. Fortune did wear a false mask." Maybe nothing could surprise asorceress.

"What?"

"I cautioned him that his luck might not be as good as it appeared."

"He was a small man, fat with greed, easily led."

"Yes. Was? You killed him?"

Fa'tad smiled, a little sadly, a little wearily. He was an old man and age had taken its toll of everything but will. "No. He's underground but he isn't yetdead."

"I see. And you come to me because you want into the citadel."

"Yes." No point hiding it.

"There was no hidden way in then, through the maze?"

"No."

"What will you do about Nakar? Are you one of those who want to restore him?"

Suddenly, she seemed intense. . Fa'tad chuckled. "I'd be the first devoured if Nakar were resurrected. I value these old bones too much to permit that."

She studied him briefly, assessing his honesty. "I'll help you, then. Theancient doom must be discharged. Nakar must be destroyed, whoever helpscomplete the task."

Al-Akla frowned, surprised and puzzled. "I expected to work for that." He didnot question his good fortune. "How close are you to finding the path?" Hewould not argue with fortune but he would keep a sharp eye on it.

"An hour or an eternity. This is sorcery. No gate pattern can be definedcompletely from outside. Each is unique. Each must be opened by steps. I havebeen eliminating those possibilities made impossible by this pattern's needsand what we know of its specifics. I have reached my limit from this vantage, though. Now I have to have someone actually walk the pattern. Colonel Brudaoffered me prisoners to use. His promise is no longer of value."

Fa'tad responded to the hint by grunting. "I'll find you someone." He told hismen to take care of her wants and to guard her well. They understood. He movedto another part of the Residence. He meant to adopt it as his headquarters.

Reports from his captains looked promising. The ferrenghi, taken from theirblind side, had collapsed everywhere but at the Gate of Autumn and atGovernment House. About the Gate of Autumn he was indifferent. Time would take care there. But who would have thought those soft Government Housefunctionaries would turn stubborn and defy his worst?

He inquired about the progress of the masonry work and learned that theremaining entrances to the labryrinth had been sealed. Excellent.

Four thousand ferrenghi veterans out of the way with hardly a blow struck.

He remained unsettled, though. The Living had manifested their interest andexistence in no tangible way. Yet they were out there watching, waiting, invisible and unpredictable. The longer they did nothing the more dangerousthey would become.

Azel was not an introspective man, not one to look inward for the meaning ofwhat moved him. But time weighed heavily. His thoughts kept turning to themeaning of his own behavior.

And shied away. It almost seemed there were a few soft spots in there. Hebacked away lest he get so close he'd have to face them.

He wanted to admit no weaknesses. He was like a natural force. He acted ...

A clash of arms rose outside. He looked, could tell little in the darkness andrain. No evidence to show who was doing what to whom. But something strangewas afoot in Qushmarrah. None of those soldiers who had charged into the Shuhad shown again.

When there was light enough to make out details he discovered that thesoldiers besieging the citadel had been replaced by Dartars. A few corpses inHerodian white lay on the pavement like bundles of clothing cast off byrefugees too hurried to be burdened by possessions. Though the image thatcrept into his mind was dead kittens.

Dartars? What the hell?

The world had gone crazy.

One by one the lanterns consumed the last of their fuel. As each died theworld underground became a little darker, a little smaller, tighter, and alittle more fearful. The clash of metals and cries of wounded echoed up fromdeeper in the maze. Some of the soldiers were having trouble with those whohaunted the labyrinth. Those ghouls seemed desperate to reach the surface.

What drove them so?

Governor Sullo was incapacitated by terror, one fright short of voiding hisbowels. His Moretians kept him moving as they sought a way out. They also kepthim quiet, knowing the soldiers he had gotten into this fix would need littleprovocation to turn on their self-appointed commander.

Going downhill within the maze-toward the harbor, not toward the heart of thelabyrinth-proved a bad idea. In places water stood waist-deep. In others itwas as deep but not standing, it was running toward the heart of the maze.

No wonder the vermin were trying for the light. The deep places were filling.

They were being forced out of their fastnesses. People were not the only thingbeing trapped by al-Akla's masonry.

Sullo grew more terrified. He was going to drown ...

The Moretians reversed course and sought salvation upward, growing ever moreimpatient with their employer's wheezing, whining efforts to keep up.

The last lantern gave up.

Raw panic filled Sullo's throat with a shriek that could not tear its wayfree. He managed only a soft, "Don't leave me! Please?"

Soon afterward a big outcry ran through the maze. It took a while to sort outinto any sense because of the legions of echoes.

General Cado had been found and liberated.

That small part of Sullo's brain still capable of reason recognized theexclamation point marking the end of his brief and disastrous reign as masterof Qushmarrah.

Aaron peered through the peephole into a Char Street empty of life. It wasSaabat, the holy day, the day of rest, and it continued to rain, but neitheraccounted for the absence of traffic. No matter what, Char Street bustled withpeople who had places to go and things to do. Except today.

Aaron did not like it. He had a feeling it was, somehow, a little bit hisfault.

He turned away. Mish and Laella were putting the final touches on a bedraggledmake-do breakfast. Eating would be grim for a while.

None of the markets were open. If the rain persisted they would not beproviding much that was fresh tomorrow, either. Country people would not beeager to slog the muddy roads, even though they could be sure of good sales ifthey did.

The Dartar boy ate sparingly, aware that his hosts were short of supplies. Agood one, Aaron thought. For a Dartar. But a Dartar even so. He bore watching.

Aaron accepted a bowl of mushy stuff from Laella, lighted near his mother-inlaw, foreseeing many similar meals. "How do you feel this morning?"

Raheb grunted noncommittally. She had not yet come to terms with the fact thatshe owed her life to a Herodian witch. The foundations of her certainties had been cracked and chipped and it would take her a while to mend then.

Mish and the Dartar were comfortable now, but Mish still did most of thetalking, chattering without letup. Aaron wondered if he had been as empty- headed and naive at that age.

"Yoseh. When do you think al-Akla will try to break into the citadel?"

Mish shut up. The women listened intently.

"Today sometime, sir. As soon as possible. He has to do it fast if he wants itall to work out."

The boy had, so far, shown no inclination to rejoin his brothers. Aaronwondered what special instructions he had received concerning the Habidfamily. "After we eat I think we should go find out what's happening."

The boy nodded though he did not seem taken with the idea.

Stafa asked, "Arif coming home, Dad?"

"I hope so, pretty soon, Stafa." Stafa had proven more resilient than hiselders, except in the heart of the night, when he had been terrified that badmen would come take him away from his mother.

Aaron said, "Laella, if this doesn't work out we're going to have to move."

"I know." She said it with a conviction she usually reserved for Aram's law.

She had something to add, too, but a knock on the door interrupted.

Aaron went, carrying a knife. He looked through the peephole. "Yoseh, it'syour brother." He opened the door.

Yoseh watched Nogah come in, uneasy. He had been given no specific ordersabout what to do after he ducked into the carpenter's house but he was surethey had not planned for him to stay till they came to get him.

Nogah looked at him a moment, shook his head, asked, "You moving in here, kid?

Come on. We have work to do."

Yoseh was too embarrassed to reply.

Tamisa got even for him, sort of. She filled a chipped cup with the pale teaher family drank, went to Nogah and offered it in such a sweet, polite, gentlemanner that he could not refuse without looking an ass.

She came away smiling wickedly. She winked at Yoseh. She had begun to senseher power.

Yoseh waited nervously while Nogah sipped, Mish bustled around, and thecarpenter got himself ready for the rain. Nogah scowled but did not sayanything. He had become defensively uncomfortable under the scrutiny of thetwo older women.

Out of nowhere it occurred to Yoseh to wonder if this rain had reached far enough south to spread some moisture across the mountains. He could imaginethe women and children bustling around trying to salvage every possible drop.

He could see the old men and stay-at-homes trying to reinforce embankmentsmeant to channel streams into shaded and hidden pools. Precious, precious, therain.

Maybe this would be the turning they had been awaiting since he was a child.

Stafa went to Nogah and asked, "I ride horsy?"

"Not today. The horses are all inside. It's raining."

The boy pouted for a moment, then got interested in something else.

"Are you ready?" Yoseh asked the carpenter. V.

"Yes."

Yoseh recalled examples of his father's flowery oratory, thanked the women ofthe house for their hospitality. Nogah stared at him slack-jawed. He openedthe door, let the veydeen precede him, then told Nogah, "Thank Tamisa for thetea and let's go, big brother." He was amused. Service with Fa'tad al-Akla didnot permit many chances to practice the social graces.

The street was deserted. Mounts and gear had been removed. Fa'tad had no moreinterest in the Shu, except to leave a handful of men there to intimidate theveydeen. The exits from the labyrinth were no worry. They had been sealed withfar too many thicknesses of brick to be opened by the men trapped inside.

Yoseh asked, "Where are we headed?"

"The Residence. Fa'tad's made that his headquarters. And us guys have to keepan eye on the ferrenghi witch. She's almost ready to have a crack at gettinginto the citadel."

Yoseh frowned. The carpenter asked, "The witch Governor Sullo brought? She'shelping you now?"

Nogah said, "She doesn't care who she lets inside as long as they finish whatAla-eh-din Beyh started. I get the feeling it's personal." He sounded like hehad trouble believing the woman could be as pliable as she had proven.

They entered the Residence, shook the rain off. Yoseh wondered what they woulddo with the carpenter. Fa'tad would not want him tagging along everywhere.

Nogah said, "Go up those steps there and down the hall to the left. I'llreport in."

"Come on," Yoseh told the veydeen. "Let's see this witch. If we're going to bewatching her we're going to be right in the middle whenever whatever happens."

He was not excited about that. He had a Dartar's dread of sorcery.

The carpenter followed, gawking at their surroundings as much as he did. "Theysay the citadel is a hundred times as rich as this."

"I know," the carpenter said. He seemed too awed for thought or conversation.

They found Medjhah and the others in a large and poorly lighted room where ahomely woman leaned over a table, frowning, oblivious to their presence.

Medjhah, Mahdah, Faruk, and the others surrounded Yoseh, chattering, teasing, obviously pleased that he was unharmed.

That warmed him inside.

They were less effusive than they might have been without an audience. Theywere Dartar and veydeen, and ferrenghi were present.

The carpenter smiled uncomfortably. The woman ignored them so thoroughly theymight not have been there-till she rose suddenly, said, "I'm ready to begin myexperiments," in accented ferrenghi. Yoseh caught only the fact of herreadiness.

Medjhah fumbled out a few clumsy phrases to the effect that they had to waitfor Nogah. She was not pleased. Like the rest of them she had had no sleep andwanted to get on and get it over.

Nogah showed a minute later. He said, "Fa'tad wants to know how much longerwe're going to stall around up here." He shoved a captured knife and sword atthe carpenter, who took them but looked at them like he had been presentedwith a fistful of snakes.

Medjhah replied, "Yon beauty is waiting for you, big brother, her little heartgoing pitty-pat."

Nogah gave him an ugly look. "Then let's move out." He communicated with thewitch using signs, though Yoseh knew he could have stumbled around and madehimself clear with his crippled ferrenghi.

Azel was talking to himself, he was so tired and hurt so much. Torgo did nothelp. The eunuch was getting as nervous as an old woman.

Time was sliding by. Whatever they were going to try out there, they weregetting close to trying it.

He could not see much because of the rain but he suspected the Dartars werebusy. Damned few were watching the citadel. Al-Akla probably had every man hecould plundering. It looked like a "grab everything quick and get out beforethe Herodians send relief forces" deal.

Fa'tad had chosen his moment well, hadn't he? The camel-loving bastard. Thecoast west of Qushmarrah in chaos because of Turok raiders. The east facingthe threat of war. Beyond Caldera the legions faced Chorhkni, Saldun ofAquira, and his allies. That standoff had persisted for years. It was sure tobe tested before summer's end. Would be tested instantly if troops werewithdrawn to deal with an uprising elsewhere.

A scuffle behind him. Torgo. Again. "Azel, I think she's coming out of thedeep sleep, into normal sleep."

Azel grunted. "Good. How soon can we wake her up?"

"She should get a normal amount of regular sleep if she can. At least. As muchas we can let her have, for sure. Her weariness has gone deeper than the fleshand the mind. The soul needs time to recover, too. Or she could stumble duringthe final rite and destroy us all."

"You know how long the resurrection rite ought to take?"

"No. A while, though. It won't be like twisting a love charm. What are theydoing out there?"

"Nothing yet. Still." Azel turned back to the window. "Wait. Here comes theirwitch."

Torgo crowded up beside him. He had to work to hide his true feelings aboutthe eunuch's proximity. Torgo said, "I thought she belonged to the Herodians."

She was surrounded by Dartars who looked ready for trouble.

"Maybe they got something she can't do without." Azel regretted the remarkinstantly but its cruelty went right past Torgo. Azel shrugged, paid attentionto what was happening down there. He laughed suddenly, a near roar of tensionflooding away.

"What?" Torgo demanded. "Why are you howling like a hyena?"

"Look! We got all the time we're ever going to need. She ain't working on thePostern of Fate, she's pecking on the fake pattern Nakar put in front of themain gate. She can mess with that forever and not get anywhere because thereain't nowhere to go."

Torgo looked. He was grinning when he pulled back.

Azel went to work. This was a good time to let Torgo get a solid idea that hemight have help if he decided it would not be a good plan for Nakar to hangaround after he kicked ass on the Herodians.

Azel chuckled. Let Torgo take care of old Nakar and set it up so the Witch sawthe eunuch do it, and who did that leave to pick up the pieces and comfort thewidow and help straighten out Qushmarrah?

It was a long chance. But it sure as hell wasn't as long as it had been whenhe'd begun playing the game.

He leaned forward again. This time he spotted the father of the chosen bratwith the sorceress and Dartars. Bastard was in for some heartbreak, wasn't he?

Azel pulled back. "Why don't we go down, get us something to eat and maybe getdrunk while those idiots are pounding their heads bald on the wrong stonewall?"

Bel-Sidek eased back from the edge of the flat roof when he heard someonecoming up. He sat up in a puddle, already wetter than a fish. Zenobel andCarza appeared. Carza was still angry. Zenobel nodded wearily. He had gottenthrough at last.

Bel-Sidek said, "We're all here now," needlessly, to the other khadifas, whohad been with him for some time, without enthusiasm. "You look like you havesomething to tell us, Zenobel."

"Just the latest. They have the whole wall except around the Gate of Autumn.

They're ignoring that. They have patrols all over the city, keeping people offthe streets. They're only looting Herodian property."

"So far," King Dabdahd grumbled.

"So far," Zenobel agreed. "They don't get into the citadel pretty soon, Ithink they'll grab whatever they can get. They'll want to be long gone whenNakar comes around."

"But Nakar isn't. We're not going to let him."

"Fa'tad doesn't know that."

"Yes, he does," bel-Sidek said. He was unsure what to think about Fa'tad'sactions. The notion that he meant to loot Qush-marrah and head for his nativemountains, where he would be safe from retribution, seemed too direct andsimple. "In the sense that he knows I'll do everything I can to stop it."

Gold, silver, and jewels were as valuable to Dartars as to anyone and Fa'tadhad said he wanted the treasures of the citadel for his people, so they couldbuy their way out of the grip of famine. But if he plundered Qushmarrah andleft an angry coast behind, where would he spend his treasure?

The others looked at bel-Sidek, less than honoring, waiting for him to dropsome pearl of wisdom they could condemn or contradict. He said nothing. Hepreferred to let someone else start the inevitable argument.

Salom Edgit obliged. "What're we going to do?" His tone implied that someonewas ducking hard choices. This Salom Edgit who, a few days ago, had had nofaith in the future or movement.

"We're not going to do anything. For now."

"What?" They looked at him with varying expressions. Carza was furious.

"Is there any sensible reason to get our men killed while Fa'tad isn'tbothering anyone but Herodians? If he turns on our people we'll respond.

Meantime, let his men take the brunt. We'll conserve strength and trickle itinto areas where concentrations will be useful if we do have to fight."

Zenobel protested. "But honor ..."

"Honor hasn't got a damned thing to do with it. And never has. All right. Saywe try to get even for Dak-es-Souetta. Our men are poorly armed and out oftraining and not all of them are anxious to fight, anyway. Win or lose, we'dsuffer badly. Say we did smash Fa'tad. Then with whatever we had left we'd hadto deal with the surviving Herodians, then with the expeditions Cado sent outwhen they return, then with whatever Herod sends to restore order."

"You have a negative outlook, bel-Sidek."

"Would you say it's unrealistic?"

"Damn it, no! I hate it, but you're right."

Carza snapped, "Yet with Nakar restored we'd suffer none of those weaknesses."

King said, "I'd sooner swear allegiance to Herod."

Carza seemed baffled.

Smugly, bel-Sidek asked, "Have you forgotten what it was like when Nakar wasalive?"

"No," Carza snapped back. "I haven't forgotten." His anger was in check by thestrength of a whisker.

Carza's family had been favored under the old order. So some there were whowould welcome a restoration, not having had to bear the weight of thesorcerer's previous incarnation.

For some reason bel-Sidek thought of the carpenter Aaron with his powerfulresentments of those who had ruled before the conquest. There were tens ofthousands of Aarons in Qushmarrah and they could well represent an additionalfactor in the already confused power equation.

Only Nakar the Abomination had been strong enough to rule without some degreeof consent from the ruled.

The argument sputtered on without bel-Sidek contributing, reason graduallyconquering passion. Carza's view won no support. Bel-Sidek watched the Dartarsmove around in front of the citadel.

Speak of the devil! There the carpenter was, right in the middle of things.

But would he not be at that gate himself if it was his son imprisoned andscheduled for sacrifice? Hell, yes. And damned be the politics.

He could find nothing in his heart with which to condemn the man. "Carza. Will you come look at those people and see if you can tell what they're doing?"

Carza did as he was told, with poor grace.

What kind of rule could they provide, should they come to power, when theycould not manage courtesy, or even civility, among themselves?

A nasty thought tracked across his mind. If Herod and Fa'tad were pushed out, there might be a bloody period till a strongman emerged. And that man wasunlikely to be Colonel Sisu bel-Sidek. He did not have the backing. Pressed, he would have to bet on Zenobel.

It was something to consider in his spare moments. His companions would bethinking about it, not that the possibility of independence actually existed.

Carza snorted, then laughed softly. "The fools are going at it from the wrongdirection. They can't get in through the main gate."

Bel-Sidek's stomach knotted suddenly. No! So much time had fled already. Forall anyone knew they were bringing Nakar around right now ...

He wished to hell he had some idea what was going on in there.

He tried to put that out of mind. Too much fear came with those thoughts. Hisstated attitudes condemned him as surely as any Dartar or Herodian shouldNakar make his return.

King Dabdahd crept up beside him. "You were always the genius staffer, bel- Sidek. The strategist the old man counted on. What would you do with thecitadel if you grabbed it? You think Fa'tad might?"

It was not like King to dither and flutter around the edges of something butit was not like him to have an original thought, either. Clearly, he had hadone. He did not want to state it plainly because someone might laugh.

Bel-Sidek saw it clearly enough. "You could be right."

Fa'tad might want the citadel itself as much as the treasures inside it. Fromwithin its impenetrable walls he could scour the city of every valuable beforehe left for his mountains-or he could stay and rule, harvesting Qushmarrah'swealth slowly and more certainly. He might even rule with a certainbenevolence, restricting his predations to Herodians and those who declaredthemselves his enemies.

He'd then have a place to spend treasures for the benefit of his people.

At last bel-Sidek thought he saw the true face of Fa'tad's ambition. Anambition that would live or die according to whether or not he took thecitadel before Nakar quickened.

"You're right, King. Thanks for making me see it. I'll give it some thought."

What it meant, though, he feared, was that the Living would have to try toprevent it-with all that implied in lives wasted and new vulnerabilities.

Salom Edgit asked, "Do we all have to be up here for this? I could use achance to dry out."

"I can go along with that," Carza said.

Bel-Sidek nodded. Still, someone had to keep an eye on the Dartars. He askedfor a volunteer, got King Dabdahd. The rest headed for shelter and continueddebate.

The fleet from Qushmarrah reached the far shore of the Gulf of Tuhn soonerthan anticipated. The weather was more hospitable there. The troops wereashore and ready to greet the Turoks before nightfall. Whatever happenedelsewhere, those raiders would be numbered among General Lentello Cado'striumphs.

Not a soul witnessed the Herodian landing.

Zouki followed Arif wherever he went, whatever he did. Arif fled, dismayed bythe look in Zouki's eyes, a terrible but unreasoning look. A beast look.

What did it mean? His young mind could not make sense of it. It was merelyanother fright among many.

The big man and another came to the cage. Arif was terrified. Something aboutthe shorter man ... Zouki was frightened, too. He ran to hide with the rockapes, though he remembered nothing directly.

The two men stared at Arif and spoke too softly to be overheard. Arif was surethey were talking about him. He wanted to run and hide, too, but waspetrified. He did not want to get closer to Zouki, either. And there wasnowhere else to run.

One of the girls came to Arif after the men left. She just stared at him. Thatmade him uncomfortable. He said, "My dad will get me out." He wanted tobelieve that so badly he had convinced himself it was true.

Belief made the terror almost bearable.

Aaron felt like a clown, carrying a knife and a sword. He could not helpthinking his Dartar companions found him amusing. What did he know aboutswords? He had not had one in hand for six years and even back then all he'ddone was keep his blade clean and sharp and oiled. That night in his own homewas the only time he'd seriously tried to kill somebody.

Then he looked at the Dartars more closely. It was unlikely many were moreexperienced than he. They were too young. Fa'tad would have his veteransplaced where the chances of real fighting were greatest. The advantage theseboys had was that they had grown up in a harsher environment and fiercerculture.

The Herodian sorceress chattered steadily. Even Nogah could make no sense ofwhat she said. He sent for someone to interpret.

The man who came was an older Dartar who made the youngsters nervous, obviously someone whose good opinion meant a lot to them.

"Mo'atabar," Yoseh told Aaron. "Our captain's second and a friend of ourfather. Having him here is like having Father's ghost watching over ourshoulders." The boy was determinedly on his best behavior.

Mo'atabar translated as the sorceress rattled on. At first it seemed she was just talking to herself, thinking out loud, making little sense. Then she saidsomething about men watching them. Everyone responded as though to anunexpected thunderclap. It took Mo'atabar a minute to stop her and back herup.

"Two men watching from the citadel, in the top of that tower." She pointedwith her nose. "Another half dozen on the roof of the red and white three- storey building with the balconies, there on the edge of the square."

Aaron tried to appear unconcerned as he glanced that way. She meant the homeof that crazy woman who owned the ships. He spied the silhouette of a head.

The light was too poor and the distance too great to make out any features.

Mo'atabar said it. "The Living. They have been quiet as mice but you knowthey're out there watching. Faruk, come here." Mo'atabar whispered to theyounger Dartar, who then ambled off toward the Residence.

The sorceress was on to something else now, muttering about the job at hand.

"Something wrong with this pattern. Doesn't feel like it goes anywhere. Almostlike it folds in on itself. When am I going to get someone I can experimentwith?"

"Soon," Mo'atabar promised. "I just sent a man to find out."

Liar, Aaron thought, catching enough of that to understand. Whatever messageFaruk had carried, it had had to do with the Living. No one ever told thetruth. Everyone was maneuvering and trying to manipulate everyone else. Whichsaid what about his place in the middle of things?

He did not see how he could be any use to anyone anymore. The Dartars werepaying him off by letting him tag along. Unless they used him as a symbol, abanner to be trotted out and pointed at as an inspiration for a noble cause.

He tried not to think of Arif, or of Arif s proximity, maybe no more than astone's throw away. He had to keep his head.

A troop of Dartar horsemen passed, coming from the direction of the Residence, looking like they were headed for trouble. Mo'atabar hailed their captain, whosaid they were headed into the Shu where some of the trapped Herodians hadbroken through a third-level closure and were trying to fight their way out ofthe maze. The outbreak had been contained but it needed to be pushed back andthe breach sealed again. Right now there was fierce fighting on the tiersabove the place where Aaron lived.

A moment of panic.

Then reason returned, accompanied by the realization that most of anybloodletting would take place in the Shu because most of Herod's men werethere.

"Yoseh, I need to get my family out of that. They'll be in the middle of it."

The boy looked at him like he wondered why he was wasting time. "I'll tellMo'atabar."

Mo'atabar summoned Aaron and tied a piece of colored cord around his left arm, at the elbow. "So you'll be known as a friend. But don't push your luck."

"I'll be back." Aaron started walking, expecting a challenge before he got outof sight of the citadel. Though he did not run he wasted no time.

Yoseh watched the carpenter hurry away. He tried not to worry about Tamisa.

Not his place. No reason to trouble himself. She was as far beyond his reachnow as she was before he met her.

Nogah asked, "What's he up to?"

Yoseh explained.

"Good idea. I'm starting to think our witch is as useful as udders on a bull.

When's she going to do something besides talk to herself?"

Nogah was frightened! Damn! He was sure they would not break through in time.

Yoseh saw the same fear everywhere-and in the witch most of all. The citadelhad given them a lot of time. Maybe they were playing games in there. Maybethey were just letting the invaders torment themselves.

Yoseh had not been tense till he began thinking about what a deadly race thiswas. The pressure had begun to mount. Now he wondered why he had talkedhimself into conning to this mad city. Mo'atabar was right. It was the city oflead and gold. Only the gold was imaginary and lead was what became of yourdreams.

Men leading a string often prisoners came out of the rain-not Herodianprisoners of war, as Yoseh had expected, but Qush-marrahans with the rattylook of petty criminals. Mo'atabar lined them up in a sad parody of aformation.

"What we're doing here is trying to get into the citadel," Mo'atabar toldthem. "There's a sorcery on the gate. We have to penetrate it. I won't tellyou your part isn't dangerous but I won't risk you unreasonably, either. Yourchances of getting through are good. And once we've found our way insideyou'll be released."

Yoseh knew he would have jumped at the chance had he been stuffed into a cellwaiting to be chained to an oar in a Herodian galley.

"We got a choice here?" one man asked. He looked more hardened than hisfellows.

"Of course. We won't force anyone. If you don't want to volunteer let me know.

I'll cut your throat and the rest of us can get on with our work."

"'Bout the way I thought it'd be."

Mo'atabar told the sorceress, "They're all yours. Tell me what you want to have them do."

In the beginning Yoseh thought what the witch was doing was a lot offoolishness. She picked a prisoner, lined him up just so, had Mo'atabar tellhim to take four baby steps forward. He was to remain motionless there till hereceived instructions otherwise. Then she had another man repeat that and takea couple of side steps, then three forward.

By the time the fifth went through his routine unharmed the others began torelax. And Yoseh realized there was something happening, after all.

That fifth man looked a little like he was behind the heat shimmer that rose off the Takes. And the sixth, once he got where he had been told to go, wasonly a vague discoloration except when Yoseh looked at him sort of sidewaysand indirectly.

The seventh man disappeared completely. There was no evidence he existed atall-except for his screams.

Aaron thought he was clever to move his family into Naszifs home. With no onein the streets, with every door and window barred so no one could see troublecoming, none of Naszifs neighbors would know who was staying inside.

He got them in unnoticed, with everything they could carry. Then Laellaaccompanied him to the door. There was a look in her eyes he had not seensince the day his company had left for the Seven Towers. She avoided touchingthe weapons he carried so clumsily. "Be careful, Aaron," and the way she saidit made it more than a parting caution. It was a prayer.

He kissed her forehead. "I will. Believe me, I will. I'm no hero."

"Don't say that. Yes, you are."

He looked at each of them in turn, and Stafa the longest, then he went.

Aram had to be guiding him. Going home, down Char Street, he had run into noone, though he had been sure he would encounter Dartars who would not believethe cord around his arm. He had not. And it looked like his luck would continue now.

It did not occur to him to wonder what had become of all those horses and men who had hurried into Char Street supposedly to keep the Herodians fromescaping.

"Aaron."

He was so startled he almost drew his sword. He looked around-and there, inthe mouth of an alley, was bel-Sidek. He looked around again, hastily, suspiciously, fearfully.

"I'm alone, Aaron. And unarmed."

"What do you want?"

"I have a message for your Dartar friends."

"What? Why?"

"Occasionally even our enemies do something we favor. We-my faction among theLiving-have no desire for Nakar's return. I've told Fa'tad I'd accept thelooting of the citadel if that's his price for leaving Qushmarrah."

"So what's the message?" Aaron did not believe a word the man said, butneither did he disbelieve. The captains of the factions all created their owntruths. Parts of some might actually dovetail with reality.

"It's direct and basic, Aaron. They're trying to get into the citadel throughthe wrong door. The sorcery protecting the main gate is a fake and a decoy.

The real entrance is a postern around to the south. The pattern guarding ithas been in place two centuries, which is why no one knows about it. It leavesthe wall looking unbroken. I'm told there are alarms built into the pattern.

You won't surprise anyone."

"They know what we're doing. They've been watching all morning."

"Ah? Pass that along, then. Quickly. They've had too much time already." Bel- Sidek glanced up and down the street, retreated into his alley.

Aaron looked around, too. He saw nothing but frowning buildings and fallingrain. He shrugged and hurried uphill.

The Dartars seemed surprised to see him. He went straight to Mo'atabar withhis story.

Mo'atabar seemed disinclined to credit it but Nogah butted in. "Let the witchdecide. She's the one who knows this stuff. And she sure isn't gettinganywhere going at it the way she is."

Yoseh told Aaron, "She's hit a dead end. She's lost three prisoners in thereand still can't find the way."

Mo'atabar scowled. He did not like being taught to suck eggs by hisgrandchildren. But he relayed the message, anyway.

The Herodian woman brightened. She began chattering more fervently than shehad earlier. She dropped what she was doing and hastened around to the southface of the citadel. After a few back-and-forths she froze and stared. Her chatter became vehement.

Mo'atabar said, "You were right, carpenter. She's cussing herself out for nothaving seen it. And answering herself, saying she missed it because it was socunningly hidden."

"She's arguing with herself?"

"All Herodians are mad," Mo'atabar declared.

Reyha had nothing to do and teetered at the brink of terror, so Naszif had heraccompany him on his endless rounds of the barricades. He found her chores tooccupy her hands and mind. She went along because she needed the distractiondesperately.

Naszif himself was, in a sense, pleased to be caught in a desperate siege.

Fending off those Dartar traitors left him no time to brood about Zouki.

The fending had grown easier. They no longer seemed interested in conqueringGovernment House, only in keeping him confined, out of touch.

He cursed his inability to discover what was happening elsewhere. He cursedthe rain. In better weather the siege would not have cut communications. Thewhole sprawl of Qushmarrah could be seen from the heights of Government House.

Information could come and go via signal lights or semaphore.

Reason said Herodian arms had suffered a disaster. Else the nomads would have been driven from the acropolis by now.

That idiot Sullo!

An ensign came running. He was little more than a child and did not belonghere where his story might be cut short before it began. "Sir, the physiciansaid to tell you Colonel Bruda is coming around and it looks like he'll be incontrol of his faculties."

"Very well. I'll be along in a minute." He checked one more post, stallingwhile he composed himself. He told Reyha, "So ends Naszif bar bel-Abek's dayof glory, with nothing accomplished."

Reyha did not reply. She did not speak unless he made that necessary. Her lastvoluntary statement had been a generalized expression of gratitude for thehelp given Raheb Sayed.

Bruda had, indeed, made a dramatic recovery. He was sitting up, working on aheavy breakfast, when Naszif arrived. "It as bad as they're telling me?" heasked through a mouth full of apricot.

"Probably worse. I don't know. We're cut off. I expect they control the city.

No one has tried to relieve us or even to reach us. I've had all I can do justto hold on."

"Did a good job, too, for only having kids and superannuated veterans. Mightas well tell me everything. Don't worry about repeating something these kidsmight have told me. They probably got it wrong."

Naszif told it as he knew it.

"That's Fa'tad al-Akla. Pick the moment to perfection, then strike likelightning. Having Sullo take over must have been a sweet that made him drool."

"What should we do?"

"What we can do and what those old farts in Herod will tell us we should have done, in retrospect, are two different things. If any of us get out of herethey'll want to know why we didn't fight to the last man. You and your wifelight somewhere, have something to eat while I give this a think."

Bruda pondered for fifteen minutes. Then, "Our problem is that we don't knowwhat's happening. Take a white flag and go find out what al-Akla has in mind."

Naszif's heart tripped. "Yes sir."

Colonel Bruda had spoken in Herodian. Reyha did not understand till Naszif told her.

The labyrinth could have passed for one of the hells that awaited those whorejected Herod's nameless god. Terror and madness were the twin regents of thesubterranean dark. The crazies from down deep continued their insane pushtoward the surface, attacking anyone they encountered. In turn, the Herodiantroops had taken to attacking anyone who approached them.

The flooding continued to worsen.

Nonetheless, General Cado had gained a measure of control in his own vicinity.

He guessed that as many as two thousand of his men had been killed, wounded, or drowned already.

He forbore swearing a mighty oath of vengeance only because the passion mightrule him when he broke free at last and the effort to requite Fa'tad mightprove suicidal. Who knew what disasters had transpired in the rest of thecity?

Had the Living come out of hiding?

Had Nakar returned to grind everyone beneath his iron boot?

He would know in a few hours, he hoped. His tribunes thought they had found away out through one of the drains carrying runoff water down from the thirdlevel. But it would take a lot of work yet to widen the passage enough usingonly weapons for tools, the soldiers wedging themselves into the drain withtheir bodies, working blind, under a continuous fall of water.

An officer came to report, "They've found Governor Sullo, sir."

"Yes?"

"He's dead. Murdered by his own bodyguards."

Cado grunted. Another political complication. "Stupidity is one capital crimefor which there's never a pardon."

Would he, too, be found guilty and have to pay the supreme penalty?

Aaron had grown so accustomed to the rain that his only accommodation to itwas to keep his head bowed so the drops would not hit him in the eyes. Yosehmuttered, "We'll all catch our death of cold."

Aaron agreed. "At least she seems more optimistic on this side." In two hoursof probing, the witch had not lost another prisoner and only twice had herexplorers encountered any obvious danger.

His stomach wound ever tighter. The sorceress had whispered a long time. NowMo'atabar had Faruk aside for instruction ...

Mo'atabar slapped Faruk on the behind. He scooted off around the citadel.

Aaron shaded his eyes and studied the place, sensing its awareness of theirpresence, feeling something more, something like a great dread, or a greatstorm, slowly wakening. He thought he recognized that feeling Qushmarrah hadlived with all the time till six years ago.

He looked at Yoseh. The boy felt it, too. They all did. His heart plummeted. But he refused to believe that anything had happened to Arif. His son was all right. He had to be.

Yoseh's brother Medjhah came trotting around the side of the citadel. "Company coming, Mo'atabar. Ferrenghi officer with a white flag."

A moment later Naszif and Reyha appeared. Naszif was decked out as a Herodian. He exchanged looks with Aaron, sneering mildly at the company Aaron was keeping. He asked, "Who's in charge?"

Aaron indicated Mo'atabar.

Naszif approached the Dartar, who looked at him curiously, surprised to encounter a Herodian officer who had his hair and looked Qushmarrahan.

Reyha stayed a step from Aaron, staring at the wet pavement. She glanced up, then down again quickly. Softly, Aaron told her, "We're going in there pretty soon. We've found the way. We're just waiting for reinforcements."

"Oh." No more than a whisper. She peered at the citadel.

"Are you all right?"

"I'm fine." In a voice like a mouse, defeated and embarrassed.

"It's all right, Reyha. Nobody blames you for anything. It's not your fault."

She just shook her head, stared at the pavement. After a moment, she said, "I want to stay here, Aaron. I want to get Zouki when you go in there."

He wanted to say that was impossible, that there was no place for a woman among men storming a fortress, but said instead, "It'll be dangerous." He knew her desperation for her son better than he knew the few men he called his friends.

"I know. But I want to be there. And if he's not all right ... If something's happened ... Then the danger won't matter."

"I don't like the way you're talking, Reyha."

"Zouki is the only thing I have to live for, Aaron." She had scary stuff going on in her head, barely edging her words.

He did not know what to say so he said nothing.

Mo'atabar was telling Naszif something about the Herodians getting out of Qushmarrah. For the first time, suddenly, Aaron realized that when dawn broke tomorrow and the workweek began he might be unemployed.

Azel clumped downstairs, ignoring his pain. He roared, "Torgo! Torgo! Where the hell are you, you ball-less bastard? We just ran the hell out of time!" Hestampeded toward the Witch's chambers, roaring all the way.

Torgo popped out, pallid.

"We're out of time!" Azel yelled. "They're going to come. Wake her up."

"What happened? I thought ..."

"I don't know what happened. You think I can read their minds? All of a suddenthey're around working on the Postern of Fate. Won't take them long to workthrough the pattern. So let's hit it!"

Trouble was, though they had talked about it, they had no plan for meetingthis challenge. Decisions were the province of the Witch. Even to Azel it hadseemed there would be time enough to get organized after she woke up.

"Take care of her. Get her moving. I'll go try to arrange something to slowthem down."

Torgo just stood there, mouth open, face pale, eyes dull.

"Move it, Torgo! Or we're all dead!"

Torgo drifted back into the Witch's chambers.

Azel limped on down to the main floor. He found the staff assembled already, terrified, alerted by his bellowing earlier. Here were all of Gorloch'ssurviving believers, eight men and twelve women. Not much to brag on. Azeltold the men, "You guys get out some weapons. They're going to come throughthe Postern of Fate. Nakar left a hundred tricks and traps. Set them up. Turnthem loose. We got to buy time till she can get down here to help."

They responded with no enthusiasm.

"Hey! You think about this. You remember this. They ain't going to leavenobody alive if they get in here. Not you, not me, not nobody." He eyed thewomen. What the hell was he going to do with them? "Any of you want to helpthe men, grab a weapon and go." Surprising him, four chose that course. "Allright. The rest of you go upstairs and see what Torgo has for you." He had anasty idea. "Wait! You. You. Go keep an eye on those kids. Be ready to movethem if I tell you."

The last two hurried off. Azel grabbed a lighted lamp and went down to visitNakar and Ala-eh-din Beyh, only once he got there he ignored them. He steppedaround one and over the other, carried the lamp into the darkness behind theimage of Gorloch. He passed through a doorway closed by dusty black curtains, entered a suite of rooms that had been used by priests before and afterceremonies. Those chambers had remained inviolate since Nakar had stepped outshortly before the arrival of Ala-eh-din Beyh. The Witch had been forbiddentrespass.

He hadn't forgotten his way around. He made several minor arrangements, thenwent to a wardrobe cabinet where sacerdotal robes and accessories still hung.

He eased between hangings, used a knife to probe a seam in the cabinet's back.

Something clicked.

The cabinet back swung away into darkness. Azel followed it into a hidden roomeight feet by eight. He lighted three lamps from his own, inventoried the room's contents.

Everything was there, as it had been when one of his duties had been tomaintain the bolt-hole.

There were three ways out. One tight crawlway wormed through the citadel wallsto debouch near the Postern of Fate. A vertical shaft climbed the citadel's tallest tower, the top of which was the highest point in Qushmarrah and couldbe seen from nowhere else. It could be reached only from this room.

The third exit lay beneath the floor. It burrowed deep into the earth.

He was satisfied. The escape option was covered. He topped off the oil in thethree lamps, left one burning. There would be no time to piddle away lightingone if a retreat became necessary. He closed up and went to find out how Torgowas doing with the Witch.

He muttered all the way, cursing his wounds.

Bel-Sidek sensed something amiss the moment the soldier let him into Meryel'shouse. Something had changed. He could not lay a finger on it immediately . .

.

He had left one of his own men on the door when he had slipped out. The manwho let him in was not one of his own.

The khadifas were waiting where he had left them with orders to compare theirresources in case it became necessary to take action. Hadribel was all puffedup with anger. King was red with embarrassment. Salom Edgit would not meet hiseye. Carza was smiling like a cat with feathers in its whiskers.

So.

Bel-Sidek faced Zenobel, who showed him nothing. "Surprise. You made your movebefore the fact."

"What?" Startled.

"I'd thought you'd make your play later. I'd forgotten you tend towardoverconfidence."

Zenobel did not look confident now.

King said, "We took a vote ..."

"I know. Four to one to overthrow the overly cautious General, with Hadribelcasting the dissenting vote and miffed enough to withhold the strength of theShu at a time when the organization is enfeebled already by its loss ofcontrol in the Hahr. Which now owes allegiance to the khadifa of the Shu. Sowhat do we have here? Shall I become a prophet and foretell the future?"

"By all means," Zenobel said, with less composure than he had possessed amoment ago.

"The movement will fall into two factions, the smaller loyal to the General'spicked successor, the other the more successful. Once the invaders evacuatethe city the war faction will split again when you and Carza try to shake off nuisances named King Dabdahd and Salom Edgit. We may see Living blood shed bythe Living. Then the final act, as you and Carza struggle for the right toshape Qushmarrah's destiny.

"About the time you get it sorted out Herodian legions will come to reclaim acity which has been too busy playing faction to prepare for their return."

He looked them all in the eye. Even Zenobel flinched.

He pushed out the door, to where four of Zenobel's men waited. "Take mewherever you're supposed to keep me confined."

The carpenter's conversation with the veydeen woman seemed personal, deservingof privacy. Yoseh drifted nearer Mo'atabar and the envoy.

The envoy wanted to speak ferrenghi. Mo'atabar refused. He was not going tolet the man hide from witnesses.

The man gave in. "Colonel Bruda sent me to find out what terms Fa'tad mightoffer."

"Go over to the Residence and talk to Fa'tad, then."

"I stopped there. No one was there. Your group are the only Dartars I canfind."

"Is that so?" Mo'atabar smiled nastily. "Then I'll have to tell you for him.

He wants all ferrenghi, military or civilian, and all veydeen with theferrenghi allegiance, to leave the city. You're to go on foot, taking only theclothing and shoes you're wearing, carrying only a small amount of food.

You're to go out the Gate of Autumn and march eastward. The deadline forcompliance is dawn tomorrow. Ferrenghi not on their way by then will be killedor sold as slaves."

The envoy wanted to argue but he knew finality when he heard it. "I'll relaythat to Colonel Bruda."

"Do that. I'm sure he'll want to spread the word and find out how desperatehis situation is. He can send messengers through the streets so long as theygo in uniform, unarmed, alone, with a red cloth tied around their left arms."

The veydeen ferrenghi struggled to keep his temper.

Mo'atabar smiled again.

The envoy spun around, stalked toward his wife. Mo'atabar pointed, indicatingthat Yoseh should stay near him. The man snapped at his woman, "Let's go!"

The mouse growled back. "I'm staying here. I'm going in there with them."

The man started to shout, froze, slammed his jaw shut, and whirled again. Heglowered at the citadel. "I'll be right back. I'll go with you." He ran off.

The carpenter said, "His son is in there, too."

"I was there," Yoseh reminded him. He faced the citadel himself. That child- taker was in there, probably. That short, wide killer to whom he had shown the Face of Death ... But only the carpenter knew. Right? And he would not know the significance of the act.

Yoseh was afraid. And felt guilty about his fear, though he knew if he asked, his brothers and cousins would admit they were frightened, too. But that was different, somehow. Oh, did he wish that he had not come to Qushmarrah. Mo'atabar and the ferrenghi sorceress were whispering up a storm, the woman's gestures growing more animated by the moment. They were ready.

A score of Fa'tad's picked veterans, armed and armored as heavily as ferrenghi heavy infantry, trotted around from the far side of the citadel.

She could not get her mind to function. She felt like she had been drugged.

Nothing made sense. Torgo was begging her to get herself together. She could not. She could not remember why it was important that she wake up, though Torgo had told her several times.

Azel bulled his way into her bedchamber. "What the hell is this? I told you to get her up and get her down there."

"She's awake. She's just having trouble getting her bearings."

"What the hell are you being so delicate for? You going to curtsey your way to the gallows?"

Azel's abrasive voice began to draw her out of the fog. She watched him storm toward where she sat on the edge of her bed, his hand rising. She willed her body to move but it did not respond before the blow fell.

Pain shot through her, reached into that hidden place where anger slept, wakening it. Her surroundings came into focus. Torgo hurled himself at Azel. Azel stepped aside. She snapped, "Torgo! That's enough! Azel, I shan't forget this."

"I hope not. I probably just saved your life. Candyass here would've dicked around till they were in here chopping you up for dog meat."